Lau Gar Kung Fu

Most people are familiar with the spectacular moves and fighting techniques which are heavily featured in Kung Fu movies. The careers and exploits of Kung Fu’s better known exponents such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are legendary and have helped to promote Kung Fu in the west.

However, Kung Fu has many different styles - you may have seen the Shaolin Monks with their ‘Wheel of Life’ show. This is an acrobatic style from the northern part of China. Not everyone knows, however, that Tai Chi is also a martial art, a style which is gentle and flowing in appearance. Lau Gar is a southern Chinese style of Kung Fu. Southern styles emphasise stable stances and short, strong hand techniques, said to have developed due to the confined space in the old city streets and alleys and the instability of small river boats.

The Lau Gar system (Lau Gar means Lau family or clan) was originally taught only to those with the surname Lau. This was common practice with family styles, as good fighting techniques and skills were often a means of survival and therefore not to be disclosed to others readily. At one time, the Lau Gar style was one of the most popular of those practised in the Guang Dong province, but was later incorporated into the Hung Gar system, also a southern style, and which displays similar stances and techniques. This was perhaps due to a need to conceal it, or perhaps to prevent the knowledge from being lost. Whatever the reason, three original forms, Lau Gar Kuen (Fist), Lau Gar Long Staff and Lau Gar Palm, are to be found in the modern day Hung Gar curriculum.

Several of our instructors have travelled to the USA to study with Hung Gar and Shaolin Grand Master, Sifu Kwong Wing Lam, in order to enhance and widen their knowledge, which in turn is passed on to the other instructors and their students. Some have also visited China, having the opportunity to train at Wudang Mountain and at the world famous home of martial arts, the Shaolin Temple. These experiences have allowed elements of both Hung Gar and Shaolin Kung Fu to be incorporated into the classes to provide students with a broader experience and vision of kung fu.