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Historial notes on Hung Ga Kung Fu birth

The Shaolin temple (or Siulam) was built around 300 A.C. and it is the place where Chinese Martial Arts evolved. Martial Arts development comes about to 520 a.C. when an Indian monk, Bodhidarma (or Tat Moh), arrived to the Shaolin Temple of Honan (Hoh Naam Siulam Ji Sin) in the North Of China (on the mountain of the Song Shan) in order to disclose the Chan doctrine (or Zen in Japanese). After a long meditation period (some sources talk about 9 years in a cave), he realized how weak the monks of the Temple were and decided to create some exercises able to strengthen both their physique and health. He created a series of movements called Shi Pa Shou Han (the Han was a Buddhist idol), which developed always more untill becoming various types of Martial Arts.

After the destruction of the Shaolin Temple Of Honan, accused of be a hideout of revolutionaries for the dictatorial government of the Ching dynasty (1644 - 1911), the temple Siu Lam of Fujian became the new center where the rebels trained to fight the oppressors.
In the past, the temple had been for several times, the central point for the rebels of various associations or secret companies. This because the various companies were always bound by religious ideologies, Buddhist or Taoista (White Lotus, Bagua, White Eyebrow, the Boxer ecc).

Il tempio Shaolin

The entry of the laymans to the temple was very selective. Who wanted to come in to improve their capacities in the martial arts were submitted to hard tests. Only who passed these tests, was admitted to the temple.

During the Ching Dynasty's dictatorship, all the sects were against them and for everybody the motto was: "Pull down the Ching, restore the Ming (1368-1644: this is a magnificent period for China)". The salutation of the Hung-Ga style derives from this saying. In fact, the hands represent day and night (or sun and moon): these characters form the Chinese word «Ming». Bringing the hands to the thorax represents being against the foreign rulers and having heart only for China ("we are against the foreign rulers and our hearts are for China”). Taking the fists to the sides, instead, shows that it is possible, all together, to return freedom to the country ("fighting together we can take our country again"). Therefore the salutation wanted to show the will to turn over the Ching (darkness) and restore the Ming (light).

Hung Hei Gwoon, who worked as tea dealer in that period (XVIII sec), had some controversies with Ching nobles. Consequently he had to take refuge in the Siu Lam Temple (Siu Lam Ji Sin) of Fujian.

Hung was experienced in the martial arts, but he improved his level under the guidance of the abbot Ji Sin, chief of the Temple at that time. Unfortunately, also the second Siu Lam temple followed the destiny touched to the first: it was destroyed and fired. Few persons survived and among these there were Ji Sin and Hung Hei Gwoon. They departed making difficult the finding of their tracks.

Hung Hei Gwoon continued teaching, in the province of the Gwuandong, what he learnt in Siu Lam. In the Temple of Big Buddha he tried to keep on the spirit of the riot. His teachings were elaborations and modifications of the original techniques, but at the ground of his training remained a lot of basic principals.

The free teaching of the martial arts was readmitted in the beginning of 1800, when China was invaded by the foreign Ching farmers. Hung Hei Gwon opened one of his school in a town (Fat), in the province of the Gwandong. The martial art taught by him will take the name of HUNG GA KUEN SUT (boxing of the Hung family) or HUNG-GA GUNG FOO (in Southern China, Chinese boxing was also called GUNG FOO) In the meantime Ji Sin continued teaching. When he heard about the Hung's school in the Fat town, sent him his best pupil Luk Ah Choi, which kept on disclosing the Hung Gar in the Canton town.

A very able pupil of Luc Ah Choi was Wong Tai, who became his successor. His son (Wong Kay Ying) was also very skilled in martial arts and his contribution for Hung Gar style's diffusion was big. He was sent by his father in institute of Luk Ah Choi to improve the Hung Gar.

In that period there was also another great teacher of Hung Gar, Tit Kiu Saam. But the most famous teacher who can be remembered (thanks to the numerous films dedicated to him) is definitely Wong Fei Hung. With him, begins the modern history of the Hung Gar style.

Lam Sai Wing was considered as the Wong Fei Hung successor. He took the initiative in disclosing Hung Gar also through publications, printing famous books on Gung Ji Sin Foo Hok and Tit Sin. Another very important Wong Fei Wong pupil was Tang Fung. The Lam Sai Wing principal successors were Lam Jo, Chan Hon Chung and Chiu Kao.

Genealogia

This is our School genealogy tree

Shaolin Temple

Wong Fei Hung

Lam Sai Wing (1861 - 1942)

Chiu Kao (1900-1990)

Chiu Chi Ling

Sergio and Luigi Martone

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