Kung fu guru plans to put the punch back into Chinese culture

CitySeen caught up recently with the talkative Gordon Lam Ka-tung, more famously known as the ex-partner of the Dragon-i hot spot, to see what he is up to. Perhaps not surprisingly to those who know him well, Lam sees himself as an ambassador for Chinese culture, history and arts.

'I am organising a martial arts chain of schools to promote true Chinese culture,' Lam tells CitySeen. His goal is to open schools in London, New York and Paris.

For eight months now, he has been practising Tai Sing Pek Kwar, a northern Chinese Monkey and Shoalin-style martial art. Though he uses weapons like the nine-point metal whip and the wooden staff, he claims to never use his new-found abilities to fight.

'Unlike most of the more popular martial arts you see today, in which every move is aimed to kill, Tai Sing Pek Kwar is practised for inner strength and overall confidence. If you only know the physical aspects of martial arts, you know how to fight. So how is that different from a gangster?' he asks. Lam believes most denizens of Hong Kong are superficial. 'People have no substance and lack culture, and it is reflected in the 'acting' martial arts we see today. Old martial arts had substance; watch any one of the Shaw brothers' films and you'll know what I'm talking about.'

When asked why he left Dragon-i, Lam explains: 'I looked at the city I am living in and didn't just want to sit back and complain. I've spent 12 years in the clubbing industry and just wanted to do something different.'