Grandson of pioneering Chinese martial arts master Lam Sai-wing has taken Hung Kuen to whole new audience
When he was just 12 years old, Lam would join his father every morning to teach Hung Kuen at martial arts institute in heart of Wan Chai
Lam Chun-Fai may be a third-generation Hung Kuen master, but he is the first in his family to expand the century-old Chinese martial art beyond Hong Kong and into the world.
Lam, 77, has spent more than 60 years teaching students of all ages since he was a teenager.
As the grandson of Lam Sai-wing, the pioneer of documenting Hung Kuen in the media during the early 20th century, the younger Lam was “forced” into the family business at the age of five.
“At first, I was reluctant to learn kung fu at all even though it was a popular sport among youngsters in the 1940s,” he said.
However, despite his initial disinterest, he soon fell into the habit of practising the art and became passionate about pursuing a career alongside his father, who was also a Hung Kuen master.
When he was just 12 years old, the younger Lam would join his father every morning to teach Hung Kuen at the Blue House, a martial arts institute founded by the Lam family in the early 20th century at the heart of Wan Chai.