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contents
Master Lam Sai Wing Sets
Up a School for Training the Fighting Arts in Canton (Guangzhou)
That was the time when
Manchu dynasty Qing (1644-1911) fell down and the People's Republic (1912-1949) was in the process of formation. The Chinese people had no moral supports during that time of confusion and lawlessness. At quiet nights
Master Lam Sai Wing meditated on how to devote himself to good deeds and heavily sighed. He said that at such a time a brave man could not waste his powers and had to do his highest duty for the sake of the people. One must devote to it his whole life, refuse trade and handicraft,
"take a knapsack on his back and set off" in search of friends and mentors for himself to enrich his knowledge. Should not one do self-sacrifice for the well-being of the society?
Masters of fighting arts in northern provinces lived more or less well, but in the southern
Guangdong province they had to seek for means of subsistence or expect official vacancies and to solve other every-day problems. That's why it was extremely hard to find disciples to pass fighting arts from generation to generation.
Nevertheless, at those hard times followers who wished to learn the ancient traditions were found. Military commanders
Liu and Cheng, as well as Wu Quanmei who held "tidu" post (a military commander of all troops in a province) dedicated themselves to
Kung Fu. There were more than 20 disciples in Wong Fei
Hung's school and some trainers. They united, set up their own school and enrolled disciples.
The Lam's school opened in Canton (Guangzhou) quickly become very popular and
Master Lam Sai Wing became famous as a great specialist in fighting
arts. One should take into account that the Chinese Pugilism and
Fencing interlaced with dao practice are the most complicated. The whole technique imitating actions of the people and animals has a hidden sense.
This technique is well elaborated and effective; if a man who observes all required conditions uses it, he wins a quick
victory! This is the basic feature of the
Chinese Fighting Arts.
Some time later, a man called the Bald-Headed, also native to
Guangdong province, appeared in Canton. On hearing on the famous
Master Lam, this envious man tried to discredit Lam Sai Wing
by saying that he was stronger than Master Lam. One day he made a surprise visit to the
Master Lam's school and burst into the room where the fighters trained. The
Bald-Headed was unceremonious and impudent in complete disregard of everybody. He planned to set up his own school and to enroll disciples for himself. He wished to measure swords with Master Lam and challenged him. Three times Master
Lam Sai Wing tactfully refused, yet the Bald-Headed forced him to fight;
Lam had no any way out but to fight. The place for the fight was found outside the city. Master
Lam Sai Wing overpowered the Bald-Headed who acknowledged his defeat and humbly expressed his desire to become
Lam's disciple. Later, after training at the Lam Sai Wing's
school he also became a well-known master.
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