Lam Cho

Lam Cho (27 February 1910 – 29 March 2012) was the

Lam Cho
Hung Ga Grandmaster and Dit Da practitioner of the Lam
Family Hung Ga lineage. He was noted to be the last martial
arts Grandmaster who lived during the times of well-known
martial artists Wong Fei-hung and Lam Sai-wing, his
adoptive uncle.

Contents
Background
Personal life
Later life
Death
References

Lam Cho in his younger days

Background Born February 27, 1910
Guicheng Subdistrict,
Lam was born at Ping Chau village at Guicheng Subdistrict,
Nanhai District of Foshan in Guangdong on 27 February Nanhai District, Foshan,
1910. At a young age he was orphaned and was adopted by Guangdong, Qing Empire
his uncle Lam Sai-wing ( 林世榮 ), a disciple of the famous Died March 29, 2012
Hung Ga martial artist Wong Fei-hung. (aged 102)
Hong Kong Baptist
Lam Cho was trained in Hung Ga by Sai-wing at the age of
Hospital, Kowloon Tong,
6 and also practiced in Traditional Chinese medicine Dit Da.
By the age of 16 he was already an established Hung Ga Hong Kong
instructor in his own right and taught at his uncle's school Native 林祖
Lam Sai-wing Martial Arts Association ( 林世榮國術團 ), and
南武體育會
name
at Southern Martial Arts Athletic Association ( ).
Other Lam Cho-kan ( 林祖根)
In 1928, Lam Sai-wing took him to Hong Kong, where they names Lam Gun-kau ( 林冠球)
opened two branches of Lam Sai-wing Martial Arts Residence Hong Kong
Association and Dit Da clinics there. Sai-wing managed the
Style Chinese martial arts
First Branch with Cho as chief instructor, while the Second
Hung Ga
Branch was managed by Cho's fellow student Dang Hin-
choi. Teacher(s) Lam Sai-wing
Rank Grandmaster
In 1931, Cho was invited to the British marine exercise event
at Lufeng, Guangdong, to perform martial arts, and received Occupation martial artist, Dit Da
praises from other participating martial artists. This was practitioner
further reported on London Free Press. Later in about 1932,
Cho taught his 8 year old adopted son Tang Kwok-wah ( 鄧 Spouse Tam Yeut-ming (died 1979)

國華 ) (1924–2011).
Children 6
Like his uncle, Lam Cho had since become one of the most Notable Lam Sai-wing (uncle)
celebrated martial artists, and was often sought after for his relatives Tang Kwok-wah (adopted
skills and was invited to many important martial arts events. son)

In 1933, Cho took over the Second Branch and renamed it to Notable Lam Cho Martial Arts
Lam Cho Martial Arts Association ( 林祖國術社 ) with a new club(s) Association
logo of Tiger and Crane insignia designed by his student
Chinese name
Leung Wing-hang, replacing his uncle's former circular
insignia logo which had Lam's Training Hall ( 林館 ) written Chinese 林祖
inside of it. Thus the logo became a trademark of Lam
Family Hung Kuen ( 林家洪拳 ) lineage.
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Lam married Tam Yeut-ming ( 譚月明 ) at Hong Kong and Hanyu Pinyin Lín Zǔ
his first son was born in 1940, his son's name was named
Lam Chun-fai ( 林鎮輝 ) by his uncle Sai-wing.
Jyutping
Yue: Cantonese
lam4 zou2
During the World War II, Lam Cho was actively involved in
the anti-Japanese resistance. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civil disorder among the
people broke out in the streets and Lam stepped in to maintain peace. He was later recognised by the
Japanese as a man with considerable influence over the local people and they tried to have him becoming a
member to the local administration. Lam's repeated refusal resulted him being a wanted man and his school
being burned. Lam had no choice and fled back to his hometown Ping Chau village at Nanhai District, later
he discreetly taught martial arts at San Jou village.

After the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Lam moved his family back to Hong Kong and reopened his
school and Dit Da clinic at the ground floor of the four storey building (present day Blue House) at Stone
Nullah Lane in Wan Chai, the clinic where his uncle had presumably died in.[1] There Lam trained his 5
year old first son Chun-fai along with others.

Lam would often been invited by many associations and companies to act as their martial arts consultant.
He also became the chairman of the Physical Culture Association.[2]

Personal life
Lam married Tam Yeut-ming ( 譚月明 ) and their children were born from during the World War II to post-
war early 1950s, they have four sons, namely, Anthony Lam Chun-fai ( 林鎮輝 ) (born 1940), Lam Chun-
林鎮顯
hin ( ), Simon Lam Chun-chung ( 林鎮忠 ) (born 19 October 1948) and Lam Chun-sing ( 林鎮成 )
(born 1952), and two daughters, Lam Fung-chan ( 林鳳珍 ) and Lam Fung-chu ( 林鳳珠 ) (born 1944). All
his six children were trained by him and were established Hung Ga and Dit Da practitioners.[3]

His son Anthony Lam would assist him as an instructor at the school before opening his own at North
Point at the age of 18.[4]

In 1963, Lam left the school and Dit Da clinic at Wan Chai to be managed by his second son Lam Chun-
hin and his wife Luk Lai-yin ( 陸麗燕 )[5][6] to open another training school and Dit Da clinic at Nullah
Road, Mong Kok in Kowloon.

Lam accepted the permission of his adopted son Tang Kwok-wah to open his own school in Hong Kong.
Tang would later migrate to the United States in 1973 to open his school in Boston. Lam's fourth son Lam
Chun-sing moved to Jordan to establish his own school and Dit Da clinic there for a year before ventured
into business, but returned to Hong Kong in 1975 to train students at his father's studio in Mong Kok.[7]
Lam's wife Yeut-ming died in 1979. His second son Chun-hin died in the 1980s, Chun-hin's wife Luk
carries on with the Dit Da practice at Wan Chai.

Later life
As well as his adopted son Tang, Lam's well-known senior
students who eventually went overseas to promote Hung Ga were
Kwong Tit Fu ( 鄺鐵夫 ; died 1999, Boston), Y.C. Wong (黃耀楨 ;
San Francisco) and Buck Sam Kong ( 江北山 ; Kong's Siu Lum Pai
Assn., Los Angeles).

Although Lam officially retired in the 1970s, he continued to

practice his martial arts and treated patients at Mong Kok on a
regular basis with assistance of his youngest daughter Lam Fung-
chu. Lam Cho's former martial arts school
at Blue House in 2006. Currently
In January 2008, Lam was invited to attend the Wong Fei-hung's known as Lam Chun-hin Clinic ( 林鎮
160th birthday anniversary commemorative ceremony in Nanhai as 顯醫館 ) by his late son Lam Chun-hin
Hung Ga's most senior representative.[8] 林鎮顯
( )

Soon after his 100th lunar birthday in March 2010, Lam suffered a
stroke and was taken to Hong Kong Baptist Hospital at Kowloon Tong. His training school and Dit Da
clinic in Mong Kok had been taken over by his third son Simon Lam and youngest daughter
respectively.[9]
Meanwhile, his adopted son Tang Kwok-wah died in Quincy on 22 November
2011.[10][11]

Death
Lam died during his stay at the hospital on 29 March 2012, 2:15 pm (UTC+08:00), at the ripe old age of
102. His funeral wake was held at Universal Funeral (世界殯儀館 ) at Hung Hom in April 2012, and his
students from all over the world returned to Hong Kong to mourn for his passing.[12][13]

References
1. 陳銘智 (2017-03-27). "【社區異想】灣仔藍屋前身既係華
佗醫院 仲有黃飛鴻徒弟開武館？" (https://www.hk01.com/
社區專題/80603/社區異想-灣仔藍屋前身既係華佗醫院-仲
有黃飛鴻徒弟開武館). 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)).
Retrieved 2019-04-05.
2. "HUNG KYUN GRANDMASTER LAM CHO HAS
PASSED AWAY AT 103" (http://www.kungfumagazine.co
m/ezine/article.php?article=1039).
www.kungfumagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
3. Macek, Pavel. "Lam Family Hung Kyun: About Carrying
the Tradition Forward and Innovation | Practical Hung
Kyun" (http://practicalhungkyun.com/2016/09/lam-family-
hung-kyun-about-carrying-the-tradition-forward-and-inno
vation/). Retrieved 2019-04-08.
The fully renovated Lam Chun-hin
Clinic at Blue House in 2017.
 4. Peter Shadbolt. "Hong Kong kung fu fights back" (https://
www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/world/asia/hongkong-kungfu/i
ndex.html). CNN. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
5. "熨药、正骨 香港传统跌打医馆烟火气十足
…… " (http://ne
ws.ifeng.com/gundong/detail_2013_12/25/32440610_0.
shtml). news.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
6. "落戶灣仔及東區的武術名家 " (http://had18.huluhk.org/arti
cle-detail.php?id=151&lang=tc). 港文化 區 18 (in
Chinese). Retrieved 2019-04-05.
7. "Lam Chun Sing" (http://www.kungfu-info.de/Hilfsseite__
Ger_/Hung_Gar/Geschichte/Lam_Chun_Sing/lam_chun
_sing.html). www.kungfu-info.de. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
8. "洪拳雜憶 (10 Mar 2008) | Lingnan University Fong Sum
Wood Library" (https://www.library.ln.edu.hk/find/local-tv-
programmes/%E6%B4%AA%E6%8B%B3%E9%9B%9
C%E6%86%B6-10-mar-2008). www.library.ln.edu.hk.
Retrieved 2019-04-05.
9. Macek, Pavel. "The Man, the Legend: Hung Ga Kyun
Grandmaster Lam Cho (1910-2012) | Practical Hung
Kyun" (http://practicalhungkyun.com/2014/03/the-man-th
e-legend-hung-ga-kyun-grandmaster-lam-cho-1910-201
2/). Retrieved 2019-04-05.
10. "Kung fu grandmaster Tang Kwok Wah of Quincy dies"
(https://www.patriotledger.com/article/20111130/NEWS/3
11309206). The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA. Retrieved
2020-05-05.
11. Says, Giuliofabbri74. "Grandmaster Tang Kwok-Wah
(1924-2011)" (http://naamkyun.com/2011/11/grandmaste
r-tang-kwok-wah-1924-2011/). NaamKyun.com.
Retrieved 2019-04-05.
黃飛鴻傳人 徒孫包括曾俊華 洪拳泰斗出殯 全球弟子奔
12. "
喪 " (http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120426/1
蘋果日報
6282965). Apple Daily . Retrieved 2019-04-08.
13. Tatler, Hong Kong (2012-05-08). "Tribute to Lam Cho:
One of Hong Kong’s Last Great Kung Fu Masters" (http
s://hk.asiatatler.com/society/tribute-to-lam-cho-one-of-ho
ng-kong-rsquo-s-last-great-kung-fu-masters). Hong Kong
Tatler. Retrieved 2019-04-04.

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