The History of Eagle Claw
General Yueh Fei (1103 - 41)
As with most things, modern day Eagle Claw differs drastically from its original iteration during the Sung Dynasty. Eagle Claw derived out of necessity, with the studying of an eagle swooping down to grasp its prey, from a military point of view was weaponized for hand-to-hand combat.
Blending famous General Yue Fei's original Ying Kuen with the Faan Tzi system of boxing and combining lessons with those of the Shaolin Temple, Eagle Claw's evolution eventually incorporated numerous weapons, gymnastics routines, as well as martial tumbling to the original open hand system.
Modern day Eagle claw stems from several different systems of Northern Kung Fu, the first being Chin Na (joint locking) which was developed by General Yueh Fei of the Sung Dynasty. Although he was not a product of the Shaolin temple, General Yueh Fei was trained extensively by Shaolin Priest Jao Tung.
During the Ming Dynasty, a Shaolin martial monk named Li Chun famous for his abilities in Faan Tzu (martial tumbling) came upon General Yueh Fei's demonstration of Chin Na. Li Chun was impressed by the power of Eagle Claw hand techniques as well as the beautiful form and became determined to combine it with his own Faan Tzu technique. Eventually the monk Li Chun combined the two systems creating Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu or Eagle Claw as we know it today. The monk Li Chun passed Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu to the monk Tao Chi of the Li Chuan monastery in the Hebei province which was an area famous for it's martial arts. The Li Chuan monastery maintained the system as the Ming Dynasty gave way to the Ching. Near the end of the Ching Dynasty a Confucian scholar, Lau Shr Chien, entered the Li Chuan monastery and studied the Eagle Claw system.
After migrating to Peking, Lau Shr Chien gained much fame as a martial artist and mastered the staff and became known as Ta Kan Tse Lau. He passed his knowledge of Eagle Claw to his third son Lau Chung Yao who in turn taught Lau Kai Wen and nephew Cheng Tzu Chung. Ta Kan Tse Lau traveled to Beijing and taught Liu De Kuan, who later learned Ba Gau Zhang. Liu De Kuan influenced the Ba Gau Zhang system by incorporating his Eagle Claw knowledge to create a routine called 64 Palm linear line form for Ba Gau Practice. Based on the principles founded with two core routines of Eagle Claw: Hun Kune Sup Loh and Lin Kune Ng Sup Loh were formed.
In the end, Chung Tzu Chung took the system to Shanghai and became an instructor at the famous Ching Wu academy of martial arts. Chung Tzu Chung later returned to Hebei province and convinced Lau Tzu Chang to return to Shanghai and assisted in teaching the Eagle Claw system.
Grandmaster Gini Lau is the daughter of the late Great Grand Master Lau Fat Mang, a famous Eagle Claw Master and honored war hero from China, who was one the greatest Eagle Claw proponents of this century.
Blending famous General Yue Fei's original Ying Kuen with the Faan Tzi system of boxing and combining lessons with those of the Shaolin Temple, Eagle Claw's evolution eventually incorporated numerous weapons, gymnastics routines, as well as martial tumbling to the original open hand system.
Modern day Eagle claw stems from several different systems of Northern Kung Fu, the first being Chin Na (joint locking) which was developed by General Yueh Fei of the Sung Dynasty. Although he was not a product of the Shaolin temple, General Yueh Fei was trained extensively by Shaolin Priest Jao Tung.
During the Ming Dynasty, a Shaolin martial monk named Li Chun famous for his abilities in Faan Tzu (martial tumbling) came upon General Yueh Fei's demonstration of Chin Na. Li Chun was impressed by the power of Eagle Claw hand techniques as well as the beautiful form and became determined to combine it with his own Faan Tzu technique. Eventually the monk Li Chun combined the two systems creating Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu or Eagle Claw as we know it today. The monk Li Chun passed Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu to the monk Tao Chi of the Li Chuan monastery in the Hebei province which was an area famous for it's martial arts. The Li Chuan monastery maintained the system as the Ming Dynasty gave way to the Ching. Near the end of the Ching Dynasty a Confucian scholar, Lau Shr Chien, entered the Li Chuan monastery and studied the Eagle Claw system.
After migrating to Peking, Lau Shr Chien gained much fame as a martial artist and mastered the staff and became known as Ta Kan Tse Lau. He passed his knowledge of Eagle Claw to his third son Lau Chung Yao who in turn taught Lau Kai Wen and nephew Cheng Tzu Chung. Ta Kan Tse Lau traveled to Beijing and taught Liu De Kuan, who later learned Ba Gau Zhang. Liu De Kuan influenced the Ba Gau Zhang system by incorporating his Eagle Claw knowledge to create a routine called 64 Palm linear line form for Ba Gau Practice. Based on the principles founded with two core routines of Eagle Claw: Hun Kune Sup Loh and Lin Kune Ng Sup Loh were formed.
In the end, Chung Tzu Chung took the system to Shanghai and became an instructor at the famous Ching Wu academy of martial arts. Chung Tzu Chung later returned to Hebei province and convinced Lau Tzu Chang to return to Shanghai and assisted in teaching the Eagle Claw system.
Grandmaster Gini Lau is the daughter of the late Great Grand Master Lau Fat Mang, a famous Eagle Claw Master and honored war hero from China, who was one the greatest Eagle Claw proponents of this century.
Lin Kun 50 Set book hand made book by Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang in 1958
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Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang in Canton, China
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Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang 1938
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Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's grand opening of his first studio in Hong Kong in 1963
Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's student
Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's student
Master Gini Lau with Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's nephew in 1966
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Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's students
Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang's student
Great Grandmasters published book: Eagle Claw 108 Chin Na Technique
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