The Late Great Grandmaster
Lau Fat Mang
(1902 - 1964)
Born in 1902, the late great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was the nephew of Lau Kai Men and close relative of Lau Chung Yo. Lau Chung Yo was a student of the Eagle Claw Founder Lau Si Chun. Because of this familial connection, Lau Fat Mang was accepted into the inner circle and taught the secret forms of Eagle Claw which at the time were not taught to the general public. After learning Eagle Claw, Lau Fat Mang soon made a name for himself within the martial arts community by winning honors at the Peking Civil service exams. His specialty was a unique style called the Joy Lhok Tong or Six Drunken Falling Form. While in his early 20's, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang traveled to Shanghai to teach Eagle Claw at the famous Chin Wu Association.
In 1929, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was requested to travel to Hong Kong to become the leading instructor for the new Ching Wu Martial Arts Academy. These were pivotal times of growth for martial arts in Hong Kong which led to its eventual introduction in the West. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang and two other famous kung-fu masters at the time, Yeh Yuh Tin and Kan Tak Hoi became known as the ‘Three Heroes from Hebei’. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang received an invitation by the army to train Chinese troops which led him to become a national war hero. He meticulously assembled and trained a special forces troop named the 19th Regiment Dai Do Brigade, or broadsword brigade, which specialized in night raids on enemy encampments during the Japanese occupation of China. The illustrious exploits of the Dai Do Brigade are still considered a significant feat in China today. After the war, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang opened his own martial arts school in Hong Kong and taught for several years. He later retired to the New Territories of Hong Kong and taught only his family. Grandmaster Gini Lau was born late in her father's life and the youngest daughter of great grandmaster Lau Fat Mangs’ five children. Chosen by her father to carry on the Eagle Claw tradition, she spent many hard and grueling hours training and swept away the old traditions of Eagle Claw only being taught to the son and heir. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang bestowed his daughter, grandmaster Gini Lau, the complete Eagle Claw system. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was considered a Zheung Mun Yan for Eagle Claw, a position only gained by those of the very highest skill and those that are able to carry and pass the legacy of the Eagle Claw system in its entirety unto the next generation. His daughter grandmaster Gini Lau is considered by many to be a current Zheung Mun Yan for her fathers’ Eagle Claw system. During his time, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was a prolific writer of Eagle Claw and his books helped spread knowledge of the Eagle Claw system far and wide. The books he wrote have been re-printed and re-released and are still sought after today. |