Early life
Lam Sai Wing was born in Nanhai district, Guangdong. He followed the customs of his ancestors and learned the traditional martial arts of his family, progessing to learning from Lin Fu Cheng, Wong Fei Hung and Wu Quan Mei. He was eventually considered an expert in Hung Gar Kuen , and may have also studied Fo Kuen .
He founded the ‘Wu Ben Tang’ in Guangzhou where he taught his martial arts.
Towards the end of the Qing dynasty, Lam gained first place at a large martial arts competition that took place at the Dongjiao ground, receiving a silver medal from as a token of recognition for his service and success.
Between 1917 and 1923, Lam served in the National Revolutionary Army of Fujian province as Chief Instructor in hand-to-hand combat.
Later life
Lam eventually moved to Hong Kong, where he started teaching martial arts. Together with his favorite students Zhu Yu Zhai, Zhang Shi Biao, Li Shi Hui, and others, he wrote three books on the the three primary forms of Hung Gar: gung ji fuk fu keun , fu hok seung ying keun , and tit sin keun .
Although his exact age is not known, Lam was over 80 when he died during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Whilst conditions were difficult during the occupation, there has been no indication that the occupation contributed to his death.
Legacy
He and his students, which are said to have numbered over 10,000 during his life, are primarily responsible for popularizing the style in the 20th century. Some of his students became among the first actors and stunt people in the fledgling Hong Kong "kung fu" movie industry in the 1940s, including Lau Cham, father of action director and star, Lau Kar-leung, and Golden Harvest producer, Raymond Chow.
Portrayal in the media
Lam has been portrayed in film, including the 1991 film "Wong Fei Hung" , and by Sammo Hung in the 1979 film "Lam Sai Wing" , as well as many of the movies made about Wong Fei Hung.
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