the History of Fu Jow Pai, Tiger Claw Kung Fu system
FU JOw pai
Late Grand Master Wong Bill Hong
Wong Bil Hong was born in 1841 in the Guan dong, Canton, province in China. He was formally trained in the Hung Gar system under Wong Kay Yin, then under his son, Wong Fei Hung. Both of these masters were one of the 10 Tigers of Guan dong. Wong Bil Hong himself would later become a master of the Hung Gar system. Wong Bil Hong was challenged to a duel by a master of another system. The duel was scheduled to take place in front of the Hoy Hong Temple. After a deliberate interruption by a nearby monk, Wong Bil Hong and the other master were able to settle their differences. It was then Wong Bil Hong was taken under the wing of the nameless monk. He was trained in Hark Fu Moon, Black Tiger style. After many years of training, Wong Bil Hong mastered the system and was named the first official successor of the Hark Fu Moon system, which he would later name "Fu Jow Pai of the Hoy Hong Temple." Wong Bil Hong only taught the system to two people. One of them was his nephew, Wong Moon Toy, and the other was Wong Bil Hong's servant. Before his death in 1934, Wong Bil Hong renamed the system to Fu Jow Pai of the Hoy Hong Temple and passed the system on to the two disciples. After the death of the servant, Wong Moon Toy became the official second generation successor of the Fu Jow Pai system.
Late Grand Master Wong Moon Toy
Wong Moon Toy was born in the Guan dong province on April 21st, 1907. He began training in kung fu at an early age. When he turned 20, he had already mastered Hung Gar and Mi Chung I and was accepted as a disciple under his Uncle Wong Bil Hong in Hark Fu Moon, Black Tiger style. Although he had mastered two other systems, training in Hark Fu Moon was notably arduous and rigorous. To reach the standards of his Uncle and of the Hark Fu Moon system, he mastered mental and physical discipline accompanied by great endurance. His Uncle then took him up the Lor Fow Mountains for seven years of intense and strenuous training. Upon returning from the mountains, he was a fully developed genuine martial artist, forged by hard work and discipline. Away from commercialism, devoid of outside distractions and influenced by a highly evolved teacher tempered him into an unyielding but modest man. Wong Moon Toy moved to New York City in the early 1900's. Wong Moon Toy taught Fu Jow Pai only to seven disciples. It was there he and the seven disciples opened Fu Jow Pai to the public on October 1st, 1957. A few years later he passed the system on to Wai Hong Ng. On March 14th, 1960 Wong Moon Toy passed away of a liver disease.
Grand Master Wai Hong
Grand master Wai Hong renowned as the father of present day Fu-Jow Pai was born in 1938. His early training in kung fu included Choy Lee Fut, Northern Shoalin, and Tai Chi Chuan. When he came to America with his family, he was trained under and accepted as disciple by the late grand master Wong Moon Toy, and became his successor after his death in 1960. Master Wai Hong had a vision as well as a mission. No more he wanted to see the kung fu hidden in the shadow of secrecy. He wished all men and women, young and old could be benefited from the arts of Fu-Jow Pai. In order to defend the prosperity as well as the future well-being of the system he recognized a drastic step needed to be taken. After years of accessing the prospect of the arts for which he was responsible, he had decided that Fu-Jow Pai should be available to all. In 1968, he converted the Chinese Youth Athletic Club to the Fu-Jow Pai Federation, and opened his first school, Wai Hong's Fu-Jow Pai Kung Fu in New York City. Thus he had made the arts accessible to the public for the first time. His aims were to build a family where all students/members would insure brotherly love, better understanding and greater unity, to standardize the methodology in teaching as well as the certification of all Fu-Jow Pai instructors. In the 70's he introduced kung fu the Chinese fighting arts to many colleges and universities in NYC. He was a pioneer in promoting kung fu competitions and full-contact tournaments in United States. He earned his respect from his colleagues in martial arts as well as in the Chinese community, and was given a respectable nickname "Great Hero". Among all his achievements and accomplishments, he is most recognized as the driving forces behind the formations of the Eastern US Kung Fu Federation, and the United Kung Fu Federation of North America. Grand master Wai Hong is the author of "The Heritage of Fu-Jow Pai" and "The Secrets of Iron Palm." He has received more than nine Hall of Fame awards & medals; such as "warrior," "Pioneer," "Man of the year," and "Lifetime achievement" awards. He was also named as one of the best in the past hundred years and rated as the most influential martial artist in the past 30 years by Inside Kung Fu Magazine. He has trained many world class fighters including multiple division undisputed world professional fighting champions, Olympic Gold Medalists & International full Contact fighting champions and defending champions.
