Ancestors
Law Tiu Wen(3rd Generation)
Law Tiu Wen(3rd Generation), was a qualified student during the late Qing dynasty, and loved Chinese martial arts. During the Revolution of 1911, the Chinese democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who overthrew the Qing Dynasty, Law Tiu Wen worked as the secretary of General Mr. Li Fok Lam. In the beginning of the Republic of China, he quit his government official job and returned to his birth place, Fu Shan Sai Chiu, as a practitioner of Chinese medicine. Afterwards, he taught his son, Law Ting Chau(4th Generation), the skill. Law Ting Chau with the family came to Hong Kong in the 1943, before liberation, when the People’s Republic of China formed. He worked as a police officer and then worked in cultural-related jobs. He passed the skill to his son, Law Chiu Wing(5th Generation). All successors since Sun Kam(2nd Generation) are in the lineage of the same family. They have kept the Snake Crane Wing Chun in a very low profile during each generation.
The relationship with the other branches of Wing Chun is very difficult to examine because, in the past, verbal teaching was usual and there was no formal documentation. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864) and the fire of King Fa Wui Goon, Snake Crane Wing Chun hid itself to avoid trouble from the Qing government. Admittance to this branch is attained via a very old traditional ceremony. Perspective members must kneel down, displaying red and yellow envelops in front of the master, offer a cup of tea and name all the ancestors’ ‘woods’.
Successors’ Chart
Sun Kam (2nd )
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Law Tai Wen(3rd)
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Law Ting Chau(4th)
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Law Chiu Wing(5th)
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Chan Wing Chan Li Yuen Cheung Chi Tao Ho Wai Hin Yuen Chi Choi Chan Kwok Keung Yung Kwok Wing Ho Tit Chan Yeung Chi Cheong Yuen Man Kwong Yuen Man Heng Lam Kwok Ming (6th)
Snake Crane Wing Chun appeared in Hong Kong in the 1940s, after Law Ting Chau and his family moved to Hong Kong. His descendant is his son, Law Chiu Wing. Up to now, there are only a handful of students in this branch.Hong Kong.
Law Tiu Wen(3rd Generation)
Law Ting Chau(4th Generation)
Law Chiu Wing(5th Generation)
The content of Snake Crane Wing Chun includes “Siu Nim Tau”, “Chum Kiu”, “Biu Chi”, “Luk hands”, sticky hands, dummy techniques, long pole and double knives. There are also many associated training poems complied with the practices.
The 21st Century
In the late Qing Dynasty, as the Snake Crane Wing Chun came from Shaolin, it was one of the targets to be removed by the Qing government. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the fire of King Fa Wui Goon, it kept a very low profile in order to survive. The governing rules of this branch were defined very strictly in order to retain the skill over succeeding generations. Today, in the 21st century, long after the passing away of the Qing dynasty, after the Republic of China moved to Taiwan, and after the People’s the Republic of China became the governing party in the mainland, the situation of Snake Crane Wing Chun has totally changed since its beginning 150 years ago. The Qing dynasty disappeared a century ago and now a Chinese satellite is orbiting the moon. In addition, the daughters of Law Chiu Wing are not interested in inheriting this skill. In order to retain the skill, Law has modified the rules of this branch, and made it public. Now, Snake Crane Wing Chun is open to all. We hope that our descendants will maintain it and pass it on to future generations.