Jow Ga lineage
It All Begins Here
Jow Ga kung fu all started with Jow Lung, the eldest of 12 brothers. Training at a young age with his uncle Jow Hung Hei he learned the art of old Hung Ga while cross-training Choy Ga from the masters in a neighboring town. Over several years as his martial skill progressed to new heights, Jow Lung merged the two arts together creating his hybrid style comprised of strong hand techniques and fast footwork that many nicknamed “Hung Tao Choy Mei” Head of Hung and the tail of Choy.
The Tournament of 1915
The tournament that put Jow Lung’s martial prowess and family kung fu style onto the scene. In 1915 General Fook Lam issued an open invitation to any martial artist interested in the position of chief army trainer. This was an in-demand position with poverty running rampant in the region. Any person that could win would be awarded a position that promised a steady income for quite a few years. One hundred kung fu practitioners entered the elimination tournament but Jow Lung was the only martial artist to win against all the fighters in his division. General Fook Lam, impressed with Jow Lung’s ferocity and skill awarded him the position of chief army trainer. Over several years he improved the soldiers conditioning and taught his family empty hand basics to a high degree to many in the military.
Continuation and Development
In 1919 Jow Lung had died from a respiratory illness, forcing his younger brothers to fulfill the obligation to the army. The years following Jow Lung’s death Jow Tin, Jow Hip, Jow Hoy, and Jow Biu were carrying on Jow Lung’s legacy by further developing the art. The brothers offically renamed the martial art to Jow ga (Jow family kung fu) and promoted the family style to the public with Jow Tin establishing his schools in Vietnam and Jow Biu focusing on Hong Kong and the Guangdong region.
