FAQ
London Lau Gar Kuen
Frequently Answered questions
What does "Lau Gar Kuen" mean?
"Lau Gar Kuen" in English means:
Lau = The family name
Gar = literally translated as family,
Kuen = Fist. short for Kuen Fa (fist movements).
Hence Lau Gar Kuen translated means "The Lau Family's Fist methods".
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How would you describe the style?
Chinese Martial Arts can be categorised in the following way.
External or Internal
External includes training the fighting techniques, Conditioning the body, Training for strength.
Internal includes training to strengthen the internal organs, eg heart, lungs, tendons, etc. Improving and controlling internal enregy (Chi).
Training the mind (shen).
Hard or Soft
Hard Used in respect of a blow that is seen to be powerful and results in bruising or broken bones, plus internal damage.
A forceful block to deal with a forceful attack.
Soft, Used in respect of a blow that is delivered in a relaxed manner that will damage an opponent internally without causing surface damage.
Long or Short
Long, Movements are fully stretched.
Short, Movements are tight, blows move over short distances.
Northern or Southern
Northern, refers to the geographic orgin of the style, but has also come to mean styles that include large frame movements,
very mobile stances, emphasing kicks.
Southern, refers to styles originating in southern China, but also means styles that are thought to emphasize hand movements
from low stable stances.
Lau Gar Kuen can be described as an External Southern Style, tending to be hard and specialising in short techniques.
This is only meaningful when attempting to compare styles, as every true traditional martial art is a blend of the External/Internal, Hard/Soft, Long/Short.
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What is your Lineage?
Lau Gar Kuen as taught in "London Lau Gar" was introduced to the UK in 1961 by Master Jeremy Yau.
Having been taught by his Grand Father "Yau Luk Sau".
Yau Luk Sau was taught by Masters Yang Hoi Ching, and Wan Goon Wing, during the later part of the 19th century.
Master Yau's grand father was of "Hakka" origin, and therefore lau Gar Kung Fu as taught in the UK could be described as a Hakka style, akin to similar systems such as Bak Mei, Lung Yang, Southern Praying Mantis etc.
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Who are the Instructors?
All Instructors within "London Lau Gar" have at least 10 years of training in the style, each one has trained extensively with Master Jeremy Yau,and all have been graded to black sash/instructor
grade personally by Master Yau.
Requirements for Black sash include on average a minimum of 7 years training, plus regular attendance on Instructor training courses, as well as
holding a current Association approved First Aid Certificate.
please see Training information for further details.
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Do you have a grading system?
Yes we do use a grading system within our style.
It should be noted however that a formalised grading syllabus was introduced for the benefit of western students,
and is not part of the traditional method of teaching. Hence although there are specific techniques that are required for each grade,
all students train together and are taught techniques as their ability dictates.
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What is Chi Kung?
Chi Kung is a term used to describe the various methods used to develop internal strength.
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Do you have Insurance?
Yes we are fully insured.
London lau Gar is part of the British Kung Fu Association.
Which is affiliated to the BCCMA.
"British Council for Chinese martial Arts"
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Do you teach kickboxing?
We do not teach kickboxing as part of kung fu training.
However if students are interested in taking part in competitions then they are not discouraged from doing so.
Separate classes are available for those interested.
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How old do I have to be to take up kung fu?
There are no specific age restrictions for attending normal classes.
However each student is accepted into the class at the sole discretion of the Instructor.
There are separate childrens classes available, where no adults except attending parents are permitted to train.
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What do I do next?
If you would like to come and practice Kung Fu with us, please contact one of the Instructors directly.
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