World Eagle Claw Association - Kung Fu with Instructor Matt Williams

About Us - Our School and Our Lineage

WECA prides itself on having a strong social aspect, both in and out of classes.

We feel this works with the traditional discipline present in the vast majority of martial arts classes, and helps our students become more confident when it comes to asking questions or trying out new applications or drills.

We have taken part in activities such as local sports days, Go Ape, and organising 'Kung Fu Camps', all to help build up confidence and social skills - useful both in and out of our classes.

The classes cover stamina training, pad work, agility and flexibility, forms (often referred to as kata in Japanese martial arts), applications and light sparring.

Our curriculum runs on a grading system similar to typical karate or taekwondo schools.

Gradings are only performed when the student and instructor feels they are ready. There is no set time frame, and (other than more practice) no 'fast track' to go through the grades.

For more information come to one of our classes

What is Kung Fu

Kung Fu is a Traditional Chinese Martial Art (TCMA). The term Kung Fu covers hundreds of styles of martial arts and fighting systems that originated from China.
Some of these use animal names or family names to denote their lineage, while others use geographical locations or landmarks.

Kung Fu - A Recent Historical Summary

The Cultural Revolution in China (1960s & 70s) changed their entire martial arts world - most Masters had to stop teaching, and many either went underground or abroad to ensure their legacy continued. Even with this, the vast majority of those who carried on teaching still had to change what and how they taught to avoid persecution.

Today, Kung Fu still covers a wide range of systems. Some of them have managed to keep their martial roots, while others shifted towards being exceptionally skilled performers, or changed to be more of a physical wellbeing practice.

Eagle Claw has retained a substantial amount of its martial history, with martial applications and physical ability being a strong focus within all of the schools.

Most Kung Fu systems (and other traditional Asian martial arts) are centred around a set of form sequences - also known as Kata, Poomsae, Taolu etc.

These are sequences of movements that generally require more skill to complete as you progress through the system, and can be described as 'fixed shadow boxing'.

Even the western & more recent martial art systems use the idea of set training sequences in their training, though normally cut down to shorter drill combinations (boxing's speed-bag drills are a great example).

The forms in our martial arts system aim to provide an "encyclopaedia of knowledge", and not be a choreographed dance sequence or performance piece.
Within them are a mix of martial applications, as well as agility and flexibility exercises, and challenges for body mechanics and balance.
Our instructors have strived to make sure the form work remains relevant and useful in the modern world of martial arts.

There is also a common saying in modern TCMA teachings: "A strike is a block is a lock is a throw", or paraphrasing the Cantonese version: "One move, many applications".
While at a foundational level we teach the more obvious strikes kicks and throws, as people gain experience and explore the applications through light sparring they typically find (and are taught) what started as a striking mechanic often can be used as a block & counter, or as a take-down manoeuvre, with very little change to the core movements.
This flexibility of applications becomes a core understanding of our form mechanics, and makes for some very interesting exploratory sparring sessions.

The specific skills when demonstrating a complete form for grading in our school are:

Presentation
-Posture, structure

Respect
-Discipline, etiquette

Stances
-Need to be active

Martial Strength
-Show intent, be efficient

Focus
-'Live' the actions, awareness

Pacing
-Self control, showing knowledge of application mechanics

Fluidity
-Continuous sets of actions (combinations)

Speed
-Comes from all the other skills working together

History of Eagle Claw Kung Fu

As with most things, modern day Eagle Claw differs drastically from its original iteration during the Sung Dynasty. Eagle Claw derived out of necessity, with the studying of an eagle swooping down to grasp its prey, from a military point of view was weaponized for hand-to-hand combat.

Blending famous General Yue Fei's original Ying Kuen with the Faan Tzi system of boxing and combining lessons with those of the Shaolin Temple, Eagle Claw's evolution eventually incorporated numerous weapons, gymnastics routines, as well as martial tumbling to the original open hand system.

Modern day Eagle claw stems from several different systems of Northern Kung Fu, the first being Chin Na (joint locking) which was developed by General Yueh Fei of the Sung Dynasty. Although he was not a product of the Shaolin temple, General Yueh Fei was trained extensively by Shaolin Priest Jao Tung.

During the Ming Dynasty, a Shaolin martial monk named Li Chun famous for his abilities in Faan Tzu (martial tumbling) came upon General Yueh Fei's demonstration of Chin Na. Li Chun was impressed by the power of Eagle Claw hand techniques as well as the beautiful form and became determined to combine it with his own Faan Tzu technique. Eventually the monk Li Chun combined the two systems creating Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu or Eagle Claw as we know it today. The monk Li Chun passed Northern Shaolin Ying Jow Faan Tzu to the monk Tao Chi of the Li Chuan monastery in the Hebei province which was an area famous for it's martial arts. The Li Chuan monastery maintained the system as the Ming Dynasty gave way to the Ching. Near the end of the Ching Dynasty a Confucian scholar, Lau Shr Chien, entered the Li Chuan monastery and studied the Eagle Claw system.

After migrating to Peking, Lau Shr Chien gained much fame as a martial artist and mastered the staff and became known as Ta Kan Tse Lau. He passed his knowledge of Eagle Claw to his third son Lau Chung Yao who in turn taught Lau Kai Wen and nephew Cheng Tzu Chung. Ta Kan Tse Lau traveled to Beijing and taught Liu De Kuan, who later learned Ba Gau Zhang. Liu De Kuan influenced the Ba Gau Zhang system by incorporating his Eagle Claw knowledge to create a routine called 64 Palm linear line form for Ba Gau Practice. Based on the principles founded with two core routines of Eagle Claw: Hun Kune Sup Loh and Lin Kune Ng Sup Loh were formed.

In the end, Chung Tzu Chung took the system to Shanghai and became an instructor at the famous Ching Wu academy of martial arts. Chung Tzu Chung later returned to Hebei province and convinced Lau Tzu Chang to return to Shanghai and assisted in teaching the Eagle Claw system.

Grandmaster Gini Lau is the daughter of the late Great Grand Master Lau Fat Mang, a famous Eagle Claw Master and honoured war hero from China, who was one the greatest Eagle Claw proponents of this century.

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Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang

Born in 1902, the late great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was the nephew of Lau Kai Men and close relative of Lau Chung Yo. Lau Chung Yo was a student of the Eagle Claw Founder Lau Si Chun. Because of this familial connection, Lau Fat Mang was accepted into the inner circle and taught the secret forms of Eagle Claw which at the time were not taught to the general public. After learning Eagle Claw, Lau Fat Mang soon made a name for himself within the martial arts community by winning honors at the Peking Civil service exams. His specialty was a unique style called the Joy Lhok Tong or Six Drunken Falling Form. While in his early 20's, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang traveled to Shanghai to teach Eagle Claw at the famous Chin Wu Association.

In 1929, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was requested to travel to Hong Kong to become the leading instructor for the new Ching Wu Martial Arts Academy. These were pivotal times of growth for martial arts in Hong Kong which led to its eventual introduction in the West. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang and two other famous kung-fu masters at the time, Yeh Yuh Tin and Kan Tak Hoi became known as the ‘Three Heroes from Hebei’.

Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang received an invitation by the army to train Chinese troops which led him to become a national war hero. He meticulously assembled and trained a special forces troop named the 19th Regiment Dai Do Brigade, or broadsword brigade, which specialized in night raids on enemy encampments during the Japanese occupation of China. The illustrious exploits of the Dai Do Brigade are still considered a significant feat in China today.

After the war, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang opened his own martial arts school in Hong Kong and taught for several years. He later retired to the New Territories of Hong Kong and taught only his family. Grandmaster Gini Lau was born late in her father's life and the youngest daughter of great grandmaster Lau Fat Mangs’ five children. Chosen by her father to carry on the Eagle Claw tradition, she spent many hard and grueling hours training and swept away the old traditions of Eagle Claw only being taught to the son and heir. Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang bestowed his daughter, grandmaster Gini Lau, the complete Eagle Claw system.

Great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was considered a Zheung Mun Yan for Eagle Claw, a position only gained by those of the very highest skill and those that are able to carry and pass the legacy of the Eagle Claw system in its entirety unto the next generation. His daughter grandmaster Gini Lau is considered by many to be a current Zheung Mun Yan for her fathers’ Eagle Claw system.

During his time, great grandmaster Lau Fat Mang was a prolific writer of Eagle Claw and his books helped spread knowledge of the Eagle Claw system far and wide. The books he wrote have been re-printed and re-released and are still sought after today.

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Grandmaster Gini Lau

GrandMaster Gini Lau proudly carries on the tradition of her famous father, Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang as head of the Lau Fat Mang World Eagle Claw Association. Much like her father, GrandMaster Lau has carved out her own unique history and legacy in the Martial Arts World.

Master Lau began studying Eagle Claw, Yin Jow Fan Tzu from her father at the tender age of four. Great Grandmaster Lau Fat Mang would train his daughter Gini without mercy in the late evening and early mornings, having her do all of the movements and forms of the Eagle Claw system under his watchful eye. This training would continue for some eight years until his untimely death in 1964.

Based on a prior agreement with her father Master Lau continued her studies in the Peking Opera which was run by Master Yu Jim-Yuen. The Peking opera is famous for it's martial arts tumbling and gymnastics, both of which form a primary part of Eagle Claw Kung Fu.

The Peking Opera training was probably more ruthless and severe than anything Gini had experienced with her father.
Master Lau became a star of the Peking opera with other such notables in her class as Jackie Chan and Samo Hung.
Master Lau would remain in the academy until 1973 and remains close with all of her Peking Opera classmates to this day. When the Opera was making a tour of the United States in 1973, Master Lau decided she was ready to strike out on her own and move to the United States.

Upon arrival in the United States, Master Lau had no job and could not speak English. She taught herself English and soon began to teach Eagle Claw at various local studios in the San Francisco Bay Area. Within a short time, Master Lau was making a name for herself in the martial arts tournament scene by regularly winning Black Belt competitions against all male competitors. During this time (1976), she won Ed Parker’s Long Beach International Karate tournament against the top rated tournament competitors in the country. She routinely beat the number one male competitors on the Open Martial Arts Tournament Circuit. Years earlier, this same tournament was where Bruce Lee was first discovered, and is still considered to be the most prestigious tournament in the United States.

With her unique blend of striking looks, traditional Eagle Claw training and years of performing at the Peking Opera Academy, it wasn’t long before Master Lau was spotted and asked to do work in movies. Master Lau acted and did stunt work in such movies as Killer Elite, Falcon Claw, Weapons of Death and The Last Adventure. She was also featured in a KNBC TV Production entitled The Secrets Of Martial Arts.

Master Lau uses her years of extensive training now to teach others in the style of Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Chinese wellness and massage, as well as writing short stories.

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Grandmaster Gini Lau has published her memoir: 'Eagle Claw Spirit'

If you are interested, please click on this link to order from Amazon UK.

James Wilsdon (Disciple, Master)

James Wilsdon has studied eagle claw for 23 years, he qualified as a teacher within the World Eagle Claw Kung Fu Institute in 2011 and has been teaching in Twyford.

James was accepted as Grandmaster Lau's disciple in 2017, becoming a 9th Generation disciple of the Eagle Claw system.

He has also studied Yi Ging (Tendon Change), Ba Daun Gum (8 Strings of the Brocade) and Pa Da (Meridian Striking) under Grandmaster Lau.

Matt Williams (Instructor, SiFu)

Matt Williams has been training in martial arts since 1989. He started teaching his own classes aged sixteen and has now been teaching for twenty-nine years. He has trained in various traditional Kung Fu styles including Chang Quan, Tan Tui, Ba Ji Quan, Pi Gua Zhang and Xing Yi, but nowadays he has chosen to focus his efforts purely on Eagle Claw kung fu. Over the years Matt has won various competitions, wowed numerous audiences and surpassed many of his predecessors. Matt's students enjoy his friendly yet productive method of teaching. He is patient, supportive and dedicated to passing on the Lau Fat Mang Eagle Claw system with high quality assurance. Matt takes considerable effort to welcome and help each and every student and he is delighted to see them make progress.

“Whether you are interested in self defence, health or fitness, you will find that you get what you’re looking for and more, as our classes are packed with content to suit everyone. Not only are our classes very physically beneficial, they are also incredibly enjoyable – so you can smile while you tone up and develop your abilities!” - Matt

Rick Hooper (Assistant Instructor)

Richard has been training his Kung Fu under Matt Williams since 2007, and has been supporting Matt as his assistant instructor 6 days a week since 2013.
The younger students in particular are very fond of Rick's teaching method, which as a result of years of leading groups of young people in the Scouting movement is patient yet strict. This results in students that are enthusiastic and those struggling get lots of generous help, whilst those that try to play up soon get a dose of the 'bad cop'.

Through sheer determination and hard work Rick has proven to be an excellent role model for other students as to what can be achieved. As a result of all his efforts Rick has shot through the ranks and he is currently training towards his Instructor's Level Test.

Review

“For any who have seen Matt perform it would be little surprise that I instantly chose to join, for he can effortlessly execute anything you have seen in any of the Kung Fu movies you care to choose. Whilst the aesthetics of Matt's Kung Fu is evident, the emphasis of his teaching is very much on content. He is extremely well versed in innumerable styles encompassing both the 'external' and 'internal' arts and ensures the techniques you learn are truly correct and effective.I have studied a number of different martial arts in the past and the Kung Fu I have learned through Matt has been both the most complete, the most thorough, the most effective, the best taught and the most fun of them all.” - Matt Seaborn

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