Back to the Beginning
Our team finally arrived in Hong Kong after 16 days intensive travel through China.
Here is where ShiFu Dales journey in Hkg & China started in 1990, after he spent 6 years learning Chinese martial arts in the UK. The gateway to adventure and wonder, the old Kai Tak airport was still in place, Hkg was an electric glow of lights , energy and excitement. Much has changed but the people are the heartbeat of the city, it’s our friends and family that we connected with once again in happy reunion.
Shifu Dale first journeyed here as a young and excited traveller into the world of traditional Chinese martial arts, now to return as a teacher and with a group of students his love and enthusiasm for Hong hasn’t changed and it was a wonderful experience for all his students to meet and connect with many of his friends for over 35 year’s.
During our time in Hong Kong, we travelled the sites and attractions that are a must for so many travellers, The Peak on Hong Kong Island (by night and day), the markets such as Loh yan gai, the night market, the jade market, Temple street market, Hong Kong harbour lights by night, Man Mo temple, Star Ferry , Kowloon, Tsim Tsha Tsui, speciality herbal health tea such as Ya sei mei 24 herb tea strong a local speciality delicacy and so much more was crammed into the 4 days here.
This photo taken at the Peak in Hong Kong late at night as I walked with one of my students sums up our Eagle Claw school tour perfectly, an eagle captured in the mists of time perfectly silhouetting the journey and path we walk.
While in Hong Kong we met with a Grandmaster Lung Kai Ming Vice president of the Hong Kong Chinese Martial arts association who back in 1990 accepted ShiFu Dale as a life member of the Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts association, the single most prestigious association in Hong Kong . Now in his 89th year Master Lung Kai Ming retains his ever-great sense of humour and laughter and in-depth knowledge of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, which he has practiced all is his life. We met his at his Dit Da Bone setting clinic and then went for lunch all together.
Tea drinking experience.
Students were introduced to the experience and culture of Traditional Chinese tea, it’s history, types and differences at the Kauchau Tea House. We gratefully thank our student Kate and her relatives in Hkg for arranging this educational event. It was a wonderful step into the world of Chinese tea and it’s many fascinating aspects.
A Great pleasure to meet old friend Master Kenneth Liu a highly skilled practitioner and teacher of Ba Gua Zhang and his disciple Keving Steel, Master Liu also studied Eagle Claw back in the 1960’s before going on to specialise in Ba Gua. Master Liu is well respected in Hkg and China for his Ba Gua, Keving Steel his disciple is a good friend of ours, we were delighted to meet with Alex Papamichael while in Hong Kong, Alex is from the UK and we meet with him very often in the UK, his area of expertise is that of Chow Gar Tong Long Southern Preying Mantis.
We all met in Kowloon park before enjoying a lovely meal all together in a nearby restaurant
William Wan Kei Ho – Brothers since 1990 for 35 years
William Wan Kei Ho was one of the first friends Shifu Dale made in Hong duering his first visit in 1990, William was a background in Northern Shaolin , Sun style Taichi but his area of speciality is that of Bak Sing Choy Li Fut, he runs a small school on Hong Kong Island where students from all over the world learn from him. He has a very dedicated Buddhist temple inside his school, sells high quality jade and also practices Chinese medicine. A person of many talents indeed
Some of our students were able to enjoy some Traditional Chinese medicine fire treatment and cupping from him at his school, he helped students who wanted to buy good quality jade by taking them to one of the outlets where his jade is sold. We then all went and had an enjoyable lunch together.
Master Alex Tse Wing Ming, Teddy Lai Shifu and Sihing dai Derek wong
Meeting with Master Tse again and his students Teddy Lai Sifu is always a pleasure, Master Tse has been a lifelong practioners of Taichi Praying mantis in Hkg and a long term fried of Eagle Claw families, he has published many books on the Subject of Praying mantis over the years and has an extensive collection of swords.
Eagle Claw cousin Sihing dai Derek Wong has been friends with Shifu Dale for many years now and it’s always a pleasure to see him each time Hong Kong is visited
Master Lee yun fook Tin hau festival banquet & Master Edward chan
One of the highlights of time in Hong Kong was visiting our good friend the Lion King of Hong Kong Master Lee Yun Fook and his students, we were delighted to attend their annual Tin Hau festival gala kung fu banquet dinner in Hong Kong.
A stunning event attended by over 300 people, more than just a dinner but a showcase of Master Lee’s incredible Lion dance team who have been multiple times World Champion lion dance winners. The banqueting suite was set up with the stunning flying lions who perform on high poles.
In attendance was Master Edwards Chan the son of famed Hunger Grandmaster Chan Hong Chung (Rip) the founder of the Hong Kong Chinese Martial arts association back in the early 1970’s ,other students of late Grandmaster Chan Hong Chong were also at the banquet.
Shifu Dale and his students were invited onstage to exchange friendship flags and publicly show our good friendship and strong bonds
Our sincere personal thanks to Master Lee Yun Fook and Master Edwards Chan for their gracious hospitality, warm welcome and good friendship.
Soon it was time to return to the UK after 19 days of incredible adventures, learning, training, sightseeing and meeting with friends across China and Hong Kong an incredible and profound experience for students of ShiFu Dale and the Eagle Claw Kung Fu School UK. Such has the many years of personal investment and sacrifice to delve deeply into the world of Traditional Chinese martial arts, culture, philosophy has allowed our students to become part of that rich fabric and hidden world. No longer do the students just walk the path they are now also part of that journey and deeply connected to each step taken before them.
We are extremely proud to represent our ancestral Eagle Claw family from the founding birthplace of the system in Gu ZhuangTo cun village in Xiongxian , Hebei China under the guidance of Master Chen Jun xin
End note by ShiFu Dale
When I first started my journey in Chinese martial arts back in 1994 in the UK, I had no idea the amazing journey and adventure I would undertake and where it would take me over the next 41 years to date. I vividly remember stepping off the plane at Hong Kong Kai Tak airport in 1990 and how drastically my life would change even further from then on.
I met many great Masters and interesting teachers along the way, I spent months training full time 8 hours a day 6 days a week, climbed mountains, spent time Buddhist temples, witnessed demonstrations of skills and abilities only read about in books, met direct inheritors and connections to the past great masters of Chinese Kung Fu trained my self relentlessly and tirelessly to get where I am today. Opened my first full time Eagle Claw Kung Fu school in the UK in 1997 a small 1,000 sq ft room and then moved to a large 2,500 sq ft new school in 2004 where we still reside as of 2025.
Taught many many thousands of people over the years, the journey has had it’s up, downs, disappointments, celebrations, joy and highlights but always continued. While in Hong Kong this year, I experienced a profound moment of realisation that the circle of my journey is now complete, of course I still continue to learn, grow and develop and will ever be a student on the path but now my focus is 100% on the learning growth and development of my students. I see it as the circle base is complete now it spirals up as a mountain with my students and the next generation of Eagle Claw Kung Fu inheritors, I join them as we go up together.
I am excited at the next part of the journey, We are only just students of path, we must continue to take steps ever forward, learn, grow develop and improve.
The Ocean of learning knows no Shore or End
