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Kung Fu is the original Martial Art of Asia. It evolved over thousands of years in China but was predominantly
taught and spread from around one and a-half thousand years ago in the temples of Shaolin, following the teachings
of the monk Da-Mo (Bodhidarma).
The term 'Kung Fu' originally meant mastery, the ability to do something well. 'Wu Shu' and 'Chuan-Fa' ('Kuen'
in Southern China) were the traditional terms for Chinese Martial Arts - Wushu literally means 'War-like art'
while Kuen/Chuan-Fa means 'Way of the Fist'. In the contemporary context the terminology has changed so that
Kung Fu is now the term used to refer to traditional fighting styles such as Jow Ga Kuen while Wushu is now a
modern acrobatic-based martial art of Northern China.
Depending on the dialect or translation Jow Ga Kuen / Jow Ga Fist may be referred to as Chau Ka Chuan or Zhou Jia Quan.
Jow Ga Kuen is an authentic, well-established Chinese Martial Arts system widely practised all over the world with
its origins in the legendary Shaolin temples of Ancient China. Its founders intensively studied both Northern and
Southern Shaolin Kung Fu combining the skills and practical techniques of the two systems to create a balanced hard
and soft, long and short range style of Kung Fu.
Northern Shoalin (Bei Shaolin / Bak Sui Lam) long-range techniques and animal patterns - such as tiger, crane, snake,
eagle, and the legendary dragon and phoenix - are utilised throughout the Jow Ga system.
Jow Ga's strong low stances, dexterity in footwork, ground and aerial techniques, and wide range of kicking and hand
techniques exemplify the influences of both Hung Ga and Choy Ga Southern Shaolin styles. Here Jow Ga was sometimes
referred to as 'Hung Tao Choy Mei' - having the 'head' or strength and upper body aspects of Hung Ga and the 'tail'
or speed and complex kicking aspects of Choy Ga.
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| Jow Lung |
Jow Hip |
Jow Biu |
Jow Hoy |
Jow Tin |
Jow Ga's Tigers were the 5 Jow brothers of Sa-Fu village in Guangdong, Southern China who founded our system. The
Five Tigers were Jow Lung, Jow Hip, Jow Biu, Jow Hoy and Jow Tin. Jow Lung was the oldest of the 5 Tigers. The Jow
style was recognised for being so complete and powerful that it was chosen as the primary training style for the
Chinese Army in the early days of the republican movement. Here Jow Lung was chief trainer, assisted by his brothers.
He passed away in 1919. Jow Biu was then primarily responsible for further developing and spreading the system to the
rest of Asia and consequently to the world.
Each of the 5 Tigers had a slightly different repertoire and interpretation of the style, bringing his own skills and
experience to bear. Thus the practices of each Tiger's lineage or branch lines can be seen to vary. Sifu Bennett's
lineage or branch line comes directly from the prolific Jow Tiger, Si Jo Jow Biu who lived until 1961.
Eventually Si Jo Jow Biu settled in Hong Kong establishing the first Jow Ga Kwoon of Hong Kong. There the formidable
young Chan Man Cheung became one of Jow Biu's key disciples. Chan Man Cheung was to become Grandmaster of the Jow Bui
line. Grandmaster Cheung chose his talented young student Chin Yuk Din as his disciple. Chin Yuk Din then emigrated
to and founded Jow Ga in the United States in the early 1960's. In Washington DC Sifu Chin later chose Raymond Wong
and Randy Sullivan Bennett as his disciples. Sifu Bennett subsequently emigrated to and founded the first Jow Ga
Kwoon in Australia in 1982. Upon a visit to our Kwoon in Sydney in 1990 Grandmaster Chan Man Chung also honoured
Sifu Bennett by taking him as his own direct disciple.
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