Today even though the popular name of the martial art has come to be known as Fu-Jow-Pai, initially it was known by the name Hark Fu Moon that translates to Tiger Claw kung fu. Wong Bil Hong, who happened to be the grandmaster of the primary generation of this art, renamed it to Fu-Jow-Pai, in honor of his master, who was a guest monk to Hoy Hong Temple and resided there for a while. We however do not have enough sources to tell us more about this founder himself.
Wong Bil Hong
The earliest sources, from which we can gather any historical detail about the system of Tiger Claw kung fu, tell us that Wong Bil Hong had been taught the art of Hung Gar kung fu system by the well renowned Wong Kay Ying. In 1876, he began to learn from Wong’s son Wong Fai Hung, the art of the System of Black Tiger in the Hoy Hong Temple. Later, when he began to teach the same art, he managed to teach it to only two students – Wong Moon Toy was one among the two and happened to be his own nephew.
Wong Moon Toy
The next one to carry on the art of Tiger Claw kung fu was Wong Moon Toy. In his teen years, masters Lam Sai Wing and Lau Chook Fung taught him Hung Gar and Mi Chung I respectively. He also learnt Doon Yook Ching during this phase. Later, his own uncle Wong Bill Hong adopted him into the Black Tiger System and with him, Moon Toy trained rigorously for seven long years. He was kept aloof from all worldly distractions and the authority of his dedicated uncle helped Moon Toy to maintain a down to earth understanding even though he had a very vast knowledge of various martial art styles.
Later in 1934, Moon Toy moved to the USA to teach kung fu in different Chinese associations within New York City for about 25 years. In public he taught only Mi Chung I, or Hung Gar but never the Tiger Claw system. In private however he picked from among his students to become disciples who learnt the secret ways of the Black Tiger System. The other name for the same form Fu-Jow-Pai was introduced a lot later when the Chinese Youth Athletic Club was established in NYU. Only then the name and the art were exposed to the public but not anybody could learn the form.
Wai Hong
Anyhow the founder of present day Tiger Claw kung fu is grand master Wai Hong, who had been born in the year 1938. When younger, he learnt a variety of martial arts too including the most well known ones – Choy Lee Fut, Tai Chi Chuan and Northern Shaolin. However, later he had moved to America and this is where he trained under grand master Wong Moon Toy, following which he took up his master’s post, after his unfortunate death. Wai Hong did not only have a vision but also a mission. He wished to break the secrets of different kung fu systems so that all in the public could learn it.
In 1968, the Chinese Youth Athletic Club was transformed to the Fu-Jow-Pai Federation and Wai Hong set up his 1st school in the city of New York. Now, the public could access the conventional system of Tiger Claw kung fu for first time in a long while. He intended to standardize the methodology of Tiger Claw kung fu by creating a family of members who would abide by love, understanding and unity. Wai Hong became the initiator of promoting the newly developed system across different universities in America and gathered much respect from professional colleagues and even in his own community. His followers gave him the nickname of the Great Hero.
The attacking mode as well as the defending mode of the new system was based completely on the movements of a tiger. When you strike, the movements are powerful, fast and agile. The techniques found only in this style and no other kung fu style are tearing, ripping, grasping and clawing. Apparently, the training ensures you develop both physically and spiritually. The system, if practiced regularly, helps to build both your self-defense capabilities as well as a confident personality. The art form is pretty much strenuous and needs diligent commitment to master it. There are several reasons as to why the masters thought it right to be kept away from the general public in ancient times. The fact that not all can match up to such tenacity happens to be one of those reasons, of course leaving aside the fact that secret attacking styles of different grandmasters were wished to be maintained.