|
As a
child in a wheelchair from shortly after birth in Australia, Gam Bok Yin
was told by his own family of western medical practitioners that he would
never be able to walk. At the age of 5 he was introduced to Chinese
martial arts and medicine by an old Chinese neighbor. The neighbor (Chan
Sifu) was a Chinese Kung Fu & Tit Da Sifu who took a liking to young
Gam Bok Yin and helped him to learn to walk through a lot of hard work and
pain over many years. After many years of perseverance and encouragement
Chan Sifu gave him the determination and focus that helped him to learn to
walk. That journey was not easy for everyone involved. Without Chan Sifu's
interest and devotion, and the martial arts, he may very likely have
remained wheel chair bound.
After
he helped Gam Bok Yin progress from wheelchair, to crutches and then to a
walking stick, at the age of 14 the old Chan Sifu neighbor began teaching
him traditional Hung Gar Kuen kung fu forms to get more strength in his
legs. After many years of training in kuen and weapons, and before old
Chan Sifu passed-away he made Gam Bok Yin promise him that he would
continue learning Chinese Kung Fu and would always pass on his knowledge
to others of good character.
Gam
Bok Yin, now 60 years of age, has always kept that promise, and
throughout his entire life he has never stopped learning, training and
teaching in Australia, England and Hong Kong. He came to Hong Kong in 1987
to join the Chiu Wai family school of Hung Gar Kuen and began teaching
children shortly after. He has his own gwoon in Hong Kong with a small
group of local students. He does not pursue his Hung Gar teaching as a
business, and has no desire to be famous or great, preferring to be a
person in the background rather than the limelight. By his own example Gam
Bok Yin is a serious Hung Gar Kuen practitioner interested in protecting
and promoting the traditional art of Hung Gar Kuen. It has helped him
throughout his life in many ways – physically, emotionally and
spiritually - and he continues to pass on to his students the benefits of
serious commitment and perseverance to learning Hung Gar Kuen. He has also
been involved with martial arts movies in Hong Kong as actor, stuntman,
and choreographer in 1989 and 2003.
His
own lifetime of perseverance, studies and influence from the Chinese
culture has also brought him achievements in other fields – he has a
doctoral degree in western medical Health Sciences, a degree in Chinese
Medicine, has written and had published two books on Chinese medicine, is
a listed Chinese medicine practitioner with the Hong Kong Government and a
registered acupuncturist with the Australian Government, as well as a
member of many professional Chinese medicine and acupuncture associations.
|
