Secrets of Northern Shaolin Kung-fu. Brian Klingborg

custom was for Hong Kong’s preeminent martial artists, known as the Ten Tigers of Kwangtung,⁶ to each select their best students and have them all compete against one another for the honor of participating in important tournaments. Sifu Lung nominated Lai Hung without even bothering to inform the latter of his decision. Lai Hung didn’t learn that he was to compete until a few days later, when a group of newspaper reporters showed up at the Athletic Association to interview him.

      Lai Hung was unsure of how his father would react to this news, so he kept it a secret. Needless to say, when his father opened up the morning paper several days later and discovered his son’s picture and a story on his participation in the upcoming tournament, he was very angry. The elder Lai was concerned that his son would either be injured or would fight badly and cause a loss of face for the family. He initially refused to allow Lai Hung to take part in the competition, but after Sifu Lung invited him to tea and explained the situation, he grudgingly gave his consent. The elder Lai, however, was not content to leave anything to chance, and so he arranged for an old Choy Lay Fut master named Ch’en Chen to come to his house every evening to provide special training for Lai Hung.