On 29th March 2012 hung kuen Master Lam Cho passed away at the age of 102. As the last great master who had lived in the time of kung fu legends Wong Fei-hong and Lam Sai-wing, with the death of Master Lam we have crossed a threshold – the golden age of kung fu is now truly behind us.
Lam Cho was a native of Ping Chau village from Nanhai County, Guangdong province. Orphaned at a young age, he was brought up by his uncle, Lam Sai -wing, under whose tutelage he learnt hung kuen martial arts and Chinese medicine. Inheriting this legacy, he became one of the most important masters in southern Chinese martial arts, attaining an iconic stature for hung kuen, for which he became a living embodiment.
Partially owing to the unwaning influence of Master Lam and Lam Family hung kuen, generations of Hong Kong filmmakers have taken inspiration from hung kuen, from the early 20th black-and-white Wong Fei-hong series featuring Gwan Tak-hing, to stylish remakes in the 1990s starring Jet Li under Director Tsui Hak’s Once Upon a Time in China. For that reason, for the better part of the 20th century hung kuen was a powerful symbol of national spirit that united the Chinese diaspora.
But it is outside the big screen, in the domain of traditional martial arts, where Master Lam made truly epochal contributions. Inheriting and building on the foundation passed on by hung kuen masters Wong Fei-hung and Lam Sai-wing, he developed Lam Family hung kuen into a leading martial arts system with truly global significance. Fusing the techniques of diverse styles and schools of martial arts, he significantly enriched hung kuen’s contents: from the original core techniques consisting of Chin Chern (War Palm), Tiger and Crane Set, Taming Tiger Set, Iron Wire Set, Ten Form Set, Double Soft Whips, Single Whip, Ng Long Bagua Pole and Gui Chong Do, Master Lam created several important two-men sets such as Double Sword (Shern Do) versus Spear, Single Sword (Dan Do) versus Spear, Gwan Do versus Spear and Tiger and Crane Two-men Set. In addition, he incorporated Beng Bou, Lau Gar Kuen, Monkey Staff, Lau Gar Pole, Double Dragon Do, Yiu Gar Dai Pa, Double Butterfly Swords, etc., which significantly enlarged hung kuen’s repertoire. 
Before coming of age Master Lam assisted his uncle to establish Nam Mou Athletic Association (Southern Martial Athletic Association), which was one of the most important martial arts institutions in Hong Kong at the time, and where he served as chief instructor. At the same time, he ran his own martial arts and Chinese medicine practice, opening branches at Pottinger Street in Central, Kowloon Nathan Road, Wanchai Stone Nullah Lane (Blue House) and finally Mongkok. Under his leadership hung kuen became one of the most well-known, widespread, and influential styles of Chinese martial arts, with students and lineage descendants in every corner of the world.
During periods of political upheaval in the 20th century, Master Lam remained true to his path, unaffected by outside influences, and maintained the virtues of faithfulness, humility, benevolence, loyalty and courage. In 1931 during a British marine ceremonial exercise at Lufeng, he was invited to perform Chinese martial arts, which won plaudits from all participants and whose feat was further reported in London press at the time. During the occupation, owing to his great fame and influence, the Japanese tried several times to enlist his support, but instead of submitting to imperial occupation, the latter risked his life to cross the border and only returned after the war.
In his late years, he opened a tieda clinic in Mongkok, Kowloon, where he continued to practice Chinese medicine till the end of his life, while delegating the responsibility of teaching martial arts and continuing the family heritage to his eldest son, Master Lam Chun-fai. Towards the end of his life, martial arts students and enthusiasts continued to travel far and wide to visit Master Lam, who welcomed this continuous stream of visitors with grace and generosity, often taking pains to offer practical advice in martial arts training. In 2008 he was invited as a special guest to attend a commemorative ceremony in Nanhai for Wong Fei-hung’s 160th birthday anniversary as hung kuen’s most senior representative.
The passing of Master Lam has given us solemn occasion to reflect on the state of kung fu as one of the most unique and valuable items of intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong, which, in the absence of proper research and government support, is in grave need of endangerment. As lineage descendant of Master Lam, I feel the pressure to stand out and act has never been greater before, and I can think of no better role model than the late master himself.