Hung Gar Kung Fu Historically, Southern China has been dominated by five Kung Fu styles: Hung, Lau, Choy, Lay and Mok. Hung Gar is the most widespread and popular of these. Gar means clan or family in Cantonese, whereas Hung refers to the family name of the man who invented the system, Hung Hei Goon. According to legend, Master Gee See, a monk of the Fukien Shaolin Temple, taught Hung Hei Goon, a Fukien tea merchant, the Shaolin Tiger Style. Hung, being a curious man, always sought to improve his skills. He added to his Tiger Style many of the elements from his wife's White Crane system. He also incorporated movements from the Dragon, Snake, and Leopard forms, as well as techniques from the Five Elements Fist. He modified and expanded his "Tiger-Crane" Style to develop a system better balanced in long and short-range application, a system which better reflected his own character and skills-Hung Gar. Hung Hei Goon developed a reputation for being a fighter of great skill and was known as "The Southern Fist". The essence of Hung Gar can be found in its name "Hung", meaning to "stand tall with integrity." Hung Gar philosophy stresses honesty, directness, iron will-power and righteousness.

To show the diversity of fighting styles available throughout China, the following list names the various monasteries that existed at one point in time. A brief summary of the styles attributed to have been developed by the different monasteries is: Honan - Northern Fist, Ground Dragon, Monkey Praying Mantis, Cotton Fist, eight Drunken Immortals, 10,000 Lotuses Blooming, Golden Snake, Staff, Spear, Jointed Sticks, Single Broadswords, Double Broadswords, Tiger Hook Swords, Double Edged Sword, Three Sectional Staff, Chain Whip, Double daggers, Double Hand Axes, Single and Double Butterfly Knives. Fukien - Southern Fist, Golden Centipede, Sparrow, White Monkey, Wild Horse, Iron Bone Training, Iron Palm Training, Iron Shirt Training, Short Fist. Kwangtung - Tiger-Crane System, Fist of Ch'a, Crab, Golden Roaches, 10,000 Bees Attacking. Shantung - Shantung Black Tiger, Tan Family Leg Techniques. Omei Shan - White Crane, Eagle Claw, Golden Cock, white Swan, Ostrich. Wutang Mountain - T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Pa Kua Chang, Hsing I Ch'uan, Liu Hsing Ch'uan, T'ai Chi Broadsword, Spear, Ta Mo Sword and Double Sword and Spear, Seven Star Sword. Hua Mountain - Classical Fist of Hua, Modern Fist of Hua, Chang Ch'uan.

As stated earlier, the influence of these unique styles are still highly present in modern American Kenpo styles.

6) Karate Expansion (1915-1944) After the occupation of the Okinawan and Ryukyu Islands by the Japanese,the secret study of the Okinawan Te was publicly allowed and a great popularization of Karate followed. Gichin Funakoshi and Knewa Mabuni (Okinawan Te Stylists) exported a form of sport karate to Japan in 1916. This was the Show Era in Japan. A great proliferation of martial arts and introduction of styles to the public occurred. By 1936 the term "Kara-Te" was utilized by the principal martial arts leaders of Okinawa.

7) Choki Motobu (1871-1944) Motobu was an eccentric Okinawan Karate master. He is responsible for secretly translating the Ch'uan Fa elements of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu ("Shaolin Way") into the current basic structure now known as Shorei-Ryu Karate. Choki Motobu is associated with the rise of Kempo in Hawaii because of a publicized visit in 1933 as well as a mysterious link with James Mitose and the development of modern Kosho-Ryu Kempo [Corcoran, 1984].

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