Wushu training options in Hong Kong

Updates:

March 11, 2020

Much of this information is probably out of date by now. Use at your own risk.

October 21, 2012

Added a link for the Hong Kong Wushu Union

July 11, 2012

Thanks to Emilio Alpanseque for the link to Hei Zhi Hong’s page.  I have included the link below.

Thanks to Alex Lee, I have some revised information about the training situation in Hong Kong.  I’ve incorporated the changes in to the article, but here are the bullet points:

• The Hong Kong Wushu Team now trains at a new (super nice) facility in Fo Tan.  (The near impossibility of training with them has not changed, however.)  Pictures of their wushu guan from Alex are posted too.
• Correction on the link for He Jing De’s school
• Link, information and video added for Yu Li Guang’s school (former head coach for Hong Kong)

Back in 2010 I wrote a rather extensive article about training wushu in Hong Kong.  Unfortunately that article got swallowed up by the internet gods and I can’t find a copy of it anywhere.

However, I recently received a question related to training options in Hong Kong, so I thought I would write up a quick note about the options for training in Hong Kong, as I know them.  (Granted, my knowledge is a little dated right now — so if you have any more updated info, please send it my way and I’ll include it on this article.)

When it comes to training in Hong Kong you end up running in to a few obstacles.

The first comes to the fact that it is a rather small place.  With only 7 or 8 million people you don’t have as many options for training as you do in the mainland.  In fact, just over the border in Shenzhen, Zhuhai or Guangzhou you can find quite a few more options than in Hong Kong.  But there are still some options which you might be able to utilize.

The second obstacle is the general feeling towards modern wushu in Hong Kong.  On average you are going to find more traditional Chinese stylists in Hong Kong than contemporary wushu players.  If you are looking for a good Wing Chun or Choy Li Fut teacher, then just swing a stick in Mongkok and you’ll probably find one.

But modern wushu?  Not so much.

So, having said that, when it comes to training in Hong Kong you are basically left with 3 options:

Option 1: The Hong Kong Wushu Team

This is sort of a strange phenomenon I’ve noticed in China.  The farther south you go, the harder it is to get in the door of the wushu guan.  I’m not really sure why, but the only times I’ve been refused entrance to watch a team practice was in the southern part of China — and one time I even had the coach’s permission to enter and was being escorted by an athlete!

With the Hong Kong team, if you have a good relationship with one of the coaches, then you can probably set up a training option there.  And their facility out in Ma On Shan is quite nice.  I’ve only trained there once, but I was impressed with what they had.  They share a huge stadium space with a badminton group, and actually it isn’t hard to find their training location.  They are just likely to ask you to leave if you randomly wander in the door.

But, who knows?  You might be able to make arrangements with them if you are persistent, dedicated, can speak some good Cantonese and have a bit of cash on you.

I don’t have any contact information for you, and since I trained with them they have since moved to a different facility in Fo Tan.  If you get make your way out there, maybe you can find someone who knows about the group or can help you get some information.  (Yeah, it is a bit of a long shot and not too convenient, but I never said it would be easy.)

So, training with the professional team is challenging (unless you know a coach).  So what is your second option?

Option 2: Lei Ho Hung Gar Kuen (Hello Hung Gar)

The second option is to train in traditional Chinese martial arts (a.k.a. “Kung Fu”).  I’ve actually done this as well, but it is better suited for me since I train in nanquan and a lot of traditional southern styles are related to what I do.

The schools you can find the easiest are those for Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar Kuen, or Wing Chun.  You can also find lots of taiji options around (or rather, “Tai Chi”).

Of course, if you are a modern stylist and focusing on something like the compulsory forms, then you will have a harder time finding something that suits you.

But, hey!  If you want a change of pace from your normal training and feel like diving in to something a bit different, then trying out some traditional kung fu might be just up your alley.  It will certainly make for some interesting stories.  (“Did I tell you I trained with someone who was 3 generation from Wong Fei Hung?”  Pretty cool …)

Option 3: Private Wushu Schools

So, that leads us to Option 3, which is pretty much your main option if you are fresh off the plane and don’t have any connections.

There are a couple athletes and coaches who have opened up private wushu schools in Hong Kong.  A few places in particular that you should be aware of.

I put these in the order that I became aware of them, but if I were going to attend classes I might do them in a different order.

Li Fai Wushu Centre

The first is Li Fai.  She was originally a member of the Hong Kong Wushu Team back in the 90′s, and she opened up a school in Hong Kong, first in Sheung Wan, and then another location out in the New Territories.

You might also recognize her as the eagle claw lady with the scar on her face from the film “Iron Monkey”.

I trained at her facility a few times and there were a few things worth noting.  First, for external styles, their classes are mostly for kids.  Not many adults in Hong Kong (people over 18, that is) practice modern wushu.  So if you want to train in their wushu class you will most likely be there with a bunch of kids, half of which might not really want to be there all that much.

For the adults she offers a lot of taiji classes, and actually her competition specialty, if I can remember correctly, was Taiji.

She occasionally brings on some modern pro athletes to come help her coach the wushu classes.  When I was there it was Liu Yan teaching the class, who was also competing for the Hong Kong Team at the time.

The main thing I could say about her class was that the location in Sheung Wan was really small — not really big enough for a full form, and the prices were rather high.  I don’t know what her current rates are, and I’ve never been to her other location (it might be bigger).  But be sure you have some money saved up before considering training there.

You can get more information on her at her website here: http://www.lifai.com (traditional Chinese only)  Her school is located at 22 Bonham Strand in Sheung Wan.  It used to be on the 11th floor but according to the website it seems they relocated to the 3rd floor.  (Maybe the space is larger now?)

Gui Wushu Studio (He Jing De and Luo Ya Qing)

The second option in Hong Kong is He Jing De and Luo Ya Qing, the married power couple of Hong Kong wushu who recently opened up a school in the Shatin area of Hong Kong.  Of course He Jing De is pretty much one of the most famous still-competing wushu athletes out there these days, so you probably know who he is (and have probably seen a picture of him with his shirt off at least once).

Not too many people can get world gold medals in their mid-30′s for competitive wushu.

He was my nanquan coach back in L.A. so I have some experience with him.  My main comment is that, when he’s committed to teaching he’s a force to be reckoned with.  But when his interest isn’t there, then you will find things lacking.  But overall he’s a good coach and a great person to know.

And, although He Jing De is a bit more well-known than his wife, I have to say that she is an excellent coach in her own right.  She was coaching the junior athletes for the Hong Kong Team for quite a while, and my experience with her was always top notch.  For northern stylists or people doing taiji, she’s the one to go to.  Between the two of them they offer pretty much every style you might be interested in.

Plus they used to be in Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” for several years which, if you’ve seen the show, is an extremely grueling job.  For sure they can both eat bitter. 🙂

You can get more information at the website here:

http://guiwustudio.com/

As you can see from the website, it seems geared towards foreigners (or English readers) in Hong Kong.  They both can speak English so this might be a good option for you if your Cantonese isn’t up to snuff.

Since it just opened up this year you might be able to figure out some deal or perhaps get in on the ground floor.

Liang Wu

According to Alex Lee (Thanks again!) Yu Li Guang, the former head coach of the Wushu Team and the man responsible for selecting and training many of their champions such as Geng XiaoLing and Zheng TianHui, has opened up a school with his son.

It is called the “Hong Kong International Wushu Cultural Centre Limited”.  (Why is it limited?  Does wushu have limits? j/k 😉 )

You can see their website at liang-wu.com, where it has a lot of photos and information on their classes.  He’s been a coach in Hong Kong since 1995 which is pretty much when the Hong Kong team started to really go up in their level.  I’ve heard good things about him from his students so you wouldn’t do so bad by checking out their school.

In fact, the two other schools I mentioned above, Li Fai’s and He Jing De/Ngo Ya Qing’s, are run by his former students.  So, you might find it preferable to go straight to the fountain of knowledge if that is more to your liking.

Here is a video interview of him (in Mandarin Chinese) where he talks about his life with wushu and his views on wushu coaching, his students, etc.  Some neat pictures of previous Hong Kong wushu athletes in there too, so check that out.

Hei Zhi Hong

I’m not sure if He Zhi Hong is actually coaching or not, but he has a website up with his contact information, so you can check there for information.  Here is the contact info, just for ease of reference:

“聯絡資料

歡迎垂詢，請致電 9406 8404 與傅寶燕小姐聯絡，

或電郵 info@heizhihong.com 查詢。”

Translation:

Contact Information

Welcome.  For more information, please call contact Miss Fubao Yan at 9406-8404.

Or e-mail info@heizhihong.com.

Keep in mind that they probably don’t speak English, so bring your Mandarin or Cantonese phrasebook with you to the phone.

Hong Kong Wushu Union

You might also want to try contacting the Hong Kong Wushu Union, the official organizing body for wushu in Hong Kong.  Based on their website it seems they have quite a few events happening in Hong Kong, but I don’t have much experience with them myself, so you can try to contact them and see if they have any training options:

http://www.hkwushuu.com.hk/

Recap

So, there you have it.  Three options for you.

1. Hong Kong Team <– requires guanxi
2. Traditional Style <– requires interest
3. Private Schools <– requires money

I hope this was helpful for some of you.  If you have any other suggestions or know of some schools that I don’t have on this list (I haven’t been in Hong Kong in a while, after all), please comment below or send your feedback to me on twitter (@wushuzila) or through my Facebook page.  And, of course you are always welcome to shoot me an e-mail to mark@wushuzilla.com.