Gam Bok Yin  金 博 賢

Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Background

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 much older, 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 1985 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 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.

Gam Bok Yin Radio Interview April 29, 2007 (Commercial Radio HK) – click here to listen

 [NOTE: this link will download a 3.2MB asf file to a temporary file and then play automatically with Windows Media Player or similar. This program is in Cantonese.]

Article About Gam Bok Yin – Published in “Hong Kong Next Magazine” November 30, 2006

061130 Next Magazine_Page_1

061130 Next Magazine_Page_2

Excerpt from Brochure of Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department and Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Association

 Introducing Gam Bok Yin at a Hong Kong Martial Arts Exhibition in November 2003.

GamBokYin JungMan Profile

Gam Bok Yin   金 博 賢

Other Martial Arts Achievements and Recognition

  • Vice President of the Hong Kong Southern & Northern Martial Art Federation 7th Term Committee 香港南北國術總會
  • Technology and Research Advisory Committee Executive Member of the World Hung Kuen Association in Hong Kong 世界洪拳總會
  • Certified Level 1 Instructor, Coach and Industry Qualified Instructor of the Martial Arts Australia International Martial Arts Alliance
  • Hall of Fame 2015 Grand Master of the Year Hung Gar Kung Fu – Italian Chin Woo Martial Arts

1996-Now:  Founder and Chief Instructor of Traditional Hung Kuen Academy in Hong Kong

1985-Now:  Member of the Chiu Wai Family School of Hung Gar in Hong Kong

1965-Now:  Active Practitioner of Hung Kuen Martial Arts

1952-1965:  Patient and student of Chan Sifu (Australia) from age 5 through age 18 – village Hung Gar style

Publications

  • “Energy (Hei, Chi, Qi) from the Perspectives of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Martial Arts”, online publication and education course, 2004
  • “The 12 Bridges (Sahp Yih Ji Kiu) of Hung Gar”, online publication, 2004
  • Hardback Book 142 Pages: “Disease and Diagnosis for the Acupuncturist”, Harper Collins Publishers, Northants, England, 1984. ISBN: 0-7225-0822-0
  • Hardback Book 153 Pages: “Everybody’s Health – Time to Reap the Benefits of East and West”, Hai Feng Publishing Co., Hong Kong, 1992. ISBN: 962-238-203-7
  • YouTube Videos – Gam Bok Yin 金 博 賢 Hung Gar Kuen Academy HK 洪 拳 學 社 – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtKRBSOPnSGatQ-6DKNE-6A/videos