The Eagle Claw System of Kung Fu (Ying Jow Pai) is one of the great fighting styles of northern kung fu.  It was created during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD) by the famous military warrior – General Ngok Fei (1103-1142 AD; Gen. Yue Fei in mandarin).  To train his soldiers, the General devised “108 Fighting Techniques” combining efficient blocks and strikes, with claw grabs, locks, and pressure point attacks for unarmed combat.  Footwork incorporated low kicks, sweeps, and trips to disrupt the opponent’s balance.  It is believed General Ngok Fei’s fighting skills evolved from the Elephant Style - known for strong sturdy stances and fast close range hand techniques.  Ngok Fei and his soldiers continously fought and defeated the Jurchens, Siberian tribes people, invading northern China earning a fierce reputation for “Ying Kuen” or Eagle Fist.  General Ngok Fei became a national hero and the Chinese people praised him and his army with this analogy:  “It is easier to rock a mountain than the Yue Fei Army.”

Years later, during the Ming Dynasty (c. 1368 AD), a Shaolin monk named Lai Chin combined General Ngok Fei’s 108 fighting techniques with the kicking and footwork of the northern Fann Tzi System.  Today, both kung fu styles are blended to form one complete system known as “Ying Jow Pai.”  Eagle Claw continued to be taught and passed on for several generations.  Later another monk Toa Gai taught Far Shing who taught Lau Shu Chun.  The style remained within the Lau Family and passed on to Lau Shing Yao who during the 1800’s taught his son, Lau Kai Man, and his nephew, Chan Tzi Ching.

In northern China, around 1910-1915 Chan Tzi Ching co-established, with Fok Yuen Gop (Huo Yuan Jia) from My Jhong Kung Fu, the famous Shanghai Ching Mo Association of Chinese martial arts.  During that time, Chan was assisted at the Shanghai Ching Mo Association by the highly skilled Lau Fat Mon who learned eagle claw from Lau Kai Man his uncle.  Later during 1924, Chan Tzi Ching traveled to southern China and taught eagle claw at the Hong Kong Ching Mo Association where Ng Wai Nung was a senior disciple.  When Chan Tzi Ching left Hong Kong for family reasons, Lau Fat Mon was assigned to teach in his place and Ng Wai Nung continued and completed his eagle claw training with Lau Fat Mon.  Today, thousands of eagle claw kung fu practitioners in America learned from Grandmaster Leung Shum’s Eagle Claw Kung Fu lineage which traces directly to Grandmaster Ng Wai Nung, and other great masters from China.  Grandmaster Ng Wai Nung lived past the age of 90 years before his passing in 1991 in Hong Kong.

Grandmasters Chan Tzi Ching and Lau Fat Mon both reached prominent status teaching eagle claw kung fu and were highly respected by the martial arts community for their skill.  Grandmaster Ng Wai Nung had the privilege of being a top disciple of both masters.  Grandmaster Leung Shum became Ng Wai Nung’s top disciple at his Ying Jow Pai Hong Kong Kowloon School.  Later, Grandmaster Leung Shum opened the first eagle claw kung fu school in America in 1974 in New York City.  Master Benson Lee is a top senior disciple of Grandmaster Leung Shum and started training in Eagle Claw Kung Fu and Wu Style Tai Chi  in 1976 while living in New York City.