The Origins of Ling Gar

Sifu Lyn explains that while Ling Gar is most definitely a southern style its origins are in the north. The family records begin with General Ling Fahong (a direct descendent of Sifu Lyn), a renowned fighter and physician who journeyed from the north and established the family in southern China around 1368 AD. The Ling family was well established in the Beijing area, nobles in the court of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Yong Le. At the time the family was quite wealthy and powerful and already famous for their martial arts skills.

An interesting cross reference for this can be found in the classic, "Skills of the Vagabonds" by Wing Chun grandmaster and noted historian, Dr. Leung Ting. He writes that the Hakka ancestors (as mentioned earlier, the Ling family is Hakka) were nobility in the Ming Dynasty who went south after the overthrow of the government and emperor Yong Le. Their journeys took them through the provinces and cities of Wei Chow, Chaio Chow, Shan Tao and Fukien with the result that the Kung Fu styles prevailing there are very similar to and strongly influenced by Hakka systems (of which Ling Gar is the oldest and most famous). Leung Ting mentions numerous well-known and influential styles of definite Hakka origin, i.e. Wing Chun (see "Wing Tsun Kuen", the author's comprehensive Wing Chun reference), Ninjitsu (known as Fa-Shu or Yin-Sen-Shu), Southern Praying Mantis, Snake and White Crane to name a few. Having extensively studied many Kung Fu systems including Wing Chun, Sifu Lyn acknowledges that many southern styles seem to have been very strongly influenced by Ling Gar. Numerous weapons (i.e. the iron bars/sai and the chai, precursor of the Butterfly Sword so common in southern Kung Fu being the most famous) and weapon styles (for staff, spear and sword) are also known to have originated with the Hakka.

After leaving the north, the Hakka (which literally means "Guest Tribe" in Chinese) became nomads, farmers and fisherman. "The Hakka were very insular, clannish and close-knit, the villages small and nomadic. The square village with the moat and levels of defense that became so common in medieval Europe was first used by the Hakka", explains Sifu Lyn. The isolated and nomadic lifestyle also made knowledge of medicine and the healing arts essential. Beginning with Ling Fahong, many members of the Ling family became as famous for being physicians and healers as for their martial arts skills.

Sifu Lyn's family eventually settled in Sun Li Long Village in Shenzhen (known as the "Gateway to Hong Kong") though there are large contingents in Canton, Nanning and interestingly, still in the north in Beijing. Family records going back 6 generations (over 400 years) show that they never migrated north again and until relatively recently, within the past 2 generations, there had been no formal contact between the northern and southern Ling families.

This raises the question of whether a northern style of Ling Gar still exists or if the family style might have migrated back. Sifu Lyn responds, "There most probably was a northern Ling Gar but it adapted very quickly, by necessity, when it came south. Whether or not it continued is hard to say. It's said that at one time there were over 300 styles (of Kung Fu in China) of which maybe only 80 remain. Family styles were passed father to son and could easily die out if a generation was skipped. My grandfather was a pacifist, for instance, who wanted nothing to do with martial arts but he had 7 brothers. Contact with the northern family has been very recent and they no longer practiced...but it isn't known (whether northern Ling Gar still exists). The family records don't indicate it (Ling Gar) may have migrated back north but it's possible. Shaolin Temple in Hunan province is considered northern but the famous 5 animal style (developed there in the 1800's) is all (based on) southern styles. This suggests that styles from the south may have migrated north."

Ling Gar and its distinguished family shares much of its history with China's. Two notable examples would be General Ling RiLin, one of the only Chinese to defeat the British during the Boxer Rebellion and Ling Geek Yong. Geek Yong trained and led a guerrilla resistance strike force in Shenzhen during the Japanese invasion of China in World War II. Many military analysts credit this strong resistance as a major factor preventing the Japanese capture of Shenzhen (a very strategic and essential supply route) which contributed significantly to the collapse of the invasion. (Most historians consider the failed invasion of China one key reason Japan lost the war.)

Ironically, Ling Geek Yong's father was Ling Xian, the same pacifist grandfather mentioned above, who came to America (and eventually settled in Jamaica). Ling Xian had 5 sons, 2 who grew up in China and 3 born later in Jamaica by a second wife (who use the family name Lyn instead of Ling. This included Sifu Lyn's father). Sifu Lyn grew up continually hearing stories from his father about his famous uncle, Geek Yong (who unfortunately died in a car accident before he and his young nephew could ever meet). His father seldom spoke about his oldest brother in China, however, Ling Sung Go. He actually barely knew him. Geek Yong had gone to live with the family in Jamaica but Ling Sung Go had remained in China.

Ling Sung Go, Abak (which means uncle in Chinese) as he is lovingly referred to throughout the Lyn/Ling family, was the grandmaster of Ling Gar, a grandmaster of Tai Chi Ch'uan and QiGong. It was Abak that taught Sifu Lyn "family style". Although Abak passed away in September of '95 Sifu Lyn still regards him as the grandmaster of Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do. "Abak's teacher had only 1 student, Abak, who had a half a student (jokingly), me. When I was young I would always say to Abak that when I got older I would be faster and stronger (then he was) and be able to beat him. He would reply that he would also be older, wiser and more experienced so it wouldn't make any difference. He was right. Abak died at 88 and he was grandmaster (of Ling Gar, Tai Chi Ch'uan and QiGong) almost 9 decades. Maybe in 30 or 40 years we'll see what happens, if the system would even need another grandmaster."

What's in a Name?

Ling Gar (Tzai Kune Do) might have become just another curious fact for academics and historians were it not for the efforts of one man, Sifu Vincent Lyn. Sifu Lyn is probably best known for his co-starring role in Jackie Chan's, "Operation Condor". In the wake of the phenomenal success of "Condor", Sifu Lyn has received a lot of media attention, most of it understandably focusing on the impressive accomplishments in his movie and music careers. Besides working in 20 other films as actor, stuntman and/or choreographer (some considered among the greatest martial arts movies ever made), he has written 2 top ten Cantonese "pop" hits and is a professional jazz musician. (See "Vincent Lyn: Movies, Music and Martial Arts", World of Martial Arts , Sept/Oct'97 for further information).

He is also Ling Wing Shi, 22nd generation of the famous Ling lineage, the first person to ever teach Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do outside the family dating back to the style's origins in the early 1300's. Sifu Lyn explains the difference in the spelling of the family name. "Our family is Hakka, a distinct dialect and sub culture of China just like Cantonese or Mandarin would be.

In the various dialects the name Ling can also be spelled as Lin, Lim or Lam. When my grandfather (Ling Xian) came to America, through San Francisco, it was historically a time of extreme prejudice in the west especially with the railroads. To the American ear, the Chinese pronunciation of Ling sounded like Lin, which my grandfather took to be correct. In this country the spelling of Lin is always with a "y", Lyn or more commonly Lynn. That's what it (Lyn) became on all the official papers though the second "n" still haunts us, especially, it seems, with credit card companies. It was quite advantageous back then to have a name that didn't look Chinese and quite difficult to get changed. Our side of the family tree is the only one to use this spelling. Other members of the family, who've come to this country more recently, use Ling, of course now the political climate is also entirely different. My father never changed it back because he felt the name had become part of the family history. In fact in (movie) credits and press releases I've seen it used in all ways - sometimes I felt like a Bruce Lee clone." (The 2 strangest "examples" of this have to be in the credits for the American release of "Operation Condor" and the press release for "Dragon Cops", the Philippines title for the classic "Tiger Cage". Correct in the international version, the American release of "Condor" has his name as "Lyn Percival". Not to be outdone, in the Philippines press release he is Rene Louis, undefeated French Kickboxing champion. (Clearly something can get lost in translation.)