FOREIGNERS HELP KEEP KUNG FU ALIVE AND KICKING

Hong Kong remains hub for learning, teaching traditional Chinese martial arts

On Hong Kong's Lantau Island, 77-year-old Gam Bok-Yin swiftly moves his fists and legs as he demonstrates the techniques of Hung Gar, a style of Chinese kung fu.

The Australian has his long white hair tied in a knot and is dressed in traditional Chinese attire. Behind him, dozens of Chinese students copy his moves, as they learn their own fighting traditions from a foreigner.

Gam has spent over six decades studying Hung Gar, or Hung Kuen, a centuries-old southern Chinese martial art, characterized by strong hand techniques, such as "bridge hand" and "tiger claw".