Lam was born in Nanhai district, Guangdong. He followed the customs of his ancestors and learned the traditional martial arts and traditional Chinese medicineDit Da of his family; from his father Lam Che-chung, grandfather Lam Bak-sin and granduncle Lam Geui-chung, and progressed to learn from Wu Kam-sing, a northern Chinese boxer known only by the surname of Kang, and Chung Hung-san. He later learned from Wong Fei-hung, and also assisted with him to work as guards in the entertainment venues. He was eventually considered an expert in Hung Ga, and may have also studied Fut Kuen. He founded the Wu Ben Tang in Guangzhou where he taught his martial arts. Towards the end of the Qing dynasty, Lam gained first place at a large martial arts competition that took place at the Dongjiao ground. Between 1917 and 1923, Lam served in the National Revolutionary Army of Fujian province as Chief Instructor in hand-to-hand combat. In 1921, his performance of Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist to raise fund for an orphanage in Guangdong won praise from Sun Yat-sen. Sun awarded him with a silver presidential medal and addressed him as Mr. Fuk-Hok. In about 1926, he was invited by the Hong Kong Butchers' Association to teach martial arts. In 1928, Lam eventually moved to Hong Kong with his adopted nephew Lam Cho , where he started teaching martial arts there. With the help of one of his disciples Chu Yu-zai, he wrote and published three books on the three primary forms of Hung Ga: gung ji fuk fu keun, fu hok seung ying keun, and tit sin keun.
Death
Lam died at the age of 82 in 1943, at the Dit Da Clinic of the four-storey building at Stone Nullah Lane during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Whilst conditions were difficult during the occupation, there has been no indication that the occupation contributed to his death.
Legacy
Lam and his students, which were said to have numbered over 10,000 during his life, are primarily responsible for popularizing the style in the 20th century. Some of his students became among the first actors and stunt people in the fledgling Hong Kong "kung fu" film industry in the 1940s. They included two men who would work as action directors on the Wong Fei-hung films that starred Kwan Tak-hing – Leong Wing-hang and Lau Cham, father of action director and star, Lau Kar-leung. Another student of Lam was Golden Harvest producer Raymond Chow. The most famous student of Lam Sai-wing and the leader of the Hong Kong Martial Arts Community was Chan Hon-chung, the founding chairman of Hong Kong Chinese Martial arts association and the only Chinese Martial Artist honored by the Queen during the colonial Hong Kong. Chan's best student Kong Pui Wai is still leading the association. Another famous student was Chiu Kao. His son Chiu Chi-ling made his name from movies and teaching Hung Gar worldwide. Lam Sai-wing's kung fu was also continued by his adopted nephew Lam Cho, his disciple and successor, who resided & taught in Hong Kong with his own sons Anthony Lam Chun-fai, Simon Lam Chun-chung and Lam Chun-sing. Simon Lam Chun-chung continues to teach his father's students and new students at Lam Cho's renowned studio in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Among Lam Cho's senior disciples, Kwong Tit Fu and Tang Kwok-wah taught in Boston. Kwong's well-known students was Calvin Chin. While among Tang's disciples are Winchell Ping Chiu Woo , Yon Lee . and Sik Y. Hum.
Portrayal in the media
Lam had been portrayed by one of his students Lau Cham in many of the Wong Fei-hung films starring Kwan Tak-hing from 1949 to 1959. He was portrayed by Ng Ming-choi in the 1979 filmButcher Wing. He has been portrayed by Sammo Hung in the 1979 film Magnificent Butcher, which was also one of the many of the films made about Wong Fei-hung starring Kwan Tak-hing. Andy Lau portrayed Lam in the 1984 TVB series The Return of Wong Fei Hung, which featured Lam as the main protagonist. In the 1991 filmOnce Upon a Time in China, Lam was portrayed by Kent Cheng, Lam was a butcher by trade, causing his name to be translated as "Porky" in the English version. In the 1992 TVB television drama seriesWong Fei Hung Returns, he was portrayed by Ram Chiang. Kent Cheng reprised his role as Lam in the 1994 filmOnce Upon a Time in China V and the 1995 Chinese television seriesWong Fei Hung Series. In the 1998 TVB television drama series Simply Ordinary, he was portrayed by Gordon Lam. He was portrayed by Dickson Li in the 2004 TVB television drama series Wong Fei Hung – Master of Kung Fu.
