Lau Kar-wing


Lau Kar Wing is a Hong Kong martial arts film director, action choreographer and actor.

Background

Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar-wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham, a martial arts master who studied under Lam Sai-wing, pupil of the legendary Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei-hung.
Lau began learning kung fu in his early teens, learning in secret at his father's school. When his older brother, Lau Kar-Leung, discovered this, he began teaching Kar-wing himself.

Film career

Before becoming famous, Lau worked as an extra and choreographer on the black & white Wong Fei-hung films, which starred Kwan Tak-hing as the titular hero. Lau was given his start working under his father and brother in these films, and followed his brother to become a stuntman and assistant choreographer.
In the 1960s he became one of the Shaw Brothers Studio's main action choreographers, working with many directors on films such as King Boxer. Lau evolved to become a director in the late 1970s. By this time he was already an accomplished actor and action choreographer outside of Shaw Brothers.
In the 1970s, Lau formed a partnership with Sammo Hung and Karl Maka. The trio started their own film production company in 1978, Gar Bo Motion Picture Company. They made just two films, before Maka left to start Cinema City. Both films starred Lau, Hung and Maka, Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog and Odd Couple. During this period, Lau continued to make films for Shaw Brothers Studio.
He moved with the times, in the 1980s he alternated between his own work, and that of Sammo Hung. He also found the time to appear in several of his brother, Lau Kar-leung's films.
During the late 1980s and early 90s, Lau's output slowed down. Since 1994 he has virtually retired from the industry. One of his best known efforts from this period is Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon, alongside his old collaborators, Sammo Hung and Karl Maka. Kar-wing worked alongside his brother, Kar-leung, as martial arts choreographer on the film Drunken Monkey, and was an uncredited martial arts advisor on Tsui Hark's Seven Swords. Footage of Wing's performance in the 1976 film Tiger & Crane Fists was utilized for the character Wimp Lo in the 2002 American comedy film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist.
Lau is also a skilled lion dance performer, and has demonstrated this ability in at least two films Why Me? and Once Upon a Time in China and America.

Personal life

Lau is the younger brother of actor, director and action choreographer Lau Kar-leung. Gordon Liu is a godson to Lau's parents. He is father to TVB actor Lau Wing-kin. His nephew, Lau Kar-yung, is also an actor, action choreographer and director.

Selected filmography

As director