Hong Kong seemed like the New York of the East – vibrant, cosmopolitan and constantly animated.  There was always a place to go to, no matter what time of day or night. What distinguished it from New York, however, was that despite its futuristic setting, this city proudly held on to a cultural heritage that was as rich as it was ancient.

Hong Kong’s skyscrapers and public transportation system rivaled and in some cases, perhaps even surpassed those found anywhere in the western world in terms of sophistication, organization and sheer size. And yet, one can find clinics where willing patients can still be treated with the same prescriptions and healing methods provided and employed by Chinese physicians centuries ago. In the public park, one can witness people from all walks of life diligently practicing Qigong and Taiji chuan. The ancient Chinese characters are still cherished here, as is their means of expression: calligraphy.

And although Hong Kong may be reputed for being one of the most crowded cities in the world, I never felt any tension or friction in the midst of the throngs, whether on the streets or taking the tube during the busiest hours. I found Hong Kongers in general to be quite tolerant and approachable. There is one other thing I must mention; I hardly saw any surveillance cameras! That was refreshing…

We stayed at the Marriot hotel in the Kowloon district. The local food was delicious, although some of us weren’t quite used to it ;). Sifu encouraged us to also try out different eastern cuisines and took us to the best restaurants. On our first night, we supped at a Korean restaurant where the meat was so succulent; it may well have been the best red meat I have ever tasted. We also enjoyed Vietnamese and Japanese food. I gained two kilos in seven days!

The day after our arrival, we went to visit Sigung at his school in the New Territories. The school consisted of a modest building at the foot of a hilltop that led to a Buddhist temple. I found Sigung to be a very warm, elderly gentleman who always smiled. At first sight, one would not think he was a Kung Fu Master, let alone a Grandmaster, but then he displayed his abilities and there was no doubt. His power and crisp movements belied his size and age, and when he spoke, he revealed a lifetime of knowledge on the internal principles of martial arts. There were times when I wished I could speak Cantonese just so I would be able to understand every word he uttered whenever he animatedly explained the intricacies of Chow Gar.

We began the class by practicing Doy Jong and Chy Sau with some of the more junior students. Sigung then began to test my force as well as James’s. Although I was a bit nervous, I was so glad and more than a bit relieved when he told Sifu he was happy with the both of us, which was very encouraging, as I was relatively a newcomer to the system. He was strong! I was completely sapped of energy. After that, almost everybody among the senior students wanted to try us out! I made a real effort not to show my tiredness and eventually nearly dropped my stoical mask, only thank God, I was just able to pull through to finish line with the last fresh-faced partner eager to test me.

James was called ‘the Man of Steel’ – enough said!

At the end of the session, Sigung demonstrated the power of his core by letting his stomach bounce off the end of a long pole held by James as he attempted to press it against the grandmaster’s midsection. I can still remember the contagious laughter erupting from Sigung each time he bounced back the surprised James from the redirected force of the pole!

The next demonstration was by Sifu Mark: he had the end of the long pole poking into his ribs and then began to walk against, or rather, into the opposing force, resulting in the pole bearer being pushed backwards and all the while, the end still pressed against Sifu’s ribs! The only mark left was a slight indentation or impression that disappeared after a few minutes, if not less. Anyone else could have easily broken a rib, or worse.

After class was over, Sigung and his students generously invited us to dinner. The school felt more like a family than an actual school. It was quite touching to witness the relationship between him and his students, especially, the senior students.

We went to visit Sigung in the New Territories a second time, only this time, Sifu Mark insisted on us inviting Sigung and the entire school to dinner after the session; it was the least one could do after all the kindness they had shown us. The last I saw of Sigung was he when he came to visit us in our hotel in Kowloon. He showed us a neigong form in Sifu’s room and then James and I paid our respects and bade Sigung farewell, leaving him to catch up with Sifu in private. I felt honored to meet such a man as Sigung. He exemplified a true martial artist – humble in manner, wise in thought and expression, and powerful in application.

We spent the last days of the trip sightseeing and shopping. The Malls were huge, reminding me of those in Dubai, though better organized. The scale of the well-connected buildings and interior spaces were of such magnitude and were so well contained, there was usually little need to venture outside. In terms of shopping, everything was available, with many more options to choose from when compared to London and at much cheaper prices.  Sifu also took us to the public market, where there was even more choice and at even more competitive prices!

I am very thankful to Sifu Mark for taking us on this trip and for introducing us to Sigung and his school. Throughout the entire journey, Sifu always checked if we were alright and if we needed anything and he repeatedly went out of his way to make sure we had the best deals whenever we wished to purchase something. I am deeply grateful to have him as a teacher and friend. I hope we represented him in the best possible manner in Hong Kong and I look forward to having the chance to do so again on our next trip.

To all my fellow student brothers: the next time you have a chance to travel to Hong Kong with Sifu, you should take it. You may not have another opportunity and you will have missed out on a truly wonderful and invaluable experience.