March
13th 1997
Inside Kung Fu
4201 W. Vanowen Pl.
Burbank CA, 91505
Dear Editors,
With regard to your most recent article on Gini Lau, "Eagle
Claw's most promising light" by Jane Hallander, please place
your attention on a long explanatory letter, as yet unpublished
by your magazine, entitled "Eagle Claw in America"
written by Sifu Dana G. Daniels on behalf of Grandmaster Leung Fu
and Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw International, which we sent to Dave
Cater on November 6th 1996.
In your recent article, Gini states that Julian Dale, of England,
is her student. He may be claiming that now, but as stated in our
previous letter, he was and is a student of Leung Fu, in the Bak
Shaolin Ying Jow system. He is in fact, quite junior in rank,
compared to many of the Sifus under Leung Fu. All of the Eagle
Claw schools in England were started by Grandmaster Fu, not the
Lau Family. As stated previously, Fu Leung is a "sworn
Blood-Brother" to James Lau Chi Kin who is Gini's younger
brother and is mentioned in the recent story. This makes Gini a
"kung fu sister" to Fu Leung, and implies that Gini has
perhaps unwittingly "stolen" or "accepted" a
student of another master in her kung fu family. Traditionally,
as in Lau Fat Mang's time, this was not done. Julian Dale is
merely a "disgruntled" student who held no specific
rank in Fu Leung's organization, was not a "senior"
teacher, and should not be considered a spokesman for any of the
Eagle Claw Kung Fu Family groups.
Again, in summary of what we previously communicated, we respect
the Lau Family and it's tradition, we are "Related, in the
kung fu sense of lineage and actual Brotherhood", but as
previously explained, Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw under Grandmaster Fu
is a separate family, out of Malaysia, a separate organization,
much larger worldwide than either Gini Lau's or Lily Lau's, and
except for Fu Leung's "Blood-Brother relationship with James
Lau Chi Kin" we hold no specific alignment or answerability
to either of the sisters' organizations.
We would most appreciate if these things were made clear,
especially with regard to students or teachers who actually came
from Fu Leung's organization and are now claiming otherwise.
Sincerely,
Noam Reininger
Chairman Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw Kung Fu Club
University of Wisconsin Madison
on behalf of Grandmaster Leung Fu