Lau Kar-leung (Chinese: 劉家良;Jyutping:Lau⁴ gaa¹-loeng⁴; born 28 July 1934 – 25 June 2013) was aHong Kongmartial artist, filmmaker, actor, andfight choreographer. He is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for theShaw Brothers Studio, notably those starringGordon Liu. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the history ofmartial arts cinema.^[1][2]

Lau was born inGuangzhou,Guangdong Province in 1934.^[3] He began learningkung fu when he was nine years old, under strict tutelage from his father, Lau Cham.^[4]: 253 The elder Lau was a well-known practitioner of theWong Fei-hung lineage ofHung Ga, as a disciple of Wong's pupilLam Sai-wing.^[3]

Lau's brother,Kar-wing, was also a prominent martial arts actor and filmmaker.^[5]

Before becoming famous, Lau worked as an extra and choreographer on black and whiteWong Fei-hung movies. He teamed up with fellow Wong Fei-hung choreographerTong Gaai [fr] on the 1963 Hu Peng-directedwuxia filmSouth Dragon, North Phoenix. Their collaboration would continue on until the mid-1970s. His first appearance in a film was inBrave Lad of Guangong (1950).^[6]

In the 1960s he became one of Shaw Brothers' main choreographers and had a strong working relationship with directorChang Cheh, working on many of Chang's films as a choreographer (often alongside Tong Gaai) includingThe One-Armed Swordsman, as well as other Shaw Brothers wuxia films, such asThe Jade Bow. After a split with Chang on the set ofMarco Polo, Lau evolved into a director during the sudden boom of martial arts films in the early 1970s. He occasionally did choreography work for non-Shaw films as well, such asMaster of the Flying Guillotine.

After Shaw Brothers stopped producing movies in 1986,^[7] Lau continued directing and choreographing films independently, despite numerous obstacles, among them the fact that Shaw Brothers considered his contract with them still valid despite the fact that they were no longer making movies. This led to a rumored four-film deal with Jackie Chan being canceled when Shaw approached Chan and warned him that Lau was still under contract to them. Additionally, because his last film for Shaw Brothers,Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986), had been filmed in Mainland China, Lau was not allowed to work in Taiwan and no Taiwanese distributors would handle his films. Lau approached Cinema City who agreed to settle his issues with Taiwan if he directed three films for them,Tiger on the Beat (1988),Aces Go Places V - The Terracotta Hit (1989), andTiger on the Beat 2 (1990). The box office successes of these three films reinvigorated his career.^[8]

In March 1993, Lau began directing Jackie Chan inDrunken Master II,^[9] however, the film's starJackie Chan and director Lau clashed over the style of fighting, resulting in Lau leaving the set before the shooting of the final fight scene, which was then taken over by Chan.^[10] Most recently, Lau performed acting and choreography work forTsui Hark's 2005 filmSeven Swords.

Mark Houghton opened the Lau Family Hung Kuen schoolLau Family Hung Gar academy in Hong Kong / Fanling with the support of his sifu, Lau. He gave his disciple the permission to spread the art of Lau Family Hung Kuen to chosen students. There are already branches in England, Philippines, and China.

Lau's most frequent collaborator is likely his "god brother"Gordon Liu Chia Hui, and he worked with Liu on a number of films, directing him as a star in the now classicThe 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), as well as directing Liu as either a star or cast member inDirty Ho (1979),Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1983),Executioners from Shaolin (1977),Return to the 36th Chamber (1980),Heroes of the East (1978),Legendary Weapons of China (1982),Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985),Tiger on Beat (1988),Tiger on the Beat 2 (1990),Shaolin Warrior (1980),The Spiritual Boxer Part II (1979),Cat vs Rat (1982),Lady Is the Boss (1983),My Young Auntie (1981),Challenge of the Masters (1976),Shaolin Mantis (1978),Martial Club (1981), andDrunken Monkey (2003). They also appeared together as themselves in the Italian documentary "Dragonland" (2009, directed by Lorenzo De Luca).

Throughout his career, Lau only wrote four screenplays, but they were all for films that he himself directed. Those screenplays/films areMy Young Auntie (1981),Legendary Weapons of China (1982),Lady Is the Boss (1983) andEight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1983). All of the films also starred or featuredGordon Liu in some role or capacity.

In 2005, Lau won a "Best Action Choreography" award at theGolden Horse Award for his action choreography work onTsui Hark'sSeven Swords. He also won anotherGolden Horse Award in 1994, for "Best Martial Arts Direction" in the filmDrunken Master II (orThe Legend of the Drunken Master). In 1995, Lau also won a "Best Action Choreography" award at theHong Kong Film Awards for his choreography inDrunken Master II and in 1997, the film won "Best Film" at theFantasia Film Festival. Lau was also nominated for a "Best Action Choreography"Hong Kong Film Award in 2006 for his work onTsui Hark'sSeven Swords, and nominated in 1983 for a "Best Action Choreography"Hong Kong Film Award for his work onLegendary Weapons of China (1982), which he also directed and wrote.^[11]

In 2010, Lau was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at theHong Kong Film Awards for his contributions to the martial arts film genre.^[11]

Lau's nephewLau Kar-yung (son of his older sister) is also an actor, choreographer and director. Another nephew, Lau Wing-kin (Lau Kar-wing's son) is also an actor, and assisted Lau Kar-leung with action directing onSeven Swords.

Lau began training students Hung Gar before the age of 5 and was already quite proficient in the style.Bruce Lee treated Lau as an elder uncle and asked him for advice in regards to his film career.

As his acting career went smoothly, his family began to worry about his marriage. On seeing that Liu had reached the marriageable age and there was no suitable woman around him, they introduced him to a woman named Ho Sau-ha (何秀霞). Though Lau only had interest in his acting career, he proceeded with the marriage; they had four daughters and one son.

In 1978, Lau first met the then 14-year-oldMary Jean Reimer, who was 30 years his junior and a fan of his. Lau helped Reimer in establishing her acting career.

After divorcing his first wife and leaving the family, Lau married Reimer in 1984 and they had two daughters, Jeanne and Rosemary Lau.^[12]

Lau died on 25 June 2013 atUnion Hospital, Hong Kong. He had been battling leukemia for two decades.^[13]

• 1975The Spiritual Boxer - Director
• 1976Challenge of the Masters - Director
• 1977Executioners From Shaolin - Director
• 197836th Chamber of Shaolin - Director
• 1978Deadly Strike / Breakout from Oppression - Director
• 1978Shaolin Mantis - Director
• 1978Heroes of the East - Director
• 1979The Spiritual Boxer Part II - Director
• 1979Dirty Ho - Director
• 1979Mad Monkey Kung Fu - Director
• 1980My Young Auntie - Director
• 1980Return to the 36th Chamber - Director
• 1981Martial Club - Director
• 1982Legendary Weapons of China - Director, writer
• 1982Cat vs Rat - Director^[14][15]
• 1983Lady Is the Boss - Director
• 1984The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter - Director, writer
• 1985Disciples of the 36th Chamber - Director, writer
• 1986Martial Arts of Shaolin - Director
• 1988Tiger on the Beat - Director
• 1989Aces Go Places 5: The Terracotta Hit - Director
• 1990Tiger on the Beat 2 - Director
• 1994Drunken Master II - Director
• 1994Drunken Master III - Director
• 2002Drunken Monkey - Director

• Lau Kar-leung atIMDb
• Hong Kong Cinemagic: Lau Kar Leung

• 1934 births
• 2013 deaths
• Shaw Brothers Studio
• Chinese Hung Gar practitioners
• Hong Kong male film actors
• Hong Kong film directors
• Hong Kong martial artists
• Male actors from Guangzhou
• Sportspeople from Guangzhou
• Martial artists from Guangdong
• Male actors from Guangdong
• Chinese male film actors
• Chinese male television actors
• 20th-century Chinese male actors
• 20th-century Hong Kong male actors

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