Tarm Sarm (meaning ‘third son’) was born in To Ting Village, Canton, and trained in Hung Gar before becoming a disciple of Master Lui Chang, a second-generation Choy Lay Fut master and student of Cheung Hung Sing. Young, confident, and eager to test himself, Tarm Sarm famously challenged the school’s students — and even Master Lui himself — only to be swiftly and humbly defeated. It was this turning point that led to his formal initiation into the Choy Lay Fut tradition.
Tarm Sarm quickly rose to prominence due to his relentless sparring, fearless nature, and creative approach to martial arts. His training under Master Lui Chang had laid a strong foundation, but it was Tarm Sarm’s hunger for real-world application that truly set him apart. After a now-famous altercation with senior classmates that led to his expulsion from the school, he didn’t retreat — he doubled down. Continuing to train alongside other seasoned fighters, he tested his techniques constantly in live combat situations, sharpening his instincts and evolving beyond traditional limitations.
His path eventually led him to establish the Buk Sing Kwoon — the Northern Victory School — in a district called Sui Buk. Here, he began blending the Southern power of Choy Lay Fut with the dynamic movement and range of Northern Shaolin (Buk Sil Lum). He recognised the value in combining the strong, rooted stances and circular strikes of Choy Lay Fut with the long-range kicking, expansive footwork, and whole-body coordination of Buk Sil Lum. This integration was revolutionary at the time and marked a clear shift in the development of Southern martial arts.
The result was the birth of Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut — a style built for combat, known for its aggressive footwork, explosive hand combinations, and adaptive strategy. Tarm Sarm’s signature techniques — the charp chui (panther fist), gwa chui (back fist), and sau chui (roundhouse punch) — became hallmarks of the system. These strikes were not just forms — they were tested and refined through countless matches, making Buk Sing a formidable and respected style for generations to come.
Tarm Sarm challenged tradition by building a style through merit, not lineage, and welcomed fighters from other schools to test and learn. His fighting style remained undefeated for over 50 years — and his legacy endures in every Buk Sing movement we teach.
