Tony Anthony’s London childhood comes to an abrupt end when at the tender age of 4, he is sent to Guangdong in Southern China to be raised by his grandfather, the legendary Kung Fu Master, Cheung Ling Soo. Alone, confused and in a foreign land Tony quickly understands that, if he is to survive, he must succumb to a harsh regime of cruel discipline. Like an animal he is quickly ‘broken in’ and so begins his initiation into the ancient ways of his maternal ancestors.

A half cast or ’round-eye’, Tony suffers not only the blows of his Grandfather but also the merciless torment of the community who name him Gwai Lo (meaning ‘foreign devil’) and deem him forever an outsider. If there is any tenderness it is in the figure of his grandmother who opens up the young boy’s imagination with stories and Chinese traditions that bring bitter-sweet reprieve from the cane.

Tony’s story of harsh training and brokenness is set against a backdrop of traditional China’s colour, vibrancy and stunning cinematic landscapes: From the scorching heat of Guangdong’s open plains to ice-cold, death-defying mountain ravines, the young novice is made to perform extraordinary exercises to mould, shape and strengthen his physique into an ultimate fighting machine. Harnessing the power of ch’i, he endeavours to move on the breeze and through a remarkable encounter with a wild white tiger, learns to overcome all fear and adopt the movement, strength and spirit of the magnificent beast. With this he is given a new name, Lo Fu Zai, meaning ‘Little Tiger’.