Wing Chun
He
was born in 1924 in Foshan in the Zheyieng Delta region of the Guangdong
province of Southern China. He began studying Wing Chun with his father
when he was 7 years old, however he admits that he did not really want
to learn at that time and that he remembers relatively little from that
early tutelage.
When the Chinese Communist gained victory in Chinese civil war in 1949,
the communists began to persecute the wealthy, the influential and
anyone connected to the Chinese Nationalist. Since Ip Man was both
wealthy and a Captain of Local Police patrols of Foshan, he felt forced
to leave mainland China, finally settling in Hong Kong after a short
stay in Macao with friends. However, being only 24, Ip Chun stayed
behind to continue his studies at University studying Chinese history
and traditional Chinese music. He also researched Chinese Philosophy,
Buddhism and Chinese Poetry.
In 1950 Yip Man began teaching Wing Chun in Hong Kong to members of the
Restaurant Workers Union to earn a living. Over the following 22 years
he taught hundreds of students, some of whom trained to an exceptionally
high standard, such as Wong Shun Leung, Lok Yiu, Leung Sheung and Tsui
Shun Tin. Ip Chun meanwhile, finished his studies and chose teaching as
a profession. He taught Chinese history, music and science, whilst
during his leisure time he helped the Chinese Foshan Entertainment
Department organize Chinese Operas. During this period he was awarded
'The person with the most potential in Chinese art' for music research.
Unfortunately Mao Tze Tung's policies and campaigns meant that in 1962
Ip Chun and his younger brother Ip Ching , were forced to leave China
for Hong Kong, where they lived with their father.
During the day Ip Chun worked as an accountant and newspaper reporter,
at the same time in the evenings he restarted his Wing Chun studies with
his father, maintaining the Chinese tradition of passing down the Kung
Fu skills from father to son. Master Ip Chun trained with his father
most evenings and since Grandmaster Ip Man's home in Tung Choi Street,
Mong Kok was also his Wing Chun school, Master Ip Chun was able to
witness and study his father's Wing Chun and his teaching methods every
evening.
In accordance with his father's wishes, in 1965, Ip Chun began
participating in the work of the Wing Chun Athletic Association (WCAA)
founding group and became a founding member of the WCAA proper. The
association formally came into being in 1968 and Ip Chun was issued with
the membership number nine. During the first three years of the
association's existence he took on the responsibility of Treasurer and
later was appointed as Chairman.
1967 Master Ip Chun began teaching Wing Chun in Hong Kong with his
father's blessing and it is testimony indeed that some of those first
students such as Ho Po Kai and Leung Chung Wai still train with him
today. Later between 1970 and 1971 Master Ip Chun and Sifu Lau Hon Lam
taught a class of around 20 students in Ho Man Tin. On 1 December 1972
Grandmaster Ip Man passed away aged 79. Six weeks before, knowing he had
not long to live he made the supreme effort to commit the Siu Nim Tao,
Chum Kiu and Muk Yan Jong forms to 8 mm film in order to record and
preserve the pure Wing Chun system, this crucial piece of film footage
he entrusted to his two sons for posterity, and true to his father's
wishes Master Ip Chun has carried on his teachings, keeping Wing Chun
pure and maintaining its principles and concepts.
Today at over eighty four years of age, Master Ip Chun is one of the
most successful Wing Chun teachers in Hong Kong teaching five days a
week to individuals at his home or to small groups at the Ving Tsun
Athletic Association, as well as teaching a class in Shatin once a week.
Several of his senior Hong Kong students now teach at locations around
Hong Kong including several of the Universities. Master Ip Chun also has
seven students living and teaching in England, America, South Africa and
Australia, who represent him and help him spread his father's teaching
around the World. Between 1985 and 2001, Ip Chun travelled the length
and breadth of the world to promote and conduct Wing Chun seminars and
in the process receiving various accolades, before semi retiring in 2001
to concentrate on teaching his classes in Hong Kong. In 1992 Master Ip
Chun decided to set up the Ip Chun Wing Chun Kuen Martial Arts
Association to certify and authenticate those of his senior students who
have attained instructor level under his personal tuition in Hong Kong
and whom, with his express permission, teach for and represent Master Ip
Chun around the world.
Taken from
Wikipedia
