Grandmaster Ip Man
1893 – 1972
Sources: Wikipedia & Alan Gibson’s book Wing Chun: the Works
The late Grandmaster Ip Man was the first master to teach Wing Chun publicly. He had several students who later became teachers in their own right, including Wong Shun Leung and Ip’s most famous student, martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Ip Man was born 1893 (during the Qing Dynasty) to Ip Oi-dor and Ng Shui, and was the third of four children. He grew up in a wealthy family in Fatsaan (Foshan in the Mandarin dialect), Guangdong Province, and received a traditional Chinese education. His older brother was Ip Kai-gak, his older sister was Ip Wan-mei and his younger sister was Ip Wan-hum.
EARLY LIFE
Ip Man started learning Wing Chun from Chan Wa Sun at the age of 13. Ip Man offered Chan 300 silver pieces in return for tuition. At first Chan Wa Sun refused thinking the money stolen, but after a visit to the boy’s parents he discovered that he had worked hard to earn the money and, being suitably impressed he took him on as a student.
Ip Man studied for four years under the instruction of Chan Wa Sun and after his death, following his master’s wishes, he continued to train under Ng Chung So in order to complete the system.
At 15, Ip moved to Hong Kong with help from a relative, Leung Fut-ting. One year later, he attended school at St. Stephen’s College, a secondary school for wealthy families and foreigners living in Hong Kong.
By now the young Ip Man had quite a reputation as a fighter. Through some friends he was introduced to an eccentric old scholar renowned for his skills. The old man was no other than Leung Bik, the surviving son of Leung Jan, who had been taught a more subtle technique by his father. Leung Bik accepted Ip Man as a student and taught him many new diverse methods.
At 24, Ip returned to Fatsaan and became a policeman. He taught Wing Chun to several of his subordinates, friends and relatives, but did not officially run a Wing Chun school.
The Japanese occupation of China came in 1937. During these hard times he continued his training and in 1941 started to teach the first generation of students in Fatsaan.
Ip Man left Fatsaan for Macau in 1949 after the Communists established the People’s Republic of China on the Chinese mainland.
LIFE IN HONG KONG
After a few weeks in Macau, Ip eventually returned to Hong Kong and set up a Wing Chun school at the Hong Kong Restaurant Workers Union building, where his reputation, as both a skilful fighter and teacher of Wing Chun began to grow.
In the last 1950s, some of his students had attained proficiency in Wing Chun and they were able to start their own schools. Some of his students (most notably Wong Shun Leung) sparred with other martial artists to compare their skills and their victories helped to increase Ip’s reputation.
In 1967, Ip Man and some of his students established the Ving Tsun Athletic Association. Over his long career in Hong Kong, Ip taught many, many, outstanding students who gone on to teach generations of excellent students in their own right and have spread his style of Wing Chun around the world.
DEATH AND LEGACY
Grandmaster Ip Man died on December 2, 1972, from throat cancer. Wing Chun still enjoys its rich heritage and history, and thanks to the endeavours and curiosity of the great number of practitioners today, it is still living, expanding and moving forward as an art, a skill, and as a very practical way of fighting.
In 2008, the biopic IP MAN, starring Donnie Yen as Ip Man, premiered to widespread acclaim from critics and audiences. The film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning awards for Best Film and Best Action Choreography.
In 2010, the sequel IP MAN 2 was likewise released to positive reviews; critics praised various aspects of the film, such as its storytelling, as well as Sammo Hung’s martial arts choreography. The film grossed over HK$13 million on its opening weekend, immediately surpassing IP MAN’s opening weekend gross. During its theatrical run, IP MAN 2 brought in over HK$43 million domestically, and its domestic theatrical gross made it the highest grossing Hong Kong film released during the first half of 2010.
In June 2010, the biopic THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN premiered in Hong Kong. The film focuses on Ip Man’s early life and the story of how he learnt Wing Chun. In contrast, IP MAN and IP MAN 2 focus on the events in his life that took place during the Second Sino-Japanese War and after he moved to Hong Kong.
THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN is directed by Herman Yau and stars Dennis To as Ip Man. One of the highlights of the film is a special appearance by Ip Chun, the oldest son of Ip Man, who plays Leung Bik in the film.
Hong Kong art-house filmmaker Wong Kar-wai is current shooting his own biopic titled THE GRAND MASTER, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Ip Man. The cast also includes Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and South Korean Song Hye-kyo.
