Story of My Father - Yip Man the Great Grandmaster of the Wing Chun Style
by Master Yip Chun
The Last Student
From then on, my father became Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun's youngest disciple. He learnt techniques from Grandmaster Chan and practiced with his fellow-students such as Ng Chung So and Lui Yu Chai. He was in fact the last disciple admitted by Chan Wah Shun. That is why when Yip Man grew up and had his own students, he said to them smilingly that his students had only "Elder Kung-fu Uncles", but not "Younger Kung-fu Uncles". From the above description, it became clear that Chan Wah Shun did not make a mistake in accepting my father, for the boy's success in afterwards was really due to his master's un-reserved teaching, and the boy's dedication and effort he put to his studies. His success in his career was not mere luck. Grandmaster Chan died when Yip man was thirteen years old. At his last minutes, Chan said to his disciple Ng Chung So,"Yip Man is a clever boy, and is more gifted than others. If any of my students is to promote and spread our Wing Chun techniques with success, Yip Man is the one. Is is a regret that I could not stay longer. From now on the duty of teaching him rests with you. Please take good care of him". Ng Chung So promised to take up the responsibility seconds before Grandmaster Chan died. So Yip Man studied under the guidance of Ng Chung So, with the company of fellow-students such as Yuen Kay Shan and Yiu Choi.
Blending the Techniques of Several Masters
For two years Yip Man followed Ng Chung So. After that he went to Hong Kong to pursue academic studies at the St. Stephen's College at Stanley in Hong Kong. On one occasion he was introduced to Mister Lueng Bik, the first son of Grandmaster Leung Jan - the instructor of Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun. Leung Bik was then staying as a guest in a famous silk company in the western district of Hong Kong. He was delighted with Yip Man's cleverness and his effort in learning, so he tried his best to teach him all he knew. That is why my father later said to others that he got a good foundation from Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun, but sophisticated techniques from Mister Leung Bik. He further said that when he was small, he paid attention to the external-form of movements, not knowing why certain movements should be applied in such ways, while other movements in other ways. When he grew older, he knew that the importance of mastering Wing Chun techniques rested on the merging of theory and practical application.
The Last Student
From then on, my father became Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun's youngest disciple. He learnt techniques from Grandmaster Chan and practiced with his fellow-students such as Ng Chung So and Lui Yu Chai. He was in fact the last disciple admitted by Chan Wah Shun. That is why when Yip Man grew up and had his own students, he said to them smilingly that his students had only "Elder Kung-fu Uncles", but not "Younger Kung-fu Uncles". From the above description, it became clear that Chan Wah Shun did not make a mistake in accepting my father, for the boy's success in afterwards was really due to his master's un-reserved teaching, and the boy's dedication and effort he put to his studies. His success in his career was not mere luck. Grandmaster Chan died when Yip man was thirteen years old. At his last minutes, Chan said to his disciple Ng Chung So,"Yip Man is a clever boy, and is more gifted than others. If any of my students is to promote and spread our Wing Chun techniques with success, Yip Man is the one. Is is a regret that I could not stay longer. From now on the duty of teaching him rests with you. Please take good care of him". Ng Chung So promised to take up the responsibility seconds before Grandmaster Chan died. So Yip Man studied under the guidance of Ng Chung So, with the company of fellow-students such as Yuen Kay Shan and Yiu Choi.
Blending the Techniques of Several Masters
For two years Yip Man followed Ng Chung So. After that he went to Hong Kong to pursue academic studies at the St. Stephen's College at Stanley in Hong Kong. On one occasion he was introduced to Mister Lueng Bik, the first son of Grandmaster Leung Jan - the instructor of Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun. Leung Bik was then staying as a guest in a famous silk company in the western district of Hong Kong. He was delighted with Yip Man's cleverness and his effort in learning, so he tried his best to teach him all he knew. That is why my father later said to others that he got a good foundation from Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun, but sophisticated techniques from Mister Leung Bik. He further said that when he was small, he paid attention to the external-form of movements, not knowing why certain movements should be applied in such ways, while other movements in other ways. When he grew older, he knew that the importance of mastering Wing Chun techniques rested on the merging of theory and practical application.
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