Read Time: 41 mins 17 secs

In Chinese tradition, all parents have high expectations for their children buried deep in their hearts. Their desire is for the next generation to be highly successful as literati and / or martial artists. They also hope that their children’s success will lead them to devote themselves to their government or country. My father had this idea also. With this idea in his mind, he tried very hard to involve me in literature, arts, calligraphy or martial arts to gain experience and knowledge.

I was born in Canton China in 1948. When I was four years old, my father started teaching me Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting. I had to write five pages of calligraphy everyday otherwise, I was not allowed meals. In addition, he tried to find a famous martial artist to be my SiFu, hoping that someday I would be somebody of worth.

Unfortunately, I grew up during the period of the Chinese Cultural Revolution which was a time of great chaos. Like other forms of art, literature and expression, learning and teaching kung fu was banned by the Chinese government.  The only option available to my father was to enroll me in the government sponsored Wushu organization. I woke up at 4 in the morning to participate in programs such as Char Kuen, Hop Gar, Tai Chi, etc. This was my first experience in Martial Arts.

The 1960’s was a period of turmoil when many Chinese fled China to pursue a better life in Hong Kong. In 1962 I joined other refugees in this great escape. As an immigrant in a new environment I struggled very hard to fit in and finish my high school education.

As such I was not the best behaved teenager. I enjoyed fighting with my classmates and often found myself in trouble at school and on the street. At this time, I liked western boxing and enjoyed the ring exploits of Rocky Marciano, Joe Lewis, Sunny Liston and Cassius Clay. However, my interest in the fighting arts did not extend to Chinese Martial Arts. It seemed to me that Chinese Kung Fu emphasized too many fancy movements and was not very practical. Of course this was my immature interpretation of Martial Arts that fate would soon set straight.

In 1967 there was a big anti-British riot in Hong Kong. After the violence, Hong Kong’s society and political situation was very unstable. The economy was very depressed and making a living was extremely difficult. My father opened up business as a Chinese Dit-Dar (Bone setting & injuries) doctor. Unfortunately, where he set up his clinic happened to have a lot of rascals and bullies who harassed the local businesses and tried to collect “protection fees” from us.

My father approached me with his plan for me to learn martial arts. Association with a martial arts club meant a business was left alone, as some clubs were associated with gangsters. While not all martial arts clubs had these types of members, no one would trouble a business that had any club association just to be on the safe side. My dad’s idea was for me to learn martial arts from a famous teacher while he himself taught me Chinese medicine. This would ensure a good future for me.

I had no intention of getting involved with Chinese Martial Arts. However, I respected my father’s wish because I wanted to help him. So, in the end, at 18 years old, I reluctantly agreed to learn Chinese Kung Fu.

Searching for a SiFu

My father had a friend named Mok Dun who was involved in Chinese Martial Arts. Mr. Mok Dun was a student of SiFu Yip Man from the Restaurant workers Union school. Mr. Mok Dun would frequently mention to my father the phenomenal martial arts skills of his teacher. So my father decided that I should learn Wing Chun Kung Fu, a very healthy martial art style that seldom had connections with gangsters.

At this time SiFu Yip Man had gained such a tremendous reputation in Hong Kong as a great Wing Chun SiFu that his peers in the Chinese Martial Arts community honored him with the title of Grandmaster. Unfortunately, Grandmaster Yip Man had already retired from teaching and it looked impossible for me to learn from the Grandmaster.

Under Mr. Mok Dun’s advice and given the Grandmaster’s incredible reputation, my father decided I should study from one of the Grandmaster’s elder students. Twice, my father and I visited SiFu Leung Sheung’s school and both times he was not there. We then decided to visit SiFu Lok Yiu’s school. Even though his school was still under construction, there was something about the place and atmosphere that really appealed to my father and I.

SiFu Lok Yiu, the second disciple of the late Grandmaster Yip Man was famous for his deep knowledge, diligent approach and high criteria / standards in teaching Wing Chun.

During the late 1960’s in Hong Kong, it was still customary for a teacher to accept a student formally as a disciple. Based on a personal recommendation from his younger Kung Fu brother Mr. Mok Dun, and having spoken to my Father, SiFu Lok Yiu decided to take me as his disciple.

Following the Chinese custom, I gave SiFu Lok Yiu some traditional gifts and a red-pocket and he spoke with me privately. He saw me for the mischievous carefree youth that I was and told me that he didn’t like trouble makers. Then he challenged me to find one reason why he should teach me.

When I couldn’t answer him, he told me I had a chance to learn only because of his relationship with Mr. Mok Dun and my father. He told me that he doesn’t take trouble makers like me. SiFu Lok Yiu spoke sternly and strictly and made me promise to follow the rules of his school, work hard and stay out of trouble.

Youthful Ignorance

Even after SiFu Lok Yiu had spoken to me and accepted me as his disciple, I still had no interest in learning Wing Chun. I was only there out of respect for my dad.

I was more interested in having fun with my friends than training hard in Kung Fu. So in my ignorance and youth, I began to excuse myself from training at the school. In the afternoons, I would sneak off and have fun with my friends while I told my father I was training at SiFu’s school. This continued for some time.

One day while at a movie instead of training, I discovered my bicycle was stolen as I came out of the theatre. This caused me to get home very late. My father became suspicious and questioned me. I tried to convince him that I had spent extra time training at the school, but he knew that class was over hours ago; and it should not have taken so long a time for me to get home.

He did not believe my story and decided to call SiFu Lok Yiu to find out the truth. SiFu Lok Yiu explained that I had not been in class and that he hadn’t seen me in weeks. My father was very angry and disappointed. He then granted SiFu Lok Yiu full permission to do whatever was necessary to discipline me, and further my training in Wing Chun. Of course this meant that I would be in deep trouble when I returned to SiFu’s school. This fact did not deter my father from punishing me that night as well.

Cheating myself

When I returned to school the next day, SiFu Lok Yiu was extremely strict with me. I shamefully remembered my promise when he accepted me as his disciple. He said, “Kong Jai (Little Kong), you’re having fun, enjoying yourself, but you’re actually cheating yourself because you’re not doing anything worthwhile with your time. Whenever you work hard, that’s when you’re helping yourself. Yes, you fooled both me and your father, but in reality you’ve cheated yourself.”

SiFu continued to lecture me and gave me my first glimpse into the philosophy of Chinese Martial Arts. It would be many years before I truly understood what he shared with me. He said, “Martial arts cultivates your confidence and allows you to develop a spirit of perseverance so that you can accomplish worthy things in your life.” He also emphasized that martial artists should maintain good conduct and are obligated to maintain a high moral standard.

He asked me to contemplate what I have accomplished in my lifetime and told me that he had the full authority of my father to do whatever was necessary to shape me.

As punishment, I was ordered to practice in the corner of the room by myself. Here I would sit in the horse and practice only the first part of Sil Lim Tau for hours. SiFu was now very strict with me, and I was taught very slowly and meticulously.

While all my other Kung Fu brethren were taught new techniques, I was still doing basics. When mistakes were made, SiFu would make certain that I would not repeat the same ones again. For example, whenever there was a mistake with my horse, he would correct me and make me stand in the corrected horse for an hour. If I repeated the same mistake, I would have to stand in the corrected position for two hours. This type of training was grueling and long, but highly effective in building a solid foundation in Wing Chun.

Seeing the light

One day, after about nine months had passed, SiFu Lok Yiu made me do sticky hands with the other students. All of my Kung Fu brothers beat me up badly, even the junior students. All the other students were learning new things while I was left behind.

The time I spent at the school doing the basics allowed me time to reflect and see how respected SiFu Lok Yiu was by his students and members of the community. People only had positive things to say about him. His students would return to the school with stories of winning the sparring matches they had been in. These stories fascinated me. In addition, the newfound popularity of Bruce Lee and the fact that he was part of our Wing Chun family made him like an Idol to us. All of this contributed to my growing interest in Wing Chun.

It was then that that realization dawned on me. As my fellow classmates were working hard to learn and progress, I was fooling around, getting punished and therefore denied the chance to progress with them. I realized what a great lesson SiFu Lok Yiu was teaching me. He was punishing me for being disrespectful and ignorant, and out of this punishment I saw that Chinese Martial Arts was really something special. It was not just the theory of fighting, but a philosophy based on discipline and dedication.

I realized that I had a good teacher in a great Martial Art system. Now I had a chance to change my ways. I became eager and sincere. I started to do things without being asked, out of appreciation and my newfound sense of pride and work ethic.

A new beginning

I decided to learn Wing Chun by spending more time and effort to work hard and diligently. SiFu Lok Yiu continued to make me do long arduous drills, but now I was willing to work hard, and trained in earnest.

SiFu made me train for months on just defense while others would attack me and I was not allowed to attack back. Then I trained for months on offense without being allowed to actually hit my opponent. This taught me control. I used to be the one that had always been beaten badly in Chi Sau training. However, I made my decision and told myself that in one year, I would defeat everyone in Chi Sau training.

I trained hard every day for at least 5 to 6 hours. Sometimes I would even sleep on the wooden benches at the school using my kung fu shoes and clothes as a pillow. I was determined to work as hard as I could to achieve my goal.

Many of my Kung Fu brothers were really instrumental with my training. There were three elder students in particular with whom I trained –  Poon Tung, Lee Wah Chek and Chung Kwok Wing. There were also three senior students, Kong Keung, Kwan Keung and Lo Chi Lai, who were already teaching elsewhere but came to SiFu Lok Yiu’s school occasionally to help me practice. Another was Pang Kam Fat, a high ranking police detective. He was a student of Grandmaster Yip Man, and one of Bruce Lee’s classmates in the early 1950’s. I am truly grateful to all of these people for their patience and guidance.

After two and a half years of training, my foundation was very strong and SiFu made me his assistant instructor. I helped him teach wherever he needed me to. His main school was located in Kowloon, on the eighth floor of 659 Shanghai Street. SiFu also had two other branch schools, one of which was at my home in Kowloon City on the first floor of 50 Nga Tsin Wai road. (This has since been donated to Grandmaster Yip Man’s eldest son Yip Chun, for the Yip Man Wing Chun Martial Arts Association Ltd. Headquarters). The other branch school was located in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

Deeper Understanding

SiFu Lok Yiu’s opinion of me improved as time went by. One day, he took me aside to give me a demonstration. He sat in his horse and raised one leg with the knee close to his chest as if about to kick and said, “Try and move my leg.” So I grabbed his leg and pulled but I could not move it. I tried to push his leg but it still would not budge. I used my entire body weight and full power but still I could not move him. His horse was like a rock. I was truly amazed. I realized that SiFu really had something special in his martial arts training. I also understood his lesson; I had a long journey ahead of me.

SiFu Lok Yiu was my SiFu who gave me my first understandings of Wing Chun. He taught me the “a-b-c’s” of our style. His severe criteria and hard working ethics allowed me to gain the fundamental understanding of Wing Chun theory and methods. He gave me a very solid foundation and legitimate reasons for why we have to learn Wing Chun.

SiFu opened my eyes to another world. This new found understanding and insight drove me to practice harder than I’ve ever practiced before. As a result I was enamored and fascinated with the Wing Chun system.

Traditionally it is the duty of a student to show his respect and appreciation for his SiFu for what is being taught. One-way I fulfilled my obligation was to clean the school before and after practice. I would clean and shine the windows, polish the mirrors, clean the bathroom, empty and disinfect the spittoons and mop the floor.

Meeting Grandmaster Yip Man

Often, I would stay after classes had ended to clean up. At this period of his life, Grandmaster Yip Man was retired and spent some evenings playing Mah-Jong with some of his students at SiFu Lok Yiu’s school after classes had ended.

Sometimes the Grandmaster would ask me to run out and buy him some food. One terribly rainy night, after I had finished cleaning and was practicing alone, no one showed up to play except Grandmaster Yip Man. I remember very clearly that he kept pacing around while I was practicing. After some time, he called me over by my nickname, Kong Jai.

“Kong Jai show me what you’ve learned!” At first I was hesitant, but I played the First Form. “Ah, very good,” he told me and invited me to do some sticky hand. Later on, the guests gradually started to show up, and he said, “All right. Pretty good. Keep practicing hard.”

An unexpected offer

Most of the time, Grandmaster Yip Man’s students and their relatives would get together to socialize or play Mah-Jong. Among the attendants were Wong Shun Leung and his wife; Tong Jo Che; Lee Wai Che; Wong Che Ming; Tam Lai and Ko Sang and Ho Kam Ming. On certain occasions Poon Tung and his wife and Lau Wing also show up for the party gathering. SiFu Lok Yiu would normally go out with his friend Mr. Yee Wing to the teahouse or to some other form of entertainment.

On another occasion, Grandmaster Yip Man called me over again to see how my Wing Chun was progressing while he was waiting for other guests to show up. After some chi sau and lop sau, he told me, “Hmm, your foundation is pretty good…” Then he asked me, “Kong-jai, why do you want to learn Wing Chun?” I told him that I wanted to learn something practical that I could use to defend myself in case of a dangerous situation. I also told him that I felt Wing Chun was a good style, and that it fitted me, and I was crazy about it.

Grandmaster Yip Man told me, “I like you. You are honest, you work hard and you did not tell me that you wanted to learn Wing Chun for some other reason besides self defense. If you really want to learn Wing Chun, come see me tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. at Hoon Lin Restaurant (tea house).”

I was so excited and felt it was a great fortune that I had a chance to learn directly from Grandmaster Yip Man, the one who made Wing Chun famous, and the one who held all the power and authority in the Wing Chun Style. This was an unimaginable opportunity.

It was that very morning that Grandmaster Yip Man offered to take me as his student. I was both delighted and nervous. This was such an honor. However, I told Grandmaster Yip Man that I didn’t want to be disrespectful to my SiFu Lok Yiu.

The Grandmaster told me that I shouldn’t feel bad because Lok Yiu was his student. He said that everything that SiFu Lok Yiu taught came from him. He told me that because he is the leader of the Wing Chun family in Hong Kong, he has the right to choose me as his private student.

However, the other problem was that I was unsure how I was going to afford lessons with the Grandmaster. I had heard that he only teaches privately at a high cost. I told him that I needed a little time to think about it. In my heart I didn’t think I would be able to accept this generous offer.

My kung fu brother’s council

A few days later, while meeting up with my Kung Fu brother Poon Tung, I mentioned my encounter with our Grandmaster. After I told him everything, he grimaced and slapped me on the side of my head and exclaimed, “Idiot! There are so many people lining up, offering large sums of money, begging to be taught by him… He comes and offers to teach you, and you tell him that you’ll think about it!?!?”

I felt like a complete fool. Poon Tung took me to see my father right away and told him about my encounter with the Grandmaster. My father, excited and eager for me to take this opportunity offered to support me so that I can continue my Wing Chun training with the Grandmaster.

My Sifu Lok Yiu is a man of dignity, of strict, severe and demanding work ethics. He diligently built his students’ foundation and basic understanding. His Sifu, Yip Man recognized all of this. Sifu Yip Man mentioned to me with pride that, “Sifu Lok Yiu’s insight of Wing Chun theory and sticky hands surpasses even my own. Lok Yiu is totally outstanding.”

Sifu Yip Man’s advice to approach Wing Chun

The first lesson with my Sifu Yip Man is memorable. He wanted to review everything I learned so that he can correct me. He started from the beginning, the First Form, Sil Lim Tau.

I started to measure my horse by turning out my toes at 45 degrees, once, twice, three times, then four times. “Kong Jai, Stop. Wait a minute. Let me explain. Yes, normally measuring the width of the stance like that is correct, but how about if you’re born with small feet; or you’re born with longer feet. Are you going to use the same method to find the proper width?”

Sifu explained that the correct horse width should roughly be a little wider than the shoulders and described the purpose behind the horse and why we train it just so. Then I understood the idea that even though you’re doing a form, you have to adjust the movements to fit your own body structure.

Continuing with the Form, I did the introductory hand movement that concludes with Tai-sau (holding the two elbows in front of the body and lifting the two elbows upwards straight). I recalled that some Wing Chun schools performed this portion differently by turning the hands in a circle. So I asked Sifu why there is a difference.

He told me every movement in the Sil Lim Tau is a technique and each movement has a meaning to it. He said that you can’t change the movement and still hold true to the meaning behind. Then Sifu showed me the application for the two hand movements I performed and he said, “Think about it your self. Which one is correct and makes more sense.”

In this open manner we kept on training. Nearing the end of the class, Sifu suddenly asked me a very interesting question. “Am I famous? Do you think you can learn something from a famous Sifu?”

I thought of his famous student Bruce Lee and replied, “Of course you are famous! I consider I can definitely learn something from you!”

He then explained to me that even though I consider him famous it doesn’t mean that I can learn something worthwhile from him.

He gave me a scenario. Suppose our founder Yim Wing Chun comes alive to teach you and it turns out what you learn is not practical for use in a real fight. How about someone who is nobody but he can show you some technique – Wing Chun technique that really works in a fight. What do you think? Why do you want to learn from a famous Sifu?

Sifu told me not to blindly believe everything he says. He told me to do my own research using my common sense with his teachings as a guideline. After all, he would tease me, “Kong Jai, how do you know I’m not cheating you?”

He concluded the lesson by saying, “I’m not telling you not to respect me or to question my knowledge. Of course you have to respect the Sifu. I want you to use your common sense. Accept what I say, research it. Test it. Don’t mystify the art. If you can’t see it, and if you can’t feel it, then how do you know it is correct and practical? This is the only way to understand.”

Wing Chun can only be earned

Sifu Yip Man’s method of teaching was completely different from anything I had ever experienced. He was always challenging me intellectually with Wing Chun theory and philosophy. He gave me new ideas and different approaches and was always making me think about what I was doing.

For instance, Sifu had showed me in detail the pull and punch chasing punch (chain punching), a technique which a lot of people would consider a trademark of Wing Chun fighting. He had explained the physics behind this technique and I felt the power when I practiced it. I really liked it, I felt confident using it, and considered it to be very effective. He asked me if I thought this technique was effective. And I replied, “Of course!”

In his typical manner of teaching, he said, “Now that you understand how to perform the technique properly, I want to show you how this technique doesn’t work.” I was startled and confused by what he could’ve meant.

He asked me to use the technique against him. When I did, he countered it easily. “Sifu, what happened? ” I was more confused. He said, “Kong Jai, no technique is a perfect technique. Even if you work diligently at it there are still many things to consider such as speed, power, timing, positioning and range. I want you to really think about this after the lesson.”

As I was leaving, I tried to discuss what happened with Sifu again, but unexpectedly, I got a lecture. “I am your Sifu. I have a responsibility to teach you. But I don’t have to baby you. If I keep answering all your questions you’ll always rely on me. Can you find a way to answer these questions yourself? Tell me! How old am I? Do you expect in your whole life you can keep coming to Sifu for answers? Do your research! Don’t build a habit of relying on other people, even Sifu. You will never gain understanding without figuring it out for yourself. Yes, I can teach you what I know. I can give you my experiences and ideas. But you won’t really get Wing Chun, unless you figure a way to earn it yourself.”

Martial Arts experiments

I spent a lot of time with Sifu Yip Man. I was lucky enough to have a flexible job at the Hong Kong airport which allowed me to workout under my Sifu’s tutelage. As a result I was gaining an even better picture of Wing Chun than what I had before. Whenever I had spare time I would accompany Sifu on adventures around Hong Kong. It was during these precious times that Sifu passed down his knowledge and philosophy to me.

Remembering my lecture, I followed my Sifu’s advice and performed my own research and experiments using his teaching as my guide. I had many close friends in different Martial Art styles and we would get together and spar. I had sparring matches with them as often as we could arrange. From these experiences, I would analyze what works and what doesn’t work. When I couldn’t figure out something I would ask my Sifu. As I was progressing in my understanding, so were my friends in their understanding of martial arts. After all, they had their Sifu’s advice also.

After about two years or so, it came to a point that my Wing Chun wasn’t working properly for me. I was sometimes getting beat up. You see, during these later free sparring matches, I had the insight of how I was being attacked. I knew what I did wrong and why I was defeated. But, no matter how I tried, I couldn’t overcome my opponents. There would come a point during the sparring sessions, that attacks would come to me and I had all the ideas of how to counter them BUT my body just wouldn’t do what I wanted it to do! Then I understood that there was something I was missing in my Wing Chun training.

I practiced and practiced and kept trying, but still I couldn’t figure out how to accomplish my goal. Finally, I went to my Sifu Yip Man and told him about my research and experiences. I told him I felt something was missing. He listened to me and smiled in his special way and said, “Ha! Very good! Now you know.”

He told me, “Yes. Basically you learned everything from me – confidence, technique, power, understanding… You have that. But, remember what I told you? Besides these elements we have to train timing, speed, endurance, flexibility, reflex, etc… Without all these important training, no matter how hard you train, you will only have a shell of the art. It only looks like Wing Chun but it has no substance. Let me tell you honestly. I am 70 years old now. Due to my physical condition and because of my age, I cannot show you how to train these things… But, I have 5 private disciples who trained everything in Wing Chun. They have the power and skill (Gung lek), to show you so you will get it. Do you want to learn?”

He continued to tell me about the training involved, “That kind of training is really tough. Are you sure you want to do it? Do you think you can take the pressure? Are you willing to make the sacrifice? I want you to think about it for a few days. Consider what I said. Then tell me your decision. But, don’t waste my time.”

One day, I told Sifu of my growing desire to travel around the world and maybe settle down in America. I also told him I didn’t make my decision yet but I would let him know soon. This was an important commitment and I wanted to be sure it was what I wanted. I didn’t want to start training and then quit. That would be disappointing to Sifu.

A few days later, Sifu Yip Man asked me what my decision was. I told him that I already committed to travel but I will dedicate myself to train when I return to Hong Kong. He told me the names of his 5 private disciples and told me when I returned from my trip he will introduce me to them.

Sifu could sense my pride in Wing Chun and reminded me that I still had a lot more training to complete the whole system. He warned me that even though I have some talent, I should continue to practice even harder. Ignore your art for one day and it will forget you for two.

My Sifu Yip Man is a man of wisdom and great knowledge, especially in Martial Art. He considered Wing Chun to be his greatest treasure and like any man with a valuable treasure, he guarded it very well; choosing only to give it to the certain people for his own private reasons. My Sifu Yip Man never sold his Art.

I am sincerely grateful to my Sifu Yip Man for sharing his Wing Chun knowledge with me.

Farewell to SiFu Yip Man (惜別恩師)

Some events in your life you will never forget, nostalgic details that reveal themselves to you over time. I was at a cross road in my life deciding whether to move to the United States. I foolishly decided to move to America and before leaving, SiFu Yip Man wanted to show me something, and to have a talk with me. When I arrived at SiFu’s home, he showed me a pair of Baht Jahm Doh 八斬刀 that he had made. He explained to me the training necessary to fight with them and the importance of the details of the design of the double knives. One of his students owned a Chinese Weaponry shop and SiFu said that when I returned from my trip, he would forge a set of the double knives for me made specifically to my body measurements.

After we spoke for a long time, he gave me his copy of Bruce Lee’s 李小龍 first book. SiFu explained to me with great pride that Bruce Lee had dedicated that first edition copy to him. He was so proud of having had such a diligent student such as Bruce Lee and then SiFu gave the book to me. In retrospect, I felt he gave it to me to inspire me to continue my training. After he gave me the book, he asked, “Kong Jai, how long do you plan to stay overseas for your vacation? Somebody told me that you will be going to the United States for good. I hope not, because we don’t have too much time to see each other. My cancer is closing in on me and I worried I won’t have too many days left to live.” To hear him say such sad and heart felt words made my heart ache. I didn’t know what to tell SiFu, because in fact, I had planned to stay in the United States permanently if I could get legal residence status. However, I told him I would be back soon. SiFu then told me due to his age and illness, he could not teach me as well as he wanted and instead he would introduce me to his 5 private disciples. These private disciples had learned almost every thing from SiFu, and they would help to continue my training. Only years later, with the maturity and wisdom that comes only from life experiences, did I understand that SiFu didn’t really want me to leave at that time.

Reasons for leaving 離港因由

I wanted to leave because I was unsure of Hong Kong’s future. The Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Chow Eng Lai 周恩來總理, visited Hong Kong after an Asian tour and I was a member of the greeting group for Jardines Airways at the Kai Tak Airport. He told the public that China will take over Hong Kong after the British leave in 1997. 回歸祖國 The British had only rented the island from the Ching Dynasty 清朝 for 99 years. I was worried about the future because of our family’s brutal suffering during the cultural Revolution in China 文化大革命運動. I recalled how hard we struggled to escape the madness. I remembered how my younger brothers swam to freedom after training for 3 years in heavy currents with rocks tied to their bodies. They swam in the wide ocean for days and the endured the open seas and threats of shark bites. My mother and my older sister were convicted as fugitives from the Great Escape, 香港大逃亡 after they failed and were caught by the Hong Kong Boundary police. They were escorted back to China for free labor and served the Masses. My family, especially my father, suffered the Class Struggle, separation of family, and lost of my grandmother during those years. It was like we were living through the Holocaust 人間地嶽. Frankly, I had no intention to live in a place under the communist rules so I planned to leave Hong Kong and hoped some day I would build my future in a better place somewhere in this world. In my mind, I planned to enroll into college for my further education in Engineering Design or Space Study. This was my childhood dream. With only a high school education and with all of those years of working in the airlines, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see myself progressing further than a common job. I felt, if I wanted to be somebody outstanding in my lifetime, I would have to go back to college and earn the knowledge to fulfill this dream. This change was a important decision for me.

The Adventure trip begins 尋夢異鄉

I had arrived in London via a British Airways (they called it BOAC at that time) jet. I spent a week in London with friends whom I used to play soccer with when I was younger. I had been the soccer team’s doctor (specializing in Chinese bone setting) 正骨跌打傷科隊醫. Our team, the Sic Ying Athletic Club 息影體育會, had traveled together to Taiwan for the President’s Longevity Cup tournament 總統萬壽杯 and won first prize. It had been many years since we had seen each other so we had a great time in our London reunion. For some reason, I felt England was not a place for me to stay for good, so I continued my trip to the land of dreams, the United States of America. I traveled around all the major cities: San Francisco, Los Angles, Boston, finally stopping in the Big Apple, New York. My friends told me that they could get me a job that would help to support me through college. If everything worked out, I would eventually obtain residency and stay in America. I had actually planned on staying in Los Angles for college and had already enrolled at Woodbury College in downtown Los Angles. However, the problem was, if I studied full time I wouldn’t have time to work. My friends, Monica and David, called me from New York City and told me they had gotten me a job in a Chinese restaurant as a trainee waiter. But if I took the job, I would have to move to New York and I might not have enough time for schooling. As a result of my travels to numerous cities and colleges, my funds were slowly depleting and my vacation was soon coming to an end. I had left my airline job in Hong Kong for too long and would not be able to get my old job back. I was in a tough predicament, and as a young man, it was difficult for me to admit that I made an bad decision. I made some bad choices along the way and I was too embarrassed to face my family, friends and colleagues. So, with a young man’s outlook and determination, I decided that I was going to start an uncharted new life in the United States of America.

Unexpected downs of life 起落無常

I had barely finished my high school education, and had been extremely lucky to have a job with the Airlines. Unfortunately, I was too ignorant to realize this at that time, and had an over-inflated opinion of myself. 目空一切 自以為是 For me, everything had seemed so easy to acquire (including the chance to learn from SiFu Yip Man). 得來容易不懂珍惜 Now I was in America starting a new life and things weren’t going quite as easily as I was accustomed to. The United States government changed their immigration laws and I couldn’t get residence status right away. I was lost, and sought advice from my friends who all advised and persuaded me to be patient and stay a while longer in the US in order to obtain residency later.

Maybe this was my fate, to experience the ups and downs of life. My prospects for a decent jobs weren’t very good because of my legal status, forcing me to survive off hard-working, menial jobs from within the Chinese communities. My jobs consisted of bussing tables, cleaning floors, throwing away trash and/or washing dishes. Waitering was considered the best job that I could get. While I was working these petty jobs, I always had to keep an eye out for Immigration Officers. One frigid winter I was working for a Chinese restaurant in uptown Manhattan. One day during the busiest hour of lunch, Immigration Officers raided the restaurant. As soon as I heard the warning, I slipped out of the side door and ran as fast and far as I could. I left my winter gear in the restaurant and the freezing cold of winter was stinging my skin. Of course that was the last day of my waiter job and the beginning of another miserable period in my life. My prosperity and good luck had been reversed in this new land. I was so disheartened. Was this what my future was to be like in the USA? I could not accept this and was determined not to give up.

Episode in New York 美國遭遇

It was hard for me to acquire a decent job that I liked due to my immigration status so I had to take any kind of occupation that I could to earn a living. It was hard to find a steady job and afford a good place to live. Eventually I met my uncle Mr. Hung Chu Lee 李洪柱 in the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn. He offered his apartment upstairs for me and some of my friends to share at a very good price. My uncle was a visual artist in Traditional Chinese Painting and specialized in flowers and birds. 功筆花鳥國畫 He was a very kind person who assisted and tutored me in Chinese Painting so I could earn a living as an artist. My uncle and I worked together everyday and as a result, we came to know each other very well. We spoke on many subjects. One day he said, “Che Kong, you’re an unusually strong young man, you must have trained some in martial arts.” This is how we began talking about Kung Fu. He then promised to introduce me to his good friend, a famous Martial Artist from Taiwan named SiFu Pang Hop. SiFu Pang was the leader of the Ng Mui style Kung Fu. I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm! According to legend, Ng Mui was the person who taught Yim Wing Chun, the founder of the style I had studied. I was curious about the Ng Mui style and looked forward to meeting SiFu Pang Hop.師父彭俠

The day arrived when my Uncle introduced me to SiFu Pang Hop and I got to see that he really knew something valuable. His style of martial arts was completely orthodox. We became good friends and over time spoke a lot about our different approaches to Martial Arts. SiFu Pang Hop told me that he knew a guy called SiFu Duncan Leung who was teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu in Greenwich village in New York City. At the time, I had never heard of SiFu Duncan Leung so I had no idea who he was.

One day, after painting for many hours, I needed to take a break. Occasionally, when I browsed the Chinese newspapers I had seen advertisements:-  “SiFu Duncan Leung teaches the Wing Chun System, Pole and double knives…personally.” Teaching Wing Chun with the Pole and Knives was usually reserved for advanced practitioners so I was very curious to see who this man was. I ended up going to SiFu Duncan Leung’s school at 3 Great Jones Street in Manhattan, but unfortunately SiFu Leung wasn’t there. I sat down to observe the class and waited. I saw the students were doing very basic and fundamental exercises for a while and eventually, one of the students, the young and polite Morris Chisome, started talking to me. He asked if I had practiced before and I told him I studied Wing Chun in the past and was a student of SiFu Yip Man. He got excited and asked if I could do some Chi Sau with him. We practiced for a while, but SiFu Duncan Leung didn’t come back so I left.

Meeting SiFu Duncan Leung 同門相遇

I had a lot of pride and arrogance in the style of Wing Chun I learned. The message in the Chinese newspaper really surprised me. Teaching Wing Chun Fighting, Pole and Double Knives … Personally—WHAT!?! 何方神聖 I wondered who was making these claims. As far as I knew, these weapons were reserved and taught only to the chosen disciples with good conduct and morality. It was absolutely not for strangers. I had to visit and find out who is this Duncan Leung Shiu Hung. This time SiFu Leung was there when I stepped into the school and he was explaining the Bong Sau position and it’s ideas to some students in his class.

After introductions, we were both curious about each other and we started to do some Sticky Hands. I began to really concentrate and was vaguely aware of some of the students watching us. Time flew by, it was time to close the school and he invited me to dinner and some more “fun” at his home, a walk-in apartment in Astoria, Queens. After dinner, we were both excited to meet a new Kung Fu brother and we wanted to learn more about each other and talk about Kung Fu. We spent hours testing each other’s skill, moving all around the apartment, knocking everything over in our maneuvering. I was really impressed with his understanding and skills. What a surprise it was to meet someone of his knowledge. In this Sticky Hand match, we were both totally controlled, doing exactly what SiFu Yip Man taught us to do in training Chi Sau. We didn’t try to hit each other by exchange, instead honestly trying to accomplish the the major ideas behind techniques, coverage, reflex, whole body coordination, and the back-and-forth movements with proper footwork, etc.,

After our Sticky Hands match, SiFu Duncan told me he hadn’t seen someone do Chi Sau like me in a long time. I felt the same way and was very happy to find a Kung Fu brother in this new land. He sincerely invited me to come back to his school for further training. He felt it was good to socialize together and have more fun training. I could tell he genuinely loved Wing Chun and was being very sincere. We started talking about many things and I told him about my immigration situation. He told me I could get sponsored for a special skills employment visa if I was the assistant instructor at his school. This seemed like a good chance to get legal residency status and so I decided to take his generous offer. This was how I first met SiFu Duncan Leung 梁紹鴻師父.

Wing Chun at 3 Great Jones Street 詠春拳館

I first came to assist my SiHing Duncan Leung because he offered me a chance to obtain legal residency through teaching at his Kung Fu School. Eventually, I started to enjoy training again and started gradually recognizing who , 何方神聖 SiFu Duncan Leung was. At that time in our teaching career, we were new to American culture, and wanted to promote the school and promote the Wing Chun style. Unfortunately, no one knew who we were. At that time, Kung Fu started to become popular, due mainly to the influence of our late SiHing Bruce Lee. The popularity of his Kung Fu movies exploded all around the world, increasing interest in Kung Fu fighting. As a result, many people came to our school for information while some came to challenge the Wing Chun Style to find out how it works. They knew that Bruce Lee 李小龍 learned Wing Chun when he was young. Everyday, there were at least 2 to 4 people kicking on the door. Some days SiFu Duncan Leung took on the challengers, and on other days I stood up for Wing Chun. It was a great opportunity for our school because our name and reputation started to grow. Many students joined and number of classes increased greatly. At the end of the day we were exhausted from teaching all the new students.

There were some very memorable encounters that I still recall to this day. I remember one gentleman who came in and said he had incredible kicks that very few Chinese martial arts could stop it. That day was SiFu Duncan’s turn and using the Wing Chun Kicking techniques, he sent the challenger a foot up into the air. Upon landing back on the ground, the challenger couldn’t move and had to rest for a long time before a couple of the students helped him go outside. A few days later, he came back to the school and asked to be a student. There were other encounters that led challengers to join our school and there were also many encounters that sparked friendships. SiFu Wong Tit Wai 黃鐵衛 of the Cantonese Wing Chun, SiFu Wan Chi Ming 溫志明 of White Crane and Hung Gar, SiFu Lee Sun Kit 李新傑 of Dragon Style, SiFu Lee Jun Fu 李振夫 of Xing Yi the Six Harmony, SiFu Chow Wai Ming 鄒偉明 of Dragon style and Ng Mui Pai (and eventual leader of Ng Mui Pai Style), The Black Dragon 黑龍 Mr Ron Van Cliff, 10th degree black belt in Goju Karate and his Sensei Frank Cruize and many, many others too numerous to list. There was no doubt that, everyone gained a newfound respect for this unknown Wing Chun fighter, SiFu Duncan Leung. Every martial art school in New York City knew that the Great Jones Wing Chun School took challenges.

One day, some of the students approached us for permission to enter a full contact All Martial Arts tournament at Madison Square Garden. SiFu Duncan agreed but told them they needed to train extremely hard to prepare for this tournament. So he began to show them a special program which included sparring, timing, stamina training, etc. This made me curious about who this SiHing of mine was. As a result of this training, I came to spar with him. He set me up well. I was sure I was going to get him, but instead I fell right into his trap and experienced a Biu Jee technique that stunned me. I knew his skill level at that moment. He was in a totally different league than me. Also, I liked the way he approached Martial Arts. His outlook and method of teaching encouraged his students to trust their common sense and experience and to not blindly believe what they’re told. He explained to students,  “Who I am is not important. The important thing is if I can teach you something practical.” It was exactly what SiFu Yip Man told me. All of these things made me more determined to find out more about this Kung Fu brother, SiFu Duncan Leung.

I recalled SiFu Yip Man’s last conversation about the 5 private disciples, and called my father in Hong Kong to find out if he was able to locate them but he didn’t know where to find them. None of them were in the public eye or teaching openly at all. I remembered one, whom SiFu Yip Man gave the nickname “Hung Jai”, had the real last name of Leung. SiFu had told me that “Hung Jai” from the Tsuen Wan area learned privately with his younger brother and showed me the pair of Parker pens “Hung Jai” had given him as a gift. In those days Parker pens were very expensive, and were considered to be high class collector’s items. Could SiFu Duncan Leung be “Hung Jai” from Tsuen Wan? I felt I had to research this more before I mentioned this to SiFu Duncan Leung.

Closing of the Great Jones School 拳館解散 各奔前程

One day, Dr. John Newton and David Meadow came from Virginia to visit our school. They asked if they could observe the class and then stood very quietly watching us teach and practice with students for a whole afternoon. Afterwards, they asked to speak with SiFu Leung. They said that our school was the school they were looking for, and that they liked the strict and serious attitude of SiFu Duncan’s teaching. They had a unique offer for him, a great proposal to start a new school in Virginia. When SiFu Duncan made up his mind to move to Virginia, I felt very disappointed. I was working towards getting a visa and all of a sudden, my sponsoring company was closing down. This was very hard for me to take, however I realized I needed to move on and I wished my SiHing good fortunes in Virginia. So once again, I had to take on any kind of job to survive.

With the support of my uncle, Mr. Hung Chu Lee 李洪柱, I established the Yip Man Martial Art Association USA in the Elmhurst area of Queens. I had the approval from the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Yip Man Martial Art Association Hong Kong 葉問詠春國術總會. The authorization letter was given by the Chairman, Mr. Yip Chun 葉準 , SiFu’s son. My school opened, I could keep on teaching Wing Chun, and also keep my visa application going. All I had to do was change the employment records of business owner for my residency application. Lucky for me, things were coming along easily this time. I met a wonderful young lady and got married. Afterwards, my student Tse But Moy 梅士拔, helped me to get a job at Fairchild’s Republic in Long Island as an Aircraft mechanic. I decided to work hard and fell into a routine where I worked at Fairchild’s during the day, and in a Chinese restaurant in the evening. Eventually, my wife convinced me to close the Wing Chun school and she sponsored me for citizenship. She felt that the school was a burden on our finances and we should do our best to save for the future.

However, I never stopped thinking of Wing Chun in my heart. One day at Fairchild, I was completely exhausted and fell asleep on the work bench during my coffee break. That day there was a Halloween party at the work shop. A co-worker dressed up as a gorilla, leaned over my head while I was sleeping and screamed like an ape to wake me up. I thought I was under attack and reacted the way I had trained to under such circumstances. We all had a good laugh as his joke turned on him. A Halloween gorilla with a bloody nose! I missed training… Wing Chun was in my bones. I felt I had lost a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with a person who seemed likely be one of SiFu’s private disciples.

The SiFu’s Private Disciple 師門秘徒

One day, out of nowhere, SiFu Duncan Leung showed up at the restaurant where I worked. He had come all the way from Virginia to see me. I was extremely busy, but he insisted that we talk. He had a business proposition for me. Many people in the Tri-State area had been exposed to Chinese Kung Fu movies on Channel 5’s Drive in Movie which aired a different Kung Fu movie 功夫電影 every Saturday at 3pm. What they didn’t know was this was one of SiFu Duncan Leung’s business ventures. Along with his partner, he had been bringing these wonderful films from China to be broadcast in the States. It was a big hit. I’m sure most Martial Arts film enthusiasts would recognize them. Many classics like Master Killer, Kid with the Golden Arm, The Chinatown Kid, 5 Deadly Venoms etc, were shown in this outlet. When he approached me, he wanted a trustworthy person to handle some aspects of the business. We talked about it over dinner and I agreed to help him. From then on, every week he would come to New York and stay with me and my wife. During his stays at my home, SiFu Duncan would often show me different aspects of special Wing Chun training. This I greatly appreciated.

As the eldest son in my family to be married, Chinese tradition holds that we throw a big party, inviting all my relatives to celebrate. It was during this time I was able to return back to Hong Kong. There I asked my good old friend, SiHing Poon Tung 潘東, to find out what he could about who Duncan Leung was. He learned from his uncle, Mr. Poon Yi 潘應 (a senior sales representative in the Hong Kong Garage), that Shiu Hung Leung 梁紹鴻 (Duncan Leung ) worked for Harper Trading Co., 夏巴洋行 an automobile dealer for English Ford and BMW. 英國褔特德國寶馬 He was an outstanding salesperson who was the first and only person to sell the special Taxi licenses (the white plate license) in Hong Kong. From all the information that he collected, Poon Tung discovered that SiFu Duncan Leung was indeed Hung Jai from the Tsuen Wan area 新界荃灣. With this new information, I was eager to speak with SiFu Leung at the earliest opportunity.

I invited SiFu Leung over to my home for dinner so we could talk. I said “Duncan, the last time I was with SiFu he told me about his private disciple Hung Jai from Tsuen Wan area who learned along with his younger brother. He also showed me a pair of Parker Pens that Hung Jai gave him. Are you Hung Jai?” He didn’t say anything, just sat looking at me strangely. A week passed until on his next visit he finally told me he was indeed “Hung Jai”, the student who had given SiFu the pair of Parker Pens as a gift. I had found one of SiFu’s elusive disciples.

A Negotiation in Virginia 維州造訪 拜門求師

With my newfound knowledge, I decided to take a trip to Virginia. When I got there, I told SiFu Duncan my Wing Chun history again, this time in its entirety. I told him what SiFu Yip Man told me about the 5 private disciples and how lucky I felt to have met him. Now I could continue the training that I couldn’t complete with my SiFu. He commented, just like SiFu Yip Man had, that I needed Gung Lek training, and the practical fighting training of Wing Chun.

Later that afternoon, one of SiFu Duncan’s friend, a former Flying Tiger pilot 飛虎隊 was having a party at his house and we were invited. The Flying Tigers was a group of American fighter pilots who were based in China during WWII. At this party, I approached SiFu Duncan Leung sincerely in private and said, “SiFu Duncan, I feel a great regret that I didn’t go back to Hong Kong to see SiFu and finish my training. I had felt that my chance was gone because I hadn’t been able to locate the five disciples. Now I’ve met you and I want to continue the complete training of Wing Chun. Will you accept me as your disciple?” I was very serious. However, SiFu Leung ended the discussion for the moment and we enjoyed the party. Afterwards, he said, “Allan, we’ve known each other for many years, we’ve lived together and between us we’re like brothers. We had some difficulties between us, but we shouldn’t count those. You’ve helped me to teach all those years and you’re already teaching in the public. It is obvious you’re a disciple of SiFu and if I take you as a student, you’ll be demoting yourself by one generation. I shouldn’t take you as my student. But I promise, whatever you’re missing, I will wholeheartedly show you like a younger brother.”

I felt happy that SiFu Duncan Leung gave me this wonderful opportunity, even though he wouldn’t accept me as his disciple. In my heart, however, I consider him my SiFu. He who teaches you for one day, is like your SiFu for life.

Later on that night, SiFu Duncan convinced me to open a Wing Chun School in the New York area, so I can practice on the week days and go back to Virginia to learn under his private tutelage on the week ends.

Tough Training and keep Rolling 艱苦訓練

I had a chance to speak to my father about what happened. He told me that even though I was being treated as a Kung Fu brother, I should respect SiFu Duncan Leung as a SiFu. My father was educated in the traditions of Chinese culture and instilled these values to me since I was a child. The person that gives you knowledge for one day should be remembered and honored for a 1000 years. 得人恩典心年記 一日為師終身為父 It was my father’s way and it is also my way.

I reopened my school at 40 East Broadway in Chinatown, as SiFu Duncan suggested. This was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. During the week, I worked at Fairchild’s in the day and taught and practiced Kung Fu at night. On Friday afternoons, my wife would pack up food and clothes, and dress up my older son Jones. He was about 2 years old at that time. Together we traveled the 8 hour journey down to Virginia as soon as I got home from work. When I got to Virginia that night, I would practice for a few hours, then we’d have a late dinner. The next day I’d have two or three more training sessions and, if time permitted, a few more on Sunday. We would drive back to NY in time for me to get a few hours sleep before I went back to work early Monday morning. This was my routine for two years.

The kind of training SiFu Duncan put me through was tough, but I kept trying hard. I was determined to keep going. I didn’t want to miss this chance again. In the classes, he told his students to really attack me. “Attack him! Go for real he’s your SiSok! see how he handles it!….”. My schedule and hard training was exhausting, but I kept going. I was so tired, I couldn’t rely on strength, or speed. Exhaustion forces you to train the technique without power, without speed. This is one method for gaining a true understanding of Wing Chun. I was consumed with all the special training methods: Pak Sau training, circle training, power training, speed training, etc. Sometimes I didn’t realize my own power. There were times I would accidentally crush a drinking glass or ceramic bowl just by lifting it. My only desire was to continue training.

During the classes, SiFu Duncan would start his students training something over and over while he kept an eye on them. In his office, he would demonstrate something new for me and tell me to go correct the students. In this manner, he would guide me and give me the opportunity to practice it with different training partners so I could truly earn the knowledge and its application. I sincerely appreciate SiFu Duncan’s kindness and generosity for showing me this way, go for real allowing me the the chance to show the students my knowledge.

After the year of the energy crisis, the US Air Force canceled most of its contracts with Fairchild. I was laid off from the company, so I had more time to train in my school and in my own time. I trained myself at least 8 hours a day and 7 days a week. Eventually the traveling back and forth from Virginia was beginning to take its toll on me, but I refused to give up. I had made up my mind. Then one day, SiFu Duncan told me he had to give up his supermarket business in Virginia Beach and wanted to set me up with it. I discussed it with my wife and eventually decided to take this opportunity. SiFu Duncan and his wife, Amy, were very helpful. They taught us the ins and out of the business, and spent all their efforts to assist whenever necessary. I had no experience in business before that. Now we were all in Virginia Beach and I was able to continue my training with SiFu without driving 8 hours to meet him. I now had even more time to train and as a result of SiFu Duncan and his wife’s generosity, my business began to flourish.

My Father’s Expectation, My SiFu’s wish 師,父期望

My father, a Chinese doctor, operated a Chinese Dit Dar clinic (A Holistic Clinic) 正骨傷科跌打醫館 that was very popular in Hong Kong. He was the kind of doctor that treated everyone, whether or not they could afford it. During periods of heavy flu outbreak he would make huge vats of curative herbal Decortion and offer it to everyone in the neighborhood for free. He really tried to help society and people in need. This was a good doctor’s Morality. 醫德 He earned the appreciation and recognition of everyone who knew him. Ever since I started learning Wing Chun Kung Fu, my father would do whatever was necessary in his power to help anyone in the Wing Chun family. Later on, when I was accepted as a disciple of the Grandmaster, my dad developed his own close relationship with SiFu Yip Man. SiFu also heard of my father’s reputation and there was genuine respect and friendship between them. Before the Grandmaster passed, he asked my father to help the Wing Chun Family in whatever way he could. Of course my father promised to do his best. After SiFu Yip Man passed away, I spoke to my dad and we agreed to donate our home at No. 11 Nga Tsin Wai Road to be the headquarters of the Yip Man Wing Chun Martial Arts Association. This was part of my father’s promise.

My dad was in good standing with most of his patients and some of the Martial Arts community in Hong Kong. Most of the martial artists would visit and socialize with my father, partly because our house was the Federation of the Yip Man Martial Arts Association. This was how he came to know that Wing Chun’s name was deteriorating after the Singapore Full Contact Martial Arts contest 星加坡擂檯大賽 in the late 70s. Still continuing to repay the Late Grandmaster, my dad felt that he should do something to promote Wing Chun Kung Fu and show that Wing Chun can stand up strong in any fighting tournament. When he found out there was going to be another full contact tournament in Hong Kong, he contacted me and SiFu Duncan Leung to represent the Yip Man Martial Art Association in the competition.

He sponsored our fighter to compete, using his connections to publicize and arrange for the fights to be televised through out Hong Kong and the Far East countries. Unfortunately, our fighter was weakened from a stomach ailment that commonly occurs among travelers and simply gave up in the last round of the finals. This was not before he knocked around his opponent a good amount. The spectators couldn’t believe what happened.

However, this was nothing compared to my father’s thorough disappointment. 大失所望 He asked us if quitting was the way to repay our Late Grandmaster? He reminded me that the spirit of Martial Arts training is to never give up. 不屈不撓 As the Leader of the Yip Man Martial Arts Association fighters, I had to take responsibility and admit my failure of negligence of our student’s health condition. It was a bitter and humiliating experience to drop the Yip Man Martial Arts Association’s reputation. We learned some important lessons.

In 1992, there was another full contact tournament in Hong Kong and we were fully determined to succeed. I was the President and SiFu Duncan Leung was the Chief Instructor of our Team, The Yip Man Martial Art Association. 葉問詠春國術總會 He told me, “Allan, get me the determined people, and we will train them hard. This time we are going to take some trophies…” During the training of these fighters, SiFu Duncan Leung revealed more and more insights into Wing Chun training. I felt that no matter how long I studied, SiFu Duncan’s knowledge was as endless as the sea. 天外有天 , 學海無涯.

This time the Yip Man Martial Art Association swept most of the trophies thanks to the knowledge and training methods of SiFu Duncan Leung and the full determination of our fighters. My father was comforted and satisfied. He felt that this was a good way to promote Wing Chun. His expectation was for the Wing Chun Family to come together and share knowledge with each other and continue to grow, just like the message in the poem the Late Grandmaster gave to his disciples. 詠春傳正統 華夏振雄風 He reminded me again “Don’t forget your SiHing, your SiFu Duncan Leung. He is your real SiFu. You must pay him his deserved honor and respect. Always.“‘點滴之恩 湧泉以報

Reuniting Wing Chun

My SiFu, Duncan Leung has taught Wing Chun Kung Fu for more than 30 years. Now he is retired from public teaching, occasionally offering only some private coaching for dedicated students. He is focused on the Chinese Import and Export business. Many people heard about his accomplishments of teaching the Law Enforcement and Military in Virginia area during the past years. While in China, some government officials in the Canton Area knew of his reputation and they were totally fascinated by SiFu’s Training Program. SiFu received an invitation to devote and help train some fighters to represent China in the future Full Contact Gung Fu (Martial Arts) tournament. In addition, Chinese Full Contact Bouts were under consideration for the next Olympic Games. Due to his busy routine, he asked me if it was possible to come help him on this mission. But because of my family and job responsibilities, it was difficult for me to commute back and forth. China is on the other side of the Earth. I was unable to assist full-time and leave my work and school behind. However, I did visit the PanYu training facilities a few times, utilizing my vacation time from my job in the airline industry, to help out however I could. It was there that SiFu Duncan had another opportunity to show me the rest of the fighting training handed down from our Late Grandmaster Yip Man. The secret Art of Wing Chun.詠春絕技

Since the late Grand Master Yip Man passed away, there was no leader in our style, the Wing Chun family has been falling apart, family members criticize each other with narrow minded attacks, claiming legitimacy as the real source or direct successor of the style. Some Wing Chun instructors claimed to be authentic, practical, genuine or what ever style of Wing Chun. However, SiFu Yip Man passed down one and only one style of Wing Chun. It is his knowledge, not “Somebody’s Wing Chun”. I feel its because too few Wing Chun practitioners are open-minded and willing to accepted each others’ ideas and bring together all approaches and really apply all the ingredients in our style. Here I would like to strongly emphasize that I have no meaning or intention to claim I am so and so style, or tried to be any way of a leader. I do believe I am not qualified at all. Our idea is to only help to promote, improve or refine Wing Chun and to promote the ideas and approaches which we considered to be suitable for us.

During many years of teaching, SiFu Duncan organized all that he has learned from SiFu Yip Man and he has created a more complete curriculum from his vast experience. He has asked me to support and help organize an association to promote the Wing Chun Kung Fu we all learned from our Late Grandmaster Yip Man. We both feel SiFu Yip Man taught the same art to all of his students and every member of our Kung Fu family has a unique perspective to this great treasure. It is our hope to avert the decline of Wing Chun by encouraging the open-minded sharing of knowledge among our family. We strongly feel this is the only way for Wing Chun to survive, undiluted, into the future.

Deepest Appreciation for My SiFus

As a result of SiFu Duncan Leung’s genius and exquisite knowledge of Wing Chun Kung Fu, he knew what I missed in my training after our Late Grandmaster Yip Man. He never implied or said, “This is the way.” Instead, he engineered special training opportunities for me to experience, to engage in and earn the knowledge myself. To prove a theory by Experiment. 通過實踐 証實理論 SiFu Duncan Leung is a virtuoso of Wing Chun Kung Fu. His Knowledge gives me enormous leverage in my Martial Art life. His way of approach to Wing Chun is Genuine and totally Applicable. As a result of his teachings he revealed the answer to the question: “What is The secret Art of Wing Chun?”. I can honestly tell the world that without SiFu Duncan Leung, I would not know how to truly apply Wing Chun Kung Fu.

One memorable day, out of the blue, SiFu Duncan presented me with the poem in Chinese calligraphy for the grand opening of my new school in Flushing, Queens. I was moved and humbled by his generosity and consideration. This was the poem our Late grandmaster gave to his own disciples. Even though he treats me as a Kung Fu brother, in my heart I feel he is my SiFu. His knowledge in Martial Arts seems endless and his approach is incredibly practical. I have and will always encourage people to learn from SiFu Duncan Leung. In my experience of martial arts, I submit he is one of the most outstanding Wing Chun Martial Artists in the world .

Some people spend a lifetime trying to find the right SiFu; fate blessed me with three. Three Masters of Wing Chun Kung Fu. SiFu Lok Yiu, 駱耀師傅 the strict and diligent teacher who taught me the a-b-c’s and inspired me to devote myself to training. Grandmaster Yip Man, 葉問師傅 the Martial Art Legend who gave me a lifetime chance to be his student and taught me unique insights and philosophy into Wing Chun and wholeheartedly shared his treasure with me. And finally, my SiFu Duncan Leung Shiu Hung 梁紹鴻師傅 who looks over me with the love of an older brother. He shared the mystery of Wing Chun Kung Fu’s secret training. I have nothing but the deepest respect and reverence for these great Masters of the Wing Chun Style. They are my SiFus .我的恩師

Credit:

Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin (徐尚田, Tsui Seung Tin) was one of the earliest disciples of Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Man, and earned the reputation as the “King of Siu Nim Tau”. In 1964, Chu Shong Tin officially opened his own school in Hong Kong, and continued teaching full-time until he passed away at the age of 82.

---