just another Wing Chun blog
Standard

Lun Gai – From Where the Water Flows

Much is written about the life of Master Yip Man and his students in Hong Kong, his teachings and followers have received wide publicity. Generally little has been published about his teaching in Foshan and his disciples from these early days.

Over the last four years I have had the great pleasure of studying with one of Yip Man’s original students, Master Lun Jie.
With over 20 years experience learning learning and teaching Wing Chun I have had the opportunity to research this style and its many branches in England, Hong Kong and China. I have found Master Lun’s method illuminating. This is his story:

Sifu Lun was born in 1926, he began to study Wing Chun at the age of 14 under Yip Man who was about 40 at this time. This was during the occupation by Japanese forces. The class would meet in secrecy in a warehouse as the practise of martial arts was banned by the Japanese.

The classes were held during the evenings and attended by six students. Master Yip Man had no interest in teaching a lot of students, in fact Sifu Lun recalls Yip Man saying that he didn’t intend to take any more.

During training Master Yip laid great emphasis on the practise of Wing Chun’s first form Sil Lum Tao and on horse stance practice.

When they practiced Chi Sao they would cover their eyes, Master Yip would go around and play Chi Sao with all of his students, his sensitivity was so refined he could tell which one of his students he was training with just by the feel.

Master Lun recalls a story of when Yip Man was out walking with a relaitive. The relative got involved in an argument with a detective. As the argument became more heated the detective pulled out his gun to shoot, Yip Man grabbed the gun and broke it.

Yip Man left Foshan around 1949 before the liberation of China. As a policeman he feared that he might be arrested by the new regime. Some time later the members of the class scattered and lost contact with each other.

In the original class Sifu Lun’s older Kung Fu brother was Guo Fu. Sifu Lun recalls at this time Guo Fu was much better at Wing Chun than he was, being six years older he was much stronger and able to apply the techniques in a more realistic manner.

Sifu Lun made an effort to try and contact Guo Fu but to no avail, at the same time Guo Fu was also trying to find Sifu Lun. Knowing his old classmate was an electrician by trade he would always ask any electricians he met if they knew Sifu Lun.

One time Guo Fu was near Guangzhou he met an electrician who said he knew Sifu Lun and that he had returned to Foshan and was working in a pump factory. Guo Fu wrote a letter to the pump factory in Foshan which Sifu Lun received, the old classmates were reunited in 1958 and have been close friends ever since, They began to train and research Wing Chun and continue to do this up to the present day.

Cultural Revolution

During the cultural revolution the practice of martial arts was banned, anyone practicing would be branded a counter revolutionary. Sifu Lun did practice throughout this period mostly in his home, sometimes lie would go to the park and to the Ancestral Temple.

Often the practice at the Temple would be watched by a policeman who was himself a martial arts practitioner so he never reported them. The authorities all over China were very nervous about the practice of martial arts, this was particularly true about the practice of Wing Chun with its emphasis on attack and combat techniques.

Many martial arts masters were persecuted by the Red Guards, this included torture, imprisonment and death.

I asked Sifu Lun if he had ever had to use his Wing Chun in a real life situation. He said that it is not his intention to right and he doesn’t want his students to fight. There was one occasion, however, just after the cultural revolution when he went out on his bicycle into the countryside at night. He was travelling along a dark road when two men jumped out in front of him, as he stopped the light on his bicycle went out. He quickly put the bicycle down, one man threw a powerful punch towards Sifu Lun. Lun applied the Kuo Sao movement from Wing Chun’s second form Chum Kiu. He heard the breaking of bone and the man screamed with pain, turning to the side the other man had already launched a kick which glanced on Lun’s thigh.

The man didn’t follow up the attack hearing his accomplice’s screams, both men fled.

Foshan Wing Chun, Hong Kong Wing Chun?

On the development of Wing Chun in Hong Kong and the differences between Foshan and Hong Kong Chun as taught today.

Sifu Lun doesn’t know why the teaching of Yip Man was different in Hong Kong, he can only assume that Yip Man might have added or dropped some movements, he also might have allowed his students more freedom interpreting the movements, this would account for the differences of his followers.

He does, however, know that Yip Man only taught the Bagua steps in Foshan. During Sifu Lun’s four year’s training with Yip Man he always taught the conventional method of punching, before he left Foshan he told his students to use the Phoenix Eye punch, a method which Sifu Lun still favours today.

Even in Foshan there are people who claim to teach Yip Man’s method yet Sifu Lun doesn’t know how this can be. As long as Guo Fu and Lun Jie can remember Yip Man only had six students, four of which are now dead.

Sifu Lun’s method is very direct, the amount of power he generates over such a short distance is phenomenal. I was on the receiving end of many “Jerk Hands” techniques and his “Slap Block” made my whole body shake.

Although nearly 70 his hands are still very fast, on one occasion we were discussing how to apply force with the Phoenix Eye punch.

Our training area was on a rooftop and Master Lun proceeded to demonstrate the punch on a large metal water tank, his right hand flicked into the tank with a thud as he continued to explain the point.

The point was lost for a while as the centre of attention was the dent that had appeared in the water tank, “Sifu you’ve dented the tank”. He laughed loudly then continued the explanation. Since that day I have seen him train by punching trees and brick walls.

Master Lun is a very humble man, during training he apologized for any deficiencies in his teaching. He said that Guo Fu and himself were not educated men, in fact Sifu Lun has only had one year’s schooling. Both men have concentrated on developing and researching the direct fighting method as taught by Yip Man in Foshan.

The Forms

The Foshan method has the same number of forms similar to those taught in Hong Kong.

The first form is around the same length as the Hong Kong version but some of the angles are very different, all the other forms are longer with a greater variety of techniques.

Yip Man also didn’t teach the Single Sticking Hand or any other method apart from two handed Chi Sao.

Standard

My Impressions of Yip Man Tong in Foshan

by Chu Shong Tin (Tsui Sheung Tin) 徐尚

November 9th, 2002 was the grand opening of “Ip Man Tong” in Foshan City, China. The Hong Kong Ving Tsun Athletic Association organised a tour and more than a hundredtst1 Ving Tsun practitioners, both local and from aboard attended the ceremony. Those who participated in the grand opening got on an uniform, compliment of The Hong Kong Ving Tsun Athletic Association and looked rather chic. The event had drew Ving Tsun practitioners from directly under Grand Master Ip Man lineage, Ving Tsun practitioners in Foshan along with its’ local residents, altogether two thousand odd people attended. Apparently, this was the biggest event in Foshan City’s history, and was really an exciting time for everyone there.

After the delivery of opening address by Mr. Leung, Principal of Foshan Museum, and the presentation of banners and mirrors to the Museum by the guests, everyone went inside to explore. Upon entering, the space imposed on me a sense of simple elegance yet with modern touches, a perfect complement to a martial arts Grand Master but one who carried himself like a Confucian scholar. One felt at home but at the same time inspiring great respect for their host, Grand Master Ip Man. Obviously the orgainsers and the architects had put a lot of effort into the Museum’s making, otherwise we will not have such a brilliantly designed architectural piece.

The exhibits in the Museum are categorised into (i) Grand Master Ip Man’s wooden dummy, the hundred or so photos and also a video of Grand Master Ip demonstrating the wooden dummy form (ii) bronze statue of Grand Master Ip Man along with some candid pictures (iii) photos of Ving Tsun practitioners, both Chinese and Foreigners training in all corners of the world. All of them in their own ways contribute to the promotion of the art of Ving Tsun.

When I saw the photos of Grand Master Ip Man taken with the first ever group of Hong Kong students, I was immediately reminded of the time and different emotions overwhelmed me. The photo was taken in August 1950. The men in the photos started training with Grand Master Ip Man June that year, and after a couple of months, most of them quit. Only two students, Mr. Leung Sheung, and Mr. Lok Yiu remained. Mr. Leung persevered because he had had a lot of experience with other forms of martial arts and he believes that Ving Tsun is an excellent style to learn so he decided to keep on training.

In those days, Mr. Leung and Mr. Lok were having a very tough time financially, but they still tried their best to provide support towards Grand Master’s living. In 1951, I was accepted as a student of Grand Master Ip Man, and the three of us became a trio in supporting his everyday’s needs. Although the times were tough, every new year, we still managed to give a gift of clothing to Grand Master Ip. If our money was not too tight, we would give Cheong Sam (a style of Chinese suit made with imported fabric), otherwise we would give a Da Shing Fui (a style of Chinese suit made with local fabric for day to day wear) along with a pair of new shoes and some socks. The way we looked after Grand Master Ip is in my mind more worthy than a millionaire spending a fortune on him.

So in my view, were it not for Mr. Leung and Mr. Lok continual training in spite of their financial hardship, which in turn allowed Grand Master Ip to continue his teaching at the Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong, Ving Tsun could not grow to what it is today, a world renown style of martial arts. What we have achieved today would also not be possible, this gathering at Foshan of practitioners from all over the world, and the building of a memorial museum “Ip Man Tong” dedicated to Grand Master Ip by the Cultural Council of Foshan City.

Even if Grand Master Ip was one in a million and possesses extraordinary martial arts prowess, that alone could not have done any good were it not for the dedication and insistence of Mr. Leung and Mr. Lok to continue their training. Grand Master Ip’s life history may also have to be rewritten. Perhaps we will not have today’s opening ceremony of “Ip Man Tong” at all. I believe that when we reminisce about Grand Master Ip, about the opportunity to study this excellent style of martial arts that he presented us with, we should at the same time, appreciate the contribution of our two most senior students, Mr. Leung and Mr. Lok as well.

Furthermore, it was Mr. Lee Tin Pui (aka Lee Man), a friend and student of Grand Master Ip, that introduced him to the Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong. In fact, his final resting place is right next to Grand Master Ip’s. Every year I pay my respect to both Grand Master Ip and to Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee also, is a person worthy of a place in our hearts.

From what I can see in “Ip Man Tong”, there is an abundance of information about Grand Master Ip and his students, and visitors will no doubt learn a lot from visiting. I highly recommend it to all students of Ving Tsun and indeed to martial artists of any style. It is definitely worth seeing and money well spent.

Lastly, I have to thank the Cultural Council of Foshan City for their support in building the Museum and also the Ip Man Tong Development Council museum working group and committee, for their dedication, and a job well done, and also support from friends from all over the world. All of them has enabled “Ip Man Tong” to be built without any hindrance, and all student Ving Tsun can now share the luster and glory of the system, and what Ving Tsun has evolved into today, a main stream and prominent martial arts style.

Note: Although Grand Master Ip is very proficient in his martial arts prowess, he is very mild mannered, carried himself like a gentleman and has the aura of a Confucian scholar rather than a warrior. It is not until his passing away that his friends dedicated the title “Grand Master” to him.