Master Kwok was born in Hong Kong the son of a Church Minister, his interest in the martial arts started at an early age from watching performers at a local bazaar and over the coming years he studied several different styles, always with a deep interest in the technical side, analysing each for their practicality.

It was not until he came to England that he was introduced to Wing Chun. He studied with five Chinese Masters over the years, but as he became more proficient Samuel Kwok noticed variations in the techniques, so it was that Master Kwok decided to return to Hong Kong and go to the ultimate source of Wing Chun, to the Great Grandmaster’s son Yip Chun.

For the next few years Master Kwok had private tuition from Yip Chun, learning the pure and undiluted style. After gaining Master level in Wing Chun and opening a school in Hong Kong he left his Master, Yip Chun, but not before he promised to teach only the pure style of Wing Chun, a promise which Yip Chun made to his father Yip Man before his death, a vow which Yip Chun has strictly observed since that sad day.

Master Kwok became an important figure in the Hong Kong Kung Fu society, with his students, competing and demonstrating at major tournaments representing the Yip Man Martial Arts Association, and it was in Hong Kong that he met Bruce Li, the actor, becoming fast friends and training together regularly.

Since his return to Britain, Master Kwok has continued to teach Wing Chun, at first only privately, then after many requests he organised open schools, which have flourished, and now with new clubs opening all the time covering most of England, and plans to spread more throughout the world, the Samuel Kwok Martial Arts Association can only help to maintain the name of Wing Chun and the pure form of the art in the years to come and protect it from the changes that occur through instructors with an incomplete knowledge of the system, who use the name of Wing Chun to mislead students and to promote themselves to the detriment of the style, and with no regard for those who had preceded them, as you should always think of the source of the water which you are drinking.

source: “The Path to Wing Chun” by Samuel Kwok. London: Paul H. Crompton, 1984.