A Demonstration To Help The Promotion Of The Ip Man Tong
by Samuel Kwok
1st January, 2002
If you were a Wing Chun
practitioner and I said the words, “what is Fat Shan famous for”, you
would probable say, “Ip Man or Wing Chun”. But to the local
people of Fat Shan City in China, it is just as famous for its Pottery,
Clothing and Metal Industry as its Martial Arts heritage.
Many famous martial artist of southern China are from Fat Shan, including, naming but a few. Wong Fei
Hung of the Hung Kuen style, Tam Sham of the Choy Lay Fat style, Leung
Jan, Chan Wah Shan and Ip Man of the Wing Chun style.
On the 3rd of November 2001, students and instructors of the Samuel Kwok Martial Art
Association arrived in Hong Kong. The group was not just from England but
also from the United States, Switzerland and Germany. The whole trip
was organised and lead by Sifu Samuel Kwok and Sifu Ip Ching.
The purpose of this trip was to visit the Wing Chun community and help in the promotion of the Ip Man Tong,
(Ip Man Museum) in Fat Shan, as well as to train with Sifu Ip Ching at the
famous Ching Woo School, which is about 80 years old and its founder was
Fok Yuen Gap.
The Ching Woo School is a place where many different styles of martial arts have trained; also many masters
from north and southern China have trained and 
taught at this great school.
Sifu Ip Ching taught and practiced Sil Lim Tau, Chum Kiu, Biu Gee and Chi
Sau techniques. It was a great honor for us to be able to train at the
Ching Woo School and with the local Wing Chun community coming along to
share the experience, it was a very memorable two days.
We were then asked to demonstrate Sifu Ip Man’s Wing Chun for the Fat Shan’s local community
at the famous Ancestral Temple, which is over 900 years old and full of
history. The whole event was organised by the Fat Shan Ancestral Museum
Committee, headed by Chairman Leung. The Wong Fei Hung Museum of Martial
Arts, headed by Lo Kueng, came to greet us with a traditional lion dance and
took part in the demonstrations. Sifu Garry McKenzie from London England,
who also brought several students with him, helped with the interpretation
on the microphone, due to the fact that he can speak fluent Cantonese.
On the day before the demonstration, Sifu Ip Ching and Sifu Samuel Kwok had a meeting with
Chairman Leung, to discuss the matter of the Ip Man Tong. At first the
committee said, “it would be at least 18 months before they could decide
on a date, due to other projects they have to organise”. Sifu Ip Ching
then suggested they could organise a temporary site for the Ip Man Tong
until they have a decided on a permanent site, they said, “they would
take
the matter under consideration”.
After the day of the demonstration, witch consisted of a whole range of Wing Chun techniques and
seeing the huge amount of public support and interest, as well as being
televised, the chairman of the Fat Shan Ancestral Museum Committee, had a
second meeting with Sifu Ip Ching and Sifu Samuel Kwok. He felt that Sifu Ip
Man’s Wing Chun, which has been taught all over the world and that by
building the Ip Man Tong could effect the prosperity and tourism of Fat
Shan.
In late November 2001, the Fat
Shan Ancestral Museum Committee invited the Ip Man Tong Development Council
to discuss a location inside the museum for the building of the Ip Man Tong
and an official opening date was given, 9th November 2002.
The Ip Man Tong Development
Council would like to invite all Sifu Ip Man’s linage of Wing Chun from
overseas, to come to Fat Shan and visit the Ip Man Tong inside the Ancestral
Museum and take part in all the activities, to help in the promotion of the
Ip Man Tong and Kung Fu in Fat Shan.
To get a virtual tour of the Ip Man museum in Foshan click here.
