by Gerald Hung & Felix Hung

In October 2004 our dear Grand Master Sam Lau Kung Sing brought our team of over ten apprentices/disciples and students to join the First World traditional Wushu Championships in Zhengzhou which is same period as last year October 15 – 19 2006.After years of learning Wing Chun from Grand Master Sam Lau this is my first time following him out for competition. After our air plane touched down at the airport of Zhengzhou, members started getting exciting. The convention officials showed their best attention to all delegates from all over the world; starting from the airport assigned at least one volunteer local university student to take care of each team through out till the last day of our trip. Daily three meals and private coaches stand by all the time for all transportation wherever needed. All volunteer representatives worked from 6 in the morning till mid-night everyday and you can always see their smiling faces. The whole town is full of Wushu Festival atmosphere.

Day-1 was for all teams to sign up and checked their schedules, following by a welcome gala dinner and shows.

Day-2 was a full day sightseeing tour to the famous Shaolin Temple. My very first time to the Mount Shaolin Mount Shaolin standing every other 10 feet from the foot of Mount Shaolin lining up all the way up the hill to the main entrance of the Temple when our fleet over 100 coaches passed by.Both sides of the road were full of different flags of the Wushu schools and of course hundreds of Wushu competitions welcome signs.

Day-3 and Day-4 were full day competition from 08:30 to 21:30 held in two gymnasiums with several arenas each. All competitions were graded by 10 referees including minimum two international levels and the rest are national level. We represent Yip Man Martial Art Association – Hong Kong and team members including, Grand Master Sifu Sam Lau Kung-Sing, Assistant Coach: Leung Hin-Ming, one from England Chris Thompson, one from Denmark Stefan black, seven from Hong Kong Kan Sheung-Man, Tam Lai-Chun, Gerald Hung Kim-Ming, Ken Yiu, Alan Lun Yiu-Fai, Sunny Wong Sun-Ip and Fahmi Mohamed Fiaz. We hardly can be all together during day time because all of us joined different competitions and in different age groups. But whenever we are free and as long as we are in the same Gymnasium will try to look after as well as cheered for the one who is next for competition We have joined competitions for singles, doubles, groups and the result was very well.Our team got over ten medals including myself got one silver and one bronze.

October 15 2006 09:00 early in the morning Grand Master Sam Lau Kung Sing (present President of Yip Man Martial Art Association, Colin Ngan S. L.(Legal Advisor), Leung Hin-Ming (Assistant Coach), and team members including : Michael Currigan, Kan Sheung-Man, Jackie Lam Weng-Hong, Alan Chan Lap-Yan, Tse Yung-Keung, Gerald Hung Kim-Ming, Felix Hung Kim-Chung, Fahmi Mohamed Fiaz, Mathew Lam Yung-Tuen, Kitson Mok Kei-Sun gathered at the training school and had a simple but solemn see-off ceremony leaded by Grand Mater Yip Chun (Son of Grand Master Yip Man who formed the Yip Man Martial ArtAssociation with his father, the present director of the Association),Grand Master Chan Wai-Hong ( founder director and present Chairman of the Association). After the ceremony, a private coach took the thirteen of us toairport for flight to Zhengzhou, representing Yip Man Martial Art Association to join the 2nd World Traditional Wushu Championships.

After landed at Zhengzhou airport the representatives of the convention immediate led us to our private coach and transferred us to our accommodation hotel.All teams were taken care by at least one volunteer University student from morning till mid night through out the 5 days competition. Sifu Sam Lau asked me to assist him to take care of the whole team for this trip on the way to the airport. Sifu Sam Lau and I went to register right after checked in the hotel. The rest of the team members followed the volunteer worker – a very nice and attractive lady – Miss Liu Na joining all the welcome dinner, shows and functions according to schedule. Due to some miss communication of the applications which we sent in for registration occurred, many of our competition registrations were missing. Sifu and I went to different departments and negotiated with different person in charge, and finally through the assistant of one of the directors of this event the problems were solved.Our team members could join the competition mostly as planned.Day-2 and Day-3 were whole day competition. Every one of us was a bit tense during our final rehearsals, because we all want to present our best performance for a good result in return.All of us had our own competition similar to last time the singles, dual and group.Results was surprisingly well, our team got 3 gold medals, 4 silvers and 3 bronzes.

During the two days competition we saw a lot of non Chinese delegates in all ages from the youngest 6 years old up to 70 years old really devoted themselves in the Wushu training and no less enthusiasm then the Chinese athletes.We also saw many foreigners stayed in Shaolin Temple and the Martial Art Schools for mastering different Martial Art including all kinds of apparatus and Taichi etc. for short or long term courses. We also aware of we seemed to be the only Wing Chun team in this event.But we did meet quite a number of foreign Athletes from Europe, North and South America and even South Africa who experienced or still learning Wing Chun came up to make friends with us when they knew that we are Wing Chun Students. We exchanged souvenirs, took photos and exchange mailing addresses.

Since Bruce Lee and many Sifu learnt Wing Chun from Grand Master Yip Man and migrated to America and other countries in the early 1960’s and started teaching or promoting Wing Chun from that time up to now estimated Wing Chun students in the whole world should be over 5 millions.I wonder when can Wing Chun takes part in the Olympics or Asian Game like Judo, Karate, Taichi or Nan Cheun?

D-4 was a full day trip to Shaolin Temple for sightseeing followed by a fascinating show performed by the Martial art Monks and students in the evening, D-5 all teams went on with their own schedule, some packed and prepare to return home, some went on with their sightseeing in other places in China and our team took domestic flight to Shenzhen because we could not booked direct flight back to Hong Kong.Sifu invited all of us to enjoy a delicious seafood lunch before returning to Hong Kong.

Taking this opportunity, once again, I would like to represent the whole team to thank our Sifu Sam Lau for providing us this precious experience and looking forward to joining again together with more new members in the coming 3rd World Traditional Wushu Competitions.

A souvenir presented to the Everlasting Chairman Mr. Yip Chun

Photo at the stadium before competition

Gerald Hung presented a souvenir to Sifu Li Wei Zhi

Photo at the stadium

Photo on arrival of the Zhengzhou Airport