16 December 2013

Movie series blossom tourism. Yip Man senior disciple teaches martial art personally

Sightsee in Hong Kong and learn Wing Chun

Recently the series of Wing Chun themed movies are very popular and set up an upsurge of Wing Chun, as well as blossom Hong Kong tourism. A local travel agency took this advantage, presented a new tour product "Wing Chun" Kung Fu Experience Tour which is a special tour for foreign travelers, with an attraction that travelers can learn kung fu from the first generation senior disciple of Grandmaster Yip Man. Besides of Wing Chun lesson, the itinerary also includes the thematic exhibition of Bruce Lee, and a visit and a tribute of the grave yard of Grandmaster Yip Mans. With the funding from Hong Kong Tourism Board, representatives were sent to World Travel Mart in England earlier for this product promotion and got initial results. Many international media reported this tour. Kung fu fans from Europe, USA and Russia are attracted to join under expection.

Hong Kong Tourism Board presented "New Tour Product Development Scheme" (NTPDS) last year. "Wing Chun" Kung Fu Experience Tour is one of the approved funding projects. The Board pointed out that it will fund new tour products in phases for their operations from 1-3 years by a form of matching fund. The maximum amount is HKD$500,000, and all for promotion. Other approved funding projects include "Hong Kong Wedding Tour" and "Taste of wine, Taste of life", target on Taiwan and the Mainland tourists. They can enjoy a one-stop marriage registration service and visit local wineries in Hong Kong.

Wing Chun Kuen may be turned into foreign martial skill later if it is not protected and promoted properly.

The first generation senior disciple and the Chairman of Yip Man Martial Arts Athletic Association Sam Lau said he hopes to carry forward the orthodox Wing Chun Kuen via this Experience Tour. He explained that many original Chinese cultures have become foreign assets, such as Chinese tea culture has turned into Japanese tea ceremony, as well as the Dragon Boat race, which was also a part of Chinese culture, has been determined an Intangible Cultural Heritage of South Korea by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Wing Chun Kuen may be turned into foreign martial skill later if it is not protected and promoted properly.

Sam Lau said Wing Chun came from Shaolin Temple originally, but different factions have been blossoming freely recently, "Somebody self-learn Wing Chun via the Internet and claim themselves as disciples of Yip Man, someone even recommend to put nunchaku in to Wing Chun Kuen."

Sam Lau has been writing to General Administration of Sport repeatedly to make the authority known about the importance of the unification of Wing Chun Kuen, but no active response has been received yet. He believes it can only rely on the power of voluntary martial art parties.

After the moive 'Yip Man' was showed few years ago, the average number of students come to our school and 'Baishi' has sharply been doubled.

Sam Lau said, “After the movie 'Yip Man' was showed few years ago, the average number of students come to our school and 'Baishi' has sharply been doubled, from 50 to over 140. Although the enthusiasm has waned recently, many kung fu fans remain their loyalty." He added that most of fighting scenes in the movies are embellished, for audiences' excitement only. Wing Chun Kuen requests for not only energy and speed, but also concentration of central line attacks, which means weak points of a human body, such as space between the eyebrows, bridge of nose and throat. It is commonly called "hit the nose, hit the throat". Victory or defeat can be decided within several moves. The classical fighting scene "one man fought against ten" is unrealistic.

President of Bruce Lee Club Wong Yiu-Keung welcomes the Experience Tour and believes it can help more people understand Bruce Lee, but he thinks the Tour guide should illustrate professionally and objectively.

He pointed out that many people misunderstand Bruce Lee learnt from Yip Man only. In fact Bruce learnt from other factions as well, and found Jeet Kune Do, which is different from Wing Chun Kuen.

Itinerary of "Wing Chun" Kung Fu Experience Tour

Basic Wing Chun Class by Master Sam Lau, who is the first generation disciple of the Grandmaster Yip Man, in person or his successor

Visit the thematic exhibition of Bruce Lee-- Bruce Lee:Kung Fu?Art?Life at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin

Enjoy Chinese dim sum lunch

Tour finish at Avenue of Stars located in the seashore corridor of East in Tsimshatsui Participants can visit Bruce Lee statue and enjoy the panoramic views of the Victoria Harbour.

Visit the grave yard of Grandmaster Yip Man in Fanling and pay tribute (optional tour)

*“Wing Chun” Kung Fu Experience Tour is approximately 6 hours.

Patient in the movies, Encouraging in real battles

The themed movies set up an upsurge of Wing Chun which blossoms the number of students to "Baishi" for learning Wing Chun. The Chairman of Yip Man Martial Arts Athletic Association Sam Lau said most of recent Wing Chun learners are foreigners. They often spend several months in Hong Kong for learning but can only make little progress, and they have to face economic pressure during the learning trip. They usually work much harder with more serious attitude; but Hong Kong people have a more varied and graceful lifestyle. They are willing to participate in other activities rather than spend 3 hours to practise martial art skills every day.

German student came to Hong Kong “Baishi” and practises 3 hours every day

Sam Lau remembered he experienced a lot of challenges from different factions when he was learning from Yip Man, and he was always the representative to accept the challenges. Yip Man was at the side and analyzed the opponent's strength and weakness, and encouraged his disciples to fight. Sam always won under the guide of Yip. Sam said the movie character Yip Man believed patient pays, but the real Yip Man encouraged his disciples to accept fights. Sam said the most valuable thing he learnt from Yip Man was not the martial skills, but the confidence to meet challenges.

Sam Lau said most of students in his school are from Britain, USA and Russia, etc., and most of them have basic martial art techniques. German student Steffen has come and learnt Wing Chun in Hong Kong for more than 1 year, and said Wing Chun may be one of the most popular martial arts in the world today. Many foreigners admire its reputation and come to "Baishi" and learn. He continued that he practises the skills 3 hours every day in order to return his home country with a fruitful result because Wing Chun requests for alacrity and speed. Mr. Chui, who has just learnt for a few weeks, was frank to tell that he was only influenced by the movie and interested in this skill, "Fight scenes in the movie were so intense and attracted me to try." but after he touched it, he found this was a changeable and practical self-defense skill.

Sam Lau met Yip Man at barbershop, This was how they began

Sam Lau said he pays very special attention for his words and behavior because he is a model of his disciples. He especially exhorts against them not to stir up conflict with others because of their self-assured "good" martial art skills. Sam remembered that he and Yip were neighbors as both of them lived in Tung Choi Street, Mongkok. Sam was 16 at that time, very young and impetuous. He heard from his neighbor that Wing Chun Kuen was powerful and he was interested in it. One day he went to a barbershop in downstairs to have a haircut, and talked about Wing Chun with the barber while they were chatting. The barber introduced that the man sitting next to Sam was Yip Man. This was how Yip and Sam began.

Sam asked Yip to teach him some skills immediately, but Yip did not say "yes" at the moment. He just told Sam to do some practice in a school established by his other disciple. After a period of observation, he finally agreed to accept Sam’s red packet and became his official disciple. Sam often hunted for practice targets around Kowloon Tong in order to test what he had learnt and gain more experiences from actual combats. He always challenged gangs and beat them until they could not fight back. He feels sorry and wrong about this when he recalls the memory, and hopes his disciples can learn from it and never repeat.

Over 200 years of history, Hearsay that origin from Shaolin

Benefited from the effect of the themed movie series, Wing Chun Kuen makes a noise in the world. This martial art has over 200 years of history; and it was heard that it came from Shaolin Temple. However, the martial art history is one of the hardest things to verify, and can only be passed down orally. This makes Wing Chun's origin various. Most of the people think that Wing Chun "began from Yim Wing Chun, derived from Leung Zan, and bloomed by Yip Man". The kung fu deleb Bruce Lee was one of Yip Man's disciples, and used Wing Chun Kuen as a foundation to found Jeet Kune Do, which is a philosophy of martial art. Moreover, Wing Chun Kuen themed movies which were casted by film stars such as Donnie Yen and Tony Leung are very popular in recent years also help to spread Wing Chun's reputation.

It is said that Wing Chun began in Qing dynasty, and was found by a nun called Wu Mei. Wing Chun is suitable for people who have small figures. Wu Mei imparted to a female called Yim Wing Chun afterward; Yim's husband named this skill "Wing Chun" in order to commemorate his wife. This skill spread around Foshan and Hong Kong. Another legend said that Wing Chun came from Shaolin Temple Wengchun Hall in Quanzhou Fijian, and belonged to Wengchun faction in Shaolin style, and derived to "Wing Chun" later. There was also a legend said the former Wing Chun was a skill from an anti-Qing organization Tiandihui in early Qing.

Yip Man brought Wing Chun from Foshan to Hong Kong

Whatever Wing Chun's origin, Yip Man, who brought Wing Chun from Foshan to Hong Kong in 1949, is widely recognized as the Grandmaster of Wing Chun. He taught Wing Chun in many places, and carried it forward before he passed away in 1972. Besides Bruce Lee, his other disciples carry on enhancing Wing Chun's promotion for decades, make Wing Chun achieve an international position. The traditional forms of Wing Chun include "Siu Nim Tao", "Chum Kiu", "Biu Tze", the wooden dummy and "Chi Sau" skills are spread around the world.