DavyKOTWF
Orange Belt
Many books glamorize or romanticize their subject...what is the best, true, authentic biography on Ip Man? thank-you.
Best Book about Yip Man?
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DavyKOTWF
Orange Belt
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- #2
I meant to also say, 'historically accurate'. Many say Ip Man did not fight a Japanese general, that's just Hollywood hype...but then one article says
"Actually, the real Yip Man said that the accuracy of the first film is almost completely true. He in fact did fight a General Miura in a small tournament, was in fact shot and as proof he became an Opium addict because he has used Opium to help ease the pain of his gun shot wound during that time but eventually became an addict of it."
Any books on Ip Man that tell the accurate truth? Thank-you.
"Actually, the real Yip Man said that the accuracy of the first film is almost completely true. He in fact did fight a General Miura in a small tournament, was in fact shot and as proof he became an Opium addict because he has used Opium to help ease the pain of his gun shot wound during that time but eventually became an addict of it."
Any books on Ip Man that tell the accurate truth? Thank-you.
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DavyKOTWF
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Ha, Good point. The sentencing was poorly written. I just copied and pasted that In haste. The movie is said to be an accurate version as verified by his son Ip Ching, as recalling what his father had told him. Ip Ching of course, is still alive, as is his oldest son, Ip Chun.
So I've gone ahead and ordered the book by Ip Ching. Biogr's written by people so close to the person often don't relate any negatives, not that that's what I'm looking for, but just the real story. It could make sense that he got addicted to opium that could have come from being shot, then having to deal with the pain. Or it could be that he used it because he was part of the upper class and back then it was like using MJ (it was the upper class, being rich, that used opium at first; then as many as 50% of people in their teens and 20's were using it in Guangzhou it was found) just to relax or feel the high, like some of today's upper class may drink top shelf brandy or scotch; very much like the high % that use MJ today in America. The Brits and probably the Japanese introduced opium to China...for profit and perhaps to make the Chinese non productive so they could take over. That's one reason China was nicknamed the 'sick man of Asia', there was so much opium use, and they got the reputation for using it. Partaking of opium was referred to by the euphemism, “Beating the Tiger”
Ip Man, no matter his human side (Myself and most others would have to climb up on a tall ladder just to kiss Ip Man's feet), who cares why he often beat the tiger, contributed so much to martial arts, inspiring and positively affecting 10's of millions through Wing Chun. How many of today's big shots, politicians, etc can say that. As for myself, I don't use drugs and am only hooked on green drinks as I'm currently attending a school down from Ip Man's lineage. And early this morning, I DID find a small article that probably tells most of the accurate story on Ip Man's opium use. If anyone is sincerely interested, you can shoot me a PM and I will show you that article.
An aside, the most accurately told story of Bruce Lee was written just a year ago, by Matthew Polly. It contains more true and accurate stories, than anything ever written. It talks about it was actually Bruce, that was somewhat of a bully in his teens, how he himself admitted he was a smart *** punk, got left behind twice in school so that he was 2 years older than his classmates, always went out looking for and trying to start fights, how he was part Jewish ( his great grandfather being a Dutch Jew), how Bruce smoked MJ as the coroner found traces of cannabis in his system after he passed (I don't care, do you?) how Ip Man almost turned him down as his student because he could see he was a spoiled, arrogant little boy just wanting to learn to beat up other boys more easily, and many more real versions of his life.
So I've gone ahead and ordered the book by Ip Ching. Biogr's written by people so close to the person often don't relate any negatives, not that that's what I'm looking for, but just the real story. It could make sense that he got addicted to opium that could have come from being shot, then having to deal with the pain. Or it could be that he used it because he was part of the upper class and back then it was like using MJ (it was the upper class, being rich, that used opium at first; then as many as 50% of people in their teens and 20's were using it in Guangzhou it was found) just to relax or feel the high, like some of today's upper class may drink top shelf brandy or scotch; very much like the high % that use MJ today in America. The Brits and probably the Japanese introduced opium to China...for profit and perhaps to make the Chinese non productive so they could take over. That's one reason China was nicknamed the 'sick man of Asia', there was so much opium use, and they got the reputation for using it. Partaking of opium was referred to by the euphemism, “Beating the Tiger”
Ip Man, no matter his human side (Myself and most others would have to climb up on a tall ladder just to kiss Ip Man's feet), who cares why he often beat the tiger, contributed so much to martial arts, inspiring and positively affecting 10's of millions through Wing Chun. How many of today's big shots, politicians, etc can say that. As for myself, I don't use drugs and am only hooked on green drinks as I'm currently attending a school down from Ip Man's lineage. And early this morning, I DID find a small article that probably tells most of the accurate story on Ip Man's opium use. If anyone is sincerely interested, you can shoot me a PM and I will show you that article.
An aside, the most accurately told story of Bruce Lee was written just a year ago, by Matthew Polly. It contains more true and accurate stories, than anything ever written. It talks about it was actually Bruce, that was somewhat of a bully in his teens, how he himself admitted he was a smart *** punk, got left behind twice in school so that he was 2 years older than his classmates, always went out looking for and trying to start fights, how he was part Jewish ( his great grandfather being a Dutch Jew), how Bruce smoked MJ as the coroner found traces of cannabis in his system after he passed (I don't care, do you?) how Ip Man almost turned him down as his student because he could see he was a spoiled, arrogant little boy just wanting to learn to beat up other boys more easily, and many more real versions of his life.
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DavyKOTWF
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- #6
Though as I think about it, I'm skeptical about the story. It sounds more like Hollywood embellishment - "fights Japanese general, gets shot, gets hooked on opium"
More like he just enjoyed some opium like todays rich enjoy Scotch. Or someone made that story up, to play down his opium usage.
More like he just enjoyed some opium like todays rich enjoy Scotch. Or someone made that story up, to play down his opium usage.
Yip Man never fought a Japanese general and was never shot by the Japanese. He couldn't have been because he was in Macau at the time of the Japanese invasion.
The reason he fle to Hong Kong in 1949 was to escape being killed by the communists since he was an officer of the Kuomintang.
The reason he fle to Hong Kong in 1949 was to escape being killed by the communists since he was an officer of the Kuomintang.
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DavyKOTWF
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Thanks. Makes sense. I just found that Ip Man was about 5'3" and weighed maybe 125 lbs. Wow, that little a man yet so much power and technique! Shows the awesomeness of Wing Chun. (my avatar photo, I think Bruce was stepping down a bit so as to not appear much taller than his Sifu. Bruce was 5'7".
