Training Under Yip Man?

Marnetmar

Black Belt
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Messages
676
Reaction score
163
Do we actually have any solid, in-depth info on what Yip Man's school was actually like other than the oft-repeated "The old guy usually sat and watched" narrative?
 

Transk53

The Dark Often Prevails
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Messages
4,220
Reaction score
836
Location
England 43 Anno Domini
Don't think there is too much. Mind you I only really just Googled. The info in a Bruce Lee chronicle I guess it must be, had the usual picture reprints and the story. Doesn't one of the Ip brothers have a auto biog?
 
OP
M

Marnetmar

Black Belt
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Messages
676
Reaction score
163
I think Ip Ching did one with Ron Heimberger, but I try to avoid anything with that Heimberger's name on it because he was shady as hell.
 

Danny T

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
4,258
Reaction score
2,293
Location
New Iberia, Louisiana USA
My understanding is Ip's children did very little training with their father. Their real training came from other instructors.
 

Transk53

The Dark Often Prevails
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Messages
4,220
Reaction score
836
Location
England 43 Anno Domini
My understanding is Ip's children did very little training with their father. Their real training came from other instructors.

That is interesting. Yes the films were what they were, but no mention of father to son teaching. May have to get that biog, but will look into Heimberger.
 

KPM

Senior Master
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
3,642
Reaction score
992
The Ip Ching/Heimberger book is not bad. I've also heard that the sons learned more from others than they did their father. But Leung Ting's collection of photos definitely show Ip Ching present when LT was receiving lessons from Ip Man. So there is no denying that they did actually learn from their father.
 

Transk53

The Dark Often Prevails
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Messages
4,220
Reaction score
836
Location
England 43 Anno Domini
The Ip Ching/Heimberger book is not bad. I've also heard that the sons learned more from others than they did their father. But Leung Ting's collection of photos definitely show Ip Ching present when LT was receiving lessons from Ip Man. So there is no denying that they did actually learn from their father.

Makes sense, even if it was perhipral most of the time perhaps.
 

Danny T

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
4,258
Reaction score
2,293
Location
New Iberia, Louisiana USA
The Ip Ching/Heimberger book is not bad. I've also heard that the sons learned more from others than they did their father. But Leung Ting's collection of photos definitely show Ip Ching present when LT was receiving lessons from Ip Man. So there is no denying that they did actually learn from their father.
Hmm.
I have a teenager who has been training with me for the past two years doing privates twice a week. His father or his mother has been present for every session. Does that mean they have been training and learning from me during that time?
My two sons were present when I was training and instructing, does that mean they were learn from me. A little; yes but to no great degree or level of skill.
As they aged they trained with someone else and as teenagers I began teaching them. But prior to that they didn't learn the martial arts from me.

I'm quite certain Ip's sons learned some things from their father just not convinced it was to any real depth of knowledge or skill.

I also owned and ran an automotive and diesel repair business for 17 years. My sons were present in the shop though out the years and learned a lot about basic maintenance but I wouldn't bring my vehicle to them for any technical repairs.
 

wckf92

Master of Arts
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
1,553
Reaction score
538
I'm quite certain Ip's sons learned some things from their father just not convinced it was to any real depth of knowledge or skill.

I've heard the same thing. Not much from Dad...mostly from others...and that it was due to the sons not being that interested (at first) in learning kung fu...too busy chasing the ladies, etc.
 

KPM

Senior Master
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
3,642
Reaction score
992
I've heard the same thing. Not much from Dad...mostly from others...and that it was due to the sons not being that interested (at first) in learning kung fu...too busy chasing the ladies, etc.

That may be true. But there is no denying that they have both made a career of Wing Chun. So they obviously got serious at some point. Its hard for me to believe that they wouldn't have spent quality time with their father before he died. Maybe someone else "opened their hands" and gave them their foundation. But I tend to believe that Ip Man "finished them" and checked their skills. And besides, you know egos nowadays! You'd think someone would be speaking up and saying "It was I that really taught the Ip brothers!" ;)

Edit...it occurs to me that that person or persons may have died long ago....before egos and marketing were as much of a factor as today. So I may be wrong!
 

dudewingchun

Blue Belt
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
I think Ip Ching did one with Ron Heimberger, but I try to avoid anything with that Heimberger's name on it because he was shady as hell.

My old teacher learnt from Heimberger but then he passed away and said he started learning with Ip ching , who he reckoned learned heaps from Ip man like special secrets and all that but he was also full of **** so I wouldnt take that as fact. Use to always mention Leung jans book and how Ip ching has it. But I thought those books were in the VT museum ? does anyone have any info about those books at all now that I think about it ?

Btw why did you think Ron was shady ? because it seems that was quite true.
 

Vajramusti

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
312
Don't think there is too much. Mind you I only really just Googled. The info in a Bruce Lee chronicle I guess it must be, had the usual picture reprints and the story. Doesn't one of the Ip brothers have a auto biog?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dont speak for anyone and I dont repeat only one source. But I am not a johnny come lately on gathering information and cross checking and analysis of information.I state some brief conclusions without debating.

1.Ip Man left Fatshan for Macau with a daughter in 1949. She got married in Macau. There are some recent pictures of her
with some of IM folks

2. IM moved to HK and began teaching in 1950. He did not teach for free. There were two different levels of teaching. a. regular class
where some of his senior students helped. B. Private classes with selected generally well to do students who paid substantial tuition.
3 stages of teaching in HK. First stage-1950 to 1954-Leung Shun,TST. WSL, Ip Ching etc.Second stage 1950 to about 1960 where he systematized his teaching methods.3rd stage- he began to wind down his teaching and largely retired in 1962.Only about 4 students learned the BJD fom IM. After retirement he often referred people to HKM. Hawkins Cheung apparently was one such referral.
IM had left his sons behind in Fatshan in 1949. They came to HK in 1962. IM has another son - father and that son were not close

4 HKM and WSL were students for over 3 years. Most others for much less time.

IM had a falling out with his students-over his mistress. he walked out of the school and went to live with NG Chan for a while. Ng Chan developed pretty good hands.

5 IM had a special relationship with HKM. There are lots of pictures of them together. IM often visited HKM's classes in Macao.
WSL's training with IM was spaced out because he was teaching in his own school. WSL began bjd before HFM but finished afterwards.

6. Many people received lessons from IM- only a handful were led from the beginning to the end.
HKM took IM over his shoulder to a hospital when IM was very ill. HKm visited with Ip man on the day of his death. When HKM returned
to Macao from HK. Then Ip Ching called HKM that day to tell him that his father had just died.
 

dudewingchun

Blue Belt
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dont speak for anyone and I dont repeat only one source. But I am not a johnny come lately on gathering information and cross checking and analysis of information.I state some brief conclusions without debating.

1.Ip Man left Fatshan for Macau with a daughter in 1949. She got married in Macau. There are some recent pictures of her
with some of IM folks

2. IM moved to HK and began teaching in 1950. He did not teach for free. There were two different levels of teaching. a. regular class
where some of his senior students helped. B. Private classes with selected generally well to do students who paid substantial tuition.
3 stages of teaching in HK. First stage-1950 to 1954-Leung Shun,TST. WSL, Ip Ching etc.Second stage 1950 to about 1960 where he systematized his teaching methods.3rd stage- he began to wind down his teaching and largely retired in 1962.Only about 4 students learned the BJD fom IM. After retirement he often referred people to HKM. Hawkins Cheung apparently was one such referral.
IM had left his sons behind in Fatshan in 1949. They came to HK in 1962. IM has another son - father and that son were not close

4 HKM and WSL were students for over 3 years. Most others for much less time.

IM had a falling out with his students-over his mistress. he walked out of the school and went to live with NG Chan for a while. Ng Chan developed pretty good hands.

5 IM had a special relationship with HKM. There are lots of pictures of them together. IM often visited HKM's classes in Macao.
WSL's training with IM was spaced out because he was teaching in his own school. WSL began bjd before HFM but finished afterwards.

6. Many people received lessons from IM- only a handful were led from the beginning to the end.
HKM took IM over his shoulder to a hospital when IM was very ill. HKm visited with Ip man on the day of his death. When HKM returned
to Macao from HK. Then Ip Ching called HKM that day to tell him that his father had just died.

I have also heard about that mistress or the Shanghai woman someone called her. Hope that son didn't have a hard life just because he was illegitimate.

I have an Ip chun book which says that Ip left foshan because he got notified he was going to get arrested so he left without even going home to tell his wife or get his belongings.. but it never mentioned anything about taking a daughter to get married ? This is from an Ip chun book so I have no idea if its true or just another story that cant be verified.

I remember this really long forum about Ng chan and some guy was claiming he was the only one to get the real wing chun... you know that usual leung bik version story. Just repeating what I have read as a johnny come lately.
 

kakkattekoi

Orange Belt
Joined
Dec 26, 2015
Messages
66
Reaction score
8
From my understanding, ip man's son didn't start their training until late and on top of that they show no or little interests in Kung fu so most of their training were from other students of ip man.
Just sharing
 
OP
M

Marnetmar

Black Belt
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Messages
676
Reaction score
163
From my understanding, ip man's son didn't start their training until late and on top of that they show no or little interests in Kung fu so most of their training were from other students of ip man.
Just sharing

Nope. We're not gonna start this. No. Nein. Nada.
 

kakkattekoi

Orange Belt
Joined
Dec 26, 2015
Messages
66
Reaction score
8
Awww come on man, I have stocked up plenty of beer and popcorn for long winded threads like those we been having.:p
I was going to look for that video made by Stephen chan with chow Tse chuen talking about it:muted:
 

dudewingchun

Blue Belt
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
From my understanding, ip man's son didn't start their training until late and on top of that they show no or little interests in Kung fu so most of their training were from other students of ip man.
Just sharing

My old Sifu reckoned Ip Ching is the most advanced wing chun Sifu alive.
 

Latest Discussions

Top