Wing Chun News

International Wing Chun Day

2011-02-28T16:17:00.001-08:00

International Wing Chun day is a day set aside each year to raise awareness of the benefits of Wing Chun.

In cities all over the world Wing Chun schools plann events to promote the art of Wing Chun in all its forms. These forms include its many spellings, lineages, modifications and evolutions including Wing Tsun, WingTsun, Ving Tsun, Jeet Kune Do, JKD, Weng Chun, Yong Chun, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Hung Fa Yi, Shaolin Wing Chun, Wing Tzun, Wing Tjun, Vinh Xuan, TsunJo Wing Chun, Wing Chun Do, Xiong Jiang Wing Chun and many more.

Visit the International Wing Chun Day Facebook Page.

HOW WING CHUN SCHOOLS CAN PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL WING CHUN DAY

*** HOLD YOUR OWN LOCAL EVENT ***
Local event ideas include:
* free demonstrations
* exhibitions
* open houses
* free introductory classes
* Ip Man movie showings
* chi sao-a-thons for charity
* speeches to community organizations
* local TV and radio appearances
* hold a Wing Chun seminar/workshop
* have a local Wing Chun meetup
* hold a Wing Chun webinar
* other charity fund raising events
* host an awards presentation
* hold a luncheon or dinner event
* hold an auction
* hold a raffle

Be sure to tell local newspapers about the day and the events that you have planned!

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Founded in 2010 by Sifu Adam Williss, International Wing Chun Day is held annually on the 3rd Saturday in March. For more information, visit http://www.internationalwingchunday.blogspot.com. Wing Chun (also romanized as Ving Tsun or "Wing Tsun" is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.

The main objective of Wing Chun is to be a realistic system of self-defense. Wing Chun does not focus on fighting “techniques”, instead relying on fighting and energy principles to be followed at all times. The central idea is that, under pressure, it is impossible to visually recognize the precise direction and speed of an attack and make a conscious decision on an effective way in which to react, all within the very brief amount of time you have before your opponent's attack lands. Rather, one must (counter) attack immediately in a very direct and protected manner and rely on reflexes to determine how to react if the opponent's attack continues to pose a problem. Chi sao, or “sticking hands” trains students to respond reflexively to the speed, force, and direction of an attack, based on tactile information - which the human brain processes much faster than visual information.

Wing Chun is considered by many experts to be one of the most effective self defense systems in the world. It has been taught and integrated into the training programs of hundreds of military & law enforcement agencies around the world such as the US Navy Seals, the FBI, CIA, the French RAID, German SEK units.

But there's more - Wing Chun goes beyond fighting. It encompasses the full mind, body & spirit of martial arts. Wing Chun can easily influence every aspect of your life. The concepts and philosophies found through Wing Chun training bring about a new way of looking at life's challenges. They help you to deal with situations in whole new way - things you don't usually find in other activities.

© Wing Chun News - http://wingchunnews.blogspot.com

Ip Man 2 hits America

2010-11-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

The martial arts spectacular that's been breaking box office records across Asia (beating the likes of IRON MAN 2) comes to the big screen in America in its full uncut and undubbed glory. International megastar Donnie Yen plays Grandmaster Ip Man, the sifu of Bruce Lee. Ip Man is a newcomer to Hong Kong who simply wants to teach Wing Chun,but a curropt local, played by Sammo Hung, andther ruling Brits have other ideas. Less a sequel than a companion piece to IP MAN, you don't need to have seen the first to appreciate the sheer ass-kicking on display here.

IN THEATERS JANUARY 28TH

© Wing Chun News - http://wingchunnews.blogspot.com/

New Wing Chun Movie "THE GRANDMASTERS"

2010-11-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

The producers of Wong Kar-Wai's martial-arts film The Grandmasters (Yi Dai Zong Shi) have released two posters of the film featuring lead actors Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, Sohu.com reports.

Leung plays Yip Man in Wong's take on this master of the martial art of Wing Chun, who is better known as Bruce Lee's mentor. Yip Man's story has been popularized in recent years in several other biopics, the most famous being Wilson Yip's Ip Man series starring Donnie Yen.

Unlike Yen who himself is a trained martial artist, Leung had to learn Wing Chun from scratch, according to Sohu.com. But what moviegoers will see in The Grandmasters is a Leung who imparts the essence of Wing Chun, said Yuen Woo-Ping, the film's action choreographer who was the stunt advisor of the Kill Bill series.

Another poster shows Zhang Ziyi in a kung fu position, although her character is still under wraps.

Both Zhang and Leung have sustained injuries during the filming with Zhang's injury forcing her withdrawal from the film Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

Information about the release date of The Grandmasters was not included on the posters.

Here is a note from http://wongkarwainews.blogspot.com...

Movielicious has sales artwork for Wong Kar-wai's biopic of Yip Man, now titled The Grandmasters.
The posters appeared at the American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles.

Wong Kar-wai's first kung fu film The Grandmasters (Yut Doi Jung Si) is still in production. The film company has kept cast costumes and content confidential. The first two film posters were unveiled at Los Angeles' American Film Market on November 1. The costumes of Tony Leung Chiu-wai who played Wing Chun master Yip Man in the film and lead actress Zhang Ziyi appeared for the first time and immediately became the focus of the foreign media.

In it Tony Leung wears a white straw hat and long black coat in the night rain. The foreign media were very interested in his look and even described it as the birth of a Chinese Dark Knight. In another promo image, Zhang Ziyi is in the midst of using the eight diagram palm technique - her eyes were full of self confidence. Foreign media pointed out that in a white straw hat, Yip Man was completely different from the image of Yip Man that has appeared in films before. Everyone was the most surprised that without any kung fu background Tony Leung actually had unspeakable kung fu power.

Wong Kar Wai fans could not wait to put the poster online and received a lot of responses. Some online even compared Tony Leung's Yip Man look and Zhang Ziyi's heroine feel with classic American comic book super heroes, saying that the U.S. had Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Catwoman, Yip Man in the poster definitely was China's super hero. Some even suggested making Yip Man's English name into "Yeah Man" in order to be a part of this group of super heroes.

Since the film started production, everyone has been the most curious about Tony Leung abilities. After a year of training, his figure could be seen on the poster for the first time. Even foreign media described him as looking radiant. The film's action director Yuen Woo-ping even described Tony's current condition as "the peak". He said that he never worried about his agility because Tony had a high ability to comprehend and absorb quickly. Although he and Donnie Yen played the same character but they each had their own style. He even pointed out that Tony's shape looked better than Donnie Yen. The most unexpected was Tony's powerful kicks. He absolutely had a talent for action films.

Tony Leung in the past year suffered a lot too. Responsible for instructing, Wing Chun Grand Master Yip Man's disciple Duncan Leung Siu Hung admired Tony's spirit to overcome hardship. He pointed out that Tony's progress was slower than the average student, half a year more than expected. During the period he stopped training for awhile due to his arm injury. However he recovered and returned to form very quickly. Unlike Donnie Yen who had a kung fu background, Tony Leung had an advantage that Donnie Yen did not have. He was able to start from zero like a blank piece of paper. Tony gradually and clearly absorbed the spirit of Wing Chun kung fu completely. Every one of his moves now is very naturally convincing, whether punching or with a staff he was able to perform the Wing Chun school feel. He also pointed out that director Wong Kar-wai at first asked Tony to truly spend time to train and made him understand that slow and steady wins the race.

© Wing Chun News - http://wingchunnews.blogspot.com/

Interview with IP MAN 2 Villain Darren Shahlavi

2010-11-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Taken at Fantastic Film Fest 2010 in Austin, TX
By Bill Graham

Sometimes you get a chance to simply sit down and talk with an actor; no timetable, no handler, and every question is fair game. Darren Shahlavi was kind enough to sit down with me for that style of interview, and over the course of our 20 minute conversation we covered a huge number of topics. Shahlavi has started to hone his craft and play increasingly larger roles in films and TV, and his hard work is starting to really show. Shahlavi stars in Ip Man 2 (read my review here) as the main bad guy, Twister, who is a Western boxer visiting Hong Kong. After screening the film just moments before, I was able to interview him and you can see the results after the jump.

Darren and I covered a lot of ground, but among the topics were his fighting background, how he got his first big break and then landed his role in Ip Man 2, if he would ever fight in MMA, who influenced his as a kid, what it was like to worth with his heroes, and future projects. So, without further ado, here is the entire and incredibly candid interview.

So this is your first time in Austin?

DARREN SHAHLAVI: Yeah, first time in Austin.

What do you think so far?

SHAHLAVI: I love it. I’d heard of the Alamo Drafthouse about 10 years ago. I used to rent movies at a DVD shop called Black Dog Video in Vancouver from Kiele Janice who’s helping out with this festival. I’d heard that she moved out here. I mean all these different news sites and stuff that’s going on here, you think, “Wow.” This is kind of outside Los Angeles and it’s really a hub for film fans. Now filmmakers with Robert Rodriguez and all these others that are making movies here. I thought, “Wow, I’d love to be down there one day… with a good film.” It feels really good to be here with a movie I’m proud of and I can help push something people really appreciate and I hope people really like it.

I enjoyed it a lot. Ip Man kind of hit me in the face. I watched it before coming here. But I had only heard about it here and there because it never saw a US theatrical release. Just DVD.

SHAHLAVI: Yea, Ip Man was just released on DVD a couple of months ago. So Ip Man 2 is going to be in theaters January 28^th. So it’s pretty cool that Well Go USA is giving it a good release. We’re pretty happy about that.

You mentioned during the Q&A that you have a lot of reverence for these older Hong Kong action films and that you used to watch them on video when you were young. Now, because of your position in the movie business, have you gotten a chance to see some of your old favorites on the big screen?

SHAHLAVI: Yea, you know that’s the great thing about these kinds of festivals. We watched Snake in Eagle’s Shadow yesterday, and Yuen Woo-Ping made that movie about 35 years ago. I spoke with his producer, who’s a friend of mine yesterday, and he was saying he thought Yuen Woo-Ping was 33 years old when he directed that movie. And I watched it when I was a kid. So to see it at the Paramount theater with this whole cast of characters from Fantastic Fest screaming and cheering, it’s quite something. When you watch it as a kid alone, and you appreciate it and you love it. To watch it as an adult knowing how hard it is to make these pictures and seeing it with an audience is really quite something. It was quite a thrill.

Speaking of Yuen Woo-Ping, he gave you your first big break?

SHAHLAVI: Well, he gave me my first lead role in a movie. I’d done a couple of supporting roles and stunt jobs in films. But Yuen Woo-Ping hired me as the main bad guy in a film called Tai Chi Master Part Two. Jet Li was in the first movie, and Yuen Woo-Ping directed the sequel and because Jet was doing Lethal Weapon 4, he couldn’t do part two. So they hired Wu Jing and me as the bad guys. I didn’t even really know I was going to be the mean bad guy, I just knew I was going to fight. I understood a bit of Cantonese and I could understand that Yuen Woo-Ping was asking the producer about me, you know, “Am I good? Can I fight, can I move?” and I said, “Listen, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. I’m a big fan of yours, I’m a good martial artist, I work hard, and anything you want me to do I’m going to do it for you. I’ll do the best I can. Please just give me a chance.” And he gave me a chance. And he also, 14 years later, recommended me for Ip Man 2. I was up for a role in Fearless with Jet Li that I didn’t get. It was a small role, and he said it was too small of a role. I was up for a role in True Legend that he directed, and I didn’t get it. They wanted a big wrestler. I was really upset because I felt, “Well, he’s the first guy that gave me my first break and I would love to do another movie for him but he just won’t hire me.” But he recommended me for Ip Man 2. I saw him yesterday and we’re going to talk about doing something else together very shortly. But as a fan, growing up watching his movies, to be given a break by one of my heroes and then to be recommended by him to work for Sammo Hung, Wilson Yip, and Donnie Yen was really quite thrilling.

What is your fighting style and background?

SHAHLAVI: Well, I started off with Judo, then Karate, then kick boxing. I started with Judo but I wanted to kick like Bruce Lee, then I wanted to fight like Jackie Chan, and I wanted to move like Sammo Hung. I wanted to have the fast, lightning kicks like Donnie Yen and be able to do the splits like [Jean-Claude] Van Damme and be able to knock people over like Steven Seagal. And these guys became my…teachers in a sense. I watched their movies and I learned from them. I studied their movies. So I’ve gone from doing movies with Donnie and Sammo, straight to doing movies with Steven Seagal. I would love to do the next Universal Soldier with Van Damme. There are talks about different things happening but I watched these guys’ movies so my experience in martial arts is what Bruce Lee said. “Absorb what is useful and discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.” That’s what I try to do. I want to kick like Hwang Jang Lee, and I want to move like Jackie, lightning fast like Bruce and the kicks like Van Damme. You learn from all these guys. They’re all predecessors of mine and I try to not only learn from them but hopefully get a chance to work with them at some point. That’s the hope.

You have a lot of reverence for Bruce. You even mentioned that you mirrored his fighting style by fighting unorthodox with your dominant hand forward. Why didn’t you follow in his footsteps in terms of fighting technique?

SHAHLAVI: Well, Bruce is from Wing Chun and then he started Jeet Kune Do. I started as a south paw because I watched Bruce Lee in his movies and he was a south paw. I didn’t know that that was not the right way to fight. I didn’t know that we’re all orthodox as a right handed person. As a right handed person, I always had my right foot forward just like Bruce Lee. It made sense to me because my right is my fastest and my most powerful. So why am I going to put my left foot forward and lead with my slower left and double up and cross with my big right. I found that being southpaw was natural for me because I watched Bruce Lee and I watched Rocky. Stallone in Rocky, he’s a southpaw. So I watched Bruce Lee and Rocky. I copied my heroes on the screen. That is where I get everything from. They were my masters, my sifus, my senseis, as much as Dave Morris, Horace Harvey, the guys that were my real martial arts trainers; Ronnie Green, a six-time world champion Thai boxer. I studied Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, and Jackie Chan.

You’re a pretty big guy. I know Yuen Woo-Ping harps on being flexible, but the bigger you get it seems the more difficult it is to stay flexible. How do you balance that aspect?

SHAHLAVI: Well it’s hard to stay flexible if you don’t stretch. Tom Platz, who is a body builder that is well known for having the biggest legs ever, could bend down and touch his toes and do the full splits and so can Lee Haney. These body builders, if they stretch right they can be the biggest guys you’ve ever seen but they can stretch and they can do all the stretches everyone else can do. I think if you train the right way, as long as you stretch, you’ll still be flexible. I don’t think that it takes away in any way from your training if you stretch the right way. I think there are people that don’t appreciate the value of stretching and all those different exercises. I think it’s very important. Yuen Woo-Ping absolutely wants someone that can perform all of the different movements and so does Sammo because you have to be able to help them do what they do best which is show you at your best ability. They want someone that can fight, that can move, and kick high. It helps them show what they can do.

You mentioned that when you got the role for Ip Man 2, you were originally just going to fight Donnie, then Sammo, and then…

SHAHLAVI: Well, I didn’t get a script. All I knew was that I would be fighting with Donnie in Ip Man 2. I was on my way to the gym with my portable DVD player with a copy of Ip Man. I got a phone call from Mike Leeder, who’s a friend of mine and a journalist, producer, and casting director. He was casting the movie and says, “We’re looking for the main bad guy for Ip Man 2,” and I said, “Oh, shit. I’m literally about to watch part one.” So he tells me to watch it and let him know what I thought about being interested in playing the bad guy. I called him back two hours later and I said, “Fuck yes! Please get me on this movie.” Donnie and Sammo as the action director; I didn’t know I’d be fighting Sammo at the time. I just knew I’d be fighting Donnie, and then I learned I’d be fighting Sammo, and then I learned I’d be in an extensive scene with both. So, for me it was like payback for all the times I had been crying, pushing, and working so hard in my career and nothing was happening. Finally I get a chance to work with these guys but also learn from them as well.

Donnie, on screen, has a great smile constantly. Is that 24/7?

SHAHLAVI: You know, Donnie smiles a lot. Donnie’s a really nice guy. But number one, he’s a big star now. He really is a movie star now. Five years ago he wasn’t. He was the successor to Jackie and Jet, but now I believe he is the number one martial arts movie star in the world. Forget anybody else. Donnie Yen is the biggest martial arts movie star in the world. He’s someone we should all look up to and he knows where he is, and he’s happy where he is because he’s worked so hard and deserves to be where he is. So when I was with him in the ring, doing those fight scenes, and he’d be sitting down, smoking his cigars. This is his role. Ip Man is his movie. He made it his own. He rightly so has the career that he deserves now.

Any attempt to learn the language of the directors you work with?

SHAHLAVI: [Speaks a few phrases in Cantonese].

So you know a little bit?

SHAHLAVI: I can be directed in Cantonese. If you spoke Cantonese you could direct me… for movements. Tek means kick, Faan ying means reaction. So I can be directed in Cantonese. But, for some reason when I’m doing these movies, most of the crew speak Mandarin. [Laughs].

How difficult was it to pick up?

SHAHLAVI: It was pretty easy. I mean, when someone is telling you to turn, you learn basics. We I started studying karate with my sensei Dave Morris in England; he would have us do pushups counting in Japanese. So ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku… so we learned the basics of the Japanese language because of our martial arts training. So I took that example that Dave Morris set and applied it to my martial arts learning in Hong Kong. So whenever I was directed, I would learn and I would listen and be able to be directed in Cantonese.

No real aspirations to fight in MMA?

SHAHLAVI: Oh hell no. No. I’d get the shit kicked out of me. There’s no denial. If they put a UFC guy in front of me and said, “If it goes to the ground, you have to stand up again and fight,” then I’d fight them. If I knew it was just kicks and punches, yes. But you get me on the ground, you win. I mean, listen. I can kick well and kick fast. If I hit you it’s going to hurt. But those guys, what they do is much different from the martial arts we learned when we were kids. I mean they are all around martial artists. They’re taking Bruce Lee’s example and applying it. And I can’t. I have broken wrists right now; I’ve got a broken ankle. I can’t fight like that. I learned because I loved the movies. And there is more of the UFC style coming into films, which is great. So I’m learning it. I did the motion capture for EA’s new MMA game. I was one of the four guys that did all the motion capture. I did all the kicks and reactions. But ground work? Blah. These guys are going to beat me hands down, obviously. I don’t know if I can take punches and kicks like they do, and I don’t even know if I want to find out if I can. I’m perfectly happy making money in the movie business.

So who do you draw inspiration from and what do you push for in your acting career?

SHAHLAVI: Well I push to be in good films and good TV shows. I don’t really pick and choose. I pick and choose what I will read for, and I’ve kind of gotten to the point now where I’m being offered stuff. So after this movie I did the Steven Seagal movie, and of course I accepted it right away because Lauro Chartrand is the director and he’s a guy that I know, even though it’s his first film as a director, I know he’s going to do a great job and he did. I’m so happy and proud of him. So I knew that that movie would be great because of our director and it’s Steven Seagal. He wants to make a good movie and push beyond what he’s done in the past. Aladdin Curse of the Jinn, it was a good script and the producers were great. We’re shooting it in 35 millimeter instead of RED cameras. They’re spending a lot of money to make sure the movie looks good. I want to do martial arts films. I might be doing one with Mark Dacascos in November. It’s not a signed deal but that’s what I want to do. I want to work with Van Damme.

What does it mean to you to see Sammo, at his age, still active and directing fights, and also stepping in front of the camera? Do you see that somewhere in your future?

SHAHLAVI: Honestly I think I would be a good fight director. I’ve directed some fight stuff before, but only my fights. I don’t know how I could be a fight director for someone else’s fights. That’s the tough job that you have to remember. Sammo is so incredible at choreographing these fight scenes for himself, but for other people too. I’ve tried choreographing fights for other people, and you’re limited by their limitations. It’s difficult. I did a film in Germany a couple of years ago. No, two movies in Germany where I was the fight choreographer. And I was literally given extras that I had to teach how to take reactions. As soon as I threw a kick they were scared of being anywhere close to me. They were telegraphing all of their movements and I thought, “This is not easy.” If you’re going to be a fight director you need good stunt people around you… and Sammo has a team. Jackie has a team. I’m surprised Van Damme doesn’t have a team; and Steven. But they are known for their specific movements and techniques that they can do on pretty much any stunt guys who would do the reactions. What Sammo, Donnie, Jackie, and Jet do, really is a big dance. It’s a… dance of death; because if you move the wrong way, you’re going to get hit pretty hard. So, you learn. I learned from them. I’d love to try to continue the tradition that my masters that I worked for in the past have done. You know, Donnie’s doing it. Donnie is a great actor, action director, action star, choreographer, film director; he’s doing everything. If I get the chance I want to try to do that. You’ve got to be creative in this business. But I need people to believe in me first. I’ve got to make my name as an actor and that will give me a chance to do that.

Yea, it’ll open windows.

SHAHLAVI: I hope so.

Who do you look forward to working with? You’ve mentioned Van Damme.

SHAHLAVI: You know what? Van Damme, I met him 15 years ago when he did a movie called The Quest in Hong Kong. He had me come in and read for a role. I was living in Hong Kong and I read for the one of the Turkish boat captain. And Van Damme wanted me for that role but I was too young. The producer, Moshe Diamant, wanted me to play an Italian fighter, but there was no Italian fighter in the script. So I wasn’t hired. But I was so young anyways; I was around 19 years old. Then I met him around four years ago and he was doing a movie that he was going to direct. He wanted to hire me as a Mexican fighter… he’d seen me in I- Spy fighting Eddie Murphy. But it didn’t happen; I guess the movie had fallen through even though they had started building the sets. But I don’t know. Maybe you’ll see me in the next Universal Soldier.

Awesome.

SHAHLAVI: Jackie as well. I’m up for a role in Jackie’s movie, but they keep changing the scripts. “We want you as the main bad guy. No, now we want 50 black guys as the bad guys. Now we want a girl as the bad person.” They don’t know where they are and the script is changing. But I would say top of my list right now, Van Damme, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. Oh, and Tony Jaa. I think I’d be good in a Tony Jaa movie.

Have you had a chance to see any other films here? Are you a fan of horror or the different genres?

SHAHLAVI: I want to see The Dead. A friend of a friend directed it. And yesterday, when I got picked up at the airport, the director of Red, White, and Blue was getting a ride with me. So I was thinking about seeing that. But I’ve got to leave tomorrow because I am going to start filming this TV show.

Human Target?

SHAHLAVI: Yea, and I was wanting to stay until Wednesday, but I’ve got to get back and I’ve got two meeting setup in LA that I have to attend. Then go straight to Vancouver to do wardrobe and start shooting that TV show. But next year I’ll come down and hopefully I’ll have a film here. We’ll see.

So what does it mean to you to have your name up on the posters and lights for Ip Man 2?

SHAHLAVI: Well, it’s a realization of a dream. Ip Man and his influence on Bruce Lee, and Bruce Lee’s influence on my own life, and Donnie Yen’s influence in my life.

It’s a big circle.

SHAHLAVI: It’s a big circle. It’s a joy to me because all the hardships, the girlfriends I’ve broke up with, the wife that I lost by pursuing my career. All the shit I’ve been through, it’s all fucking worth it to me. My family’s great and everybody’s happy and healthy and my career is good. But personally, I had to sacrifice a lot in my own personal life. And I regret that. My sister… I didn’t see her grow up because I was living elsewhere. She was in England and I was in LA or Vancouver. I didn’t see her grow up. I wasn’t a part of her life. I fucking regret that. But, in a sense, when you get a bit of pay back in your career, you go, OK, now, as soon as I finish this TV show Human Target, I can afford to go back to England for my sister’s birthday. I can spend more time with my family because the hard work is starting to pay off a little bit. So that makes you feel good. But as far as answering your question, seeing my name next to Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen? Dude, in China, they put my face on the poster with Donnie and Sammo. In Malaysia, it was Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, and Darren Shahlavi. For me it’s like, “are you fucking kidding me?” That’s… ridiculous.

Are you going to frame it and put it up on your wall?

SHAHLAVI: Oh hell yeah.

As you can see, Darren was incredibly honest and has a lot to say about where he has come from and where he wants to go. Personally, it’s refreshing to see such an honest guy working in the business and I can’t wait for audiences to see his fight with Sammo and Donnie on the big screen. We will keep you up to date on any big announcements in the future for Darren’s films, but look make sure to look for Ip Man 2 in theaters on January 28^th, and go out and watch Ip Man on DVD and Blu-ray available now.

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See the original article at http://www.collider.com/2010/10/13/darren-shahlavi-interview-ip-man-2-fantastic-fest/

© Wing Chun News

Wing Chun Store

2010-10-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

The new online Wing Chun Store named "Dragon Store" recently launched selling wooden dummies, sand bags / wall bags, wing chun gear, shoes, mouthpieces, cups (groin guards), wing chun shirts, hand grips, kung fu books, Wing Chun movies, dit da jow, kung fu shirts and other Wing Chun Kung Fu related products.

Here is one of the unique products found in the online store...

Ip Man T-Shirt

Ip Man T-Shirt

International Wing Chun Day

2010-02-26T08:30:00.001-08:00

International Wing Chun Day is a day set aside to honor Wing Chun in all its forms including Wing Tsun, WingTsun, Ving Tsun, Jeet Kune Do, JKD, Weng Chun, Yong Chun, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Hung Fa Yi, Shaolin Wing Chun, Vinh Xuan and many more.

Wing Chun schools can use this day as a way to promote the art and their classes. Celebrations include Wing Chun exhibitions and free classes offered by Wing Chun schools across the world.

Let the world know your support for International Wing Chun Day on Facebook and click "attending".

Visit the official page of the International Wing Chun Day.

Note: 2010 is the first year of this annual day which will be held the 3rd Saturday of March each year.

© Wing Chun News - wingchunnews.blogspot.com

Wang Kiu Passed Away Today

2009-05-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Wang Kiu, early student of Ip Man, passed away quietly today at the age of 85.

Wang Kiu is best known as being one of the "core" students of Ip Man. He was the co-establisher of the famous challenge matches (Biemo_ that built Ip Man's school and was the writer of the articles that publicized these matches.

Chu Shong Tin referred to Wang Kiu as “The Pilar” of the Wing Chun Kung Fu. Wang Kiu is credited with introducing the art to the Netherlands.

"The Wing Chun world has lost a treasure today," said Herbert Maier, grandstudent of Wang Kiu.

Sammo Hung vs. Donnie Yen in 'Ip Man' sequel

2009-04-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

New details have emerged about the highly anticipated follow-up to Wilson Yip's hit Wing Chun movie IP MAN. Donnie Yen will be returning in the title role as expected and he will be fighting action director Sammo Hung but as negotiations with Bruce Lee's family are still underway, a young Bruce will not be depicted in this film, although he is expected to appear in a third and final film as Ip's student.

As a result of these negotiations the original plan to shoot both sequels side-by-side has been scrapped. Production on IP MAN 2 will commence in August and IP MAN 3 will be shot separately at a later date.

The big news is that Sammo will be stepping out from behind the camera this time to spar with Donnie on screen, the first time since their epic fight in KILL ZONE (aka SPL) in 2005. The set up is that Ip Man (Yen) is attempting to establish himself as a kung fu instructor in Hong Kong in 1949 but Wing Chun is viewed there as being only for girls or presumably girly men. Enter Sammo Hung as a master of Hung Gar, which is seen as a more manly fighting style. The two develop a rivalry that results in sparring. Obviously, Ip will be out to prove that Wing Chun is just as manly, something he already established for audiences in the first film.

Returning in the sequel will be Fan Siu-wong as a former gang leader and Ip Man's adversary who settles down and becomes Ip's friend. Gordon Lam is also returning. He will continue to play a police officer but this time having found work in Hong Kong.

IP MAN 2 is only one of several projects for Donnie Yen who is now finding himself in the enviable position of being viewed as one of China's hottest actors and not just action stars. With his films PAINTED SKIN and IP MAN both performing strong at the box office and the latter resulting in a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film awards, Yen's stock has risen considerably this year. His 10 million yuan salary for IP MAN went up 50 percent for the sequel and he's now being offered roles outside of the action genre.

"I was even approached to be in a romance this year," said Yen. "However, I had to decline due to schedule conflicts. This year, I wish to challenge different roles, to go beyond the limits of my histrionics, so the characters I accept have to give the audience a different feel."

Yen is shooting four movies this year; Teddy Chan's DARK OCTOBER, Daniel Lee's IMPERIAL GUARD, IP MAN 2, and one of two unnamed films that the actor hasn't decided on yet. Despite this busy schedule, Yen asserts that his focus remains on IP MAN 2.

Source: kungfucinema.com

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Wing Chun (WingTsun) on Fight Quest

2009-01-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

The latest episode of the Discovery Channel's Fight Quest goes to Hong Kong and Kowloon, China to feature Wing Chun. It features Leung Ting (WingTsun) and Kong Chi Keung (Wing Chun).

In one scene, the show has Jimmy Smith and Doug Anderson on a rooftop Biemo.

Here are some photos...

Here is a video. Unfortunately we could only find this without sound.

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Review of IP MAN Movie

2008-12-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

If you look at the last 5 movies in Donnie Yen’s filmography, I feel that his better works had resulted from his collaboration with director Wilson Yip. In Painted Skin and An Empress and The Warriors, he was relegated to supporting roles, with the former being ineffectively cast against type, and the latter playing second fiddle to the leads Kelly Chen and Leon Lai. With Yip, he’s the able star of the show, and in each of the movies, was put to do what he does best – numbing arse kicking action, with SPL sparring with Sammo Hung and Wu Jing, Dragon Tiger Gate having to lead Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue battling bad hair days, and introducing some wildly kinetic Mixed Martial Arts action in Flash Point. So how does his latest collaboration with Wilson Yip fare?

They do no wrong. I shall now proclaim unabashedly that I absolutely love this movie! It’s been some time since we last saw a biopic on one of the Chinese’s martial arts folk heroes, with Jet Li’s Fearless being the last memorable one to hit the big screen. While Li lays claim to three of such roles in the iconic Wong Fei Hung (in the Tsui Hark movies), Fong Sai Yuk and Huo Yuan Jia in Fearless, after which he felt he had to hang up his martial arts roles because he thought that he had communicated all that he wanted about martial arts through these films. And thank goodness for Donnie Yen still being around to pick up from where the genre left off, and presenting a memorable role which he truly owned, with Ip Man being the first cinematic rendition of the Wing Chun martial arts grandmaster.

In this bio-pic, Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents credited to have propagated its popularity, gets portrayed as the best of the best in 1930s Fo Shan, China, where the bustling city has its own Martial Arts Street where countless of martial arts schools have set up shop to fuel the craze of kung fu training. With each new school, the master will pay their respects to Ip Man and to challenge him to a duel. Ip Man, an aristocrat who spends most of his quality time developing and perfecting his brand of martial arts, will take them on behind closed doors, so as not to damage his opponents’ reputation nor embarrass them in public. His humility is his virtue, and his style is never violent or aggressive, which often gets assumed and mistaken for being effeminate, since Wing Chun after all was founded by a woman.

The bulk of the story gets set in the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and it’s not all fight and no story. Witth this historical setting, at times it does seem that there is an air of familiarity with the type of stories told, with how the Japanese Imperial Army had made life really miserable for the Chinese, and how the Chinese being fragmented in spirit, fail to unite during dire straits. More often than note, martial arts become a unifying force, and this aspect of the narrative might seem to be a walk in the usual territory.

But with its array of charismatic supporting cast with the likes of Simon Yam as Ip Man’s best friend and industrialist Quan, and Lam Ka Tung as a cop turned translator, there are little nicely put sub plots which seek to expand the air of respect that Ip Man commands amongst his community. The story by Edmond Wong did not demonize all the villains, often adding a dash of empathy and sympathy to the likes of the Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a highly skilled exponent from the North called Zhao (Fan Siu Wong) as well as Lam’s translator character who is deemed as a traitor for being in the service of the Japanese. Ip Man the family man also gets put under the spotlight, where his passion could sometimes leave him neglecting his wife and kid, and through the course of the story this focus often leaves one quite exasperated for his family’s safety as he puts his countrymen above self and family when going up against the oppressive Japanese forces.

So what’s the verdict on the action? Action junkies won’t have to wait too long before watching Ip Man in action, and to Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu Hung’s credit, they have intricately designed some of the most varied martial arts sequences in the movie, such as private fights in his home, a factory melee, a Japanese dojo battle as seen in the trailer, (which I know has actually sent some positive vibes amongst moviegoers, mouth agape at that incredible scene of Yen continuously beating down a karateka) being somewhat of a throwback and reminscent of Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury, and a ringside duel amongst others. And it’s not just Ip Man who gets in on the action, but specialized martial arts moves designed for the various practitioners as well. It’s so difficult to name any particular one as a personal favourite, though I must add that you definitely won’t feel short changed by the time the inevitable final battle comes rolling along and gets delivered with aplomb.

I’m no Wing Chun practitioner, but Donnie Yen has this marvelous calm and zen like approach with his Ip Man taking out his opponents quite effectively with the minimal of moves. Like Huo Yuan Jia, he doesn’t deliver the killing blows to friendly opponents, but rather simulates the various hit points, which actually calls for some astonishing control of strength and precision. This approach will change of course as the opponents become anything but friendly. And unlike the usual martial arts stance of crouching low, here we see him standing tall and striking with such precision and efficiency, it’s like poetry in motion with some astounding closed quarter combat utilizing plenty of upper limb strength.

With Wong Kar-wai at one point also declaring interest in making a Ip Man movie, I thought that this effort will be hard to beat, just like how Tsui Hark has crafted some of the more definitive movies in modern times about Wong Fei Hung and Jet Li benefiting from a major career boost, I’d say Ip Man just about cements Yen’s reputation as a martial arts leading man, which I guess the cinematic world these days severely lacks. Definitely recommended, and surely a thrill ride for Donnie Yen fans!

----

The original review is courtesy of Twitch and can be found at http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/review-of-ip-man/

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IP MAN Sequel Planned

2008-12-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

Although the Ip Man movie has yet to hit the screens the trailers have sparked such a surge of interest that a sequel has been planned. While promoting the launch of the Ip Man soundtrack CD at a press conference, producer Raymond Wong announced the plan to shoot Ip Man 2 next year. The sequel will pick up Ip Man’s story after his migration to Hong Kong where he took on many students to further the art of Wing Chun - including Bruce Lee. Lee will be a major character in this film. Including Bruce Lee, there will be four or Yip Man;s students introduced. Wilson Yip is also said to have begun preparing for the role of Bruce Lee in IP MAN 2. They might have a worldwide casting call to find a suitable actor. It's also not determined whether Lynn Hung will return in the sequel since the story tells the Ip couple separated from each other.

Donnie Yen said that both he and Wilson Yip have a separate candidate in mind, and they're debating over whether to look for one with solid martial arts foundation or looks. "In terms of looks, Danny Chan bears the closest resemblance. But we won't necessarily approach him. Perhaps, we would consider one with similar background and demeanour."

Ip Man Movie Website Released

2008-11-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

The 葉問‧IpMan movie website has been released.

Founded by Yim Wing-chun; took root in the hands of Leung Chun; blossomed under Ip Man…’

Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing Chun style of kung fu and sifu (master) of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. Wing Chun has a history of more than 200 years. It was founded by Yim Wing Chun, took root in the hands of Leung Chun, and prospered with Ip Man. The art of Wing Chun has now become very popular with martial arts enthusiasts, especially overseas. It is a traditional Chinese martial art with a formidable reputation internationally.

Wing Chun Kuen is characterised by close body combat, requiring practitioners to show speed and power. Its Chi Sao or “sticking hands” is more similar to modern day combat skills and has a rich feel of genuine strikes. This is also why Ip Man differs from the dazzingly romantic and purely fictional style of previous martial art movies. Its explosive punches and aggressive close-range combat offer a new thrill never experienced by modern day audiences.

The story of Wing Chun began in the 1920s and 30s, in wartorn China. Ip Man was martial art’s unyielding follower, devoted whole-heartedly to the free learning of wushu. The fight to be top between the Wushu schools in the southern and northern regions of China had not stopped him having goodwill matches with other practitioners. Nationalistic bad feelings and racial hatred had not lessened his respect for Japanese kung fu warriors. In this great era of hatreds and tragedies, Ip focused only on wushu. His enthusiasm for martial arts saw him having devastating street fights with various elite practitioners.

To date, there have neither been movies nor publications about Ip Man. This movie will be the first important record of the master’s life. Ip’s persistent devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. This movie will see the making of a modern wushu master representative of Chinese people worldwide. Ip Man is a concept, a spirit, a way of thinking – and it represents a new peak in Hong Kong’s wushu movies.

The website can be found at http://www.ipman-movie.com

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Wing Chun Magazine Announces New Issue To Be Release in Early 2009

2008-11-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

San Clemente, CA, USA - Wing Chun Magazine announced that a new issue is in production for release in early 2009. After a hiatus from new issue releases, Wing Chun practitioners can finally look forward to a new publication release.

According to Adam Williss, founder and editor-in-chief of the publication, Wing Chun Magazine will be moving away from offering the publication for free. There will be a subscription fee when the new issue is released in order to sustain its continued publication.

Wing Chun Magazine is the online magazine dedicated to Wing Chun in all its forms, names, lineages and derivatives. This includes Wing Chun, WingTsun, Ving Tsun, Wing Tzun, Weng Chun and many more.

For more information, visit the Wing Chun Magazine website at wingchunmagazine.com.

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NEW Trailer for IP MAN Movie

2008-10-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

The official trailer of the movie.

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WVTAA 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees

2008-09-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

The World Ving Tsun Athletic Association proudly announced its inductees for the 2008 Hall of Fame. Each year, the WVTAA inducts two new members into its Hall of Fame for unselfish hard work in propagating the art of Ving Tsun / Wing Chun.

Taking this year's 2008 Grandmaster of the Year is Ip Chun (also known as Yip Chun).

Ip Chun is the eldest son of the late Grandmaster Yip Man.

Sifu of the year is Wan Kam Leung.

Wan Kam Leung is a senior student of the late Grandmaster Wong Shun Leung.

For more information on the World Ving Tsun Athletic Association, please visit vingtsun.cc.

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Ip Man Movie Poster

2008-09-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Yip Man Movie's First Trailer

2008-09-03T00:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the first trailer we could find on the upcoming Yip Man movie. From 29 seconds on, music replaces the Chinese voice.

© Wing Chun News - wingchunnews.com

Yip Man Movie Hong Kong Release Date: December 18th, 2008

2008-08-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

According to The Internet Movie Database, the long awaited Yip Man movie is set to be released in Hong Kong on December 18th, 2008.

The movie's international English title is listed as Grandmaster Yip Man and Ip Man. While in Hong Kong, its working English title is The Legend of Yip Man and is listed as Yat doi chung si Yip Man on IMDb. Shot in Cantonese, look for it to have English subtitles.

IMDb, plots the movie as "A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun" and the tagline, "The celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee."

Below is a Cantonese video on the making of the film. Clips of Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung also notice Ip Chun and Ip Ching.

Other resources IMDb

'Yip Man' Biopics Settle Title Dispute

2008-06-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

By Mark Pollard

It was recently reported that conflict had broken out between the camps surrounding two upcoming biopics of Wing Chun Grandmaster Yip Man. The issue concerned the film title, “GRANDMASTER YIP MAN,” first claimed by director Wong Kar-wai after announcing his plans to make the movie back in 2002. Investors for director Wilson Yip’s film also claimed that title for their movie, which stars Donnie Yen, but its producer Raymond Wong has since announced that Yip’s film will stick to its original title.

“All along, we had called our film YIP MAN but our investors said that Yip Man was a great master of our times,” said Raymond Wong. “So we changed our title to GRANDMASTER YIP MAN out of respect for him. Yet this brought about a series of debates over the title. To settle this matter amicably, after discussions with our various investors, movie consultant Yip Chun [and] director Wilson Yip we changed back to our original title.”

Wong took a conciliatory tone in his continued response. “The title is of secondary importance. Our main aim in shooting the film is to propagate Wing Chun. All studios should cooperate with and support each other, especially in a time when the film industry is not doing well.”
The biopics will not be different in name only. While assuring the public that Wong Kar-wai’s version, long in development limo is being made, its expectant star Tony Leung Chiu-wai pointed out the differences between the two films. “Our film will still be produced. I think Donnie Yen’s version will be more focused on martial arts, of younger age, but the Yip Man I am playing will be more drama-oriented. It deals mainly with the latter half of his life. The two are completely different works.”

All this kafuffle over the Hong Kong title for Wilson Yip’s film will likely mean little to international audiences. While kung fu movies in Hong Kong are traditionally given titles bearing the names of a prominent kung fu style or historical character in the film, their international titles are almost always changed to something less specific. For example, the complete and original Romanized title for Tsui Hark’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA is “WONG FEI HUNG,” the character portrayed by Jet Li. Likewise, Jet Li’s FEARLESS was originally titled HUO YUAN JIA, again the name of the historical character that Li portrayed onscreen.

Donnie Yen’s YIP MAN has completed shooting in Shanghai and is expected to be released at the end of the year. It features the action direction of Sammo Hung and also stars Simon Yam (FATAL MOVE), Fan Siu-wong (SHAOLIN VS. EVIL DEAD), Gordon Lam (THE SPARROW), and Xing Yu (KUNG FU HUSTLE).

Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Photos from the upcoming Yip Man movie

2008-05-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of wu-jing.org

Wing Chun Shines in New Kung Fu Biopics

2008-05-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu Cinema by Mark Pollard

With Tony Leung and Donnie Yen both portraying famous Wing Chun master Yip Man in upcoming biopics and the recent U.S. DVD release of Universe’s highly successful 2007 WING CHUN TV series starring Yuen Biao and Nicholas Tse, the fighting art that gave Bruce Lee his foundation is enjoying a resurgence of popularity.

Donnie Yen in a sneak peak at a promo shot for Wilson Yip’s biopic of Wing Chun Grandmaster YIP MAN, coming in 2009.

Of late, I have been furiously working my way through all 40 episodes of WING CHUN (YONG CHUN, 葉問傳) an excellent martial arts TV drama that premiered last summer. In it, kung fu actor Yuen Biao stars as Leung Jan, the sixth student in direct succession to Wing Chun’s founder, a Shaolin nun named Ng Man. For Yuen, it is a return to a role he first portrayed in Sammo Hung’s kung fu classic THE PRODIGAL SON (1981).

One of the series’ central themes is the slow evolution of conservative martial tradition in a rapidly changing world. Those familiar with the legendary history of Wing Chun know that it was once a closed art passed on to only a very few select students. In the TV series, the initial reasoning for this secrecy is that Ng Man, a survivor of the Manchu purge of China’s southern Shaolin Temple, feared that the Qing government might use the knowledge of confiscated Shaolin kung fu manuals against practitioners. Ng began to develop Wing Chun to counter other Shaolin techniques in the event that future generations might have to battle government forces trained in Shaolin kung fu. She passed this new art on to a female student, Yim Wing-chun, and it was further developed to counter the superior strength of male attackers, a more plausible explanation for its development.

As Leung Jan, Yuen Biao is wary about who to name as his successor, in part because of his determination to follow tradition and have only one student as instructed by his teacher Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung). Yet all around him, China is undergoing great change. The Qing government has passed away and modernization is encroaching on old traditions. To give the story some added dramatic muscle, Jan is at odds with his son Bik (Nicholas Tse) and initially refuses to teach him for fear that the art will be misused, He instead takes on another student, Chan Wah-shun. In real life, Chan would eventually have a few more students, none more famous than Yip Man, the man who first taught the art openly and who has become the subject of Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen’s latest collaboration.

In YIP MAN, a production of Mandarin Films, Donnie Yen portrays the title character while Sammo Hung provides action direction and Yip Man’s son acts as consultant. Hung has been Wing Chun’s most famous advocate in the filmmaking arena ever since he set about directing a pair of Wing Chun films beginning with WARRIORS TWO in 1978 and ending with THE PRODIGAL SON. Although originally a student of Chinese opera, Hung was a huge fan of Bruce Lee and had become fascinated with Lee’s foundation in Wing Chun. Among Yip Man’s many students was Lee, who went on to defy Chinese kung fu traditions entirely and openly teach foreigners.

It is unusual these days for Yen to turn over action direction to someone else. Like cooks in the kitchen, action directors accustomed to calling the shots during action sequences do not always mix well. Such was the case for the shooting of DRUNKEN MASTER 2 when Lau Kar-leung walked off the production, according to rumor, after having a dispute with Jackie Chan over the finale. However, Hung and Yen apparently struck an amicable working relationship during the shooting of KILL ZONE (aka SPL) when Yen was in charge. As his work in THE PRODIGAL SON and the WING CHUN TV series show, it’s undeniable that Sammo is the right man for the job and Donnie’s performance will undoubtedly benefit from it.

Wilson Yip’s YIP MAN began production in March and is expected to wrap in June. Based on his previous work with Yen, it’s more than likely that his film will be more action-oriented than another Yip Man biopic still in development by filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. Tony Leung, a talented dramatic actor not known for fighting roles has long been attached to play the title role and reportedly has being undergoing Wing Chun training in preparation. In comparing the two films, Wong recently told Chinese media that his film would focus more on a dramatic love story, an element the filmmaker is quite familiar with.

Not a whole lot is known about the real Yip Man in the West apart from his public life. He was born October 1st, 1893 in Foshan as Ki Man and began his training in Wing Chun at the age of 13, largely under the tutelage of Chan Wah-shun’s student Ng Chung-sok. After Chan’s death, he also trained under Leung Bik (played by Nicholas Tse in WING CHUN). He attended school in Hong Kong and later became a police officer in Foshan. While there, he informally taught co-workers, friends and relatives. During the Japanese occupation Yip was approached to train Japanese soldiers but refused. In 1949, Yip fled Communist China (no doubt a sensitive issue that both films will try to sidestep) and settled in Hong Kong where he opened his first martial arts school. It was during this time that a young Bruce Lee received three years of training under Yip. In 1967, he and several students established the Hong Kong Ving Tsun Athletic Association. Yip Man died in 1972 from throat cancer.

A report on Wilson Yip’s film at Wenweipo.com suggests that YIP MAN will be another international prestige picture, like FEARLESS, that promotes wushu, or Chinese martial arts and celebrates Chinese patriotism and pride. The timing is right considering the wave of nationalism that has been spreading worldwide in the wake of pro-Tibet protests that have appeared ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Read more...

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New Wing Chun International Chi Sao Open Announced

2008-01-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

The all new International Chi Sau Open will be held in April at London's SENI08 combat sports show. The SENI Show has grown and grown over the years and is now the premier martial arts show in Europe. The International Wing Chun Chi Sau Open, sponsored by Pagoda, showcases Wing Chun Kung Fu to Europe’s biggest martial arts stage. The event aims at bringing the Wing Chun community together in a new way.

For more information, click here.

© Wing Chun News - wingchunnews.com

Legend of Yip Man

2008-01-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

Legend of Yip Man, produced by Mandarin Films, will begin production in late February 2008. Wilson Yip is directing, with the main production behind SPL being involved as well. Apart from Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung will also be joining the cast. And for maximum impact, they'll be performing their own stunts in this action oriented feature. Ngai Sing and a few martial artists are also being considered. Raymond Wong says that they are gathering information on the life of Yip Man, and have even been to Hall of Yip Man in Foshan as part of the research. The movie has full support from Yip Man's son, Ip Chun, who's agreed to be the consultant. Raymond Wong says that the film will take on a similar look and feel as SPL.
Courtesy of Shanghai News Times

© Wing Chun News - wingchunnews.com

Ving Tsun Athletic Association's Letter to "World Kung Fu Master Magazine"

2007-12-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

This is a public notice and English translation of the complaint letter (Chinese) sent to the editorial director of "The World Kung Fu Master Magazine"

Dear Mr. Lau,
I am writing to complain about the article entitled ”The Ving Tsun Athletic Association Certification Incident” posted by your magazine (1st periodical 2007). The article questioned and criticized our Association’s procedure in issuing the Instructor Certificate without careful verification. The Association's chairman and the Board of Directors are very disappointed towards this, and are here to clarify the procedure in issuing the Instructor Certificate.

First, our Association guaranteed that since our operation in 1985, the requirement of qualified instructors and the procedure laid down for issuing the Instructor Certificate have been determined by Board of Directors and been followed by the new Board of Directors every year. Such a procedure has been carrying out very well. The requirements for issuing Instructor Certificate of our Association are as follows:

For any Practitioners under the Ip Man Ving Tsun linage aged 21 or above and wants to apply the Instructor Certificate, he or she has to be a certified member of the Association, has to practice Ving Tsun for five years or above, has to finish learning the three sets of Ving Tsun Kufu practice, wooden dummy practice and sticking hands practice, and has the recommendation from applicant’s own instructor (Sifu);

The applicant’s instructor (Sifu) has to be a certified member of Association, and holds a valid Instructor Certificate issued by the Association;

If the applicant’s instructor (Sifu) has deceased, the applicant has to receive the recommendations of at least any two students of the deceased Sifu who are also certified members of the Association and are holding Instructor Certificates issued by the Association;

If the Board of Directors has any inquiries towards any application, the Board reserves the right to interview the applicant for further assessment.

If there is any special circumstance that deviates from the above criteria, the concerned application shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

Besides the article has also mentioned about the unreasonable rejection of the application of Mr. Henry Araneda Rayes. From the record of our Association, Mr. Henry Araneda has applied for the Association’s membership and the Instructor Certificate( Application Receipts No. 0109) , and the application forms have been given to another member of our Association for submission on 17th December 2006. However, it is written on Mr. Henry Araneda’s application form that he receives training from a Mr. Duncan’X’, instead of a Mr. Lee Hong Kee as mentioned in the article, and the form bears the signature of Mr. Duncan ‘X’. After the verification of our Association, Mr. Duncan ‘X’ is not a certified member of our Association and therefore he does not have the authority to recommend his student to apply for our Association’s Instructor Certificate. This well explains the reason for rejecting Mr. Henry Araneda’s application, and I believe it is the most common way of handling applications, which is as well fair and reasonable. Lastly, the Association has informed the member who helped submit Mr. Henry Araneda’s application the reason for rejection, and that member has collected the returned application form and cheque by himself. As you can see, the procedure of handling such an application is undoubtedly reasonable and without a flaw.

From the above, I believe you have understood the unreality of your magazine’s report. As part of the media, your magazine should have the professional spirit and attitude. As a result, our Association reserves all ground to pursue your responsibility towards the misreported article, and hopes your magazine can immediately clarify the unjust report. If there is any other report about our Association in the future, please first inquire our Association’s Board of Directors for verification to avoid misleading the mass audience.

Yours sincerely,

Siu Yuk Men
Chairman, the Board of Directors,
Ving Tsun Athletic Association Ltd.

Source: http://www.vingtsun.org.hk

© Wing Chun News - wingchunnews.com

HUMAN WEAPON: Kung Fu Episode

2007-11-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

For those that haven't seen The History Channel show, HUMAN WEAPON, it goes around the world with hosts Jason Chambers – mixed-martial-artist and professional fighter – and Bill Duff – former professional football player and wrestler, showcasing how each individual location gave birth to its distinct form of combat and with a study of their form of martial art.
Jason Chambers and Bill Duff will put their bodies through training and challenges to prepare for a battle against a professional fighting master in the area's martial art.

The Kung Fu episode just aired featuring Wing Chun as well as other Chinese Martial Arts such as Shuai Jiao, Baji, Tong Bei, Ba Gua and Sanda. Wang Zhi Peng, a student of Li Heng-Chang from the Wong Shun Leung lineage, demonstrated Wing Chun on the Great Wall of China.

HUMAN WEAPON airs Friday's at 10pm/9c. For more info, go to History.com.

© Wing Chun News