Ip Man

Ip Man was born on 1 October 1893 in Foshan, Guangdong, China, and is the grandmaster who brought Wing Chun Kung Fu to the world. He is the most famous practitioner of Wing Chun—a southern Chinese martial art based on economy of movement, close-range striking, and simultaneous attack and defence. He began training in Wing Chun as a child in Foshan under Master Chan Wah-shun, and later refined his skills under Leung Bik in Hong Kong. After the Second World War, he relocated permanently to Hong Kong, where he began openly teaching Wing Chun for the first time in 1950. His most famous student was Bruce Lee, who trained under Ip Man as a teenager before going on to revolutionise martial arts globally. Other distinguished students include Wong Shun Leung and Leung Sheung. Ip Man died on 2 December 1972 in Hong Kong, just before the release of Bruce Lee’s global breakthrough. His legacy was immortalised through a series of internationally acclaimed biographical films, making him one of the most recognised martial arts figures in the world.