Yip Man, also known as Ip Man, was a martial arts instructor and teacher who is most known for popularizing Wing Chun practice and training. He grew up in a privileged family and was extremely brilliant and well-educated as a result of his family’s affluence. He began his career as a police officer and then became a private instructor of Wing Chun. Political turbulence upended his life and career as a police officer when the Chinese Communist Party came to power in the mid-1900s, causing him to flee to Hong Kong to avoid punishment. To make a new life for himself, he resorted to the Wing Chun martial art. When he first opened the first public Wing Chun school, business was slow and difficult to maintain until a young Bruce Lee arrived to practice with him. Lee’s career took off as a result of his TV shows and films, and his school and training program grew significantly. Throughout Yip’s career, Lee remained a close buddy. Yip overcame a number of personal problems during his career, but he eventually prospered and left a lasting legacy. He has left an indelible mark on martial arts history as a pioneer of Wing Chun.
Childhood and Adolescence
Yip Man was the third of four children born to rich parents Ip Oi Dor and Ng Shui in 1893. He was a motivated student who acquired a high level of education, including college, as a result of his upbringing, which represented his family’s position. His martial arts training began when he was 13 years old with Chan Wah-shun and lasted throughout his childhood. Yip Man is said to have interfered in a fight between a police officer and a woman while at Hong Kong’s ‘St. Stephen’s College,’ and subdued the officer with martial arts movements. Yip was invited to visit a nearby individual after a pupil told him about the fight.
The man challenged Yip to demonstrate his martial arts skills, but Yip’s form and motions were rated primitive after seeing them. The man then showed himself to Yip’s former teacher Chan’s master, Leung Bik, and took him under his tuition. Although some of the elements of the story have been called into question, his training under Leung Bik was a pivotal milestone in his Wing Chun career.
Career of Yip
In 1917, he returned to his hometown of Foshan, China, to pursue a career as a police officer. He began teaching Wing Chun on a one-on-one basis. He served in the army against the Japanese invasion from 1937 to 1941. During this time, the majority of his belongings were destroyed or lost, and his wife became unwell. He was recruited by the ‘Nationalist Party’ to work as a police officer while China rebuilt after the war. He taught Wing Chun to many students on the side while working as a police officer. He taught a number of students who went on to teach Wing Chun to others.
After the civil war ended in 1949, the political tides shifted, and the ‘Chinese Communist Party’ surged to power. He was expected to be detained by communist officials as a police officer for the opposing ‘Nationalist Party.’
He lost the rest of his fortune at the age of 51. He fled to Hong Kong with only the stuff he could carry. He founded the first public Wing Chun martial arts school. Bruce Lee, his most famous student, began studying with him in 1953. Lee had been a lifelong friend since he was 13 years old.
Yip Man’s business started out slow, but thanks to Bruce Lee’s part in ‘The Green Hornet,’ he rose to fame and fortune. Due to the growing popularity of his school, he decided to establish a major martial arts complex.
As his reputation expanded, so did the number of pupils who enrolled in his school, and so did his fortune. In 1967, he helped found the Hong Kong ‘Ving Tsun Athletic Association.’ He stopped teaching martial arts in 1970, although he continued to practice. Wing Chun training continued under his sons’ direction.
Major Projects of Yip
He was the first person to write a thorough history of Wing Chun. A portion of the text was planned to be used in the proposal for the ‘Ving Tsun Tong Fellowship’ that was submitted.
Personal History and Legacy
He had two boys with Cheung Wing Sing, with whom he was married. His boys have played an important part in carrying on their father’s Wing Chun legacy. Many people recall him having drug difficulties and being financially strained as a result of his addiction. They claim that after abandoning his luxurious lifestyle in China, he was never truly happy. He is acknowledged by Bruce Lee as a main source of inspiration and an instructor whom he has admired throughout his life. Yip and Lee had been friends since Lee’s freshman year of high school. In her book ‘The Man Only I Knew,’ Bruce Lee’s wife describes the impact of his master.
In addition to Bruce Lee, he taught Leung Ting, Lo Man Kam, William Cheung, and Leung Sheung, all of whom became well-known for their martial arts abilities. ‘Ip Man: Portrait of a Kung Fu Master,’ a biography based on recollections from his son Ip Ching, chronicles his life. Several films, including ‘The Legend is Born: Ip Man,’ ‘The Grandmaster,’ and ‘Ip Man: The Final Fight,’ have been inspired by his legacy. He died of throat cancer in 1972. Many of his personal belongings are on display in a Foshan museum. He is regarded as a martial arts pioneer, and his enthusiasm for the practice is credited with spreading Wing Chun.
Estimated Net Worth
Yip is one of the wealthiest teachers and one of the most popular. Yip Man’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
This prominent martial arts trainer asked his sons and a student to record him executing Wing Chun forms six weeks before he died. The footage has been preserved, and digital copies can be seen on YouTube.
Bruce Lee was dubbed ‘Upstart’ by him. He had a habit of giving his students nicknames.