Ip Chun was born in 1924 in Foshan in the Zheyieng Delta region of the Guangdong province of Southern China. He began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was 7 years old, however he admits that he did not really want to learn at that time and that he remembers relatively little from that early tutelage.
When the Chinese Communists gained victory in Chinese civil war in 1949, they began to persecute the wealthy, the influential and anyone connected to the Chinese Nationalists. Since Ip Man was both wealthy and a Captain of Local Police patrols of Foshan, he felt forced to leave mainland China, finally settling in Hong Kong after a short stay in Macao with friends. However, being only 24, Ip Chun stayed behind to continue his studies at University studying Chinese history and traditional Chinese music. He also researched Chinese Philosophy, Buddhism and Chinese Poetry.
Grand Master Ip Chun - Ip Man’s eldest Son
When Ip Chun finished his studies he chose teaching as a profession. He taught Chinese history, music and science, and his leisure time he helped the Chinese Foshan Entertainment Department organize Chinese Operas. During this period he was awarded 'The person with the most potential in Chinese art' prize for music research. Unfortunately Mao Tze Tung's policies and campaigns meant that in 1962 Ip Chun and his younger brother Ip Ching, were forced to leave China for Hong Kong, where they lived with their father.
During the day Ip Chun worked as an accountant and newspaper reporter, at the same time in the evenings he restarted his Wing Chun studies with his father, maintaining the Chinese tradition of passing down the Kung Fu skills from father to son. Master Ip Chun trained with his father most evenings and since Grandmaster Ip Man's home in Mong Kok was also his special Wing Chun school, Master Ip Chun was able to witness and study his father's Wing Chun and his teaching methods every evening.
Between 1985 and 2001, Ip Chun travelled the length and breadth of the world to promote and conduct Wing Chun seminars,in the process receiving various accolades, before semi retiring in 2001 to concentrate on teaching his classes in Hong Kong. In 1992 he set up the Ip Chun Wing Chun Kuen Martial Arts Association to certify and authenticate senior students who attained instructor level under his personal tuition in Hong Kong and whom, with his express permission, to teach around the world. Sifu Ip Chun has only approxiamately 20 certified Sifus including Sifu Tony Brooks.
Today, well into his eighties, Master Ip Chun is one of the most successful Wing Chun teachers in Hong Kong.
1967 Master Ip Chun began teaching Wing Chun in Hong Kong with his father's blessing and it is testimony indeed that some of those first students such as Ho Po Kai and Leung Chung Wai still train with him today. Later from 1970 to 1971 Master Ip Chun and Sifu Lau Hon Lam taught a class of around 20 students in Ho Man Tin.
On 1 December 1972 Grandmaster Ip Man passed away aged 79. Six weeks before, knowing he had not long to live he made the supreme effort to commit the Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu and Muk Yan Jong forms to 8 mm film in order to record and preserve the pure Wing Chun system He entrusted this crucial piece of film footage to his two sons for posterity. True to his father's wishes Master Ip Chun has carried on his teachings, keeping Wing Chun pure and maintaining its principles and concepts.
