An interview with
Grandmaster Yip Man.
A translation of one of only two ever-published interviews with the famous Wing Chun grandmaster, from the magazine "New Martial Hero".
Here is a translation of an original interview with Grandmaster Yip Man in the magazine "New Martial Hero". It is one of only two ever published interviews with the famous Wing Chun grandmaster. Grandmaster Yip Man was a Fatshan native. When he was very young, he was quite weak. Therefore, his parents sent him to learn Wing Chun from Chan Wah Shun, the most outstanding student of the famous Dr. Leung Jan.
When Grandmaster Yip described his past, he did so with great warmth.
Grandmaster Yip stopped for awhile. He then talked in a rather low tone: "The fact is, not too many people could afford to pay for such a high school fee. For example: at the time I paid, the red packet for the 'Student-admitting Ceremony' had to contain 20 taels of silver. And I had to pay 8 taels of silver each month as my school fee."
But after repeated requests by the writer, Yip Man started telling the following story in detail:
At the time Grandmaster Yip left Fatshan to go to study in Hong Kong, he was already very skilled in the basic wing chun fighting techniques. He always fought with his classmates at the school. Although Yip Man was not tall, he was very skilful in fighting techniques. Therefore, he could defeat all his classmates, even those that were much taller and stronger than he. For this reason, he became arrogant for he believed that nobody could match him.
After six months, one of Yip Man's classmates, surnamed Lai, whose father ran a big silk company named "Kung Hang Silk Company" in Jervois Street of Sheung Wan, told Yip that there was a friend of father's living in their house. He was in his 50s. This man knew some kungfu techniques. He offered a friendly sparring with Yip Man.
At that time Yip had never been defeated, and so he wasted no time in accepting the challenge. Lai made an appointment to introduce them to each other on one Sunday afternoon.
On that Sunday, Yip went to the house of his classmate. After being introduced to this middle-aged man, Yip looked at him appraisingly. To Yip's eyes, he looked more like a typical slim-gentleman than someone who really knew kung fu.
After a short time, Yip Man frankly challenged the man to a sparring match.
With a smile, the middle-aged man said: "Well, Yip Man, so you are interested in doing some sparring with me. Before you fight me, I can tell you not to worry about me. All you need to do is attack me to any part of my body with your full strength and that's all!"
On hearing this, the arrogant Yip Man, though apparently still unruffled, was actually so mad that all he wanted to do was to beat this man up!
No sooner did the middle-aged man give Yip Man a hand-signal inviting him to attack than he was subjected to Yip Man's aggressive rain of punches. However, this man was so quick that Yip Man could not match his counter-attack movements. In an instant, Yip Man was forced to withdraw into a corner. The man stopped at the same moment.
After the first contact, and already defeated, Yip Man could not believe that this man had gained the upper hand so quickly. Therefore, he asked the man if he could try again. Once again, Yip Man was completely controlled by this man. He could not do anything against him! This time, Yip Man knew that he had surely been beaten by a real kungfu expert. Without saying a word, Yip Man went away with great disappointment.
After that friendly sparring match, Yip Man was so depressed that he did not even dare to mention that he knew kung fu.
One week afterwards, Yip was told by Lai that the middle-aged man wanted to see him again. At that time, Yip Man was rather afraid and too ashamed to see the middle-aged man again. He told Lai: "I feel too embarrassed to see him again. I am not his match at all."
However, to Yip Man's surprise, Lai told Yip that his father's friend actually praised Yip's kungfu techniques highly. That was why he wanted to see Yip and talk to him again. Lai started telling Yip Man the secret of his father's friend. In fact the one who had fought with Yip Man was none other than Leung Bik, the son of Dr. Leung Jan!
After learning the truth, Yip Man thought to himself: "Gosh! That is why he is so good in kung fu techniques. Actually this time I was fighting with a high-rank Wing Chun expert!"
Immediately Yip Man realized what an opportunity this was. He was still not that highly skilled in the kungfu techniques taught to him by his si-fu Wah the Money Changer. This would be the best chance for him to learn the more advanced Wing Chun techniques. Therefore, he wasted no time in asking Lai, his classmate, to take him to the Kung Hang Silk Company to meet Leung Bik.
Since Yip Man was a genius in terms of learning kung fu, Leung Bik was very happy to teach all he knew to Yip Man.
A few years later, Leung Bik got tired of living in Hong Kong and was thinking of going back to Fatshan. At that time Yip Man had already attained the highest proficiency in kungfu techniques.