Monday, January 9, 2017

Wing Chun Blog Sifu Garry - Leung Jan King of Wing Chun



Wing Blog Sifu Garry

King of Wing Chun – Dr. Leung Jan

Dr. Leung Jan was born in 1836 and passed away in 1901. He is regarded as the most legendary figure in Wing Chun history. Leung Jan also operated a herbal medicine store in Foshan during his reign as the King of Wing Chun. He had many, many challenge fights with no losses.
Dr. Leung Jan had two legendary teachers, being, Leung Yi Tai and Wong Wah Bo, whom were infamous Red Boat Members. History states that Wong Wah Bo and Leung Jan were responsible for creating the 3 forms of wing chun still being taught today.
Leung Jan earned the title of “Wing Chun Kuen Wong” or "King of Wing Chun Fist" over the course of his life from winning over 300 challenges in which he remained undefeated. He was also one of the first to defeat a wide range of fighters from different martial arts styles using Wing Chun.
Dr. Leung Jan was born in Gulao Village. In 1885 (or 1898, depending on the account), at the age of 73, Leung Jan retired to his native village of Gulao, Heshan county, where he taught a synthesised 72 point Wing Chun System to a few local students, such as Wong Wah Sum, Leung Bak Cheung, and Yik Ying. Again in some accounts it is said that Yim Sei also learned. It is important to note that Fung Keung, son of Fung Chun, supports the fact that there were only three students that learned from Leung Jan during this period of teaching in Gulao village, before dying at the age of 76.
Dr. Leung Jan learnt 2 distinct expressions of Wing Chun. Leung Yi Tai and Wong Wah Bo, whom were members of the infamous and legendary Red Opera Troupe.
Leung Yi Tai taught him Yim Wing Chun's version and Wong Wah Bo taught him Leung Bok Chow's version. Leung Bok Chow was Yim Wing Chun's husband. Leung Bok Chow was also proficient in Southern Shaolin Kung Fu.
Leung Jan decided not to teach his Son, Leung Bik, Wing Chun, because he thought he was not ready or worthy to learn this Elitist Martial Arts.
It is stated that when Leung Bik was eventually taught by one of his Father’s teachers, so Leung Jan had no option but to teach him. He thought if his Sifu thought Leung Bik worthy then he was ready to be taught by the Father, Leung Jan.
During Leung Jan’s teaching he gave his Son the legendary Wing Chun Chronicles which eventually was handed down to Yip Man from Leung Bik.
Yip Man met Leung Bik, the Son of Leung Jan, in Hong Kong around 1915. Yip Man left Foshan for Hong Kong to study English. Yip Man studied a very different expression of Wing Chun from Leung Bik, for 3 years.
When Yip Man returned to Foshan and divulged his experiences in Hong Kong, he was chastised and ridiculed for not adhering to Tradition by learning another style of Wing Chun. His Teacher in Foshan was Chan Wah Shun, before he died around 1910.
Leung Bik’s wing chun system was quite superior at the time. It had different footwork, different kicks, elbows and a comprehensive Dim Mak system, which was frowned upon by his peers.
Sifu Garry is privy to this unique and exclusive wing chun system and very honoured to be able to teach this system in Melbourne Australia.
Why do people around the World, especially America state that Leung Bik never existed.
During my “roots of wing chun” research, I have collected categorical proof that Leung Bik did in fact exist.
1: Wing Chun Manuscripts handed down from Leung Jan to Leung Bik to Yip Man. Property of Yip Man Tong in Foshan.
2: Foshan Museum has newspaper extract defining the lives of Leung Jan and Leung Bik.
3: Wing Chun Matsers in Foshan talk about the Leung Bik system as the
“True attack fighting system of wing chun”
4: Yip Chun, Son of Yip Man told me personally in 2012, that his Father had 3 Teachers, one being the legendary Leung Bik.
5: In 2015, Wing Chun Grand Master, Lo Man Kam, nephew of Yip Man personally told me some stories about Leung Bik. His book also has references to Leung Bik.
The Leung Bik / Yip Man Wing Chun System is alive and flourishing today, around the World and in particular Melbourne Australia.
Leung Jan also left a famous legacy in Gulao Village in southern China. Grand Master Fung Chun and his Son Fung Keun are also spreading the teachings of Pien Sun Wing Chun from Leung Jan in Gulao Village.
I am also privy to the system of wing chun and have been sanctioned by Master Fung Keun to teach this wing chun system in Melbourne Australia.





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