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.
