Wong Shun Leung

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This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wong (黃).

Wong Shun Leung (黃淳樑 1935-1997) was a Chinese Wing Chun master. Wong started training with Yip Man in 1954 [1] at the age of 19. He had single-handedly beaten one of the senior students, then went head to head with another. Wong was then challenged by the intrigued Yip Man and found himself completely controlled by him. Already at this age had a reputation as a fighter, and Yip Man was at first worried that he would bring trouble for Wing Chun. In fact, Wong Shun Leung's prowess as a "Beimo" [2] fighter helped secure for Wing Chun its reputation. "Beimo" were semi-organised bare-knuckle challenge fights between youths in Hong Kong. Wong, who stood only 5'6" tall, participated in perhaps over 100 of these challenge fights and was never beaten. [3] [4] Wong Shun Leung earned the name Gong Sau Wong (講手王), King of Talking Hands. Once asked if he was the best fighter in the world, he replied, "No, only the second best." When asked who was the best, he said, "I don't know, I haven't met him." [5] [6] [7]

Wong Shun Leung stayed with Yip Man many years longer than most of Yip Man's other famous students. While with Yip Man, Wong helped Yip Man teach, not formally opening his own school until late 1960s. He taught Wing Chun at his kwoon until his untimely death from a stroke. His students included, notably, Jeet Kune Do founder and martial arts legend Bruce Lee.


Contents

[edit] Beginnings

Wong Shun Leung started training in several styles of martial arts while in his early teens, and he developed a real interest in Boxing. The reason he abandoned Boxing and "changed his approach to combat once and for all" [8] was because of "two particular incidents". [8] Firstly, he knocked out his boxing coach in sparring, and secondly, he got into a fight with Yip Man, (葉問, often written Ip Man). [8]

Wong knocked out his boxing coach in one afternoon and lost respect for him. "....while sparring with his boxing coach one afternoon, Wong accidentally landed a damaging blow to the face. In a rage, the coach began pounding Wong until, bleeding from nose and mouth, Wong managed to gain the upper hand, eventually knocking his coach out cold. After this event, Wong lost all respect for his Boxing coach and never went back for another lesson". [8]

Ving Tsun Update has also mentioned this incident. "When Wong Shun Leung accidentally hit his former boxing coach too hard, the coach became irritated and attacked him back. Wong, with a bloody mouth and nose, achieved despite this, to drive his former trainer in a corner and knocked him out. After this day Wong stopped his boxing lessons, as he had lost respect for his trainer." [9]

Wong was fascinated by the stories of those legendary Wing Chun heroes such as the "money-changer" / Chan Wah-shun (找錢華 / 陳華順) and Mr. Jan from Foshan / Leung Jan (佛山贊先生 / 梁贊), he decided to seek out a Wing Chun teacher to see what they had to offer him. Friends of his older brother took him to meet Yip Man, and had a match with Yip Man after defeating a couple of Yip Man's students. Yip Man easily defeated him, "from that moment onwards",[8] in 1954, [1] Wong shun Leung became a devoted Wing Chun practitioner and "a devoted member of the Wing Chun clan." [8]

In Wong Shun Leung: the Legend Behind the Legend, Recalling the life of Bruce Lee's teacher, [4] David Peterson [10] states that Bruce Lee said in a letter to Wong: "Even though I am (technically) a student of Yip Man, in reality I learned my Kung fu from you." According to a Wing Chun school in UK, Wong "carried" the supposed letter "in his wallet". [5] However, the best-known Bruce Lee's letter to Wong is dated 11 January, 1970. It has been printed together with Wong Shun Leung and His Friendship with Bruce Lee, [11] an article written by Wong Shun Leung, many times in several magazines and has circulated on the Internet. [12]

[edit] Fights

[edit] It All Began on Rooftops of Buildings

Known as the "King of Talking with the Hands" [13] (講手王), Wong Shun Leung defeated countless opponents in Beimo [2] (比武) competitions, also known as "illegal rooftop fighting competitions" [14] (sometimes known as "Kung Fu Elimination Contests" [15] ), in Hong Kong during the ages of 17 and 32. [13] His reputation began to grow as he continued winning these Beimo matches. [5] Some people said that the reason why Wing Chun became so famous in Hong Kong was because of him. [16]

In the early 1950's, compared to other styles of the time; Hung Gar, White Crane, Dragon Style and Choy Lai Fut, Wing Chun was unheard of for many people. [17] It was a style of kung fu practiced by "a minority" - mostly members of the Hong Kong Restaurant Workers Association. [14] [18] At that time different Kung Fu styles often met secretly with each other for challenge matches. [17] The most active Beimo competitors from Yip Man at the time were Wong, Wong Kiu (黃橋), and William Cheung (張卓興). [19] [20] [21] Because of these Beimo competitions, Yip Man's reputation grew in Hong Kong, and "students flocked to his school". [14]

These prearranged [16] Beimo matches were not competition fights "with rules, protective equipment or time limits." [4] They were illegal [14] and held in secret [1] places, as Wong said in an interview, " When I competed, it was in secret. We went into a room, and the door was shut and there were no rules. The government did not allow them. They were illegal, but we didn't care. We fought until the other guy was knocked out." [22] Beimo competitions were held anywhere "that was found to be convenient" [2] Wong stated in his article about Beimo, "During these celebrated 'contests', which took place on rooftops, in back alleys, behind closed doors, in the countryside and anywhere else that was found to be convenient." [2] Some Beimo competitions were held "on-the-streets" in Hong Kong. [23] [24]

[edit] Wing Chun's "King of Beimo"

Wong Shun Leung was said to have faced pre-arranged [16] opponents of many disciplines ("virtually every style of martial art in the colony") [8] from "kung-fu, karate, Western boxing and many other fighting styles", [13] (including "fencing" [25]) and claimed he was undefeated in his 60 or more Beimo matches. [16] Some believed Wong had over 100 of these matches and never lost. [3] [22] [26] [7] As an undefeated Beimo fighter, Wong said he defeated his Boxing coach with Wing Chun techniques, conflicting with other versions in which he said he beat his Boxing coach and quit Boxing before he learned Wing Chun from Yip Man. "I was sparring with my instructor and I hit him very hard, He got real mad and came at me very hard. I fought back with Wing Chun and he ended up bleeding. Boxing was over for me", said Wong Shun Leung in an interview. [27]

At that time students from different schools sometimes visited each other's schools and issued challenge to their top students and instructors. If a student was able to beat the "main teacher" or the Master of a particular school, the school would need to be closed down. [28] According to some Yip Man's first generation students, Wong "reputedly 'closed down' quite a number of schools in that way." [28] They even said that Wong Shun Leung had beaten ten Praying Mantis instructors in "one-on-one fighting" within one week. [21]

Those who knew Wong at the time said that he "won the majority of these contests within a few punches" [29] and that it usually took him three punches to beat an opponent. [30] David Peterson [10] once told Combat Magazine, "Wong Shun Leung, they say that in his fight days, he rarely went beyond three techniques and generally speaking it was three punches." [31] He also wrote an article on his sifu after his death and stated that "...it was said that he never took more than three punches to finish a fight. Wong sifu, it has been stated by all who knew him, never lost a fight in all his years of beimo..." [13]

Because of his prowess as a Beimo fighter , Wong convinced his secondary school classmate, Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南), to become his first student after Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南) witnessing his win in a Beimo competition. [32] In addition, he encouraged his junior fellow students and his own students to compete in these competitions and arranged matches for them. [16] [33] Siu Yuk Men (蕭煜民), Chan Chi Man (陳志文), Chu Shong Tin (徐尚田), and others have mentioned that "He would say to his more experienced students, 'After you have practised for a time, you should go out and test yourself to gauge your level of skill." [33] However, Wong finally had to put an end to Beimo competition because "his students were defeating not only other Kung Fu styles but also other students of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) outside of the Wong Shun Leung family." [16]

Wong Shun Leung is widely recognized today in the Wing Chun world as an undefeated Beimo fighter who was able to have "let his hands do the talking" [4] by winning the majority [4] of his 100 or more Beimo matches within just "three punches". [4] He had also established a reputation as "The King of Competition" [34], "King of the Challengers" [35] or "King of the Challenge Fight". [36] Also, many of his students now refer to him as "one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century" [35] based on his victories in secret [1] illegal rooftop fighting competitions [14] (also known as Beimo).

[edit] Most Famous Beimo Match

"Wong Shun Leung vs. Giko" is perhaps the most often mentioned Beimo match by Wong students and historians, according to David Peterson, [10] Wong's student, this match was said to have been arranged by an anonymous reporter ("now a resident in Australia" [8]) who worked for an anonymous "prominent Hong Kong newspaper of the day". [4] Wong Shun Leung (stood barely 5 ft 6 in tall and weighed around 120 lbs) was said to have easily defeated Giko, depicted as "a visiting Russian boxer" who weighed over 250 lbs and stood 6 ft 6 in. [4]

A UK source says, "Wong was set to fight a Giant Russian boxer named Giko who weighed approx 18-19 stone and towered over Wong by over 12 inches (Wong weighed in at around 9&1/2 stone and 5foot 6inches). The outcome was Wong defeating the Giant with just three punches!" [5] After the match the anonymous reporter asked Wong Shun Leung if he was the "best fighter in the world", and he simply replied, "No ... I am the second best." Then, the anonymous reporter asked, "Then who is?" Wong Shun Leung replied, "I have not met him yet." [5]

[edit] Giko and the Anonymous Reporter: Mysteries Solved

It was all such mysteries until 14 May, 2005 when John Smith, [37] David Peterson's student, finally disclosed Giko's identity in www.takeforum.com. "Giko was a Russian boxing champion". He also says, "The Giko and the guy who set up the fight entred into Sifu's school at the time and they could find no gloves that would fit the big Russians hands. Then it was suggested that they both fight bare knuckle. The rest is history, Sifu tore apart the Russian." [38] According to John Smith, Wong Shun Leung had explained to him how he was able to defeat "such as a monster". John Smith said, "Sifu told me footwork and using the ground (i.e. rooting). [38]

On 19 May, 2005 John Smith [37] also disclosed the identity of the anonymous Hong Kong reporter who arranged the fight. "This was told to me by WSL (Wong Shun Leung) himself....If you can track down John Moore who was a West Australian journalist that was based in Hong Kong at the time and set up and reported on numerous fights that Sifu had during the sixties....It was John Moore that brought the Giko into the school." [38]

[edit] Won Two Matches on TV

Less known publicly, Wong was also a weapons expert. According to Gary Lam (林文學) [39], Wong's top student, his sifu once sparred with a fencing champion on TV with his Wing Chun Butterfly Knives, also known as Eight Cut Knives (八斬刀). [40] Despite the fencing champion's weapon was much longer and more flexible than the Butterfly Knives, Wong managed to win two consecutive matches easily. "...several years ago my Sifu, the late Wong Shun Leung, sparred with a champion western fencer on television. Wong easy beat the fencer, and when the fencer complained Wong had an unfair advantage with two swords, Wong offered him a second blade and beat him again." [41] After the two matches, the fencing champion became a student of Wong Shun Leung. [41]

[edit] Retirement from Beimo Competition

Since Beimo matches were "no rules", [29] "no protective equipment", [29] and "full contact" [5] fights, Wong blinded his opponent's eye in his last match. Then, he decided to quit Beimo fighting. "It was also the real brutality of Beimo that convinced Sigung Wong to eventually stop fighting, having accidentally blinded his final opponents left eye", as stated by Gregory E. LeBlanc, grand student of Wong Shun Leung, in Qi Sao, The Soul of Wing Chun. [42]

Lee Hang Cheong (李恆昌) has also mentioned this incident in one of his articles about his sifu (Wong). According to his article, Wong was 24 years old when he used provocative languages to make a man, depicted as "一位武林名宿" (a 'well-known sifu in the martial arts circle'), angry and accept his challenge, and the fight became his last Beimo match.

The 'well-Known sifu' said, "All martial artists of my generation and I are righteous. We are dedicated to helping people and providing people with benevolent healing and treatment. Despite the fact that I can fight, I can also heal people with my 'Tit Dar' (bone-setting) skills, . I am not like your sifu. He lets a student like you with poor conduct out in order to destroy the normal pattern of regularity in the martial arts world. You are an immoral loser of the martial art world!" ( "....該名宿說:『我輩練武之人,行俠仗義,濟世為懷。我既懂打人,亦懂跌打醫人。不像你師傅般的亂放你這個劣徒出來搗亂武林秩序,正一武林敗纇!" )

Wong replied, "I have to fight you first before I know whether or not you can fight. But I am sure you are good at healing people because there is a common saying that 'a sickman with chronic illness becomes a notable doctor'. You must have got beaten up many times before, and you must have lost every match you had fought. Every time when you got hurt, you healed yourself. Time after time, you became a notable doctor, and that's happened to the people of your generation." ( ".... 黃淳樑說:『懂不懂打人要打過才知,醫術高明卻可以肯定。所謂久病成明醫,你必定是被人打得多,每戰必敗,每次是自巳醫自巳,久而久之成名醫,正是你輩中人。』" )

The 'well-Known sifu' became very angry and accepted Wong Shun Leung's challenge. During the fight Wong Shun Leung's right fist striked his left eye very hard. Whack! The 'well-known sifu' covered his face with his hands and fell to the ground. Then, he rolled back and forth and cried out loud, "Oh My eye!....Oh My eye!" as blood began to come out between his fingers. ( "....『拍』的一聲,然後該名宿雙手蓋著面倒在地上典來典去,口中狂叫:『我的眼啊!我的眼啊!』雙手的指間滲著血水流出。" )

Afterwards, Wong Shun Leung confirmed that the left eye of the 'well-known sifu' had been blinded by his fist. ( " 該名宿最後証實一隻左眼己廢。" ) Since the 'well-known sifu' had no intention to fight him in the first place, Wong Shun Leung regretted that he had forced the 'well-known sifu' into a brutal fight with him. He also felt greatly regretful that he had blinded him. Therefore, he decided to quit "Beimo" fighting. [43]

[edit] Questions Raised Concerning Lee Hang Cheong's Article

Firstly, there is a discrepancy between Lee Hang Cheong's article and other sources regarding Wong's age when he retired from Beimo competition. Sources say he competed in the 50's and 60's until age 32. [29] [4] [2][5][13] Lee Hang Cheong (李恆昌) said he blinded his last opponent and quit Beimo competition when he was about age 24. [43]

Many people believe that it was a street fight provoked by exchange of insulting language between Wong Shun Leung and the 'well-known sifu' and their impulsive behaviour. Based on an interview with Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強), [44] Wong Shun Leung's student, conducted by John Smith [37], they argue that if it had been a "Beimo" competition, it would have been a "pre-arranged" [16] match and that Wong Shun Leung was not supposed to have attacked his opponent's eye. [16] There was a set of "Beimo" competition rules in which it did NOT allow eye attacks as Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強) [44] said, "There were also no attacks to the eyes, throat or groin, but everything else could be applied..." [16] Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強) also said that there were three two-minute rounds in a "Beimo" match. [16] According to Ray Van Raamsdonk, [45] most "Beimo" matches were "won with simple combination punches to the body. Dangerous strikes to the neck, head, and groin were never used." [20] On the contrary, others say that these were "no rules" and "no time limits" matches. [29] [4] [5]

Moreover, many people question whether or not a referee was present at the Beimo match as Cheong (李恆昌) did not mention it in his article. Based on the Dr. C.K. Khoe (Wong Kiu's student) seminar notes, a Beimo fight always had a referee. "The fights in Hong Kong always had a referee. You flip a coin for who attacks first. Usually one person ends up bloody and the fight is stopped." [46] When Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南) [32] fought his "pre-arranged" [16] opponent in a Beimo competition, there was a referee present at the rooftop of the building, and the referee was Wong Kiu (黃橋) as shown in the "Picture Gallery" of his website. [47] Also, according to Life and Legend of Bruce Lee 李小龍的生與死, [48] there was supposed to be a referee present at a Beimo match as Wong re-enacted the scene of a 1950's Beimo competition on the rooftop of a building and played the role of the referee.

[edit] Open Kung Fu Competition

On 22 November, 1957, the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (台港澳國術比賽) was first held in Taiwan. Thirty-two competitors from Hong Kong and Macau formed a team and participated in this competition, [49] and only two Hong Kong competitors managed to gain victory. [50] Wong Shun Leung (黃淳樑) represented Hong Kong Wing Chun and entered this competition. Because of his alias the "King of Talking with the Hands" [13] (講手王), Wong Shun Leung became a featured competitor and attracted a lot of attention. [49]

[edit] Disappointment Over the Organizing Committee's Decision

Shortly before the opening of the Competition, the Organizing Committee decided to make different weight classes and crown one competitor champion in each. Wong Shun Leung was disappointed over this decision as he could not become the only Crowned Champion. In fact, he had expressed his disappointment in the poem titled 「豈料三分齊」 (In English: How Could I Have Thought of the Qi State Divided into Three Kingdoms?) which was later published in a Hong Kong newspaper. [49]

[edit] Only Open Match

Wong reluctantly competed in his weight class and had a preliminary match with Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲), a Taiwanese fighter known for his powerful kicks. [49] Wong was knocked out and eliminated in his first fight. [49] [51]

After the competition, Wong returned to Hong Kong and discussed his knockout defeat with his sifu, Yip Man. Wong was shown a technique which he could have used to deal with his opponent's attack. "....after one memorable fight that took place in Taiwan where Wong sifu was unable to completely deflect one particular low attack thrown by a crouching opponent. After much discussion with his teacher, Wong was shown a technique which could be added to his basic siu nim tau form so as to take into account the particular shortcoming in his repertoire." [13]

Later Wong was hit when he used Chum Sau (沉手), the "Sinking Hand", [52] to block a low attack. "The punch came in too low and he got hit." [53] Yip Man told him that he should have used Gaun Sao (耕手) to block the low attack, and therefore, "Wong Shun Leung added a movement in the first set that emphasizes this (Gaun Sao 耕手 movement)." [53] Since then, members of the Yip Man Wing Chun family began to hear rumours that the technique Yip Man showed Wong Shun Leung after his defeat by knockout in Taiwan was Gaun Sao (耕手). Gaun Sao (耕手), also known as the "Cultivating Hand", [52] which is simply a "low block return to center" [54] and is similar to the Outer Forearm Low Block in Karate and Taekwondo (except the Wing Chun Gaun Sao is with the four fingers extended). Outer Forearm Low Block (or Lower Forearm Block or Forearm low block) is a basic defensive technique that white belts in Karate and Taekwondo need to know for their first grading. [55] [56] [57]

Wong never competed in open competitions again because after he was knocked out in Taiwan and became depressed. "Huang ( Wong Shun Leung ) had to go to Taiwan by himself and was defeated. He became very depressed after that and never fought again." [58] Although Wong never competed in open competitions again, he continued to compete in "illegal rooftop fighting competitions" ("Beimo") in Hong Kong and continued to win every "Beimo" match (including his most famous match with the 6-ft-6-inch & 250-lb Russian boxing champion [38], Giko). [5] Many of his students now refer to him as "one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century" [35] based on his victories in "secret" [1] "illegal rooftop fighting competitions" [14] (also known as "Beimo").

[edit] Sifu Dave Lacey Comments

The following is quoted in its entirety from DAVE LACEY "LAI DAI WAI" - Buck Sing Choy Lay Fut's Unrepentant "Black Panther", Interview by Karl Longley for Impact International martial arts magazine :

Master Lai Hung was only in his early twenties ...As he had returned from the South East Asian Full Contact Kung Fu Championships hosted in Taiwan in 1957, he was very famous as he has brought back a lot of glory for the Hong Kong martial artists. This tounament had fighters from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau Hong Kong, etc, and it did not last for one day - it lasted for a period of four days. The tournament was very rough as the fighters only wore fingerless mitts and due to the large number of fighters who were seriously injured, the tournament was described as a "bloodbath". Lai Hung had to fight four elimination fights and he was pitted against Taiwan's toughest champions - fighters with nick names like "Iron Leg Lim", "King of the kicks", etc. Undaunted though, Lai Hung displayed great courage and superior martial skills by defeating all four of his opponents - sending two of them flying out of the ring, with blood splattering everyone near the ring. Of all the fighters representing the Hong Kong Chinese martial arts circles, only two managed to gain victory in the championships - Lai Hung and his si-hing, Chan Woo Leung. All of the other Hong Kong fighters among them Wing Chun's well known Wong Shun Leung, were all defeated. [50]

[edit] David Peterson Comments

[edit] Dated 30 May, 2005, Quoted in Its Entirety from Ving Tsun Forum:

At the urging of very senior members of the Yip Man Wing Chun Fraternity in Hong Kong, who are outraged by the deflamatory remarks that have been directed at my late Sifu, I am hereby attempting to set the record straight on this matter. Without mentioning specific names or personal matters associated with this incident, the simple truth is that Wong Shun Leung entered the tournament in question, which took place in Taiwan in 1957, in less than his best physical condition. Leading up to the event, he had been "led astray" by a younger WC brother who was at the time seeking to learn from my Sifu, and whom had managed to distract my teacher from his normal training regime. Prior to this time, Wong Shun Leung was fully established as the fiercest and most successful fighter in the WC Clan, if not in all of Hong Kong. His exploits were regularly reported in the newspapers of the day and his ability as a fighter was common knowledge. To cut to the chase, Wong Shun Leung was actually WINNING the fight in question and had totally overwhelmed his opponent, despite not being in peak condition, and he had knocked his opponent down when he was himself injured. As his opponent fell, his legs flew upwards, one of them striking my Sifu in the lower abdomen, severely winding him and causing painful muscle spasms. As a result, the fight was awarded to the opponent on a technicality because he was able to return to his feet, whilst Wong Shun Leung was not. Yes, he was carried from the ring on a stretcher, but was not, as has been claimed, knocked out and defeated - he had already knocked his opponent down! As was stated by my Si-Bak Gung in Hong Kong, as far as those of his generation are concerned, Wong Shun Leung was NEVER beaten and this particular event, in their eyes, does not constitute a loss at all. As a postscript to these comments, my teacher NEVER laid claim to being anything other than a teacher and follower of the WC system. All the titles and accolades have been bestowed upon him, including the title of 'Gong Sau Wong'. Funny thing is, no one ever challenged his prowess when he was alive - all of the "attacks" have only come since his passing - it is sad when you consider how much he contributed to the development and fame of the art. Perhaps if those who are so quick to judge, question or criticise had met him, they might change their mind and recount their accusations. Wong Shun Leung was a gentleman, a scholar, a family man and a great teacher - he didn't boast, slander others or make false claims, ...but he could sure kick butt. Those who were around at the time all know the truth. DMP [59]

[edit] Dated 30 May, 2005 , Quoted in Its Entirety from www.takeforum.com:

On Sunday evening I received a phone call from Hong Kong, the caller being a senior member of the Yip Man Wing Chun Family (1st generation student), speaking on behalf of several of his WC Brothers. They are very annoyed that this "Stretcher Wong" nonsense has again started appearing on the Net and asked me to write something so as to put this matter to rest once and for all. They have nothing but the highest respect and admiration for Sifu and are adamant that he was NOT defeated during his illustrious "career" as the 'Gong Sau Wong' in Hong Kong. I was told several facts in confidence that I am not at liberty to mention (the truth be known, it would cast embarrassment upon more that one well-known person in the WC Family, as well as perhaps putting Sifu in a less than positive light, so I will only address the important facts here), but in short, Sifu was riding the crest of his "fame" as the 'beimo' champion of WC, and another, younger WC brother was desperate to learn from him (Yip Man did not like this person very much and had declined to teach him anything, as well as telling his senior students not to show him much), so the fellow concerned had done everything he could to distract Sifu from his training with a view to gaining private training from him. So successful were this guys efforts to lure Sifu from his training regime that I was told that he was in very poor condition prior to this match in Taiwan, and at Yip Man's birthday party that year had been seen to be "skin and bones" and very much out of shape not long before the match. Yip Man had urged several of his Sihing-dai, including my phone caller, to work with Sifu and try to get him prepared for the fight, but when the day came he was still not in the best of shape. Despite this, he was in fact beating his opponent quite soundly and knocked him to the ground. It was at this point where "dumb luck" intervened, whereby as the opponent hit the ground, his legs flew up, one of them striking Sifu solidly in the lower abdomen. He collapsed to the floor, winded and suffering severe stomach cramps, and was thus unable to return to his feet for the count, whereas his opponent was, being awarded the fight on a technicality. Yes, Sifu was taken from the ring on a stretcher, but recovered soon after and was not, as has been suggested, beaten to a pulp in the ring. He had already WON by knocking the guy down!!! Thus, as far as his Sihing-dai are concerned, he did NOT lose this fight, and as far as they are concerned, did not lose ANY of his fights during those celebrated years. They are all very proud of his achievements and hold him in the highest regard, believing that it is totally disgraceful that these faceless critics would attempt to defame him now that he is no longer alive to defend himself. Those of us who knew him when he was alive know that he was not a braggart, that he NEVER claimed to be anyone special. He refused to take credit for Bruce Lee's skills, even though he played a major role in Lee's formulative years as a martial artist, did not publicly run anyone down and never named names when recounting episodes from his past. He was a gentleman, a scholar, a humble and honest man. I hope that these fools will allow him to rest in peace and be grateful for all that Wong Shun Leung gave to WC instead of trying to make themselves out to be better men - they most certainly are NOT better men, let alone better exponents and/or teachers of the Wing Chun system. They could do worse than follow his example of how to embody a true master of the art. DMP [60]

[edit] First-Day Showing in Hong Kong

The documentary film on the competition was played in a Hong Kong cinema shortly after the competition finished in Taiwan. The first-day showing of this documentary film was on 12 February, 1958. [49] For those who were around at the time and have watched the fight between Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) and Wong Shun Leung all know exactly what happened -- How Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) knocked out Wong with his powerful kick!

Since this 1957 Kung Fu competition was reported in Hong Kong newspapers, newspapers from 1957 covering details of the Wu Ming Jeet vs. Wong Shun Leung match, what Wong said after the fight (his stunning excuses), and Wong's poem 「豈料三分齊」 (In English: How Could I Have Thought of the Qi State Divided into Three Kingdoms?) can be found in HKU libraries and Hong Kong's public libraries.

In 1974, Unicorn Chan (小麒麟), Bruce Lee's close friend since childhood,[61] said in a magazine interview that it was 1958 when Bruce Lee took him to watch a documentary film on Kung Fu competitions and that Bruce Lee had watched it seven times before within the last four days. [49] People began to wonder why Bruce Lee had watched the 1957 Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition documentary film so many times. Perhaps, it had something to do with his sihing, Wong Shun Leung, and what kind of impact did the Wu Ming Jeet vs. Wong Shun Leung fight have on the 17-year-old Bruce Lee? [49]

On 11 January, 1970, the 29-year-old Bruce Lee wrote a letter to Wong Shun Leung and said, "Actually, I have to thank you for leading me to walk on a practical road. Especially in the States, there are western boxers; I often practice with them too. There are many so-called masters in Wing Chun here, I really hope that they will not be so blind to fight with those western boxers...." [62]. The original letter written in Chinese can be found in the official website of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do HK Chapter Limited (香港振藩截拳道會有限公司).[12]

[edit] Wong Shun Leung and Hawkins Cheung

After his defeat by knockout in the 1957 Kung Fu tournament, Wong attended Karate classes in Hong Kong to improve his kicking techniques. [63] He also attended kick-boxing classes, as he said in an interview, "I studied kick boxing and Taijiquan....." [22]

Hawkins Cheung (張學健), known as one of the youngest students at Yip Man's school in the 1950's, was taught by his sihing, Wong, for a period of time ("Wong taught for Yip Man from the mid 'fifties through to 1969 before finally teaching in his own right....") [13] Following his sihing's footsteps, Cheung attended Karate classes in later years. Unlike his sihing, Cheung continued his Karate training for many years and achieved the rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt in Hong Kong before he left on a mission to help promoting Wing Chun in the United States of America after Yip Man's death in the late 1970's.[citation needed]

Today, Master Hawkins Cheung [23] holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Goju-Ryu Karate.[23] Like his sihing, Master Hawkins Cheung is widely known in the martial arts world for proving his combat Wing Chun skills "on the streets" in Hong Kong (alongside with his sihing, Wong Shun Leung, in the 1950's). Also, like his sihing, Master Hawkins Cheung is known to have been undefeated in "Beimo" fighting competitions. [23]

Following his sihing's footsteps, Master Hawkins Cheung [23] is a world-renowned Wing Chun expert and has been featured in many of the world's leading martial arts magazines, including Black Belt Magazine, Inside Kung Fu, [64] and Martial Arts illustrated [65]. He has instructed many students from the F.B.I. and various U.S. military special units such as the Marine Corps Force Recon. [23] He has also trained actors within the entertainment industry for leading action roles in motion pictures, both in the U.S. and Hong Kong.[citation needed]

Master Hawkins Cheung is now based in Los Angles, California, and is publicized as the most senior Yip Man Wing Chun instructor in America [23] and a Bruce Lee sidai. Like his sihing, Master Hawkins Cheung openly talked about his friendship with Bruce Lee and let the public learn more about the role he had played in the life of the teenage Bruce Lee. His sihing, Wong, had written two well-known articles about his experiences with Bruce Lee - Wong Shun Leung on Bruce Lee (disclosure of his secret sparring with Bruce Lee) [62] and Wong Shun Leung and His Friendship with Bruce Lee [11]. Master Hawkins Cheung works with Inside Kung Fu Magazine, and the magazine has published the following four-part interview with Master Hawkins Cheung: [66]

  1. Growing up in Hong Kong with Bruce Lee in the 1950's [67]
  2. Hawkins and Bruce meet again in the mid 1960's [68]
  3. Wing Chun: Bruce Lee's Mother Art [69]
  4. Bruce's Classical Mess [70]

Wong Shun Leung had starred in a Wing Chun training video (Wing Chun: the Science of In-fighting). [29] Unlike his sihing, Master Hawkins Cheung did not star in just one Wing Chun training video, instead he starred in a training video series featuring Bruce Lee's martial art -- Hawkins Cheung Presents: How Bruce Lee's Wing Chun style developed into Jeet Kune Do (Volume One, Volume Two and Volume Three). [71]

However, the most significant difference between Wong Shun Leung and Master Hawkins Cheung is that Master Hawkins Cheung never claimed that he had been invited by Bruce Lee to participate in the making of his movies.

[edit] Controversial Position in the Making of Bruce Lee's Movies

[edit] Speculated Role in Game of Death

Although the Game of Death (死亡遊戲) cast scripts show the five selected martial artists to play the guardian of each floor of the pagoda (Hwang In-Shik, Taky Kimura, Dan Inosanto, Ji Han Jae and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) [72], some people suggest that there was supposed to be another floor above the 5th floor (the Floor of the Unknown) guarded by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. [73] Since Wong Shun Leung said that Bruce Lee invited him in or about May 1973 to play a role in Game of Death (死亡遊戲) [62], some Wong Shun Leung disciples believe that Wong Shun Leung was invited to play the role of Bruce Lee's highest-level opponent on the 6th floor.

Some people argue that the 6th floor would be the attic as the setting of the pagoda (Beopjusa Temple in Korea) was a five-level building and that Wong Shun Leung was invited to play the Guardian of the Attic. However, many movie fans and film critics have found these speculations entirely unconvincing because what kind of greater challenge that the Guardian of the Attic (or Wong Shun Leung) would give Bruce Lee, especially after encountering his greatest challenge in the "supersized" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Floor of the Unknown and defeating him only by weakening him with exposure to daylight (knowing his weakness - an unusual sensitivity to light).

There are speculations about a promised role for Wong Shun Leung in Game of Death (死亡遊戲) was because of what Wong Shun Leung said in one of his articles about Bruce Lee. "About two months before he died he gave me a phone call....After this he left Hong Kong to settle his film business. When he came back, he called me up and wanted me to participate in the making of "The Game of Death". He had also invited me to the studio to attend a screen test. I did not promise to act in the film, yet I still went to attend the screen test to please him." [62]

This speculation has not ended despite the recovery of the incomplete original footage of the Game of Death, which was shown on AMC. This footage clearly shows Lee's character descending the pagoda immediately after his victory over Jabbar's character.

[edit] Attendance to the Screen Test for Game of Death

Due to the filming of Enter the Dragon (龍爭虎鬥) commenced in February 1973, [49] Game of Death (死亡遊戲) had been put on hold after Bruce Lee finished his fight scenes inside the pagoda with Dan Inosanto, Ji Ha Jae, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wong Shun Leung was arranged to attend a screen test on the set of Enter the Dragon while Bruce Lee had finished shooting the film and was working on dubbing.

According to Wong Shun Leung, Bruce Lee called him "About two months before he died" [62] and "left Hong Kong to settle his film busineess." [62] "When he came back", he invited Wong Shun Leung "to participate in the making of Game of Death" and also invited him "to the studio to attend a screen test." [62]

It is a fact that Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong from his last trip to America in late May 1973. [49] Therefore, Wong Shun Leung was believed to attend the screen test sometimes in June 1973, one month before Bruce Lee's death. There is footage of Wong Shun Leung sparring with a hand-pick extra from the Golden Harvest studio on the set of Enter the Dragon contained within the documentary Bruce Lee: the Legend (1977) to verify this. [74]

  • REMARKS:
    • 1) Video clips of Wong Shun Leung sparring with a hand-pick extra from the Golden Harvest studio on the set of Enter the Dragon circulate on mainstream websites.

[edit] Turned Down An Important Role in Game of Death

It was said that Bruce Lee always wanted to involve Wong Shun Leung in his movies. He offered Wong Shun Leung the role of his final opponent on the final floor of the pagoda in Game of Death (死亡遊戲), but Wong Shun Leung declined his offer. "I told him that I didn't want to go and die in my first movie!....I wasn't in dire financial straits at the time, so I didn't have to do the film [just] to make money," said Wong Shun Leung in a 1986 interview by Bey Logan for Britain's Combat Magazine. [4] The role of Bruce Lee's final opponent on the final floor of the pagoda was therefore "later to be played by basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar". [4]

The first scene inside the pagoda believed to be filmed in September 1972 was the fight scene between Bruce Lee (5 foot 7 inches in height) and his former student, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who stood 7 foot 2 inches. [75] It was during the time when Way of the Dragon (猛龍過江) was still undergoing editing and dubbing [49]and the 1972-73 NBA season was fast approaching. It seemed that Bruce Lee really wanted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to come to Hong Kong and finish the fight scene before he had to attend the pre-season training camp for 1972-73 NBA season, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said in 1993, " It was Summer 1972....Bruce called me and asked me if I'd want to be in his movie. He called looking for me, and he got my number. We had three weeks between when school ended and I had to go to the training camp for the NBA....We didn't even have any working agreement. We did the film....He (Bruce) said we will get the particulars worked out later." [76]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, being Bruce Lee's greatest challenge at the top level of the pagoda in Game of Death (死亡遊戲), represented the highest level in Bruce Lee's vision of combat fighting -- Top Physique, Top Conditioning, No Style, No Form, No Correct Response to Any Situation, and Ready for Whatever May Come. It was very important to Bruce Lee that whoever played this role would be able to show his superb physique and superb conditioning in order to respond efficiently and effectively to any unpredictable situation in the movie by executing and defending against various techniques of kicking, punching, trapping, and grappling.

In a less publicized interview (date unknown), Wong Shun Leung said that he delcined Bruce Lee's offer because he did not think his Wing Chun moves would look good in films (a second version of why he declined Bruce Lee's offer), as he said "It was for Game of Death, but I declined because I thought that the moves of Wing Chun style wouldn’t look good on film. I think the Wing Chun method is ugly for movies but very good and very logical for real fighting." [27]

[edit] Appearance on the Set of Enter the Dragon?

Many Wong Shun Leung disciples believe that Wong Shun Leung had choreographed some of the scenes in Enter the Dragon (龍爭虎鬥), as they say "....when shooting 'Enter the Dragon' in Hong Kong, he (Bruce Lee) invited Wong to come on location to discuss the fight scenes." [4] "Wong in fact had been invited to choreograph some of the fight scenes in 'Enter the Dragon' .....", [3] "When Lee was shooting 'Enter the Dragon' in Hong Kong, he even invited Wong sifu on to the set to discuss the fight scenes...." [13] However, the official crew list does NOT show Wong Shun Leung as a fight scene choreographer or assistant fight scene choreographer or even guest-appeared fight scene choreographer.

According to the documentary film of Bruce Lee: 龍一九七三以後 (Dragon Since 1973), [77] [78] Lam Ching Ying (林正英) and Bee Chan (陳會毅) were best known as Bruce Lee's most trusted assistants, and they had discussed many of the fight scenes in Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee. This documentary film entirely consists of interviews with people from Hong Kong, mostly those who worked with Bruce Lee back in his Golden Harvest days. In fact, NONE of the interviewees, including Bee Chan (陳會毅), Shek Kin " Mr. Han in Enter the Dragon " (石堅), and Chaplin Chang "Assistant Director-Enter the Dragon" (張欽鵬), has mentioned that Wong Shun Leung was invited to work as a fight scene choreographer on the set of Enter the Dragon. [77]

Wong Shun Leung disciples also say that there is a photo of Wong Shun Leung and Bruce Lee and Raymond Chow (鄒文懐) on the set of Enter the Dragon (the weapon room) [3] [9] to verify that Wong Shun Leung was invited to choreograph fight scenes in Enter the Dragon. However, many people have pointed out that Wong Shun Leung is in the same outfit in the photo [3] [9] as he wears in the footage of himself sparring with a hand-pick extra from the Golden Harvest studio on the set of Enter the Dragon (also the weapon room) [74]. Therefore, they conclude that the photo was taken during the time when Wong Shun Leung was attending the screen test for Game of Death (死亡遊戲).

[edit] Filmography

It is unknown why Wong was not on the official cast list for Game of Death. Perhaps, as he said in his article, Wong Shun Leung on Bruce Lee, he went to attend the screen test to please Bruce Lee. [62] Then, later on, as he told Britain's Combat Magazine in 1986, he told Bruce Lee that "....I didn't want to go and die in my first movie!....", [4] and he "wasn't in dire financial straits at the time", [4] so he "didn't have to do the film [just] to make money" [4]

In 1973, shortly after Bruce Lee's death, Wong Shun Leung accepted a movie role offer and acted in Life and Legend of Bruce Lee (李小龍的生與死). [79] In this low-budget Chinese film, Wong Shun Leung played the role of "himself", an instructor at Yip Man's Wing Chun school who first met a teenager named Bruce Lee in the 1950's. After this low-budget Chinese film, Wong Shun Leung did not appear in another film again until twenty years later. In the 1993 documentary film of Bruce Lee: Death by Misadventure, Wong Shun Leung talked about his experience with Bruce Lee. [79] He also starred in a training video, entitled "Wing Chun: the Science of In-fighting," which was produced in the early 1980's. [29]

  • Death by Misadventure (1993): "The truth behind the mysterious death of Bruce Lee is exposed in this documentary that includes accounts by people who were present at the time of Lee's premature death." [80] In this documentary, Wong Shun Leung talks about his experience with Bruce Lee.

[edit] Demonstrations

Since the footage of Wong Shun Leung sparring with a hand-pick extra from the Golden Harvest studio on the set of Enter the Dragon is the only known existing footage of Wong Shun Leung in sparring, [74] it is considered highly valuable by many of his students who now refer to him as "one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century". [35] It shows Wong's way of fighting to all his disciples and historians.

[edit] Quality of Defeated Beimo Opponents?

Since almost all of his "Beimo" [2] opponents remained anonymous, many people have questioned the quality and calibre of the competitors that Wong beat in his alleged 100 or more matches. They argue that Hong Kong's highly regarded Kung Fu masters of the 1950's had never fought or would never have fought in secret "Beimo" [2] competition - just like Master Wu Kung-i (吳公儀) and Master Chan Hak Fu (陳克夫) and that most young high-calibre martial artists at the time would have preferred to represent their schools in Southeast Asian regional competitions - just like Lai Hung (黎雄) and Chan Woo Leung.

In the 1950's there was much debate about which Kung Fu style was the best, and somehow Master Wu Kung-i's Wu Style Tai-Chi Chuan and Master Chan Hak Fu's White Crane Kung Fu were among the most debated styles. Therefore, a famous fight took place in Macau on 17th January, 1954 between Master Wu Kung-i (吳公儀) and Master Chan Hak Fu (陳克夫), and the fight was conducted as a charity event to raise money for the Chinhu Hospital. This charity fight captured the attention of the press and public, and thousands of spectators witnessed the fight in Macau. [81] [82]

The young Lai Hung (黎雄) and Chan Woo Leung represented Hong Kong Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut (北勝蔡李佛) in 1957 Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (1957台港澳國術比賽), and they both won first place in their divisions [50] (Note: Wong Shun Leung was knocked out in his first fight in the same competition [49] and "was taken from the ring on a stretcher " [59] [60] ). In 1961 Lai Hung (黎雄) was chosen to represent Hong Kong Kung Fu Association to compete in Thailand. He was also nominated to represent Taiwan in the 3rd Asian Tournament, and he competed in the 1966 Kung Fu competition in Taiwan. [83] [84] However, both Lai Hung (黎雄) and Chan Woo Leung are not known to have competed in "Beimo" [2] competition.

Besides, many Kung Fu schools at the time did not allow their students to compare skills with other stylists or compete in "Beimo" [2] competition. Tai Sing Pap Kar Moon (大聖劈掛門), also known as Monkey Kung Fu, [85] was one the schools that strictly prohibited its students from participating in any form of fighting. Grandmaster Ken Tak Hoi (耿德海) was best known for prohibiting his students from fighting with others outside the school. He repeatedly told his students that he would expel them if they broke the rule. [86]

[edit] A Fighting Legend?

Apart from "Beimo" competition, "Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) vs. Wong Shun Leung" in 1957 Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (1957台港澳國術比賽) is the ONLY documented proof of Wong Shun Leung's involvement in fighting competition, or at least it is the only widely-known and recognized fight of Wong Shun Leung, the "King of Talking with the Hands". [13] Unfortunately, Wong Shun Leung was knocked out by Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) [49] and "was taken from the ring on a stretcher ". [59] [60] More unfortunately, Wong Shun Leung "became very depressed " after his defeat by knockout in Taiwan and "never fought again ", in open competitions. [58]

Wong Shun Leung's 100 or more "Beimo" victories ( including his easy defeat of the 6-ft-6-inch & 250-lb Russian boxing champion, Giko, with just three punches [5] [38] ) were passed by word of mouth within the Wing Chun community. Although many Wing Chun people considered his 100 or more "Beimo" victories to be true, others outside the Wing Chun community considered the "King of Talking with the Hands" [13] story of Wong Shun Leung to be more fiction than fact.

Since "Beimo" competition was illegal and held secretly, the loser often denied involvement in the fight afterward, or both sides often claimed victory in dispute after the fight. For example, in the Eagle Claw Kung Fu Master vs. Wong Shun Leung fight, caused by Wong Shun Leung's challenge to the school, the winner grabbed the loser by the throat with his strong hand and made the loser surrender. However, the loser never openly talked about the incident and claimed that he was never defeated. Another example of the problem in "Beimo" competition was the Ni Yuk Tong (倪沃棠) vs. Wong Shun Leung fight. Ni Yuk Tong (倪沃棠) was a young White Crane Kung Fu instructor and a top volleyball player at the time. His "Beimo" match with Wong Shun Leung had once captured the attention of the martial arts community in Hong Kong. It was unfortunate that various versions surrounding the fight and that no one was sure what actually happened - where the fight took place, how they performed, and who won the fight. [49]

Nevertheless, Wong Shun Leung's 100 or more "Beimo" victories are meant to make Wing Chun more credible after all - just like the "legendary ( could be fictitious ) characters like Ng Mui and monk Gee Sin [87] could help to publicize Wing Chun". [20] The name "Wong Shun Leung", now referred to by many Wong Shun Leung disciples as "one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century" due to his 100 or more "Beimo" victories, [35] would surely help in publicizing Wing Chun in a more effective manner than the older legendary characters like Ng Mui (五梅師太) and monk Gee Sin Sim See [87] (至善禪師). Today, the stories of the "King of Talking with the Hands" [13] (講手王) are legends, and the 100 or more "Beimo" victories definitely make Wong Shun Leung (黃淳樑) sound too good to be true.

[edit] A Taboo Subject

Wong Shun Leung seemed to avoid telling people that he had competed in 1957 Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (1957台港澳國術比賽). Perhaps, his performance in the competition was a taboo subject for him as he got knocked out in his first fight and "was taken from the ring on a stretcher. " [59] [60] Since his reputation was world-wide as a Wing Chun master and a sought after seminar speaker, [88] [51] Wong Shun Leung had been interviewed many times. Here are two examples of how he dealt with the question relating to his participation in martial arts tournaments:


  • Wong Shun Leung's Answer on the Question of "Did you compete in any organized tournaments with rules?"
    • "Not in boxing. When I competed, it was in secret. We went into a room, and the door was shut and there were no rules. The government did not allow them. They were illegal, but we didn't care. We fought until the other guy was knocked out." [22]


  • Wong Shun Leung's Answer on the Question of "Did you ever consider competing in combat sports?"
    • "I have always liked Boxing. I like anything about fighting, but my kind of fighting is not the sport version. It is real fighting where there are no rules." [27]

Many people now think that Wong Shun Leung should have told the interviewers about his participation in 1957 Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (1957台港澳國術比賽). It is because nowadays many Wong Shun Leung disciples agree to what has been commented on his defeat by knockout in Taiwan, such as "Yes, he was carried from the ring on a stretcher, but was not, as has been claimed, knocked out and defeated - he had already knocked his opponent down!" [59] or "Yes, Sifu was taken from the ring on a stretcher, but recovered soon after and was not, as has been suggested, beaten to a pulp in the ring. He had already WON by knocking the guy down!!!" [60] Actually, they strongly believe that Wong Shun Leung "had already WON by knocking the guy down" [60] before he "was taken from the ring on a stretcher ". [59] [60] Therefore, in spite of the fact that Wong Shun Leung was knocked out by Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) and "was taken from the ring on a stretcher ", [59] [60] they can proudly say, "....as far as those of his generation are concerned, Wong Shun Leung was NEVER beaten and this particular event, in their eyes, does not constitute a loss at all." [59]

[edit] Lineage

Lineage in Wing Chun
Sifu Yip Man (葉問)

Wong Shun Leung (黃淳樑)
Known students Lewis Tei Luk (陸地) [89] [90]
Cliff Auyeung (歐陽劍文) [91]
Lee Hang Cheong (李恆昌) [92]
Bruce Lee
Nino Bernardo [93]
Lawrence Leung (Leung Chi Sing)
Gary Lam (林文學) [39]
David Peterson [10]
Philip Ng (伍允龍) [94]
Enzo Verratti [95]
Phillip Bayer [96]
Barry Lee [97]
Ernest Hofler
Clive Potter [3]
Anthony Kan [3]
Attilio Reale [98]
Desmond Law
Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南) [32]
Man Kit Lee
Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強) [44]
NG Chun-hong (吳振康) [99]
Chiu Hok Yin (趙學賢) [100]
Wan Kam-Leung (溫鑑良) [101]
Known grand students John Smith [37]
Gregory E. LeBlanc [102]
Michael Street
Kevin Gledhill [103]
Mark Potter [3]
Desmond Spencer
Alan Gibson [104]
Greg Manwaring
Guy Cofie [105]
Segun Johnson
Michael Louison
Andy Schulz
Renzo Tet

[edit] Trivia

  • Wu Ming Jeet (吳明哲) preferred NOT to take advantage of his knockout victory over Wong Shun Leung. After the 1957 Kung Fu competition, Wu Jeet Jeet (吳明哲) preferred to downplay his knockout power that put Wong Shun Leung on a stretcher, not wishing to take advantage of someone else’s misfortune. He refused to cash in on his knockout victory over Wong who was known as Bruce Lee's mentor and "played a major role in Bruce Lee's formulative years as a martial artist." [60] He insisted he was an ordinary martial artist with no special knockout achievement, and was never one to "blow his own trumpet". Wu Jeet Jeet (吳明哲) was not a braggart, that he NEVER claimed to be the person who knocked out the "King of Talking with the Hands" [13] or "one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century" [35] in an open competition match (not a secret "Beimo" match). He was a gentleman, a humble man, a great human being, and a positive role model - he didn't boast, give interviews to leading martial arts magazines on his powerful kick to Wong Shun Leung’s lower abdomen that sent him to the stretcher or write an article on what he learnt through tournament fighting, .....but he could surely make a fortune out of Wong Shun Leung's infamous loss.
  • Wong Shun Leung - The Wikiquote entry on Wong Shun Leung

[edit] Death insight?

Wong Shun Leung seemed to have the ability to know that a person might die within two months by observing the person's "physiological phenomena". When he was attending the screen test, in or about May 1973, arranged by Bruce Lee, he observed Bruce Lee's "physiological phenomena" and immediately sensed something bad. Two months later, Bruce Lee died. The following is quoted from Wong Shun Leung on Bruce Lee, by Wong Shun Leung : [62]

  • His eyes showed something, which was very familiar to me. I seemed to have seen that somewhere before....What I just saw in Bruce's eyes flowed up in my mind. Why did I feel familiar with that thing? Where had I seen that phenomenon? Finally I found the answer. I saw that phenomenon two months before my aunt passed away. Then I was still a small boy, but because my family had many doctors. I had also learnt some medical knowledge, and was more careful in observing physiological phenomena. I saw that the black and white Bruce's eyes were not clear... As I was thinking over these things, Bruce came out. I immediately asked him, " 'Do you feel tired? I see that the color of your eyes is different. Is it because you have stayed in a foreign land for a long time?'....He had just finished the making of Enter the Dragon... If you have seen that film, I think you will agree with my idea. In that film, his eyes are dull and dim. The look of his eyes in this film differs greatly with that of The Big Boss." [62]


  • Wong Shun Leung was a non-licensed Chinese traditional doctor. Due to the fact that there was no by-law regulation and licensing system of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong before July 1999, Wong did not have to pass licensing examination in order to work as a licensed Chinese traditional doctor and treat patients. The Chinese Medicine Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council in February 1999 and did not pass until July 1999. [106] Wong Shun Leung (1935-1997) [4] was born as the oldest son of a Chinese traditional doctor (herbalist and "Tit Dar" 跌打 bone-setting specialist) who was said to have passed his knowledge on to him. [13] Therefore, he called himself a Chinese traditional doctor or "doctor of herbal medicine" [107] or "doctor of traditional Chinese medicine" [8] and treated patients later in life. [13] Back then there were thousands of self-proclaimed Chinese traditional doctors in Hong Kong, and there was a common saying that "you go to a non-licensed doctor (including a Chinese traditional doctor) at your own risk."

[edit] Scholar

"He was also an accomplished self-taught calligrapher with a profound knowledge of ancient forms of writing unknown to many modern Chinese, with which he would spend many hours writing classical poetry." [29] Gary Lam [39] says, "He was also a highly sought after calligrapher." [107] David Peterson [10] says, "From time to time, both individuals and big businesses engaged his services as a calligrapher and he could command a high price for his work." [13] Some people believe that the most sought after masterpiece of Wong Shun Leung which can fetch a very high price is his calligraphic writing of his best-known poem 「豈料三分齊」[49] (In English: How Could I Have Thought of the Qi State Divided into Three Kingdoms?). Samples of Wong Shun Leung's calligraphy (including couplet in standard script) can be found in the official website of NG Chun-hong (吳振康) [99] and the official website of Nino Bernardo. [108]

[edit] Competitive swimmer

"I swim a lot. I used to swim in competitions as well, and my brother is a swimming champion too. If you do more punching, then you will get a lot of exercise too", said Wong Shun Leung in an interview by Daniel Poon for Qi Magazine. [22] However no other source has mentioned it.

[edit] On Bruce Lee

  • "On the whole, Wong preferred to downplay his role as Lee’s instructor, not wishing to take advantage of someone else’s achievements...." [4]

"Refusing to cash in on his connection with Bruce Lee..., Sifu Wong insisted he was a simple man with no special talent, and was never one to 'blow his own trumpet." [4]

  • "....he (wong Shun Leung) was not a braggart, that he NEVER claimed to be anyone special. He refused to take credit for Bruce Lee's skills, even though he played a major role in Lee's formulative years as a martial artist, did not publicly run anyone down and never named names when recounting episodes from his past." [60]

"Sifu (Wong Shun Leung) didn't like to take any credit at all for those achievements (Bruce Lee's), but it is quite clear that much of Lee's thinking was very much influenced by what he saw and heard of Sifu's own skills and approach to combat." [109]

  • "....he never personally claimed credit, was that Wong sifu was the late Bruce Lee’s most influential instructor prior to his departure to fame and glory in the United States....it was in fact under the direct instruction of Wong Shun Leung that he learnt his most valuable lessons, and it was Wong’s philosophy of combat that steered Lee in his quest for martial arts perfection." [110]
  • Wong Shun Leung said he and Bruce Lee had once met for 12 hours (1973); "Whenever he had the chance, Lee would meet with Wong when in Hong Kong, and they would spend hours discussing and testing ideas. Sifu once spoke of an occasion when he and Lee began discussing martial arts one evening, commencing at around 7.00pm. They were still at it at 7.00am the next morning, having talked, trained and tested their ideas all night!" [13] "In their many all night discussion-come-training sessions on those occasions when Lee returned to Hong Kong to work..." [36] In fact, Wong Shun Leung had re-enacted the scene of his 12-hour secret meeting with Bruce Lee in Life and Legend of Bruce Lee 李小龍的生與死. [48] Video clips of Wong Shun Leung self-performed re-enactment of his 12-hour secret meeting with Bruce Lee circulate on mainstream websites.
  • Wong secretly sparred with Bruce Lee at his home. According to Wong Shun Leung himself, he had to tell Bruce Lee that he could have hurt his throat. "His punch was swift and powerful. I had raised my hand in order to stop it, and used my other hand to pierce towards his throat, but my chest was still hit. As my fingers were half an inch from his throat, I stopped... OK. Let's try again....Although we did not use much of our force, we both were hit. He jumped away, and said, 'Leung (Wong), actually I hit you first. Do you think so?' I smiled and answered, 'Don't take it seriously. Who first hit the other is not the most important thing. It is the strength of the hit that matters. You are right. Your hand hit first, but my protecting hand had already dissolved much of your power. Truly, if you strike with all your force, I may not be able to stand it, but if the power is greatly reduced, the strike will not be so effective. On the other hand, my hand also grasped your throat. If we had really fought, surely you would know who would have been hurt more badly.'" [62]

[edit] Wong as a mentor?

"He (Wong Shun Leung) was also known as Bruce Lee's mentor and coach and continued to exchange ideas with him up until Bruce's death." [111] "He (Wong Shun Leung) is the man who can rightly claim to have been the late Bruce Lee's teacher...." [8] According to Wong, he continued to teach Bruce Lee when he was a super star in Hong Kong. Wong said to Lee,"If you punch horizontally from your chest against a man who weighs 200 pounds, it will not be easy for you to push him away. On the contrary, your punch will fold your body. The big man may throw his arms around. If you say your punch is heavy, you are being too subjective to bear your punch. Is there a professional boxer who does not weigh a few hundred pounds? Have they not been able to bear heavy punches? But if you punch in a straight line, even though you cannot push them, the reaction will draw you back. You can still keep your opponent at a distance. Certainly, if your opponent is weak, this action will look even more beautiful. In your film, you can do your own way. But don't let it develop into a bad habit and unconsciously regard it as the most powerful strike." [62]

  • Bruce Lee was very influenced by Wong Shun Leung. "Many of the personal fighting concepts Lee would eventually become famous for can be traced back to the lessons he learned from Sifu Wong and, even after obtaining fame and fortune from his martial arts and film careers...." [4] "Over the years, Lee would strive to be able to overcome the skill of his teacher, using Wong's level of expertise as the yardstick by which he measured his own development as a fighter. But try as he might, Bruce Lee was never able to defeat Wong Shun Leung in combat." [4]
  • Bruce Lee quoted Wong in Enter the Dragon. "He (Wong Shun Leung) originally described it as the finger pointing at the moon, what Bruce Lee was quoting in ‘Enter the Dragon’; Bruce Lee was very influenced by my teacher and it was very likely that he got the expression from Wong Shun Leung. Sift felt that the whole idea of Biu Ji was to make you look outside the system and see what else is out there...." [112]
  • Bruce Lee was said to have credited Wong Shun Leung with over 100 victories. "Bruce Lee credited Wong with hundreds of victories, but conservative estimates suggest something along the lines of at least 50 to 60 such matches, with Wong always emerging as the winner." [8]
  • Grandmaster Yip Man was said to have credited Wong Shun Leung with whatever successes that Bruce Lee would have in his future. "It is reported Grandmaster Yip Man, on learning what had transpired, took Wong aside and said, 'If someday Siu Lung [Bruce] succeeds, the credit should rightfully go to you'." [4]
  • Bruce Lee would have given up on the martial arts if Wong Shun Leung had not coached him in his first Beimo fight. "....Wong coached him between rounds, encouraging Lee to continue when it seemed that he was about to give up." [8] "If Wong Shun Leung had not persuaded him to fight on, Bruce might have given up on the martial arts altogether." [113]
  • Wong Shun Leung was not the first person who taught Bruce Lee Wing Chun and trained him. It was William Cheung (張卓興). Bruce Lee was introduced to Wing Chun by him and was first trained under his supervision, as William Cheung recalled, "It was I who introduced Bruce Lee to Wing Chun School in the summer of 1954....As I was his Kung Fu Senior of many years, I was instructed by Grandmaster Yip man to train him." [114] But, after he left for Australia, Bruce Lee began to train with Wong Shun Leung. [9] [4] [29] Wong Shun Leung had also admitted it as he said in an interview, "I taught Bruce Lee privately and also watched him train under Yip Man at the school. William Cheung introduced Bruce Lee to the wing chun system. Bruce trained and studied wing chun from me for over one-and-a-half years." [27] If William Cheung had left for Australia in 1957 [17] as Duncan Leung (梁紹鴻) [115] said, Bruce Lee would have studied Wing Chun from Wong Shun Leung for "over one-and-a-half years" as Bruce Lee became a student at Yip Man's school in 1953 and left for San Fransico in 1959. [116] However, Willam Cheung said in his official website that he did not leave for Australia until 1959. [15] Therefore, the question has been raised how long Bruce Lee had actually learned from Wong Shun Leung and how much he had actually learned from Yip Man.

[edit] A Poem by Wong Shun Leung

Expressing an Explicit Statement of His Disappointment Over the Decision of the Organizing Committee for 1957 the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Open Chinese Kung Fu Competition (1957台港澳國術比賽)

「豈料三分齊」

「本懷天下計,豈與三分齊,一朝伸抱負,未許日爭輝。」[49]


English Translation of 「豈料三分齊」[49] is as follows:


How Could I Have Thought of the Qi State Divided into Three Kingdoms?

My plan is to conquer the world,

how can I agree to the division of the Qi State into three Kingdoms?

One day when I pursue my ambitions,

I will not let the Sun take away my glory!

[edit] Quotes

"When I competed, it was in secret." [22]

Wong Shun Leung


"..... I am the second best ..... I have not met him ( the best fighter in the world ) yet." [5] [117] [7]

Wong Shun Leung


"As my fingers were half an inch from his ( Bruce Lee's ) throat, I stopped ....." [62]

Wong Shun Leung

" .... my Sifu, the late Wong Shun Leung, sparred with a champion western fencer on television. Wong easy beat the fencer .... " [41]

Gary Lam (林文學)

"Wong Shun Leung was a gentleman ..... and a great teacher - he didn't boast, slander others or make false claims ....." [59]

David Peterson


".... one of the greatest fighters of this ( 20th ) century, the late Wong Shun Leung ....." [35]

David Peterson

[edit] Recommended Reading

Wong Shun Leung on Bruce Lee, by Wong Shun Leung

Wong Shun Leung and His Friendship with Bruce Lee, by Wong Shun Leung

What I Have Learnt Through "Beimo", by Wong Shun Leung

Death of a legend, by David Peterson

Wong Shun Leung: the Legend Behind the Legend, Recalling the life of Bruce Lee's teacher, by David Peterson

Wong Shun Leung: Wing Chun Personified, by David Peterson

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e The Development of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) in Hong Kong (1954-60), by Ving Tsun Athletic Association (詠春體育會)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i What I Have Learnt Through "Beimo", by Wong Shun Leung
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun Kung Fu Association U.K. - Home Page
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Wong Shun Leung: the Legend Behind the Legend, Recalling the life of Bruce Lee's teacher, by David Peterson
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The History of Wing Chun: The late Wong Shun Leung, A Student of Yip Man, by Reading Academy
  6. ^ Ving Tsun Update: About Wong Shun Leung
  7. ^ a b c IMDB: Biography for Wong Sheun-Leung
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wong Shun Leung: Wing Chun Personified by David Peterson
  9. ^ a b c d Ving Tsun Update: Wong Shun Leung
  10. ^ a b c d e Melbourne Chinese Martial Arts Club (MCMAC): Sifu David Peterson
  11. ^ a b Wong Shun Leung and His Friendship with Bruce Lee, by Wong Shun Leung
  12. ^ a b Bruce Lee's Letter to Wong Shun Leung Dated 11 January, 1970 (Original Copy)
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q DEATH OF A LEGEND by David Peterson
  14. ^ a b c d e f Wing Chun UK: Ip Man - Bruce Lee's Teacher
  15. ^ a b www.cheungswingchun.com - Grandmaster William Cheung
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Yesteryear Ving Tsun by Yuen Yim Keung: Interview with Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強) by John Smith
  17. ^ a b c THE RISE AND FALL OF THE WING CHUN (VING TSUN) FAMILY, by Duncan Leung (梁紹鴻)
  18. ^ The Development of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) in Hong Kong (1950-53), by Ving Tsun Athletic Association (詠春體育會)
  19. ^ Wing Chun: A Thinking Man's Art, published in Inside KungFu magazine, March 1990
  20. ^ a b c The Wing Chun of Dr. G.K. Khoe, by Ray Van Raamsdonk
  21. ^ a b Wing Chun Kung-Fu Association - Yip Man
  22. ^ a b c d e f Interview with Wong Shun Leung, by: Daniel Poon, Qi Magazine
  23. ^ a b c d e f g Hawkins Cheung Profile
  24. ^ The Wong Shun Leung Method of Wing Chun Fung Fu
  25. ^ WING CHUN - The Science of In-Fighting, by David Peterson
  26. ^ Ng Family Martial Arts: Wong Shun Leung
  27. ^ a b c d Ving Tsun Update: Interview with Wong Shun Leung
  28. ^ a b Interview with Wong Shun Leung, by: Erle Montaigue
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wong Shun Leung
  30. ^ Fighting.nl: Wong Shun Leung
  31. ^ David Peterson: If you always assume that there’s always something to learn, you will always be successful!IInterview by COMBAT magazine
  32. ^ a b c Ving Tsun Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南)
  33. ^ a b Wong Shun Leung, the Legend, by Cliff Auyeung (歐陽劍文) and Lewis Luk, (Translated by Buick Yip and David Peterson)
  34. ^ Chiu Hok Yin (趙學賢), My Introduction
  35. ^ a b c d e f g “Get Out Of The Way, ...And Make Them Pay”, The Street-Effective Footwork Of Wing Chun, by David Peterson
  36. ^ a b Ving Tsun By Definition, Getting It Right ...the “Wong Way”!!!, by David Peterson & Enzo Verratti
  37. ^ a b c d Illawarra Ving Tsun School: John Smith
  38. ^ a b c d e www.takeforum.com, Wong Shun Leung: the man and his method
  39. ^ a b c About Gary Lam (林文學)
  40. ^ The Wing Chun Archive: Wing Chun Butterfly Swords / Knives
  41. ^ a b c The Wing Chun Double Knife Training-Baat Jaam Do, by Sifu Gary Lam with Gregory E. LeBlanc
  42. ^ Qi Sao, The Soul of Wing Chun , By Gregory E. LeBlanc
  43. ^ a b 一代宗師黃淳樑: 黃淳樑之壯年, 作者: 李恆昌 (In English -- The Legendary Master Wong Shun Leung: His Young and Strong Age, by Lee Hang Cheong)
  44. ^ a b c Yuen Yim Keung (袁 炎 強) Wing-Tsun Martial Arts Association
  45. ^ springtimesong.com - Ray Van Raamsdonk: My Background
  46. ^ springtimesong.com - Dr. C.K. Khoe Seminar Notes
  47. ^ Ving Tsun Wu Chan Nam (胡鎮南): Picture Gallery
  48. ^ a b c IMDb: Life and Legend of Bruce Lee Page
  49. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Paul Li (李志遠). 李小龍--神話再現 FROM LIMITED TO LIMITLESS-THE WAYS OF BRUCE LEE. Hong Kong: Oriental Resources Company (東方匯澤公司), July 1998.***
  50. ^ a b c DAVE LACEY "LAI DAI WAI" - Buck Sing Choy Lay Fut's Unrepentant "Black Panther", Interview by Karl Longley for Impact International martial arts magazine (NEWLY UPDATED!)
  51. ^ a b Martial & Laquo
  52. ^ a b The Wing Chun Archive: Wing Chun Lists
  53. ^ a b springtimesong.com - Wang Kiu (黃橋) Seminar Notes
  54. ^ Ving Tsun Terminology
  55. ^ White Belt (10th Kyu) Testing Requirements
  56. ^ White Belt (10th Gup)
  57. ^ 9th Gup-White Belt with Yellow Stripe Testing Requirements
  58. ^ a b www.springtimesong.com - About Yip Man
  59. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ving Tsun Forum
  60. ^ a b c d e f g h i j www.takeforum.com - Wong Shun Leung: the man and his method
  61. ^ Hong Kong Cinemagic: Unicorn Chan (小麒麟)
  62. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wong Shun Leung on Bruce Lee, by Wong Shun Leung
  63. ^ Kung Fu Board
  64. ^ Mondo Times
  65. ^ http://www.martialartsltd.co.uk/mai/
  66. ^ Four-Part Interview with Hawkins Cheung, by Robert Chu for Inside Kung-Fu Magazine
  67. ^ Bruce Lee's Hong Kong Years, by Hawkins Cheung, as told to Robert Chu, in "Inside Kung-Fu" " (Nov. 1991)
  68. ^ Bruce Lee Discovers Jeet Kune Do, by Hawkins Cheung, as told to Robert Chu, in "Inside Kung-Fu" (Dec. 1991)"
  69. ^ Bruce Lee's Mother Art: Wing Chun, by Hawkins Cheung, as told to Robert Chu, in "Inside Kung-Fu" (Jan. 1992)
  70. ^ Bruce"s Classic Mess: Cleaning up the Mess the "Little Dragon" Left Behind, by by Hawkins Cheung, as told to Robert Chu, in "Inside Kung-Fu" (Feb. 1992)
  71. ^ Hawkins Cheung Martial Arts
  72. ^ Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000), directed by John Little
  73. ^ Bruce Lee and Philosophy
  74. ^ a b c Bruce Lee, the Legend (1977), directed Leonard Ho
  75. ^ The Game of Death (http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/friday/155/id30.htm)
  76. ^ The Curse of the Dragon (1993)
  77. ^ a b 龍一九七三以後 (Dragon Since 1973),
  78. ^ DRAGON SINCE 1973 - Review
  79. ^ a b IMDb: Wong Shun Leung Page
  80. ^ IMDb: Death by Misadventure (1993) Page
  81. ^ A Short History Of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan (吳家太極拳 - 歷史簡介)
  82. ^ About Chan Hak Fu (陳克夫簡介)
  83. ^ Master Lai Hung (黎雄師傅) of Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut (北勝蔡李佛)
  84. ^ Master Lai Hung, The Fearless Black Panther of Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut (北勝蔡李佛 - 黎雄師傅)
  85. ^ Monkey Kung Fu: The History of Tai Shing Pek Kwar
  86. ^ 大聖劈掛門源流 (About Tai Sing Pap Kar Moon)
  87. ^ a b About Shaolin monk Gee Sin Sim See (至善禪師)
  88. ^ Interview with Wong Shun Leung, by: Rusper Patel
  89. ^ 李小龍大聯盟主席陸地先生
  90. ^ Ving Tsun Athletic Association - BOARD OF DIRECTORS / 詠春體育會董事會
  91. ^ http://www.vt.com.hk/ue_eng.html
  92. ^ http://www.cnvt.com/association4.htm
  93. ^ http://www.ninobernardo.com/
  94. ^ http://www.ngfamilymartialarts.com/sifuphil.htm
  95. ^ http://www.wslwingchun.org/
  96. ^ http://www.wongshunleung.com
  97. ^ http://www.barrylee.de/index.html
  98. ^ http://www.schoener-fruehling.de
  99. ^ a b NG Chun-hong (吳振康) Hong Kong Wing Chun Association
  100. ^ Chiu Hok Yin (趙學賢), My Introduction
  101. ^ http://www.wingchun.com.hk/pwc97/pg.htm
  102. ^ http://www.garylamwingchun.com/teachers.html
  103. ^ http://home.earthlink.net/~wslnyc/
  104. ^ http://www.wingchun.org.uk/home.htm
  105. ^ The Warehouse, London
  106. ^ Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong
  107. ^ a b Gary Lam Wing Chun - An Introduction, by Gregory E. LeBlanc
  108. ^ Nino Bernardo Gallery Page
  109. ^ Interview with David Peterson, by: Martial Direct
  110. ^ Wong Shung Leung Ving Tsun Gung Fu , A Scientific Approach to Combat, by David Peterson
  111. ^ The Wing Chun Federation
  112. ^ Interview with David Peterson, by Combat Magazine
  113. ^ Bruce Lee 1940 -1973
  114. ^ The Bruce Lee Training Secret by Grandmaster William Cheung
  115. ^ Duncan Leung (梁紹鴻)
  116. ^ Bruce Lee Chronological Timeline
  117. ^ Ving Tsun Update: About Wong Shun Leung

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