Interview - Terrance Yip

[TMA17]

The Wing Chun of Terrance Yip | eWingChun

Qi Mag: In Hong Kong Wing Chun has a reputation for being practiced by gangsters yet the art is considered very refined or gentlemanly. Can you explain this paradox? TY: Wing Chun is very popular with gangsters. In Hong Kong you cannot carry any weapons, even knives, and the police have the right to search anyone they want or suspect in the street. Generally the gangsters don't carry weapons to avoid trouble from the police, unless they are ready to fight. Gangsters encounter fights any time in the streets so as they can't use weapons, instead they equip themselves with kung-fu. They find that Wing Chun is very good in street fighting. This is why Wing Chun in Hong Kong is called Lan Chia Kuen (or "Gangster Fist"). Wing Chun is also called Sie Man Kuen (or Gentleman's Style) because it does not have so many fancy movements, no high kicks, the movements are very refined. So the bad element also uses the style that a gentleman would learn because it is very effective for fighting, it gives them an advantage, like a weapon. In Hong Kong many educated, professional people learn this art, including bankers. One of my kung-fu brothers is a doctor, one is a manager in a very big shipping company, and another is a vice-president of a bank.

 

[Tames D]

Interesting.

 

[Tames D]

Is Wing Chun taught and trained differently in Hong Kong as opposed to the United States?

 

[TMA17]

That’s a good question I’ve been wondering that myself.

There is a school near me with a Sifu that studied under Terrance Yip. If/when I go back to WC this is where I’d like to study.

 

[Eric_H]

This is just traditional Kung Fu. The people who learn it are usually the folks who actively need it (Gangsters/Law Enforcement) or rich people who can afford to buy it. Kung Fu was friggin expensive back in the day. Thought, honestly it's still expensive now, lol.

 

[Kungfu Tube]

Yes, In Hong Kong a master will teach you a movement say Bong Sau and you could be learning just this every lesson for months and months depending on how fast you pick it up. In western society you go to a class expecting to learn to fight from day one , bringing the Hong Kong teaching system to the western world would not work , and did it hard making money. My Grandmaster said once everyone knows how to fight or hit without learning at a very young age, we train to hit with little effort with maximum power.