Into the Grandmaster's Shoes
The third part of this look into the world of Wong Shun Leung, the Wing Chung master
In sharing these insights, I remind you dear reader that these three posts are based largely on my conversation with one of Wong Shun Leung's student, who had studied with him in the 70s through to the 90s. It's also based on my own research.
The gentleman sharing these accounts, was passionate about his art and loyal to his sifu, but also possessing a grounded outlook.
As it is not my art, I hope I’ve conveyed things with neutral disposition. No art is full proof. An art can be effective or it can fail. Is the art at fault or the efforts of the practitioner?
Our conversation continued with little pause. Various tourists getting their London China Town dining experience caught bits of our discussion with interest. Hopefully, it added to the ambiance of the restaurant- a restaurant no longer bustling. Now on our third pot of tea, the waiters looked ready to close up for the afternoon but didn't disrupt our flowing chat...
Observe with a neutral disposition:
Wong was a much more distinct example of traditional Wing Chun being used in a practical way, under pressure than Bruce.
One has to remember that Bruce Lee, perhaps influenced by his experiences in the West, later developed a somewhat different expression, with his Jeet Kune Do philosophy.
Lee utilised boxing drills and fencing footwork but still maintained a Wing Chun base. However, to say Wong was more the purist, might imply he was less open-minded but my friend pointed out, Wong would try to watch and understand other styles, such as Karate so he knew how to handle their attacks. He was always trying to improve his approach.
Legacy:
I did ask about Wong's relationship with Bruce Lee. My friend never met Bruce, though apparently, they lived quite close to each other. The impression I get is that Wong liked Bruce and admired his tenacity and dedication.
Bruce was a young teenager when Wong started training him. It's fair to say, Wong was certainly a big martial art influence on Bruce, particularly in his formative years of training. Even when in the US, Bruce would write to Wong. (My friend mentioned how Wong regretted, he didn't keep all these letters.)
When Bruce returned to Hong Kong, after becoming a big star, it seems he was keen to show his JKD developments to Wong. They got together and discussed various martial ideas.
In various interviews, Wong talks about Bruce Lee. In one, he conveys diplomatically that Bruce may have been missing some steps in what he was sharing. ( I think he meant in terms of Wing Chun training.)
However, in other interviews, I seem to remember, that he was very respectful in terms of Bruce's abilities, as a fighter and how fast he was, especially with his kicks.
Different paths:
I have great admiration for Bruce Lee, especially in terms of his physical conditioning and his open-minded look at training.
I do feel that had he lived longer he may have returned to and gone deeper into the internal side of the arts. There is a feeling that he pushed too hard on the physical, perhaps relying too much on his incredible athleticism.
To be fair, he was in an intense physical world, within the film industry and had immense pressures on him.
The deep internal arts do not always suit everyone's temperament and perhaps had he lived longer, he may well have looked again at this path, as physical attributes would have naturally slow down.
It should be acknowledged, that Bruce Lee's fame, talent, and passion, probably did more to inspire people into Wing Chun than his Kung fu elders.
Don't.... get grabbed:
The gentleman tells me of a situation, where an exponent of Chi na (muscle seizing and joint locking techniques, somewhat similar to what one may see in Ju Jitsu, Aikido and Hapkido) once tried to put a wrist lock on Wong.
His approach was to quickly counter the wrist lock before the opponent was able to apply it. (Some say that Wong was far more skilled with his hands than Bruce and possibly even faster, but Bruce may have had the quicker kicks.)
Seems Wong did acknowledge that if a good grabbing specialist got to apply certain locks, it could cause real problems.
This also highlights an area of fighting, where a Wing Chun exponent has to be especially careful, which is if he ends up against a skilled grappler and gets taken to the ground.
Nowadays, to be fair, people are more familiar with the takedowns and holds of the ground fighter, but anyone underestimating the wrestler, could be in for a rough time.
You lose; train harder:
Observing society and the modern martial art world, it does seem people can be critical and look to blame others when something doesn't work or they are not finding the answers.
Understanding comes through doing. Wong did his 'talking' through action. He didn't discourage his students from testing their skills, but if they lost, he would tell them to go back to the class and train harder.
Hardship:
Just as Wong got to experience the superior skills of Ip Man, this most famous of masters in Hong Kong also had to taste defeat, when he arrived in Hong Kong.
Ip Man had a test of skills match, with a man called Leung Bik and was quickly defeated, twice. Apparently, it really disheartened him, but he did not give up and went on to train with Leung Bik, right up until Leung's death.Â
It turned out that Leung was the son of a famous master, from the mainland. Ip Man also faced many other life challenges in the post-war period, from separation from family members, who got stuck in Foshan, having to adapt to life in Hong Kong, and struggling to make money. It took its toll, yet he kept going and today his legacy burns strong.
Going back to some of the challenge matches that Wong participated in, the stakes were risky. Sometimes, there would also be a condition initiated where, if rival teachers faced off, the one who got defeated would have to close down their school.
Quite a few schools may have closed down due to Wong. Also worth noting is that he was a man of small stature, about 5ft 5 or so.
At close range, be resourceful:
Lee was also resourceful in terms of how he would train and absorb what was useful. Going back to the fight Wong had with the Russian boxer, my friend points out that the fight-changing strike he used, was similar to the one-inch punch, Bruce made famous, at his Long Beach demonstration.
But, he points out that it was more like a punch delivered from a few inches, and Wong's version of this punch was actually even more short range.
Such strikes require one to have good timing and not hesitate when there is a gap. To be resourceful one must also be decisive.
A real ambassador:
When Ip Man passed away, various figures rose to prominence in the Wing Chun world.
Wong’s loyal student was also quick to acknowledge that some of the 'masters' who gained fame and lots of students in the West, were not really as skilled or as effective as fighters, as their image may have conveyed.
Certain names were raised and it did not surprise me at all, but that's not the focus of this feature. He was also complimentary of some other moderately well-known teachers, in terms of their skills.
Certainly, when Wong carried the flame left after Ip Man's passing, it was well deserved and he was very respected. It seems he also had a fun sense of humour and was witty.
To aspire to reach the skills of a master is no easy thing, though it should not discourage anyone, from striving to reach that destination. To step into a grandmaster's shoes is also no easy task.
When such high-level teachers leave this plain, it leaves a void, political drama and some knowledge naturally fades with them…
On form:
Wong Shun Leung certainly maintained a practical outlook on the fighting elements, yet he also saw great value in the traditional elements of training, such as the various forms that he would teach. The forms in this art are relatively short yet still require time and patience.
Now if you are going to use the Wing Chun approach, then it would make sense to learn them. The forms provide a language with which to structure and label concepts. There are some applications within them -more importantly they forge attributes from the mental to subtle energetic. Utilise forms but don't be constrained by them.
Other thoughts:
We did discuss many other topics, from: Wong's striking drills and chi sau abilities to his way of teaching. That's for another day.
It was touching to see this gentleman speak with such respect and fondness for his teacher. It would’ve been fascinating to have met Gong Sau Wong ( the King of Talking Hands); I like to think we'd have got on.
Aran
About the author
Based in London, Aran Dharmeratnam is the founder of Tri-Tier. He specialises in personal safety and resilience training, often working with high-profile figures and their families. With experience in various areas of the security sector, Aran also works with global security companies involved in private investigations and strategic intelligence. He’s been deployed on the ground, in numerous cases. Aran’s insights have appeared in The Financial Times, The Spectator, Aviation Security International, and Security Management Today.
For consultations or training contact: office@tri-tier.com