Grandmaster Lee Shing the man who introduced Wing Chun into the UK Written by Sifu Michael Watson Owner of Streetwise Martial Arts & Founder of The UK Wing Chun Gathering
Left to Right Eddie Yeoh, Nigel Fan, Joseph Lee. And of Course GM Lee Shing
Introduction Grandmaster Lee Shing is best known for being the person to introduce Wing Chun to the UK and Europe, but the story of he’s early life and training is not so well known, Of course when it comes to tracing any family history the facts can sometimes be hidden within word of mouth stories or legends, and half truths. When it comes to tracing the roots of Grandmaster Lee Shing we are lucky to have firsthand accounts of he’s early training from the great man himself. Which includes a full account of he’s training in Pien San (Kulo) wing chun under Fong Yee Ming and Fung Sang to he’s arrival in Honk Kong and how he first meet and trained with GGM Ip Man. Early History When Grandmaster Lee Shing passed away in 1991 he was European and U.K President of the Ip Man Martial Arts Association and founder of the International Lee Shing Wing Chun Martial Arts Association. He was also a member of the Hong Kong Kowloon Chinese Medical Association and was a qualified Chinese doctor. These positions are testimony to a lifetime's dedication to Wing Chun and his impact on the development of Wing Chun in Europe has been very significant and yet it is a largely untold story. Grandmaster Lee Shing was born in 1923 in Hoxan in Southern China. He first studied Gulao (Pien San) Wing Chun at an early age in mainland
China under his first teacher Fong Yee Ming, who himself had learnt from Wong Wah Sam who had learnt from Leung Jan. Lee Shing was a keen disciple and was inspired to research the different styles of Wing Chun, He therefore, in his research, went on to study under Fung Sang which was one of the central points of he’s Pien San training, having studied under his father Fung Lim and his uncle Koo Siu-Lung (both students of Wong Wah Sam). He then went on to learn from the famous Kung Fu Master Ng Jung So. Training with Ip Man After the Second World War, Lee Shing moved to Hong Kong where he met and became friends and eventually the business partner of two Wing Chun experts, Lok Yiu and Jiu Wan. They were two of the four leading practitioners of Wing Chun in Hong Kong who became known in Wing Chun circles as the four 'Kings of Wing Chun'. It was not long before an exchange of ideas and comparison of styles took place between Lee Shing, Lok Yiu and Jiu Wan. While working in their offices, an older gentleman entered wearing the traditional Chinese dress. Lee Shing noticed that the others greeted the man very respectfully, so much so that he was curious to know who he was. Later they all sat to play Mah Jog (a traditional Chinese gambling game). It was then that the stranger was revealed to be none other than Grandmaster Ip Man, the teacher of the 'four kings' of Wing Chun; In-fact Lok Yiu, a former master of another kung fu style, was Grandmaster Ip Man's first student in Hong Kong. Lee Shing was formally introduced by Jiu Wan to Grandmaster Ip Man. At the time Grandmaster Ip Man was teaching Wing Chun in Hong Kong's Restaurant Workers' Union. Lee Shing was fortunate enough to be accepted by Grandmaster Ip Man as a student and received instruction privately from him on a one-to-one basis. Over the years, Grandmaster Ip Man taught Lee Shing the complete Wing Chun system. He had mastered the three hand forms, the wooden dummy form, and the six-and-a-half point pole form and most importantly of all Grandmaster Ip Man had taught Lee Shing the complete butterfly knife form and its applications. This last form was of particular importance as it represented the highest point of learning in Wing Chun. At the time Grandmaster Ip Man had taught only three people the complete knife form. He was allowed to open up a school on Hong Kong Island in the early 50s with the opening ceremony being conducted by Grandmaster Ip Man himself. It was at this time that Lee Shing met Ip
Chun who had resumed his studies in Wing Chun. The two became firm friends and henceforth whenever Ip Chun visited England, he would always stay at Lee Shing's home. Before GM Lee Shing left Hong Kong for the UK GM Ip Man presented him with a pair of Butterfly Knives this represented he’s permission for GM Lee Shing to represent GM Ip Man and teach he’s style of Wing Chun. Arrival in the UK Grandmaster Lee Shing arrived in the UK in the late 50s and settled in London. He went on to open a Chinese restaurant in London’s China town, and from the basement of that restaurant he trained a new generation of Masters, this included present day Masters like: Master Joseph Lee, Master Austin Goh, Master Chan Man Keun, Master Simon Lau, and Master Samuel Kwook The first student of GM Lee Shing to really make an impact and the first to start teaching Wing Chun openly in the UK was Master Joseph Cheng. Joseph Cheng is also credited with writing the first book ever published on the Wing Chun Wooden Dummy, titled Chong Woo Kwan Wing (The Art of Simultaneous Defence & Attack). Since then students of GM Lee Shing have gone on to spread he’s art worldwide. Present Day When GM Lee Shing immigrated to Canada he passed on the knives he had received from GM Ip Man to he’s close student Joseph Lee so he could carry on the Teachings of GM Lee Shing in the UK & Europe. There are 4 students of grandmaster Lee Shing who are still teaching or have their senior’s student teaching on their behalf. They are Masters Joseph Lee, Austin Goh, Joseph Man, & Eddie Yeoh; there are also schools in various countries in Europe. We are also in the process of setting up a fulltime Kwoon based in London which will teach the full circuluim as passed down by GM Lee Shing this includes:
Ip Man Linage Sil Lim Tao Chum Kiu Bil Gee Mook Jong 6 ½ point pole Baat Jaam Dao Pien San Gulao Wing Chun Gulao 12 point hand form 3 ½ point pole Gulao Double Swords Gulao Dummy Set
Written by Michael Watson Student of Grandmaster Joseph Lee
Michael Watson