Enlargement of the Wing Chun Ip (Yip) Family

Enlargement of the Wing Chun Ip (Yip) Family

Sifu Ip Man has been a legendary figure in Wing Chun circles for decades. Credit for his and the system’s recognition, now worldwide, must be given to his students, his son, Sifu Ip Chun, and his nephew, Sifu Lo Man Kam. It was the destiny of Sifu Ip and Sifu Lo to learn Wing Chun from their youth. Great talents appear in successive generations of the Ip family. Lu (Lo), Gorden, son of Sifu Lo Man Kam, also inherited the Wing Chun tradition from his family, and grew up regarding the propagation of Wing Chun as his life’s mission. These individuals exerted great efforts in promoting Wing Chun Kung Fu, also conducting seminars and attracting students in many countries around the planet.

When Sifu Gorden was a child, he was exposed to his father’s frequent discussion of Wing Chun techniques with the students. Thus, he grew up aware of the power of Wing Chun in hitting fast and with deadly accuracy in a short distance. He was amazed when he witnessed the skillful technique and the change of footwork in the seniors’ practice. Sifu Lo determined to master Wing Chun, and he accomplished this with the assistance of his father and the encouragement and the guidance of his seniors. Growing up at Kung Fu Federation, Sifu Lo was strongly influenced by his family. He began learning Wing Chun formally at the age of 15. He was attentive and concentrated intently in order to master the system. Ultimately, he developed a deep understanding of Wing Chun. Wing Chun is a unique system for self-defense precisely because each motion must be accurate and energetic. It is not merely a series of movements; fundamental theory underlies all action. Actions are rigid while the persons performing these actions are living beings.

People practice rigid actions, but should not practice these actions rigidly. Only through learning and understanding the principles of Wing Chun can one develop the ability to employ it with skill. Sifu Lo consistently inculcates this concept in his students. Though he had already honed his Wing Chun skills, Sifu Lo practiced diligently with his father’s students from the age of 18. In addition to learning and practicing the system, he was also trained to teach Kung Fu to other students and to manage the Federation. His experience included practicing and teaching with persons of different ages, which established the basis for teaching Wing Chun in the future.

In Taiwan, every male is obligated to serve in the army, so at the age of 20, Sifu Lo enlisted. Because of his martial

background, he was assigned to the martial art and training team. This was a unique and valuable experience. Sifu Lo discovered that the most prevalent martial art in the army was Ju Kwon Do (莒拳道). His First Sergeant was aware that Sifu Lo practiced Wing Chun and knew nothing about Ju Kwon Do. He requested Sifu Lo for a competition, in order to find out about Wing Chun. Sifu Lo, of course, could not refuse an order, and he was eager to demonstrate the power of Wing Chun. He probed determinately to find the First Sergeant’s weakness. He was not yet ready for the match when the First Sergeant launched a surprise attack from a very short distance. Reacting immediately, Sifu Lo initially defended himself, then used agile steps to check the First Sergeant’s offensive and rhythm. After determining that the First Sergeant did not employ combined attack and guard, he sealed him with Kwan Sau and varied the action by Chi Sau. Finally, he turned aside to pull him apart and headed forward. Losing his center of gravity because he used both his hands and legs, Sifu Lo immediately pulled the First Sergeant back. The opponents locked eyes. They already had an understanding of the result. The First Sergeant stood erect, clapped Sifu Lo on the shoulder and said: “Good…good! It’s nice!”  People around were amazed at the effectiveness of Wing Chun and shouted “Cool!”  Leaving the army, Sifu Lo became an assistant in the Taiwan Police School and Taiwan Police Training Academy of Justice Department. But there is no limit to the acquisition of knowledge.

Sifu Gorden teaching at Lo Man Kam Wing Chun Germany instructor seminar

In 1994, Sifu Lo moved to the United States to further his learning with Sifu Leung Shiu Hung (Duncan Leung). Sifu Leung was a private student of Sifu Yip Man. He also is the founder of Applied Wing Chun. His skill of Ba Zam Do (Wing Chun Knife) is outstanding. Although his training in the United States was extremely rigorous, Sifu Lo studied hard and practiced diligently under the enlightened eye of Sifu Leung. This rare opportunity made it possible for Sifu Lo attain unique skill in Wing Chun. As Sifu Lo excelled in the military arts, particularly in languages, in 2000 he was hired by Applied Materials Taiwan Company with responsibility for security and risk management. His duties with included personal security and serving as bodyguard for the company Chairman, Jim Morgan, who was formerly consultant to two presidents of the United States. Sifu Lo had distinguished himself performing security duties at a major economic seminar (besides the CEO of Applied Materials, guests included the Chief Executive Officer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Morris Chang; the Chief Executive Officer of Acer Computer, Stan Shih; and the Secretary of Taiwan Economy, Shin Yee Lin). Subsequently, Sifu Lo played an important security role in other businesses. For example, he detected a number of stealing, educated and supervised the training of security service personnel, planned security for various events, implemented and integrated BCP (Business Continuity Plan), and supervised the security of guests. Although Sifu Lo busy with his work, Sifu Lo’s enthusiasm for Wing Chun is contagious. He is the martial arts instructor at Applied Materials Taiwan, and has contributed towards strengthening the reputation of Wing Chun in Taiwan.

Today, just as his father before him, Sifu Lo teaches Wing Chun. He conducts on-going classes in the United States in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition, he is invited yearly to teach Wing Chun in Europe, where he demonstrates the power and effectiveness of Wing Chun to students and observers. In August of 2006, Sifu Lo successfully led his students in the Wong Tournament, one of the largest kung fu contests in eastern North America. His students contributed a number of champions, and Sifu Gorden, personally, received high praise from the seniors. He has modestly attributed his achievements to his father and his seniors in Wing Chun. His stated goal is to continue their efforts to enhance the status and recognition of Wing Chun Kung Fu around the globe.

Sifu’s demonstration (PDF.)

New Martial Hero Magazine  PDF file / PDF檔中文