Development

1950 - 1953

In late 1949, Mainland China saw a change of government. Many Mainlanders came to work in Hong Kong. Grandmaster Ip Man of the Ving Tsun Kungfu clan also came to Hong Kong at around this time.

葉宗師唯一穿西裝之照片。相信拍攝此照片時約在一九四九至五零年間。(梁挺珍藏)

The only photograph of Grandmaster Ip Man in a western suit, taken around 1949-1950).
(Leung Ting's private collection)

駱耀師傅與部份高足攝於駱師傅二十年前某次壽宴之中。

Sifu Lok You and some of his students taken at his birthday party 20 years ago.

At that time, amongst the staff members of the Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong were Leung Sheung, Lok Yiu and Lau Ming. They were all Chinese martial Arts enthusiasts. The secretary, Tsui Fung, worked with Sing Pao Daily News, and did not have enough time to handle the business of the association. So Mr. Lee Man was employed as an extra helper in assisting with the Association's daily affairs. After work, Mr. Lee Man often did the Huen-Sau (circling hand) exercise. Leung Sheung recognized this as a basic movement of Ving Tsun Kungfu, because he had once learnt Martial Arts from Master Tang Suen of the Weng Chun Kungfu system, and knew something about Ving Tsun. He asked Mr. Lee if he too had learnt Ving Tsun Martial Arts before. There and then Mr. Lee related stories of the deeds of Sifu Ip Man, and everyone present got interested. He then brought Sifu Ip Man to the Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong, and introduced him to everyone. Ip explained the principles of Ving Tsun Martial arts, and won the admiration of all. He was at once invited to teach Kungfu at the Association, and he readily agreed.

肥胖之葉問宗師 !
葉問宗師曾有一段時間「心廣體胖」。此圖攝於一九五二年。其時，葉師常自詡為當年的日本首相吉田茂。
(徐尚田珍藏)

The plump Grandmaster!
Taken in 1952, when Grandmaster Ip was putting on weight. He joked that he looked like "Shigeru Yoshida", the Japanese prime minister at that time.
(Chu Shong Tin's private collection)

最早期的「詠春之家」!
一九五三年十二月六日，葉宗師與一眾大弟子合攝了此照片。名為「詠春之家成立同學第一次聯歡合攝」。各同門可辦認出多少早期的「大師兄」否 ? (徐尚田珍藏)

The "Vingtsun Family" in its early days!
A group photo of the "Ving Tsun Family" taken on 6th Dec 1953, at the first family gathering. How many of these young men do you know? Your Si-fu or Si-Kung might be here!
(Chu Shong Tin's private collection)

郊遊
一九五五年春，葉宗師與數名大弟子郊遊留念。圖由左至右 : 李金城、鄒銳、葉步青、宗師、區強、黃淳樑、徐尚田、徐廣田。(徐尚田珍藏)

The trip to countryside
Taken in Spring, 1955. From left to right: Li Kam Shing, Chow Jui, Yip Po Ching, Grandmaster Ip, Au Keung, Wong Shun Leung, Chu Shong Tin, Tsui Kong Tin.
(Chu Shong Tin's private collection)

廟前留影
葉宗師與數位大弟子郊遊中另一處留影。排位照舊，地點不同而已。(徐尚田珍藏)

In front of a temple
Another photo taken during the trip. Everyone is standing in the same position, but obvoiusly it's a different place!
(Chu Shong Tin's private collection)

一九五五年四月廿五日 : 第一排為潘五蘇、黃銳、何嘉錦、胡添、杜連發、陳衡、黃劍雄、麥
Grandmaster Ip Man and his students at April 1955. The title of this photo is "the Overseas, Hong Kong and Macau clansmen of the Fat Shan Ving Tsun Kungfu Clan, Lunar New Year party, 1955." From left to right: FRONT ROW : Poon Ng So, Wong Jui, Ho Ka Kam, Wu Tim, To Lin Fat, Chan Hang, Wong Kim Hung, Mak Jung, Leung Chau, Lo Muk Shing; SECOND ROW: Yuan Shu, Cheng Hung, Man Siu Hung, Lo Bing, Yip Po Ching, Lok Yiu, Grandmaster Ip Man, Leung Sheung, Chu Shong Tin, Lee Wing, Wong Shun Leung, Hui Yim Leung, Lee Tin Pui; THIRD ROW: Fung Hoi, Cheung Bun, Lee Kam Shing, Wong Tak, Au Chi Keung, Tsui Kong Tin, Lo Tai, Lee Ngan Foon, Ting Yuk Lan, Ho Kam Wah, Lo Chung Yin, Chow Jui, Leung Wai, Chan Biu; FOURTH ROW: Leung Sum, Chung Man Kam, Kuo Sek Hung, Wong Yat Hang, Chan Kai, Fok Bing Chi, Wong Shun, Lau Ming, Chan Chung, Leung Yi, Yuen Gau Mui, Lau Sheung, Lee Shun, Ng Hung Chun, Chiu Tong; FIFTH ROW: Mak Bun Yi, Chan Fai, Lee Hon, Pang Kam, Leung To, Lo Cham Ming, Kan Kwai, Chow Gau, Law Hung, Lee Yeung, Lau Wai, Auyeung Yim, Wu Yau. (Wong collection)

The first class started around May 1950. It was attended by eight people, including Leung Sheung, Lok Yiu, Lau Ming, Tsui Cho, Chan Kau and Chan Sing Tao. Later, eight more joined including Hui Yee, Lee Yan Wing and Tsang Wing, making a total of sixteen. Commemorative photographs were taken. ，葉問宗師與眾門人攝於九龍深水埗大旅店。標題為「佛山詠春派國術嫡系僑港澳門人乙未年春節聯歡合攝」。由左至右勇、梁罩、盧木勝；第二排為袁樹、鄭雄、文少雄、羅炳、葉步青、駱耀、葉問宗師、梁相、徐尚田、李榮、黃淳樑、許棪良、李天培；第三排為馮海、張斌、李金城、黃德、歐志強、徐廣田、盧娣、李銀歡、丁玉蘭、何錦華、羅宗彥、鄒銳、梁偉、陳標；第四排為梁森、鍾文鑑、郭錫雄、黃日鏗、陳楷、霍炳熾、王順、劉明、陳松、梁義、袁九妹、劉常、李信、伍洪振、招棠；第五排為麥品儀、陳輝、李漢、彭錦、梁濤、羅湛明、簡桂、周九、羅雄、李洋、劉懷、歐陽炎、胡有。(黃淳樑珍藏)
the Shum Shui Po Hotel on 25th Shun Leung's private

A few months later, a new class was started. It was a big, busy class with thirty or so people participating. It was agreed that each would contribute eighty cents to cook sweet soup for consumption after practice. Unfortunately, most of them lacked patience and perseverance. In the end, only Leung and Lok remained.

In 1951, secretary Lee Man resigned and took a job at the Nan Hoi Clan Association. The Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong employed Tsui Sheung Tin to take over. Soon, Tsui became interested, and enrolled under Sifu Ip Man. He started the third class in the Kung On Branch Office in Sheung Wan, the mid-west of Hong Kong Island. Response was enthusiastic, more than forty people joined. And the name of Ving Tsun started to spread to the outside. There were also many challenge-fights by the Ving Tsun people to the other Kungfu styles to test their fighting techniques. Later, Ip Man opened other classes at Wah Ying Restaurant in Stanley Street in Central district of Hong Kong Island, and on the roof of a building in Bridges Street (Local people used to call it “Saam-Shup-Guan”, or “Thirty-houses”).

一九五五年葉氏師徒攝於「新時代影樓」。由左至右 : 第一行為徐尚田、葉宗師、葉步青；第二行為李金城、黃淳樑、羅炳、徐廣田。(黃淳樑珍藏)

A photo taken in "New Age Studio" in 1955. From left to right: FRONT ROW: Chu Shong Tin, Granmaster Ip, Yip Po Ching; BACK ROW: Li Kam Shing, Wong Shun Leung, Lo Bing, Tsui Kong Tin. (Wong Shun Leung's private collection)

People outside the Restaurant trade also came to learn. People such as Chiu Van, Man Siu Hung, Lee Wing, Law Bing, Yip Po Ching, Hui Yin Leung, Law Chung Yin and Ho Kui Wah. Everyone practised hard.