Issue 65 - Tse Qigong Centre

“The whole eventand memorialexhibition are atestament to therespect, honour andpride thatGrandmaster IpMan’s sons Ip Chunand Ip Ching havefor their father.”participated in testing their skill against strangers from aroundthe world and then went on to have their photograph takenwith them! Ip Sigong was interviewed by a Chinese TV crewand as part of their filming he demonstrated Biu Tze in front ofthe temple where everybody assembled to watch. This was tobe the concluding part of the day with everybody comingtogether for group Chi Sau as the sun was sinking drawing anatural close to the proceedings. It was interesting andenlightening to observe everybody rolling with each other andtesting their skill against different hands and learning how toadapt to survive against and occasionally overcoming theirtraining opponent.The whole event and the subsequent memorial exhibitionare a testament to the respect, honour and pride thatGrandmaster Ip Man’s sons Ip Chun and Ip Ching have fortheir father and an expression of how important it is that hislife and work are documented and commemorated for futuregenerations. The occasion saw the coming together of manybranches of the Wing Chun family tree to celebrate andcommemorate aman who had a significant influence on thespread of traditional Chinese martial arts throughout the world.The event had the blessing and support of the ChineseGovernment and attracted nation-wide interest through thepresence of national TV.Grandmaster Ip Chundemonstrated Biu Tzeat the Ancestral TempleAs a statement for posterity the Ip Man Tong was apositive affirmation of the health of Wing Chun around theworld and reflected a desire on the part of all involved toensure continued communication and development of the artgoing into the 21 st century. The story behind the organisationof the event and some of the views of Ip Sigong will be told inpart two which will include an account of the training experiencein Hong Kong. In conclusion I will leave you with some ancientwords of wisdom which cross generations, borders and religiousdivides.The Wise are Considerate‘By performing the seasonal ceremonies we pay ourappropriate respects to the cosmic forces and by performingmemorial services we pay our appropriate respects to ourancestral progenitors. He who comprehends the significanceof the seasonal ceremonies and of the memorial ceremoniesis as fit to govern a kingdom as to care for his own hand’.Words taken from the analects of Li Err ( Confucius) TheDoctrine of the MeanBy John HayesQi Magazine Jan/Feb 2003 page 29