Ip Man
‘Founded
by Yim Wing-chun; took root in the hands of Leung Chun; blossomed under Ip Man…’
Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing
Chun style of kung fu and sifu (master) of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce
Lee. Wing Chun has a history of more than 200 years. It was founded by Yim Wing
Chun, took root in the hands of Leung Chun, and prospered with Ip Man. The art
of Wing Chun has now become very popular with martial arts enthusiasts,
especially overseas. It is a traditional Chinese martial art with a formidable
reputation internationally.
Wing Chun Chuan is characterised by close body combat, requiring practitioners
to show speed and power. Its Chi Sao or “sticking hands” is more similar to
modern day combat skills and has a rich feel of genuine strikes. This is also
why Ip Man differs from the dazzingly romantic and purely fictional style of
previous martial art movies. Its explosive punches and aggressive close-range
combat offer a new thrill never experienced by modern day audiences.
The story of Wing Chun began in the 1920s and 30s, in wartorn China. Ip Man was
martial art’s unyielding follower, devoted whole-heartedly to the free learning
of wushu. The fight to be top between the Wushu schools in the southern and
northern regions of China had not stopped him having goodwill matches with other
practitioners. Nationalistic bad feelings and racial hatred had not lessened his
respect for Japanese kung fu warriors. In this great era of hatreds and
tragedies, Ip focused only on wushu. His enthusiasm for martial arts saw him
having devastating straight fights with various elite practitioners.
To this date there have been neither movies nor publications about Ip Man. This
movie will be the first important record of the master’s life. Ip’s persistent
devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to
wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. This movie will see the making
of a modern wushu master representative of Chinese people worldwide. Ip Man is a
concept, a spirit, a way of thinking – and it represents a new peak in Hong
Kong’s wushu movies.
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