Suitable selected long-term students are still accepted into the inner circle of the Wing Chun family by the Sifu in the traditional way, through a master-student tea ceremony. Lo Man-kam, a nephew of Ip Man, still teaches his students in his home in Taipei. In some schools, however, the family system was still maintained. Since then, Wing Chun lessons have taken on a more modern, academic and commercial character. The first public martial arts schools were established in Hong Kong. The lessons often took place in the master's house, where a personal bond would develop between the master and his family and the student (apprentice), with certain mutual obligations. The master, who had personal responsibility for the entire training of the student (apprentice), was addressed as Sifu (master). In ancient China, Wing Chun, like all other martial arts or craft guilds, was traditionally passed on in a familiar way, from master to student. Leung Ting, a student of Ip Man, invited his master and some well-known representatives of the martial arts scene of the time to the college and conducted the exhibition fights in front of the specialist audience. The first public demonstration of the Wing Chun fighting system, according to Ip Man, took place in Hong Kong at an official exhibition fight in the winter of 1969 at what was then the Baptist College (now the Hong Kong Baptist University). The Ving Tsun Athletic Association was founded in 1967 by Cantonese master Ip Man and seven of his senior students. The Jee Shim lineage of Wing Chun has enough deviations to the curriculum to be considered a separate/sister martial arts style, Weng Chun. The other lineages contain separate techniques, instructions, forms and/or weapon uses.

Ĭontemporary Wing Chun, with its characteristic six forms and the Chi Sao/ Poon Sao training exercises, can be traced back to the studies of the teachers of Ip Man and Yuen Kay-shan. In the West, Wing Chun's history has become a mix of fact and fiction due to the impacts of early secrecy and modern marketing. Regardless of the origins espoused by perspective Wing Chun branches and lineages, there is much third-party controversy and speculative theorizing regarding the true origins of Wing Chun. Other, smaller branches derive from these main eight lineages. There are two other Richmond District spots that often get mentioned in magazines and newspapers, but I haven’t been to them for the earlier mentioned reasons, but I thought I’d list them here for your reference: Hong Kong Lounge (5322 Geary Blvd between 18th Ave & 17th Ave) and Ton Kiang (5821 Geary Blvd between 23rd Ave & 22nd Ave). Location: 3319 Balboa St (between 35th Ave & 34th Ave), San Francisco When I don’t feel like dealing with it I go to Yank Sing which probably serves the second best! The restaurant is divey, not so clean and the service is on the rude side, but the dumplings…ah well, that makes it worth it….sometimes. Known as “xiao long bao”, meaning soup dumpling, it is made with a circular base and pinched at the top prior to steaming.

As the name suggests they are known for their Shanghai dumplings (although they serve other items as well). This is the one place in the Richmond I would go out of my way to visit.

Foo lam seattle dim sum