‘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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