https://www.scmp.com/rss/501209/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com To get a sense of how widely Chinese martial arts is being practised and promoted today, one only needs to look at a recent gathering in Hong Kong to honour the late Wong Shun-leung, a wing chun sifu, or master, who studied the Southern Chinese-style of kung fu under grandmaster Ip Man and is credited with being one of Bruce Lee’s teachers. Among those paying their respects to Wong – who died in 1997 at age 61 – was Jamie Hibdon, a 39-year-old baker who has been practising wing chun for nine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3294730/wing-chun-masters-honouring-bruce-lee-teacher-share-their-love-chinese-martial-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3294730/wing-chun-masters-honouring-bruce-lee-teacher-share-their-love-chinese-martial-art?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 10:15:12 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai Created in 2022, dance drama Wing Chun has been a smash hit in China and overseas, with hundreds of performances in dozens of cities. Demand for tickets in Hong Kong was so high that extra dates had to be added and all performances were sold out. It is easy to see what has made the production such a success. It is a big, visually striking show, with some exciting martial arts sequences and an outstanding central performance from Chang Hongji as legendary kung fu master Ip Man, or Yip Man – the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3287965/dance-drama-wing-chun-has-brilliant-fight-scenes-outstanding-lead-confusing-narrative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3287965/dance-drama-wing-chun-has-brilliant-fight-scenes-outstanding-lead-confusing-narrative?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2024 04:47:07 +0000 From ancient Shaolin techniques to iconic movie stars like Bruce Lee, delve into the history, philosophy and cinematic impact of kung fu with our martial arts series. With more than 40 years of experience in techniques including Shaolin kung fu, wing chun and jeet kune do, Laurence Brahm has dedicated much of his life to the research and practice of Chinese martial arts. The New York-born, Beijing-based 63-year-old, who is fluent in Mandarin, recently published a book, in both English and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276964/american-kung-fu-expert-teaches-chinese-martial-arts-philosophy-new-book-and-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276964/american-kung-fu-expert-teaches-chinese-martial-arts-philosophy-new-book-and-film?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 03:15:08 +0000 Ip Man — the kungfu master that is now a household name, thanks to numerous movies about the legend. He may no longer be around, but his disciples are. We visited 75-year-old Sam Lau, one of his students keeping Ip Man’s legacy alive, to learn the very moves his master was famous for. https://www.scmp.com/culture/we-got-beaten-master-ip-mans-protege/article/3200723?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/we-got-beaten-master-ip-mans-protege/article/3200723?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:41:40 +0000 Hong Kong’s wing chun masters are using virtual reality (VR) technology to showcase their half-century-old legendary headquarters for the first time, in a bid to modernise the age-old martial art and stay connected with overseas devotees. The VR headsets, provided as part of an exhibition curated by Hong Kong Shue Yan University, put visitors in the middle of the members-only historical headquarters commissioned by the late grandmaster Ip Man to experience how he and his top followers use their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3198930/members-only-wing-chun-martial-arts-centre-hong-kong-opens-its-doors-visitors-using-virtual-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3198930/members-only-wing-chun-martial-arts-centre-hong-kong-opens-its-doors-visitors-using-virtual-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:12:54 +0000 As someone who practises kung fu for four hours every day, former New Yorker and international lawyer turned filmmaker Laurence Brahm is well-known in Beijing’s wushu community. He has studied under masters from various schools of Chinese martial arts, including 81-year-old Liu Hongchi, who is an expert in many wushu styles including Zhangjia Kungfu and Cha Quan. Practising kung fu is a form of meditation in motion for him, Brahm says. And it has helped the global activist, political economist... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3162464/us-martial-artist-china-sees-kung-fu-preventive-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3162464/us-martial-artist-china-sees-kung-fu-preventive-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jan 2022 05:15:20 +0000 A Hong Kong university research team is using artificial intelligence to develop a way to teach the Chinese martial art of wing chun, and keep alive the legacy of legendary grandmaster Ip Man. His grandson, Ip Kong-chiu, a grandmaster himself, will demonstrate the movements of the martial art’s first form, Siu Nim Tau, which will then be turned into software to teach primary and secondary school pupils. The year-long project is the idea of wing chun enthusiast Kaman Lee Ka-man, head of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3154160/ip-man-goes-ai-team-university-hong-kong-develops-software?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3154160/ip-man-goes-ai-team-university-hong-kong-develops-software?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Oct 2021 01:30:29 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has been challenged by plenty of kung fu “masters” but they don’t normally back down before he makes them eat their words in the ring. So it was rare to see one such challenger give a sincere apology to the Chinese MMA fighter. Fifth generation iron palm kung fu master Sun Lei issued his challenge to “Mad Dog”, calling him out in a recent video on Chinese social media. “Xu Xiaodong, you recently are always talking smack about Chinese kung fu and iron palm kung fu. I am gonna... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3036896/kung-fu-master-says-sorry-backs-down-after-chinese-mma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3036896/kung-fu-master-says-sorry-backs-down-after-chinese-mma?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2019 07:01:08 +0000 I still remember my first ice hockey fight. All the movies I’d watched as a kid, where highly choreographed fight scenes looked like expertly planned dance routines, had horribly lied to me. By the time I realised I was in a fight, at the tender age of 16, it was already half over and I’d taken three or four solid shots to the face and my jersey had been pulled well over my head, rendering me blind. The experience was jarring: unfiltered chaos, blurred vision in one eye from an errant thumb... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3034175/its-time-admit-most-traditional-martial-arts-are-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3034175/its-time-admit-most-traditional-martial-arts-are-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 02:00:14 +0000 You would think the kung fu frauds who get royally embarrassed by Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong would learn their lesson. Alas, one of the wing chun “masters” came back for some more punishment. Ding Hao was one of Xu’s most memorable victims – dropped on his backside multiple times before the referee mercifully stepped in after a few minutes. He blamed his performance on not being fed enough rice by event organisers before the fight. The judges also somehow inexplicably scored the fight as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033816/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-taunts-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033816/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-taunts-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 03:37:13 +0000 Donnie Yen Ji-dan will play wing chun grandmaster Ip Man for the last time when the latest instalment of the hugely popular martial arts franchise hits the big screen in December. Fans were saddened by the news but many said they still looked forward to the series finale that first shot Yen to superstardom when the original Ip Man became a huge hit in 2008. The Hong Kong martial arts star confirmed on social media that he will don the “cheongsam” for the final time in Ip Man 4, due to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3030022/fans-saddened-donnie-yen-confirms-ip-man-4-will-be-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3030022/fans-saddened-donnie-yen-confirms-ip-man-4-will-be-last?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:52:35 +0000 In Enter The Dragon, Bruce Lee uttered the famous words “boards don’t hit back”. But someone forgot to tell a Chinese wing chun “master” who seemingly idolises the Hong Kong martial arts legend. Tan Long went viral this week for his 12-second knockout at the hands of Chinese MMA fighter Xuan Wu – a friend of Xu Xiaodong, who has made it his mission to expose “fake kung fu”. What’s more, Tan was dressed in the Game of Death star’s iconic yellow jumpsuit, with the wannabe Bruce Lee even trying... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023857/bruce-lee-wannabe-breaks-bricks-training-video-mma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023857/bruce-lee-wannabe-breaks-bricks-training-video-mma?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 04:30:38 +0000 Xu Xiaodong’s friend Xuan Wu followed in the footsteps of his fellow Chinese MMA fighter by knocking out a “fake” kung fu master in 12 seconds – and this one was a Bruce Lee wannabe dressed in full yellow jumpsuit. The fight took place in a boxing ring in the middle of a Chinese shopping centre called the Xixia Wanda Plaza on August 3 in Yinchuan autonomous region west of Beijing. The fake Bruce Lee, real name Tan Long, was representing Chinese wing chun and had challenged Xuan Wu – a fighter... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023521/xu-xiaodongs-friend-and-fellow-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023521/xu-xiaodongs-friend-and-fellow-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2019 04:07:46 +0000 Hong Kong martial arts superstar Donnie Yen Tze-dan loves a challenge, and when it requires perfect timing and outrageous kicking moves he lives up to his reputation. Which is why the 55-year-old just had to join the “Bottle Cap Challenge”, the biggest viral social media stunt since the ice bucket challenge in 2014, which raised awareness of ALS. But this one requires some serious skills in the kicking department. The challenge has been sweeping the world, with Hollywood action star Jason... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017196/donnie-yen-nails-bottle-cap-challenge-blindfolded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017196/donnie-yen-nails-bottle-cap-challenge-blindfolded?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 02:11:12 +0000 Outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has been challenged by yet another wing chun master who says he is looking to defend the honour of traditional martial arts – but this one is Canadian and actually won a few fights. Pierre-Francois Flores was in Hanoi last week and beat amateur fighter Luu Cuong under kick-boxing rules – though he was reportedly 12kg heavier than his opponent. The 43-year-old caused a stir in 2017 when he competed in a full-contact bout with a local karate practitioner.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017065/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-wants-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017065/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-wants-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2019 06:41:58 +0000 Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen may be turning 56 in July, but he’s still kicking ass. He’ll be on the big screen again very soon, with the fourth Ip Man film set to premiere in parts of Asia on July 25. In the popular action movies, Yen plays the eponymous master of Wing Chun, the Chinese martial art, who was renowned in real life for teaching Bruce Lee.         View this post on Instagram                   I’ve created and directed many action scenes, always finding new... https://www.scmp.com/arts/he-films-ip-man-4-martial-arts-star-donnie-yen-still-kicking-ass-55/article/3015939?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/he-films-ip-man-4-martial-arts-star-donnie-yen-still-kicking-ass-55/article/3015939?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2019 09:13:46 +0000 Hong Kong martial arts superstar Donnie Yen Tze-dan may have already hit the big time with his Ip Man franchise but he’s not about to rest on his laurels ahead of the release of the latest instalment in the series. Yen, 56 next month, proved age is just a number as he posted a social media video of himself in training to show that he’s still fit as a fiddle. “I am always looking to create new and inspiring action throughout my career in all my films,” Yen said in his Facebook post over the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3015770/donnie-yen-shows-kung-fu-moves-55-years-old-training?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3015770/donnie-yen-shows-kung-fu-moves-55-years-old-training?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2019 03:15:38 +0000 Remember when Xu Xiaodong obliterated wing chun “master” Ding Hao last year? Well it turns out the judge somehow ruled the match a draw. Ding bills himself as “one of the four great wing chun masters in China”, but outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu knocked him down four times before the referee mercifully waived off the fight. It was a clear victory for the 41-year-old “Mad Dog”, who has made it his mission to expose kung fu frauds by beating up fake traditional martial arts masters. But the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015641/judge-somehow-rules-xu-xiaodongs-annihilation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015641/judge-somehow-rules-xu-xiaodongs-annihilation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2019 03:23:39 +0000 There seems to be something about food when it comes to martial arts frauds making excuses for the crushing defeats they are dealt by Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong. Wing chun practitioner Ding Hao only got pulverised by Xu last year because he was hungry and wasn’t given enough rice before the fight, according to his shifu (or coach). Now wing chun dim mak (pressure point) “master” Lu Gang is blaming his vegetarianism for getting obliterated by “Mad Dog” in less than a minute last month. Never... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3013307/xu-xiaodong-only-beat-me-because-im-vegetarian-says-wing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3013307/xu-xiaodong-only-beat-me-because-im-vegetarian-says-wing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:31:02 +0000 It seems Xu Xiaodong isn’t the only Chinese MMA fighter dealing out embarrassing beat downs to traditional martial arts practitioners. A video has gone viral of a Chengdu man, who trains in wing chun, challenging fighters from a Sichuan MMA promotion to face him. “Do you guys want to fight me?” he said, posing in a kung fu stance, in a video posted on Chinese social media platform Douyin. His request was respectable – he only wanted to test his skills and represent wing chun. Professional... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012279/wing-chun-devotee-challenges-chinese-mma-fighter-and-gets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012279/wing-chun-devotee-challenges-chinese-mma-fighter-and-gets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2019 08:33:55 +0000 Those of you who have been following Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong’s mission to expose “fake kung fu” over the last couple of years may remember one of the beat downs he administered in particular. In 2018, “Mad Dog” smashed Ding Hao – who bills himself as one of the “four great wing chun masters in China” – in a fight that went viral on Chinese social media. It was an emphatic defeat for Ding, but now he has called out Xu for a rematch. “Xu Xiaodong, do you still remember my fist?” he said in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012106/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-challenges-xu-xiaodong-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012106/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-challenges-xu-xiaodong-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2019 07:07:38 +0000 Outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong was back in action at the weekend, taking on a wing chun “master” – and the fight went pretty much how you would expect. “Mad Dog” is on a mission to expose “fake kung fu” and his latest victim was Lu Gang, a pressure point wing chun master from the Ip Man lineage. Kung fu ‘master’ Tian Ye returns from Xu Xiaodong beating to face Chinese taekwondo black belt – and results aren’t pretty The bout took place in Karamay, China on Saturday, with Xu weighing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3011099/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-breaks-balding-wing-chun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3011099/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-breaks-balding-wing-chun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2019 06:01:59 +0000