Even in Chinese history, circa 1900, there was a movement among the Nationalists to resurrect all the Tang dynasty Shaolin stories and use them as a way to promote patriotism among the external Tongs so that the Tong’s would think their origins lay in Shaolin and help the Nationalists take power. (Since many of the Nationalists later had to leave China, they took these stories with them, and those who later taught MA passed them along as well).

@ Rene: That Karate school sounds off mate. Back in the day in the UK they would have been closed down for sure!! Nowadays even I have watched Koreans calling their brand of TKD ‘Kung Fu’!! And as for those rich Foshan merchants, isn’t that who Leung Jans loose hand techniques were for?? Just don’t give them the forms lol!!!

Then Ip Man gave all forms to the western world! Aren’t we lucky?

I’ve seen many versions of made up WCK. Some good, some bad.

I think you’re right about Bruce Lee. Because of his fame, Wing Chun went from a simple martial art which could be taught to eek out a living to a ticket for fame and fortune (and teaching MA at the time in HK was looked down upon as extremely low class; something for gangsters and troublemakers, and not the wealthy merchant class of Foshan). It certainly gave people (even in completely unrelated arts!) motivation to connect themselves with Bruce Lee and claim some special “secret sauce” to attract students.

I have to say though, IMO it was only really after Ip Man passed away in the seventies , and after the Bruce Lee boom, that varied stories and families started to be heard of in the West. My Sigung was in the UK in the late fifties but I believe he only ever taught Chinese until his own students introduced him to some westerners. He too had his personal ways, but was loyal to Ip Man and his preferred promotions, maybe even accepting his ‘lesser role’ due to his humility. More recently we are being viewed as a ‘mix’ of mainland and Hong Kong versions, which I think is good.

In 1997 I demonstrated a version of Lee Shings Pole Form for the first time publically. This was distinctively different from my Uncles forms (Sifu Lee & Sifu Goh)and so were the other demonstrations, as they too included more ‘mainland’ influence than previous generations. At the time I was scorned and the team was distraught that others said our family ‘was not Wing Chun’!

I see many groups today using the Wing Chun name, yet look more distant from Ip Mans original than we ever did. More understanding is definately there now, more research and families to tie into the big picture. Yet still, my Sigung Lee Shing’s methods are not known or recognised as they should be IMHO.

I think what I’m trying to say is ‘never close your mind to new stories!’ As much as you think you may already know, I believe that the ‘blinders are still on’, and they always will be until certain governments’ intervention. Insurance governing bodies have just never cut it!

Think about it, China herself has allowed this to happen before and it’s all started again without her support.