Leung Sheung

Too Important To Overlook.

- Adam Williss

AS GRANDMASTER IP MAN’S MOST SENIOR STUDENT IN HONG KONG, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT SIFU LEUNG SHEUNG WAS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED IN HIS DAY. AFTER ALL, HE WAS NOT ONLY SENIOR TO MOST OF IP MAN’S STUDENTS IN HONG KONG, BUT HE WAS SENIOR TO ALL OF THEM! THEY ALL LOOKED UP TO HIM DUE TO HIS SUPERIOR SKILL, GUIDANCE, ADVICE, MENTORSHIP, INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE.

However, would you even be practising Wing Chun today if it weren’t for Leung Sheung? Would you even know the name of the art? Without the help and dedication of Sifu Leung Sheung, would Ip Man have ever even been able to get off the ground as a teacher?

Although these questions and arguments cannot be answered with any real certainty, once we know the facts, we can all agree that Sifu Leung Sheung played one of the most crucial roles in the early development of Wing Chun in Hong Kong.

Briefly, Leung Sheung is too important to be overlooked. So, why don’t we hear more about him? As the senior-most student of Ip Man, didn’t he pave the way for every other student who came along after him? Therefore, he must have gotten much one-on-one time with his Sifu. What was his relationship like with Ip Man’s other students? And how was he as a teacher?

When Ip Man moved to Hong Kong, he was down and out. He had no job, knew very few people, and had no place to stay. It was Leung Sheung who secured Ip Man a job and a place to live. As the general secretary of the newly formed Hong Kong Restaurant Workers Union, Leung Sheung had a good deal of influence and pull with the organisation. When a martial arts teaching position became available, Leung Sheung, who was known for his professionalism and ability to communicate, nominated Ip Man for the job.