Wu Sifu and Chan Sifu: Old Master’s “Sticky Hands (Chi Sau) Demo

I am currently extremely busy with organising and editing the videos my archive; before I will finally publish them and accompany them with some interesting stories, i am going to comment the few well known videos i have already uploaded. I started to share rare Wing Chun videos at YouTube in 2006 – at that time almost the only videos of Mainland China Wing Chun available on the internet.

In 2003 we have received an invitation to the “International Ving Tsun Annual Dinner” – a great event hosted by Sifu Cliff Au Yeung  in Hong Kong. It is that kind of event you definitely do not want to miss. First –  Sifu Cliff is incredibly friendly type of person, second – the list of other invited guests was a promising an exceptional evening.

More than 150 invited guests have attented: From Australia (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun), England (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun), China (Guangzhou and Hong Kong “Mai Gei Wong” Wing Chun), Hong Kong (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun and Leung Ting Wing Tsun), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Czech and Slovak School “Mai Gei Wong” Wing Chun). Many  senior students of  Grandmaster Yip Man were present at the event: Grandmaster Jau Ji Chyun (Chow Tse Chuen, 邹 子 传), Grandmaster Chan Ji Man (Chan Chee Man 陈志文), Grandmaster Siu Yuk Man (萧煜民) and Grand Master Lok Yiu (骆 耀) with his son Lok Ging Gong (Lok Keng Kwong 骆劲刚) and other masters, eg. Grand Master Fung Keung of Gu Lou Wing Chun.

Memories of Roof Top Fights and Chi Sau Demo

The Kung-Fu demo represented all schools, and even the Grandmasters were in the end persuaded to showed bare-handed forms, as well as weapons and Chi Sau.

At one point, a large restaurant hall has silenced down. The light dimmed and the screen on the wall began to reflect an old black and white movie. It was a record of fighting two Kung Fu fighters. No protection gear, no ring. The fight took place on the roof and took just  ashort time. When the recording ended, people started clapping.

Older master sitting at the table along with the old generation Yip Man students stood up, bowing and smiling – it was Wu Jan Nan Sifu (Wu Chun Nam 胡镇南), Wong Shun Leung’s  student and one of the fighters from the film, which won the duel! Almost immediately, Wu sifu was invited to perform on the stage. Without hesitation he  started to do “Sticking Hands” (Chi Sau) together with Sifu Chan Ji Man, who just finished the demo of Baat Jaam Dou – Wing Chun form with double knives.  Wonderful “old school generation Chi Sau! Beautiful.

Few weeks later  in China, Guangzhou

Celebration of  Master Wong Nim Yis  School, my teacher of “Mai Gei Wong Wing Chun”; the old masters of Yip Man’s clan Wing Chun have accepted the invitation to celebrate  and once again they are reaping acclaim for their Chi Sau demonstration. Chan sifu and Wu sifu are truly in the  form and after celebration  in a restaurant floating on water lake are in the center of attention. Our group payed the greatest attention, and did not miss a single word from the experienced masters.

Late night, when it’s time to accompany them to the bus – my student Eda says excited and smiling: “Sifu, look… The old man came in the morning and he was leaning on a cane…. Look now!”

Old master ran to the bus swiftly as a teenager, without the aid of the walking cane.

“Sifu, did you have a walking cane when you came today?” said Eda, giving the cane to the master.

“Oh, yes of course, thank you, I need it,” replied the master with a smile. It seemed to me that he blinked to Eda…