Bureaucracy may be wing chun kung fu master's biggest foe
Ip Chun has helped the martial art pioneered by his father, Yip Man, thrive. But help from the authorities has been severely lacking
At the age of 90, Ip Chun is as passionate and relentless as ever in keeping his father's kung fu legacy alive - and the fight with bureaucracy is proving as tough as any opponent.
Ip, who still teaches scores of students every week, speaks of the warm welcome he gets abroad when promoting Yip Man wing chun, the martial art developed by his father, Yip Man. The Guangdong provincial authorities built a lavish memorial for Yip Man, he says, while the Hong Kong authorities have been slow even to recognise Yip Man's most famous pupil: Bruce Lee.
He had better news in June, when Yip Man wing chun was identified as one of 480 living items of heritage recognised by the city's government. But Ip Chun is still not convinced.
Watch: Ip Chun, son of Ip Man, reveals the secret of Wing Chun
"We applied to Guangdong and Hong Kong for intangible cultural heritage status in 2009. While we were granted the status by the mainland authorities in just three years, it took Hong Kong five years to give us that recognition," Ip Chun said. "Compared to many Western countries, and in particular the mainland, the Hong Kong government's support for the development of martial arts is extremely inadequate."
