Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun
Australian Capital Territory
Yip Man
Yip man grew up in a wealthy family in Foshan Guangdong, he began learning Wing Chun from Chan Wah-shun when he was 7. Chan was 70 when Yip Man began his training so most of his tuition was taught by Chan’s second oldest disciple Wu Chung Sok. Before Chans death he expressed his desire for Wu to continue teaching the young Yip Man.
At the age of 16 Yip moved to Hong Kong with the help of his family and was sent to St. Stephens College (a school for wealthy foreigners living in Hong Kong). During this time Yip saw a police officer beating a woman and intervened, the officer attempted to fend off Yip but was struck down by Yip. Yip then ran back to school with one of his classmates. Later Yips classmate told an older man who lived in his apartment block about the encounter between Yip and the police officer. The man met with Yip and challenged him to Chi Sau, seeing this as an opportunity to prove his skill Yip accepted. After a few strikes Yip was defeated and the man revealed himself as Leung Bik (Chan Wah Shuns senior classmate and the son of Chan's teacher). From that moment on Yip continued to learn Wing Chun from Leung Bik.
At 21 Yip retuned to Foshan and gained employment as a police officer. He started informally teaching Wing Chun to several of his subordinates, friends and some relatives. Yip returned to Hong Kong at the end of 1949 after the Chinese Communist Party won the war.
Yip opened a school in Hon Kong however initially there were few long term students and the school did not o well financially. The school was moved twice first to Castle Peak Road and then to Lee Tat Street. By this point some of Yips students had gained proficiency enough to open their own schools and began duelling with students from other styles of martial arts. As Yips students had many victories in these matches, Yip Man and Wing Chuns fame grew. In 1967 with the help of his students Yip founded the Wing Chun athletic association, to help with Yips financial difficulties and to help spread the art of Wing Chun to the world. On December 2, 1972 Yip died from throat cancer in his unit at 149 Tung Choi Street.
Wong Shung Leung
In his youth Wong trained in several styles of martial art, primarily Taijiquan and Western Boxing. Wong abandoned these styles after two incidents; the first was after defeating his Boxing coach in a sparring session (there are several accounts with slightly varying details of what took place) and the second was after meeting Wing Chun master Yip Man. After hearing many stories of legendary Win Chun masters Wong set about finding an instructor to teach him the art. Some friends of his older brother took him to meet Yip Man. One version of events recalls after defeating some of Yips students he had a match with Yip Man himself. Yip defeated Wong with ease and took him on as a student; eventually Wong began to assist Yip with teaching.Wong became an active Beimo fighter (bare knuckle fights with no rules or protective equipment) as these fights where not legal they were conducted behind closed doors. At the beginning of his Beimo career Wing Chun was virtually unheard of compared to other styles of Kung Fu. It was after Wong began winning numerous matches (some say as many as 60) that Wing Chun became to be known throughout Hong Kong.
Wong also actively encouraged his own students to compete in Beimo, not only did they defeat opponents from many other martial disciplines but other Wing Chun lineages as well, due to his prowess in Beimo Wong's fearsome reputation earned him the nickname "king of talking with hands". In his last Beimo match Wong accidentally blinded one of his opponents eyes, after this incident he decided to retire from Beimo fighting.
While Wong had many students before this time his first official Wing Chun school was opened between 1969 and 1970. For the next ten years he tirelessly promoted and develop his Wing Chun, by the 80's foreign students began to travel to Hong Kong to become students of Wong which helped him to establish his style not only in Hong Kong but throughout the world.
On January 12, 1997 at a gathering with some of his kung fu brothers Wong collapsed and fell into a coma, he passed away 16 days later at the Kwong Wa Hospital. During this time many of his friends and students (including foreign ones) traveled to Hong Kong to show their concern for Wong's condition and pay their last respects to their teacher.
Wan Kam Leung
In his youth Master Wang learned a number of different martial arts of various styles, it was not until he immigrated to Hong Kong in 1959 that his brother introduced him to Wing Chun Kung Fu. His first Wing Chun instructor was Yip Man's most senior student Leung Sheung with whom he studied for seven months. In 1962 Wong Shun Leung opened a Wing Chun school across the street from where Wan was living at the time. Wan was impressed with Wong's philosophy and practical approach to Kung Fu and became Wong's first official student. Due to his hard work a diligent training Wan's training fees were wavered after just three months of training. Wan eventually became Wong's closest student and training partner, and continued to train with Wong for twenty years.
Wan began teaching Wing Chun in 1969 after training with Wong for seven years. In 1979 he travelled to Beijing to learn Qigong from various masters so that he could incorporate it into his own Kung Fu practice. Wan was invited by the Hong Kong police force to be the chief instructor of the G4 (VIP Protection Unit) in 1993, he was the only Kung Fu master to be employed by the British Hong Kong government.
Wan was given his Senior Instructor Certificate by his teacher Wong Shun Leung in 1988. Wan spend many years refining and improving his knowledge of Wong Shun Leung's Wing Chun style, and with his masters consent the style he developed was named Practical Wing Chun. Wan promised not to teach his Practical Wing Chun style until after Wong's death out of respect for his teacher. After Wong's death in 1997 Wan opened his first Practical Wing Chun School on Nathan Road in Kowloon and began teaching full time. Practical Wing Chun now has branches all over the world including; Australia, mainland China, America and in Europe.Wan's modifications to Wong's original Wing Chun style were designed to maintain an adaptable modern martial art aimed at providing self defence against a real committed attack, while adhering to all of the basic tenants of traditional Wing Chun. Practical Wing Chun incorporates the idea of using body mechanics to overcome a physically stronger opponent. The system adheres to the principal of five centre lines and uses 135 degree angles. The wrists remain flexible and the elbows away point down. To this day Grand master Wan is constantly analysing and revising his system to ensure the art does not become static, impractical or irrelevant
Danilo "Danny" Hajdukovic
My interest in the martial arts was sparked with the film “Enter the Dragon” and its star, the late “Bruce Lee”. I started my first years training in Judo and then Tae Kwon Do for 9 years. In 1989, I was introduced to a style called “Wing Chun Kung Fu”. From my first lesson I was automatically drawn to the style because of its “no-nonsense” approach to combat. I was getting ever closer to what I was searching for within the martial arts.
Within my initial years of training in Wing Chun, I had not quite settled on a preferred system and therefore cross trained over the next 4 years with various other schools and practitioners of Wing Chun, Karate, Choy Lay Fut, Hung Gar, Western Boxing and Grappling. I eventually returned to my original Wing Chun School and joined them on their annual trip to Hong Kong where I was introduced to Grand Master Wan Kam Leung and his system of “Practical Wing Chun Kung Fu”.
After attending my first private class with Wan Sifu, there was no question in my mind that I had finally found both the martial arts system and mentor to affiliate myself with 100%. Grand Master Wan Kam Leung is a humble, intelligent and brilliant martial artist. Well into his late 60’s in age and only of slight to medium build, he constantly amazes all who train with him with his sublime skill and effortless power.
In 2006, I had attained an “Instructor’s Accreditation” directly under Grand Master Wan Kam Leung, along with permission to open an Australian branch of his Kung Fu system.
On the 25th of April 2010, I was part of the 1st international induction (Bai-Si Tea Ceremony) in Hong Kong establishing me as an official “Closed Door Disciple” of Grand Master Wan Kam Leung.
In 2014 I had completed the entire system and received my last 2 certifications with immense pride and humility
Along with my other Kung Fu brothers sisters, I am honoured to pass on my Grand Master’s legacy to the next generation.
David McLeary
The first martial art I seriously studied was Yanjia Michuan Taijiquan under Laoshi Scott M Rodell which I continue to study to this day. I am also a student in the Bolognese/Dardi school of Italian swordsmanship under Provost Richard Cullinan. While I no longer study these arts I also have experience in - Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu, Musu Jikiden EishenRyu, HokushinItto-ryu, Aikido and Haidong gumdo.
Wing Chun was an art that always interested me in my teenage years and after moving to Canberra I decided to try and find a teacher. After attending two other schools that I felt where inadequate I stumbled across Practical Wing Chun and Sifu Danilo Hajdukovic, I finally found the Wing Chun School I was looking for and joined on. As of 2016 I am the first of his students to be certified in the Biu Jee (thrusting fingers) and Mook Yan Jong (wooden dummy) forms directly by Sifu Danilo and currently I am learning the final 2 forms, working towards completing the system.