My Sifus
by SiFu Lee Che Kong

In Chinese tradition, all parents have high expectations for their children buried deep in their minds. They desire their next generation to be highly successful as literati and/or martial artists. They also hope that their children’s success will lead them to devote themselves to their government or country. My father had this idea also. With this idea in his mind, he tried very hard to involve me in literature, arts, calligraphy or martial arts to gain experience and knowledge.

When I was about four years old, my father made me practice Chinese calligraphy everyday. If I didn't write five pages of calligraphy, I was not allowed meals. In addition, he tried to find a famous martial artist to be my SiFu, hoping that someday I would be somebody of worth.

Unfortunately, I grew up during the period of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Learning and teaching kung fu was not allowed in China. Thus, my father made me join "Wushu" which was organized by the Chinese government and taught in the early morning starting at 4 a.m. This was my first experience in "Martial Arts".

1962 was a period of time when many Chinese ran away from China to Hong Kong. I was one of the refuges from this great escape. As a new immigrant I struggled very hard to finish my high school education. 

In 1967 there was a big anti-British riot in Hong Kong. After the riot, Hong Kong’s society and political situation was very unsteady. The economy was very depressed and looking for a living was extremely difficult.

My father was a Chinese Dit-Dar (Bone setting & injuries) doctor. Unfortunately, where he set up his clinic happened to have a lot of rascals and bullies who harassed and/or tried to collect "protection fees" from us.

My father approached me with his plan for me to learn martial arts. By being associated with a martial arts club, many businesses were left alone, as some clubs were associated with gangsters. While not all martial arts clubs had these types of members, no trouble would by made with any clubs just to be on the safe side. My dad's idea was for me to learn martial arts from a famous teacher while he himself taught me Chinese medicine. This would ensure a good future for me.

He who teaches me for one day is considered my father for life
Looking for a decent "Master" is very difficult. Fortunately, a good friend of my father convinced me to learn Wing Chun, a very healthy martial art style that seldom had connections with gangsters.

SiFu Lok Yiu, the second disciple of the late Grandmaster Yip Man was famous for his deep knowledge, diligent approach and high criteria/standards in teaching Wing Chun. 

In the old time the Kung Fu School was different from today’s schools. The SiFu taught in accordance with the traditional ways. You would start by sitting in the horse stance with only some basic movements from the First Form for hours. This would last for at least six months. Training would take place 365 days a year. No excuses for absence.

SiFu Lok Yiu was my Sifu who gave me my first understandings of Wing Chun. He taught me the “a-b-c's” of our style. His severe criteria and hard working ethics allowed me to gain the fundamental understanding of Wing Chun theory and methods. He gave me a very solid foundation and legitimate reasons for why we have to learn Wing Chun. 

I started with ignorance and SiFu guided me to understanding. The understanding and insight drove me to practice; practice practice practice; diligent practice. As a result I was enamored and fascinated with the Wing Chun system. After about three years SiFu Lok Yiu made me his assistant instructor for his branch school at my house. During the daytime and at night I went back to SiFu Lok Yiu's school to keep learning my Wing Chun and practice with my senior Kung Fu brothers.

Traditionally it is the duty of a student to show his respect and appreciation for his SiFu for what is being taught. One-way I fulfilled my obligation was to clean the school before and after practice. I would clean and shine the windows, polish the mirrors, clean the bathroom, empty and disinfect the spittoons and mop the floor. 

Often, I would be at the school late after classes ended to clean up. At this period of his life Grandmaster Yip Man was retired and spent some evenings playing Mah-Jongg with some of his students at SiFu Lok Yiu's school. 

Sometimes the Grandmaster would ask me to run out and buy him some food. One terribly rainy night, after I had finished cleaning and was practicing by myself no one showed up to play except Grandmaster Yip Man. I remember very clearly that he kept pacing around while I was practicing. After some time, he called me over by my nickname, Kong Jai…

“Kong Jai – show me what you learn!” At first I was hesitant, but I played the First Form. “Ah, very good,” he told me and invited me to do some sticky hand. Later on, the guests gradually started to show up, and he said, “All right. Pretty Good. Keep working hard with your practice.”

Most of the time, Sifu Yip Man’s students and their relatives would show up to play. Among them were Wong Shun Leung and his wife, Tong Jo Che, Lee Wai Che, Wong Che Ming, Tam Lai Ko Sang. Sometimes, Ho Kam Ming returned from Macau. Poon Tung and his wife and Lau Wing would sometimes also show up for the party gathering. SiFu Lok Yiu would normally go out with his friend Yee Wing to the teahouse or to some other entertainment.

Another night, Grandmaster Yip Man called me over again to see how I was progressing while he was waiting for other guests to show up. He told me, “Mmm, your foundation is pretty good…” Then the grandmaster asked me, “Kong-jai, why do you want to learn kung fu?” I told him that I wanted to learn something that was practical for fighting so that in an emergency I could protect myself. I also told him that Wing Chun is a good style, it fitted me and I was crazy about it. 

Grandmaster Yip Man told me, “I like you, you’re honest, you work hard and you would not tell me that you learn Wing Chun for health or some hypocritical reason. If you really want to learn come talk to me tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. at Hoon Lin Restaurant (tea house).”

I was so excited and felt it was a great fortune that I had a chance to learn from Grandmaster Yip Man, the one who made Wing Chun famous, and the one who held all the power and authority in the Wing Chun Style. This was an unimaginable opportunity.

My SiFu Lok Yiu is a man of dignity, of strict, severe and demanding work ethics. He diligently built his students’ foundation and basic understanding. His SiFu, Yip Man recognized all of this. SiFu Yip Man mentioned to me with pride that, “SiFu Lok Yiu’s insight of Wing Chun theory and sticky hands surpasses even my own. Lok Yiu is totally outstanding.”

…to be continued.