Ip Man · Lineage tree

Also known as

Yip Man · Yip Kai-man

Description

Ip Man (1893–1972) was a Hong Kong martial artist and grandmaster of Wing Chun. He is best known for training Bruce Lee and for systematizing the teaching of Wing Chun in Hong Kong. His students included Wong Shun-leung, Chu Shong-tin, and Bruce Lee.

Teachers (2)

• person
  Chan Wah-shun

  sports_martial_artsWing Chun Probable

  Probable

  Ip Man became Chan Wah-shun's 16th and last student at age 9 or 13 in Foshan; documented in multiple biographical sources

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1905–1908)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Ip Man became Chan Wah-shun's 16th and last student at age 9 or 13 in Foshan; documented in multiple biographical sources

  “Ip Man began learning Wing Chun from Chan Wah-shun when he was 9 or 13; Chan was 57 at the time, and Ip became Chan's 16th and last student”

  — Ip Man (Wikipedia EN)linkhistory info
• 
  Leung Bik

  sports_martial_artsWing Chun Probable

  Probable

  Wikipedia only.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1910–1911)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Wikipedia only.

  “Ip proceeded to train with Leung Bik, until Leung's death in 1911.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Ip Man. Wikipedia (English)linkhistory info

Lineage

• Wing Chun Chan Wah-shun ← Leung Jan ← Wong Wah-bo · 3 generations

Students (2)

• 
  Bruce Lee

  sports_martial_artsWing Chun Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Extensively documented relationship; Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun under Ip Man from 1953 to 1958 in Hong Kong

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1953–1958)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Extensively documented relationship; Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun under Ip Man from 1953 to 1958 in Hong Kong

  “Lee's early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man)”

  — Bruce Lee (Wikipedia EN)link history info

  “Lee's teacher, Grandmaster Ip Man, received complaints from Lee's classmates about teaching someone (viz. Lee) of mixed ethnicity”

  — Jennings (2019) - Bruce Lee and the Invention of Jeet Kune Dolink history info
• 
  Wong Shun-leung

  sports_martial_artsWing Chun Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Independent sources state it.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Independent sources state it.

  “Wong Shun-leung [...] was a Hong Kong martial artist who studied Wing Chun kung fu under Yip Man (葉問)”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Wong Shun-leung. Wikipedia (English)link history info

  “Wong Shun Leung, one of his most senior pupils, came from this first generation of students”

  — Maeda, Daryl Joji. (2022). Like Water: A Cultural History of Bruce Leelink info

Sources

Identifiers