A Revolutionary Journey to Rediscover a Revolutionary Art

By Richard J. Loewenhagen (Ving Yat)

Stemming from 330 years of revolutionary activity giving rise to 8 or more major lineages of practitioners spread across the seven continents, the true roots of Wing Chun Kung Fu (wihng cheùn gùng fuh) defied detection. To the majority of the world's Wing Chun practitioners, those roots were destined to remain shrouded in secrecy and legend. Yet, as often happens in the history of science and man, a small but determined group of men and women went beyond legends and myths.

(l/r) Yip Man, Chu Chong Man (the "Iron Fist" of Chi Sim Weng Chun), and Ip Bo Ching (the "Big Fierce" of Yip Man Wing Chun).

Sparked by the dreams of a visionary senior teacher of the Yip Man (yihp mahn) lineage and the passionate leadership of a younger one, a handful of practitioners began a revolutionary journey in 1993 to rediscover the roots of Wing Chun. Undaunted, the group logged over 2 million travel miles on 75 major research and support generation trips. Along the way, 17 major magazine articles, a published book and 4 others in work, 60 seminars, 20 tournaments, and 15 major demonstrations were undertaken to elicit support and open the doors (or sometimes small windows) of knowledge tightly held in both veiled and not-so-veiled organizations.

At every stop on the journey, fierce loyalty to legends had to be honored and sometimes combated. Secrets both political and criminal had to be guarded. Yet science begets science, and the process of documenting history is no less a science than Wing Chun itself. Dedicated practitioners of Wing Chun could and did respond to legitimate investigation, ultimately unfolding into the rediscovery of Wing Chun's rich history and origins.

A 13 year old Benny practicing his sidekick
 

A 17-year-old Benny Meng strikes a pose

An 18-year-old Benny Meng demonstrates his flexibility

The leader chosen by fate for this historic journey of discovery was Sifu Benny Meng (sì fuh maahng hing fùng), renowned Curator of the Ving Tsun Museum (wihng cheùn miuh sì äm). Since childhood, he was groomed for a quest such as this. No stranger to travel in pursuit of martial arts excellence, his personal journey began at the young age of 10 in Hong Kong where he studied Judo. In 1974 he began studies of Tae Kwon Do in the United States which led to a highly successful tournament career and ultimately a 5th Degree Black Belt in that art. In 1981 he embarked on an extended study of Chinese martial arts that took him back to Hong Kong and Mainland China where he was one of the first Americans to visit the Shaolin Temple and train at the Sichuan Sports University.

1983, Benny Meng learns from the Monkey King of China

Not knowing that Wing Chun would become his chosen martial art in the future, fate led Meng in 1982 to Sifu Lee Hoi Sang (léih hói sàng), himself a student of Jiu Wan (jìu wáhn). Jiu Wan was trained by Yip Man in Hong Kong. In his early years as a teacher, Yip Man primarily taught only accomplished artists or teachers of other arts. Jiu Wan was such an individual. He had completed training in the Wing Chun system through Chan Yiu Min (chàhn yúh mìhn) in Mainland China prior to beginning his training with Yip Man. Chan Yiu Min was the son of Chan Wah Shun (chahn wàh seuhn), also Yip Man's own teacher.

Sifu Meng's training under Lee Hoi Sang was interrupted by his return to the United States. He resumed Wing Chun training under Sifu Moy Yat (mùih yaht) in New York City in 1985. Studying and training full time, he completed his first trip through the entire system that same year. Sifu Meng officially started teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu in 1987.

Benny Meng breaks 5 bricks at a local demonstration.

In 1994, Sifu Benny Meng began another journey through the system with Sifu Moy Yat, this time in private lessons. The goal of both the teacher and the student was to examine the details and the deeper aspects of the art form in totality. These intense private lessons were completed in 1995 and he was awarded the Moy Yat family's highest level of technical recognition - a level granted by Moy Yat to only 10 people in his 40 year teaching career.

Benny Meng in his first school in 1987.

Due to Grand Master Moy Yat's foresight and wisdom, he instructed Benny Meng to spend time with Moy Yat's own Kung Fu brothers, thereby showing respect for their accumulated knowledge as well. Sifu Meng began a third journey through the system that same year via extensive private lessons with his Sì Baak (Kung Fu uncle) Yip Ching (yihp jing). This course of study was completed in 1997. He also trained with several other of Moy Yat's Kung Fu brothers and was certified as a senior instructor by Yip Man's Ving Tsun Athletic Association in China. Fortified with the most comprehensive knowledge possible of the most practiced lineage of Wing Chun, the Yip Man system, he was fate's most logical choice to open the doors of the Ving Tsun Museum to the study and examination of the other lineages of Wing Chun Kung Fu. Numerous Hall of Fame awards, including the National Wushu Kung Fu Federation's formal recognition of his efforts to collate the knowledge of Wing Chun, attest to the magnitude of this quest for knowledge and preservation of a world treasure.