Who Really Taught Bruce Lee Kung Fu (Not Ip Man)
Despite Ip Man’s reputation for being Bruce Lee’s kung fu master, he’s not actually the person responsible for most of the actor’s martial arts training. It’s well-documented that the kung fu legend was a student of Ip Man during the 1950s. The training he received at Ip Man’s school built the foundation for the kung fu stills that he became so famous for later in life.
Ip Man was a greatly respected Wing Chun grandmaster who lived in Hong Kong for a significant portion of his life. During that time, he took a teenage Lee as a student and paved the way for Bruce Lee to become a martial arts expert. Their relationship was highlighted in the Ip Man movies, which starred Donnie Yen. Lee trained at Ip Man’s school for a few years before being sent to the United States where he finished his high school education. Thanks in large part to the knowledge and experience he acquired at Ip Man’s Wing Chun school, Lee was able to open martial arts schools of his own and create a unique kung fu style called Jeet Kune Do.
Related: How Bruce Lee's Illegal Chuck Norris Fight Happened
While it’s true that Ip Man was instrumental in Bruce Lee’s journey to becoming a kung fu legend, it’s worth noting that not nearly enough credit is given to Wong Shun Leung, who actually played a much more active role in Lee’s development as a Wing Chun practitioner. Since Ip Man was understandably too busy to individually oversee the training of every student, he delegated personal, one-on-one lessons to his senior students. The person tasked with teaching Lee was Wong Shun Leung. During his Wing Chun training, Lee spent most of his time learning from Wong and only received occasional lessons from Ip Man himself.
In a letter Lee wrote to Wong years after
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