About Wong Shun Leung

 

Master Wong Shun Leung made his fame through his many challenge fights and his teaching of the late and famous Bruce Lee. Master Wong, one of the top five students of Grandmaster Yip Man, is said to have had over 100 challenge fights in his younger days and had never lost. His experiences in fighting brought with it a deep understanding of the way in which Ving Tsun worked and created in him a very practical approach to how it should be applied. From his fighting experiences he was able to further develop Ving Tsun techniques and many of his ideas were taken on by Yip Man and incorporated into the Ving Tsun system. Many of the teachers who are today teaching Ving Tsun, are teaching techniques that were developed by Wong. Between the mid-fifties and 1969, Wong Shun Leung actually taught at Yip Man's school, especially in the latter years owing to Yip Man's poor health.

 
Wong Shun Leung and Bruce Lee became firm friends when they were learning at Yip Man's school. Wong was a few years older than Bruce and somewhat wiser. Bruce Lee respected Wong's knowledge and Ving Tsun skills and for some time learnt Ving Tsun from Wong Shun Leung. They remained good friends until Bruce died. Wong in fact had been invited to choreograph some of the fight scenes in "Enter the Dragon" (see photo left) and actually underwent a screen test to take a part in "The Game of Death". Due to Bruce's early death, Wong did not pursue his role in the latter film.

Sadly, Wong suffered a stroke and passed away shortly afterwards on the 28th January 1997, having been in a coma for two weeks. However, his recognized students throughout the world will continue to teach on his behalf and pass on his knowledge and expertise of the Ving Tsun system.