Yip Man was born on 1 October 1893 in Foshan, in China's Guangdong province. Coming from a well-off merchant family, he received a classical education and the kind of material comfort that was rare for the time. At the age of nine, he was accepted as a student by Chan Wah Shun, the last direct disciple of Leung Jan, a central figure in the 19th-century transmission of Wing Chun. After his master's death a few years later, he continued his training under Ng Chung Sok, Chan Wah Shun's senior student.
As a teenager, Yip Man left to study in Hong Kong. There, by chance, he met Leung Bik, the son of Leung Jan, who completed his training and passed on a subtler, more refined understanding of the system. Upon returning to Foshan, he practiced privately and did not teach publicly. He held various civil positions before the upheavals of the Chinese civil war forced him to flee.
In 1949, Yip Man settled permanently in Hong Kong. With no resources, he made a historic decision: to open Wing Chun teaching to the public. This break with the tradition of family secrecy changed everything. Throughout the 50s and 60s, he trained an entire generation of exceptional students: Wong Shun Leung, William Cheung, Bruce Lee, Hawkins Cheung, and many others. Each of them, in their own way, would help spread the art beyond China's borders.
Shortly before his death in December 1972, Yip Man designated Leung Ting as his last head student ("Closed Door Student"), a status passed on very rarely, sanctifying the orthodox lineage. It is through this direct thread that the teaching you receive in Geneva is rooted in the most authentic Wing Chun tradition.