In the hearts of many people, Ip Man is an extraordinary and righteous martial arts master, who once defeated foreigners in the ring to defend national dignity.
However, there is a huge gap between the real Ip Man and these imaginations, the Ip Man recorded in history is very short, has never fought with foreigners, and served as a detective captain before liberation.
This real Ip Man is far from the image we are familiar with, so what does the real Ip Man look like?
Ip Man's early life
Ip Man is a legend of Wing Chun and a grandmaster, however, the early life of this martial arts master was not what many people imagined.
Ip Man was born in a wealthy family in Foshan, Guangdong, and his family owned a large amount of land and real estate, and was a well-known local family.
Ip Man's parents attach great importance to their children's education and hope that Ip Man can inherit the family business and become a successful businessman, however, Ip Man has had a strong interest in martial arts since he was a child, and although his body is thin and weak, he is extremely flexible.
Ip Man's mother saw her son's talent and began to look for a martial arts master for him, and the hard work paid off, and Ip Man eventually fell under the tutelage of Wing Chun master Chan Wah Shun.
Chan Wah Shun was a well-known martial artist in Foshan at that time, and his Wing Chun was known for its concise and practical moves, which were deeply loved by students.
Under the careful guidance of Chen Huashun, Ip Man has made rapid progress in his martial arts, he is diligent and hardworking, and he is always practicing boxing when other students are resting.
Chen Huashun praised this little apprentice and often praised Ip Man in front of other students, however, there were unforeseen circumstances, and Chen Huashun died shortly after Ip Man's apprenticeship, which hit Ip Man hard.
Having lost his master, Ip Man did not give up his martial arts practice, and he obeyed his family's arrangement and went to Hong Kong alone to study at the famous St. Stephen's College.
During his days in Hong Kong, Ip Man did not abandon his martial arts practice, and he often went to the martial arts gym in Hong Kong to learn in his spare time.
By chance, Ip Man became acquainted with Liang Bi, the son of the famous martial artist Ryazan who was highly accomplished in Wing Chun.
Ip Man and Leung Bi hit it off at first sight, and the two soon became friends, and under Leung Bi's guidance, Ip Man's Wing Chun reached a new level.
The days of studying in Hong Kong are fleeting, and when Ip Man returns from his studies, his Wing Chun has reached the point of perfection.
The young Ip Man was in high spirits, and he was determined to open his own martial arts gym in Foshan to carry Wing Chun forward.
A turning point in Ip Man's life
With his superb martial arts and noble personality, Ip Man's martial arts hall soon became famous, attracting countless apprentices who came to him.
However, a fortuitous incident brought Ip Man's reputation to the next level, one day, Ip Man was wandering the street with his cousin, and unexpectedly encountered a group of ruffians and hooligans.
The leader turned out to be a warlord platoon commander, he saw that Ip Man's cousin was beautiful, he had evil thoughts, and even teased him on the street, Ip Man stepped forward to reason with the platoon commander, the platoon commander was annoyed and angry, and actually pulled out a pistol.
Facing the muzzle of the black hole, Ye Man was not afraid, his figure flashed, and he actually snatched the platoon commander's pistol with his bare hands.
What's even more surprising is that Ip Man, with the help of his friends, broke the warlord's pistol, and this incident not only saved his cousin, but also spread Ip Man's reputation throughout Foshan.
Since then, the fame of Ip Man's martial arts hall has become even greater, and there is an endless stream of students who come to apprentice, however, just as Ip Man's martial arts hall is in full swing, a temptation creeps in.
Foshan's local Flower Donation Bureau threw an olive branch to Ip Man and invited him to be the detective captain, which was an agency that specialized in collecting taxes from prostitutes at the time, and was also inextricably linked to the underworld.
Wen didn't want to accept this position, but under the persuasion of his family, he finally accepted, and from then on, Ip Man began to frequent the land of fireworks and deal with all kinds of people.
Gradually, Ip Man also contracted some vices, he began to smoke opium, and mixed with some dusty women, Ip Man's life began to become chaotic.
He began to neglect the management of the martial arts hall, and the students began to talk about it, some saying that Ip Man was no longer the high-spirited Wing Chun master he used to be.
Ip Man's wife was also very disturbed by his changes, and just when Ip Man's life was at a low point, a war quietly came.
In 1937, Japan launched a full-scale war of aggression against China, and Foshan was not spared, and the war was raging, and Ip Man's martial arts hall was also occupied by the Japanese army and turned to ashes.
Faced with the fall of his homeland and the separation of his relatives, Ip Man finally realized his mistake, and he made up his mind to reform and get back on his feet.
War and turmoil
The cruelty of the war made Ip Man wake up, and he realized that over the years, he had indulged in the sound of dogs and horses, abandoned martial arts, and forgotten his original intention.
Faced with the fall of his homeland and the separation of his loved ones, Ip Man was determined to regain his strength, however, the clouds of war loomed over the whole of Foshan, and the life of the Ip Man family fell into difficulty.
They can only send people to live under the fence, relying on the help of relatives and friends, and the once high-spirited Wing Chun grandmaster can only rely on selling his labor to barely make a living.
Just when Ip Man's family was in a desperate situation, an old friend reached out to help, this friend, who was Ip Man's classmate when he was studying in Hong Kong, he knew Ip Man's personality and knew Ip Man's martial arts attainments.
He persuaded Ip Man to reopen the martial arts gym and find a way out for his life with the stunt of Wing Chun, and Ip Man followed his friend's advice and reopened the martial arts gym with the support of his friend.
While teaching his disciples, he practiced hard, and finally, Ip Man's martial arts reached a new height, and his martial arts hall gradually improved, attracting more and more students to come to learn from him.
It was at this time that Ip Man made a big decision, he decided to leave Foshan and go to Hong Kong, where Ip Man used to study, and he hoped to start over in Hong Kong and continue his martial arts career.
The Rise of the Wing Chun Grandmaster
After Ip Man came to Hong Kong, he was not intimidated by this bustling city, and he started a new life in Hong Kong with enthusiasm and dedication to martial arts.
With the fame and connections he had accumulated while in Foshan, Ip Man soon found a foothold in Hong Kong.
His friends in Hong Kong knew that Ip Man was a master of martial arts and persuaded him to reopen the martial arts gym, and Ip Man decided to accept this suggestion after careful consideration.
In this way, Ip Man opened his own martial arts gym in Hong Kong, and at first, the martial arts gym was not large, with only a few students, however, Ip Man was not discouraged.
He knows that the inheritance of martial arts does not lie in the size of the martial arts hall, but in the quality of teaching, and Ip Man is strict with his students, he not only teaches them the skills of Wing Chun, but also pays more attention to cultivating their martial virtues and personality.
Gradually, Ip Man's martial arts hall has emerged in Hong Kong's martial arts, and more and more people have come to worship Ip Man's door.
Ip Man's martial arts hall ushered in a special student, and this student was the world-famous martial arts star Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee was just a teenager at the time, but he had an extraordinary love and talent for martial arts.
Ip Man saw Bruce Lee's potential at a glance, he did not hesitate to teach what he had learned all his life, and under Ip Man's careful guidance, Bruce Lee's martial arts advanced by leaps and bounds.
He not only mastered the essence of Wing Chun, but also integrated it to create his own Jeet Kune Do.
Bruce Lee's achievements made Ip Man feel gratified, he knew that his martial arts finally had a successor, and Bruce Lee's fame also made more people understand the charm of Wing Chun.
Ip Man's martial arts hall became famous and became a banner in Hong Kong's martial arts, and as he grew older, Ip Man gradually handed over the affairs of the martial arts hall to his disciples.
He began to live a comfortable life, but he did not give up his pursuit of martial arts. He often invites masters in the martial arts to compete in order to maintain his martial arts.
On the screen, Ip Man always appears as a perfect image, he is strong in martial arts, benevolent and righteous, fights against foreign enemies, and upholds justice, however, the real Ip Man is not the case.
Ip Man's true face
Ip Man was not a perfect man. In his life, he once fell into vices and couldn't extricate himself, he once indulged in fireworks and willow alleys, abandoned martial arts, and even became a slave of opium for a time.
These experiences left an indelible mark on his life, but Ip Man did not fall because of this, and he finally overcame his weaknesses and picked up the path of martial arts again.
With his perseverance and determination, he proved that a person can get back up even if he falls.
In the history of the War of Resistance Against Japan, it is difficult to find Ip Man, he did not participate in any famous battles, nor did he leave any deeds of resistance to the enemy.
However, this does not mean that Ip Man's contribution to the nation is insignificant, and Ip Man's contribution lies in his development of Wing Chun.
He has been inheriting and promoting this ancient martial arts school all his life, and he has not only practiced his own exquisite martial arts, but also cultivated countless excellent disciples.
They spread Wing Chun all over the world, allowing more people to understand the breadth and profundity of Chinese martial arts.
Ip Man's life is a legend of ups and downs, he has experienced the baptism of war, and he has also fallen into the trough of life. However, in good times and bad, he did not give up his beliefs and pursuits.
Ip Man's story may not be as magnificent as on the screen, but it is more real and touching.
He used his life to interpret what is the true spirit of a warrior, and his life has also left valuable spiritual wealth to future generations.