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William Cheung
1983
Kung Fu Artist of the Year
The word "master" is very often abused when it comes to the martial arts. Seemingly, everywhere you look, another one claiming to command some new style or even some old style pops up before your eyes. Because the charlatans discredit the true adepts who have worked all their lives to share the skill and knowledge in a particular style of martial arts, it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction.
William Cheung, the 1983 BLACK BELT Kung Fu Artist of the Year, is a martial artist's martial artist. Cheung is acknowledged as presently being a key figure in wing chun style of kung fu, having been a student of the legendary patriarch Yip Man. Many say Cheung was Yip's favorite student. Cheung spent seven years under Yip's close scrutiny in his quest to become a truly great fighter.
Having also spent time as an instructor under Yip, Cheung was responsible for getting his boyhood friend, Bruce Lee, into kung fu. Lee was often quoted as saying that he was awed by Cheung's ability and he felt that Cheung's fighting skills were unparall eled. Lee allegedly aspired to reach Cheung's level of skill as a fighter and used Cheung as the model by which he judged himself and others.
Cheung's skill as an instructor has not only been proven by Lee's success but more recently by the victories of some of his other students. For example, at the 1982 World Kung Fu Championships, two of Cheung's students came out on top in their respective weight divisions.
Cheung grew up and spent a great deal of his time on the streets involved in challenge matches. Confrontations helped develop Cheung's reputation as a fierce competitor and as a spectacular fighter. Legend holds that he had his first match at the age of 12 against a full-grown tai chi chuan expert. Cheung's single punch (which put the man out) started him on the way to fame.
Two years later he met and moved in with Yip Man. Because of the special relationship that grew between the two, Cheung idolized Yip and tried to emulate every move that his teacher made. Since Yip felt that Cheung had a special quality, he took the youth under his wing and gave him special guidance and instruction.
During these early days, he established what is probably the wing chun record for the most consecutive chi sao (sticky-hands) matches without a loss; he defeated 32 opponents in less than an hour and a half. In a more subdued vein, he helped persuade Yip to reveal a now-famous wing chun training aidthe wooden dummy. It is generally believed that the first wooden dummy was built by Cheung and his two brothers in a Hong Kong basement.
After he left Yip Man, Cheung returned to his home to live with his parents. When he was 18, his family sent him to school in Australia. He introduced wing chun to Australia and still lives and teaches there today. He also gives demonstrations all over the world.
At a moment's notice, Cheung can summon examples and comparisons which not only illustrate the beauty of his art but also its practicality for sport or even self-defense. He draws on his wealth of knowledge both in wing chun kung fu and in the other martial arts to demonstrate that the wisest move isn't always the flashiest, that the easy-looking technique may be the hardest, and that the best weapon a martial artist may have is his versatility
William Cheung
1983
Kung Fu Artist of the Year
The word "master" is very often abused when it comes to the martial arts. Seemingly, everywhere you look, another one claiming to command some new style or even some old style pops up before your eyes. Because the charlatans discredit the true adepts who have worked all their lives to share the skill and knowledge in a particular style of martial arts, it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction.
William Cheung, the 1983 BLACK BELT Kung Fu Artist of the Year, is a martial artist's martial artist. Cheung is acknowledged as presently being a key figure in wing chun style of kung fu, having been a student of the legendary patriarch Yip Man. Many say Cheung was Yip's favorite student. Cheung spent seven years under Yip's close scrutiny in his quest to become a truly great fighter.
Having also spent time as an instructor under Yip, Cheung was responsible for getting his boyhood friend, Bruce Lee, into kung fu. Lee was often quoted as saying that he was awed by Cheung's ability and he felt that Cheung's fighting skills were unparall eled. Lee allegedly aspired to reach Cheung's level of skill as a fighter and used Cheung as the model by which he judged himself and others.
Cheung's skill as an instructor has not only been proven by Lee's success but more recently by the victories of some of his other students. For example, at the 1982 World Kung Fu Championships, two of Cheung's students came out on top in their respective weight divisions.
Cheung grew up and spent a great deal of his time on the streets involved in challenge matches. Confrontations helped develop Cheung's reputation as a fierce competitor and as a spectacular fighter. Legend holds that he had his first match at the age of 12 against a full-grown tai chi chuan expert. Cheung's single punch (which put the man out) started him on the way to fame.
Two years later he met and moved in with Yip Man. Because of the special relationship that grew between the two, Cheung idolized Yip and tried to emulate every move that his teacher made. Since Yip felt that Cheung had a special quality, he took the youth under his wing and gave him special guidance and instruction.
During these early days, he established what is probably the wing chun record for the most consecutive chi sao (sticky-hands) matches without a loss; he defeated 32 opponents in less than an hour and a half. In a more subdued vein, he helped persuade Yip to reveal a now-famous wing chun training aidthe wooden dummy. It is generally believed that the first wooden dummy was built by Cheung and his two brothers in a Hong Kong basement.
After he left Yip Man, Cheung returned to his home to live with his parents. When he was 18, his family sent him to school in Australia. He introduced wing chun to Australia and still lives and teaches there today. He also gives demonstrations all over the world.
At a moment's notice, Cheung can summon examples and comparisons which not only illustrate the beauty of his art but also its practicality for sport or even self-defense. He draws on his wealth of knowledge both in wing chun kung fu and in the other martial arts to demonstrate that the wisest move isn't always the flashiest, that the easy-looking technique may be the hardest, and that the best weapon a martial artist may have is his versatility
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