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Stringently dedicated to and a devout pursuer
of Chinese Kung Fu, Grandmaster Stephen T.K. Chan was not always an example
of physical fitness. In the 1960's, as a child, he was sent
by his parents to a boarding school in England, where due to his small
physique, he found it difficult to participate in the numerous sporting
activities of the British people. Eager to improve his state of fitness,
the then young Stephen wrote to his parents in Hong Kong and asked his
father to locate a Master Kung Fu Practitioner on his behalf, so that during
the holiday period he could begin the process of developing his physical
stature. |
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The entire Wing Chun Clan from the Kowloon
Motor Bus company, taken at the Spring Festival Feast on the 20th of March 1961. Grandmaster
Chow Sze Chuen is third on the left in the second row. This was a special occasion, as Great
Grandmaster Yip Man's outfit was presented to him by those in attendance - a very rare
photograph! |
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During the next long holiday, Stephen was counseled
by a Traditional Chinese Physical Educator, who through his experience
recommended Wing Chun Kung Fu to Stephen, because of Stephen's
somatotype and the Wing Chun School's direct, economical,
easy to adapt style. |
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Based on the premise that the shortest distance
between two points is a straight line, the Wing Chun School has been designed
to facilitate economy of movement without inhibiting reaction time and
speed of movement, the most important factors in any combat situation,
whether within a competition or street encounter.
Introduced by his cousin to Grandmaster Chow Sze
Chuen a closed door disciple of Great Grandmaster Yip Man, Stephen found
himself in the hands of most in-depth Wing Chun School study programme
provided in the Clan's history. |

2nd December, 2000. Great Grandmaster Chow Sze Chuen Birthday Feast.
Shamshuipo, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (Grandmaster Chan first row 2nd right) |
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2nd December, 2000. Grandmaster Stephen T.K. Chan, Great Grandmaster
Chow Sze Chuen and Grandmaster Chan's Chief instructors. |
Being trained from the grassroots,
Grandmaster Chow Sze Chuen took the advantage by molding Stephen into a
finely tuned Wing Chun Practitioner, with not only the basic instruction
being passed, but also the closed door secrets of Great Grandmaster Yip
Man, which involved full weaponry and complete knowledge of all kicking
techniques. Grandmaster Chow Sze Chuen was a truly gifted fighter, all
of which he humbly contributed to Great Grandmaster Yip Man, who after
recognizing the similarity of Grandmaster Chow Sze Chuen's
physique to his own, used Grandmaster Chow Sze Chuen as his private sparing
partner, and it was through this lifelong relationship that he obtained
the deep essence of the Wing Chun School.
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