Stephen Chan's Wing Chun Kung Fu Assoication

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.

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 Tze 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!

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.

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 Tze 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 Tze Chuen Birthday Feast. Shamshuipo, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (Grandmaster Chan first row 2nd right)

2nd December, 2000. Grandmaster Stephen T.K. Chan, Great Grandmaster Chow Tze Chuen and Grandmaster Chan's Chief instructors.

Being trained from the grassroots, Grandmaster Chow Tze 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 Tze 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 Tze Chuen's physique to his own, used Grandmaster Chow Tze Chuen as his private sparing partner, and it was through this lifelong relationship that he obtained the deep essence of the Wing Chun School.