Sun, Mar 22, 2009 - Page 14 News List

SUNDAY PROFILE: Kung fu’s ultimate warrior

A nephew and pupil of Ip Man, Lo Man-kam is one of the world’s leading ‘wing chun’ masters

By Ho Yi  /  STAFF REPORTER

Over the years, Lo has traveled extensively, to France, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary, giving lectures, demonstrations and training and has taught foreign students hailing from more than 50 countries.

Lo makes sure he has room for students from abroad to stay at his place. The current tenant is a young Japanese man, who comes to Taipei for three months each year to study wing chun.

Owing his popularity among Westerners partially to Bruce Lee’s fame, Lo has developed a distinguished teaching method that employs physics, mathematics, kinematics and military tactics to explain and dissect the martial art.

“In Chinese culture, it is all about ownership and authority passed down by the father and grandfather. For Westerners, it’s science and reasoning,” he said.

The going is tough for students at Lo’s school. During his teaching career that spans 34 years, some half a dozen students have mastered the martial art to Lo’s standard.

At his advanced age, Lo stays active teaching classes five days a week, and traveling. He is as popular as ever, partly thanks to Donnie Yen’s (甄子丹) Ip Man (葉問), which was released last month and elicited a surge of interest in wing chun.

“I must have received more than 50 phone calls and taken in 10, 15 new students [after the movie was released]. But I can assure you, three months later, only five will remain,” Lo said. VIEW THIS PAGE

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