Master Tse’s Wing Chun Note 290

Wing Chun Family Tree Part 14

In 1931, Japan invaded China and took over the north-eastern part of China which was the Manchurian area. On the 7 July, 1937 at Lú Gōu Qiáo (Lòuh Kāu Kìuh in Cantonese, Lu Gou Bridge) 盧溝橋, the Japanese Army claimed to have lost a soldier and wanted to search inside the Chinese area. Of course, the Chinese soldiers guarding the area did not allow them and so Japan used this excuse to attack the Chinese guards and so began to invade the rest of China. The war lasted eight years up until the Japanese surrender on the 9 September 1945.

In 1937 the Japanese Army invaded Foshan. They took over Ip Man’s 葉問 home and threw him and his family out and confiscated everything they owned. Ip Man and his family lost everything and were forced to live in a very poor area. Ip Man had a wife, two sons and two daughters. It was a big responsibility looking after them all. Ip Man was also not used to working since he had always had money because his family was so wealthy, but now they had nothing.

Japan encouraged Chinese people to work for them and of course wanted traitors in order to help them control the Chinese people and make it easier for them. They asked Ip Man, but he refused. He would not become a traitor and betray his own people!