Chow Tze Chuen

Chow Tse Chun was born in 1925.

Chow joined Yip Man's school in Lee Tat Street in 1955. In 1957 he followed Yip Man to his new school in Li Cheng UK Estate. Conditions in the new school were deplorable, so few other students followed Yip Man. To help out, Chow organised a class comprising his colleagues from the Kowloon Motor Bus Company.

During this time, Chow attended class daily and was taught the complete Wing Chun system by Yip Man between 1957 - 1962. Chow also assisted the teaching of newcomers.

Chow installed a wooden dummy in the terrace of his small house, an area grown with moss. Whenever it rained the damp moss would result in a slippery surface which made it difficult to move about without slipping, helping Chow to develop strength in his stances and footwork.

Chow was one of the first few students to be inducted by Yip Man into the highly secretive Baat Jam Dao form. Yip Man used a pair of wooden knives for teaching. Yip would stop instruction whenever anyone else came into the school.

In 1961, Yip Man moved his school to Castle Peak Road. At this time Chow was encouraged by Yip Man to start his own school. To encourage Chow, Yip presented him with a wooden dummy that he had bought from Guangzhou. From this point on Chow taught on a part time basis. Yip Man continued to refine Chow's skills and would visit him to see how his class was getting on.

Yip encouraged Chow to blend in more sparring and defending techniques in the Chi Sao exercise saying that "Lut Sao Kin Kung Fu" (literally: the real kung fu is seen in free sparring).

Chow moved his school many times, finally settling in the Hung Yue Mansion in Castle Peak Road.