Wan Kam-leung
{{Short description|Chinese martial artist}}
{{Notability|Biographies|date=November 2020}}
{{family name hatnote|Wan|Kam-leung|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox martial artist
| name = Wan Kam-leung
| image = Sifu Wan Kam Leung.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Wan Kamleung
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1945}}
| birth_place = Po On, Guangdong
| death_date =
| death_place =
| martial_art = Practical Wing Chun
| teacher = Wong Shun-leung
| rank = Grandmaster
| picture =
| students = William Kwok, Wong Pui-yee, Jack Leung, Danny Kong, Danny CCK, Kleber Battaglia, Martin Brogaard, Benno Wai
}}
Wan Kam-leung ({{zh|t=溫鑑良|j=Wan1 Gaam3-loeng4}}; born 1945){{cite journal|last=Battaglia|first=Kleber|title=Wan Kam-leung - Striving for Perfection|journal=Wing Chun Illustrated|issue=14|pages=28–33|url=http://www.wingchunillustrated.com/issue-14-table-of-contents/}} is a Chinese martial artist and qigong practitioner who developed and currently teaches Practical Wing Chun in Kowloon, Hong Kong.{{cite journal|last=Greene|first=Graeme|year=2008|title=21st Century Wing Chun|url=http://wankamleung.com/wp-content/uploads/Australia-magazine-Blitz-vol-22-no-8-2008.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=Blitz Magazine|volume=22|issue=8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305204459/http://wankamleung.com/wp-content/uploads/Australia-magazine-Blitz-vol-22-no-8-2008.pdf|archive-date=March 5, 2016|access-date=26 June 2013}} Wan studied Wing Chun kung fu under Wong Shun-leung
Early life and introduction to Wing Chun
As a teen, Wan studied a variety of styles of kung fu as well as other styles of martial arts. {{cite web|title=我們的武術傳奇．李小龍｜從來沒有人唱過他打輸 — 詠春宗師 溫鑑良師傅|url=https://artandpiece.com/movie/我們的武術傳奇%EF%BC%8E李小龍｜從來沒有人唱過他打輸/|website=美紙 Art & Piece|date=August 25, 2023|access-date=February 14, 2025|language=zh-hant}} Wan emigrated from mainland China to Hong Kong in 1959.{{cite web |url=https://www.singtao.com.au/10-%25E7%25A4%25BE%25E5%258D%2580/732220-%25E6%2595%2599%25E9%2581%258E%25E5%2591%25A8%25E6%2598%259F%25E9%25A6%25B3-%25E8%2588%2587%25E6%259D%258E%25E5%25B0%258F%25E9%25BE%258D%25E7%25BF%2592%25E6%25AD%25A6-%25E8%25A9%25A0%25E6%2598%25A5%25E7%25BF%25B9%25E6%25A5%259A%25E6%25BA%25AB%25E9%2591%2591%25E8%2589%25AF%25E9%259B%25AA%25E6%25A2%25A8%25E5%25BC%2598%25E6%258F%259A%25E6%25AD%25A6%25E8%25A1%2593/ |title=教過周星馳 與李小龍習武 詠春翹楚溫鑑良雪梨弘揚武術 |website=www.singtao.com.au |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116044716/https://www.singtao.com.au/10-%25E7%25A4%25BE%25E5%258D%2580/732220-%25E6%2595%2599%25E9%2581%258E%25E5%2591%25A8%25E6%2598%259F%25E9%25A6%25B3-%25E8%2588%2587%25E6%259D%258E%25E5%25B0%258F%25E9%25BE%258D%25E7%25BF%2592%25E6%25AD%25A6-%25E8%25A9%25A0%25E6%2598%25A5%25E7%25BF%25B9%25E6%25A5%259A%25E6%25BA%25AB%25E9%2591%2591%25E8%2589%25AF%25E9%259B%25AA%25E6%25A2%25A8%25E5%25BC%2598%25E6%258F%259A%25E6%25AD%25A6%25E8%25A1%2593/ |archive-date=16 November 2019 |url-status=dead}} There, his brother introduced him to Wing Chun kung fu. His first Wing Chun teacher was Leung Sheung, known to be the most senior student of Ip Man. He studied with Leung for seven months.{{cite web|title=Wan Kam Leung Interview|url=https://wingchunkungfu.eu/wan%20kam%20leung/wan-kam-leung-interview|website=Wing Chun Kung Fu EU|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=February 14, 2025}}
In 1962, another Wing Chun practitioner named Wong Shun-leung - another student of Yip Man - was opening a school across the street from Wan's home in Kowloon. Wan went to inquire about training with Wong, who told him to return later when the school was ready to open.{{cite web|title=Wan Kam Leung Interview|url=https://wingchunkungfu.eu/wan%20kam%20leung/wan-kam-leung-interview|website=Wing Chun Kung Fu EU|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=February 14, 2025}} Wan, who had learned of Wong and appreciated his philosophy and approach to kung fu, came back when the school opened and became Wong's first official student.{{cite web|title=Sifu Wan Kam Leung: Issue 70|url=https://www.wingchunillustrated.com/sifu-wan-kam-leung-issue-70/|website=Wing Chun Illustrated|access-date=February 14, 2025}} After three months, Wong waived tuition for Wan due to his diligence and dedication to the school. Wan became Wong's close student and training partner. He continued to train closely with Wong for twenty years. Wan would witness Bruce Lee and Wong Shun-leung spar before Lee left to United States."Hundreds of Hong Kong" Volume 1 "Hundred People in Hong Kong: One Hundred Touching Hong Kong Stories", page 200, Zhonghua Book Company (Hong Kong) Publishing Co., Ltd., 2012. ISBN 9888148192
https://books.google.fi/books?id=ZfoNAgAAQBAJ&dq=%E6%BA%AB%E9%91%91%E8%89%AF&hl=fi&source=gbs_navlinks_s
"Bruce Lee: A Life" by Matthew Polly, page 396. Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN 1501187635{{cite web|title=Interesting Interview with Wan Kam Leung|url=https://www.martialtalk.com/threads/interesting-interview-with-wan-kam-leung.124461/|website=MartialTalk.com|date=May 15, 2017|access-date=February 14, 2025}}
Wing Chun career
File:Wan Kam Leung NYC Seminar.jpg
The Hong Kong Police Force, in 1993, invited Wan to be Chief Wing Chun Instructor to the G4 (VIP Protection Unit). He has been the only Kung Fu master to be employed by the British Hong Kong government.
Wong Shun-leung awarded Wan with his Senior Instructor Certificate in 1988.{{cite web|title=近衛軍教頭溫鑑良|url=https://www.stephenau.com/words/xin-combat/issue_1_p53.html|website=StephenAu.com|date=January 2001|access-date=February 14, 2025|language=zh-hant}} Wan worked to improve his Wing Chun, branching from his knowledge of Wong Shun-leung's style. In 1994, with Wong's consent, the style he had developed was named "Practical Wing Chun". Sifu Wan promised not to teach this style until after Wong's death, out of respect for the Wong died in 1997, and Wan subsequently opened a school for Practical Wing Chun and began teaching full-time. The school resides on Nathan Road in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The modifications were designed to maintain a modern, adaptable martial art aimed at providing self-defense against a "committed and real attack", with all of the basic tenets of traditional Wing Chun. As such, Practical Wing Chun employs the idea of using body mechanics to overcome a physically stronger opponent.{{cite web|title=Wan Kam Leung Interview|url=https://wingchunkungfu.eu/wan%20kam%20leung/wan-kam-leung-interview|website=Wing Chun Kung Fu EU|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=February 14, 2025}} This is done by adhering to five components of a strong body structure - five centerlines, relaxed shoulders, elbows pointing down, flexible wrists, and 135-degree angles.{{cite web |url=https://wingchunorigins.org/post/interview-with-wan-kam-leung/ |title=Interview with Wan Kam Leung |website=Wing Chun Origins |date= }} Wan is adamant about making sure the art does not become obsolete, remaining practical through constant analysis and revision of the principles and techniques.{{cite web |url=https://www.wingchunillustrated.com/sifu-wan-kam-leung-issue-70/ |title=Sifu Wan Kam Leung |website=Wing Chun Illustrated |date= }} Wan has several students who have opened schools across the world, including several in Australia, Germany, Denmark, Holland, France, and USA{{cite journal|last=Stone|first=Ben|year=2014|title=Kung Fu Evolutionary|url=http://newyorkwingchun.com/download/WKL_Blitz_1-5.pdf|journal=Blitz Magazine|volume=28|issue=2}} On 19 November 2017, Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun Kung Fu International held the Guinness World Record for teaching the largest martial arts class ever. {{cite web|title=Practical Wing Chun Kung Fu, NYC, New York|url=https://newyorkwingchun.com|website=New York Wing Chun|access-date=February 14, 2025}}{{cite web|title=女童軍會操打詠春 破健力士世界紀錄|url=https://www.singpao.com.hk/mobile/index.php?fi=history&id=52632|website=成報 SING PAO DAILY NEWS|date=November 20, 2017|access-date=February 14, 2025|language=zh-hant}}
=Awards=
- Sifu of the Year, World Ving Tsun Athletic Association Hall of Fame 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldvingtsun.com/20081.html |title=WVTAA 2006HOF |website=Worldvingtsun.com |date=2016-11-26 |access-date=2016-12-23}}