Lok Yiu
Born in 1922, Master Lok Yiu is a founding and essential figure in the history of modern Wing Chun. His path took a major turn in 1950 when he crossed paths with Grandmaster Ip Man at the Restaurant Workers Union in Kowloon, Hong Kong. At that time, Ip Man's very first Wing Chun class consisted of only eight students. The training was so demanding that after a few weeks, only two of them persevered through the rigor of the discipline : Leung Sheung and Lok Yiu.
The relationship that developed between Lok Yiu and his Sifu went far beyond the typical confines of the training room. For the seven years that followed, the master and his To-Dai (disciple) shared the same apartment. This round-the-clock instruction, day and night, allowed Lok Yiu to assimilate the essence and the subtlest details of the system. Having become the school's first real assistant, he took on the role of SiHing (senior brother in arms) with authority and benevolence, guiding the vast majority of Ip Man's subsequent disciples through their early years of practice.
Once his training was complete and his mastery recognized, Ip Man authorized him to open his own school, thus marking the beginning of fifty years of uninterrupted teaching. However, the personal bond between the two men lasted until the end of Ip Man's life. As a testament to their deep friendship, the Grandmaster would very frequently visit Lok Yiu's home for long games of mahjong, a tradition they fondly cultivated. Meanwhile, Lok Yiu continued to exchange knowledge and train alongside his Sifu for nearly two decades, establishing himself—through his unshakeable body structure and his understanding of the forms—as one of the highest authorities in Wing Chun.
His reputation as a fighter and teacher was well established. In 1996, his technical expertise naturally led to his appointment as chief instructor of the highly demanding Hong Kong Police Wushu Club. Yet, the man stood out for a humility that was rare in the martial arts world. Categorically rejecting the title of 'Grandmaster,' he would constantly remind his students: 'There is only one grandmaster in Wing Chun, and that is my SiFu, Ip Man.'
Driven by a pure passion for his art and completely indifferent to the pursuit of titles or commercial fame, he was known for his outspokenness. He never hesitated to sternly correct those who practiced with more ego than sincerity, or who strayed from the martial essence of the system.
Having passed away in 2006, Master Lok Yiu left behind an invaluable legacy. For over thirty years, he passed on his knowledge intensively and without compromise to his twin sons, Masters Lok Keng Kwong and Lok Keng Sang. Today, they perpetuate their father's traditional art, teaching it to a select and privileged group of students.
Among the guardians of this lineage are notably the European students of the late Master Wilhelm Blech. The latter, accepted by Master Lok Yiu as a true member of his family in 1992, was his only Western disciple. It is thanks to this rigorously built bridge that the pure form of Lok Yiu's Wing Chun continues to be taught and preserved today.