It is with a sad heart that we announce that Master Kwok Fu of Foshan, China passed away on Wednesday, 26 October 2011, of natural causes. He was 90 years old.
One of two-remaining first generation students of Wing Chun great-grandmaster Ip Man, Kwok Sifu had knowledge quite different from that of “contemporary” Ip Man Wing Chun, generally spread throughout the world through Ip Man’s Hong Kong trained students. Some of it may be considered good; some of it the same, other aspects, different. Regardless, Master Kwok Fu was an integral part of Wing Chun’s development and transmission to the modern era of practitioners of our art. His training with great-grandmaster Ip Man in the late 1930’s – early 1940’s certainly shaped Wing Chun’s development in Foshan, where his school remains one of the largest and most popular of Wing Chun schools in the district.
I was fortunate enough to be accepted as his student in 2007, when I met him for the first time, wanting to research more of Wing Chun’s background. Despite leg injuries and advancing age, his hands were still quite soft and fluid and his mind still sharp as a tack. I’ll remember that glint in his eye and his cheeky, toothless grin as he applied a larp sao counter to one of my attacks, to demonstrate a concept to me. He will be missed by many around the world, and by the Wing Chun community at large.
Farewell, Kwok Sifu – may you be happy and resting in peace.
Wow – sorry to hear this. Great write up though Sifu.
Stu
Even though I personally have not met Master Kwok Fu, some of his teachings and work have been shared with me through Sifu Dana Wong, I am thankful fortunate to be able to train within the Qian li dao academy and receive these works! I hope I can help preserve some of your memory alive through my training with Sifu Dana and Stu. My thoughts with you, your family and to our academy.
my heart i with you..
May his teachings live on. All honor to his name.
It is sad to hear that your teacher has past away. I have huge plans and you Sifu Dana are going to be a part of them.
Deepest sympathy Sifu, may his memory and lessons continue.
From Argentina, from the School “Yip Man Ving Tsun Foshan,” we accompany the pain of having lost a Grand Master of Wing Chun, Mr. Kwok Fu. I was four days before, at home with his son, Sifu Kwok Wai Jam.
Rest in peace, and great gratitude for all his teaching.
I think it would be nice to have Sifu Kwok published on wikipedia like other Sifu’s.
If I knew how to do it I would with the permission of Sifu Dana. It’s a shame there is virtually nothing about Sifu Kwok on the internet.
Sifu Kwok always kept a low profile; he preferred it that way, which is why there’s not so much about him in Wikipedia and on the internet and in a lot of Wing Chun literature to date. Any details that did surface usually came from third parties who tried to fill in parts of the system’s history over time.
we lost great shifu , we not forget him.
master popovic zeljko/serbia/eu
I only recently heard of his passing. I knew him quite well, at least for a foreigner, having met, trained with his students, and having dinner etc with him on a number of occasions on my trips to Foshan over the years. He is sadly missed by myself, and my wife who also knew him. Yes, not enough is known of this wonderful man. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been to see him for over a year before his death, even though I live only an hour’s flight away.
Very sad.
Hi Bill, thank you for your comments and words of support. He will surely be missed by many; a warm, wonderful man who was quite willing to share and discuss Wing Chun all the time. I wished that I met him earlier than I did, but am fortunate that I was able to spend a brief time with him before his time. Hope you and your family are well; maybe next time I travel to China, we can meet up again. Too many years in between… Best regards, Dana
I did not know this master but i am saddened by his passing as we seem to be losing so many senior people in Wing Chun. I am glad that my good friend Bill had the chance to meet Sifu Kwok who apparently preferred to keep a low profile as mant truly great practitioners do
Hi Neville,
Many thanks for leaving a comment about Master Kwok; he indeed was a great man, so humble and not wanting the limelight at all. I have said to some, when Bill’s article in Wing Chun Illustrated came out last year, that he would not have ever written or approved an article like that about himself, I’m sure. And he was very open and willing to discuss and share what he knew. I only wish I’d have met him earlier in my life, but am grateful for the time I did get to spend with him.
Great MAN……great WARRIOR……great SIFU.
I was actually looking forward to him though 2007 was the day i was born. i did a lot of research and wanted to follow his teaching through one of his closes students. i thought kwok fu was still alive but he wasn’t then i tried ip chun (ip mans son) but he literally died this year in 2020 T-T