I'm following up today with what GM Ip wrote as guidance to students of his beloved Wing Chun Kuen. GM Ip's Code of Conduct was philosopically written with the same intention as Yagyu Munenori's Heiho Kadensho. The Heiho Kadensho had one section named "The Life-Giving Sword". Munenori understood that the sword/swordsmanship could be used for killing but this same death-dealing instrument can be used to preserve life, hence "The Life-Giving Sword". GM Ip understanding Wing Chun Kuen's techniques could be used to hurt, wrote his Code of Conduct advising students who train WCK that there is a moral responsibility for this knowledge. This Code of Conduct can be seen hanging on the wall of the Ving Tsun Athletic Association (V.T.A.A.) in Hong Kong.
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| Picture credit: http://www.kwokwingchun.com |
The following 9 pictures are courtesy of http://www.progressivewingchunmk.co.uk which includes the Cantonese romanization/pronunciation and one set of English translations.
Remain Disciplined - uphold yourself ethically as a martial artist
Practice courtesy and righteousness - serve the community and honor your family
Love your fellow students or classmates - be united and avoid conflicts
Limit your desires and pursuit of bodily pleasures - preserve the proper spirit
Train diligently and make it a habit - maintain your skills
Learn to develop spiritural tranquility - abstain from arguments and fights
Participate in society - be conservative, cultured and gentle in your manners
Help the weak and the very young - use your martial skill for the good of humanity
Pass on the tradition - preserve the Chinese art and its Rules of conduct
Ben Judkins' great martial arts scholarly blog, Kung Fu Tea, has this:
The top line of text (marked SK) is a translation by Samuel Kwok, originally published in his book Mastering Wing Chun: the Keys to Ip Man’s Kung Fu published with Tony Massengill in 2007. Generally speaking this is my preferred translation. The second translation (marked RH) is taken from Ip Ching, Ron Heimberger and Eric Myers, Ving Tsun Jo Fen: Expectations and Guidance from the Ving Tsun Tradition published in 2006. This is also a clear translation with some interesting readings of the text. Together these two different approaches provide a comprehensive look at the original.
Ip Man’s Wing Chun Jo Fen
1. (SK) Remain disciplined – uphold yourself ethically as a martial artist
1. (RH) Discipline yourself to the Rules: Keep Sacred the Martial Morality
2. (SK) Practice courtesy and righteousness – serve the community and honor your family
2. (RH) Understand Propriety and Righteousness: Love your Country and Respect Your Parents
3. (SK) Love your fellow students or classmates – be united and avoid conflicts
3. (RH) Love Your Classmates: Enjoy Working Together as a Group
4. (SK) Limit your desires and pursuit of bodily pleasures – preserve the proper spirit
4. (RH) Control Your Desire: Stay Healthy
5. (SK) Train diligently and make it a habit – never let the skill leave your body
5. (RH) Work Hard and Keep Practicing: Never Let the Skill Leave Your Body
6. (SK) Learn to develop spiritual tranquility – abstain from arguments and fights
6. (RH) Learn How to Keep the Energy: Quit Inciting a Fighting Attitude.
7. (SK) Participate in society – be conservative, cultured and gentle in your manners
7. (RH) Always Deal with World Matters with a Kind Attitude that is Calm and Gentle.
8. (SK) Help the weak and the very young – use your martial skill for the good of humanity
8. (RH) Help the Elderly and the Children: Use the Martial Mind to Achieve “Yan”
9. (SK) Pass on the tradition – preserve the Chinese arts and its Rules of Conduct
9. (RH) Follow the Former Eight Rules: Hold to the Ancestors’ Rules Sincerely.
There you have it, the late Grandmaster Ip Man and his Code of Conduct for Wing Chun Kuen students. By extension, it can be used for all of the Martial Arts. Martial Arts, like Religion, should have its own "Commandments". This is a pretty good set. Do you agree?
For other entries on GM Ip Man:
- Happy 121st Birthday Ip Man! Donnie Yen's Ip Man 1 (Full movie)
- Ip Man 2 (2010) (Full movie)
- Yip Man: Wing Chun Legend and Bruce Lee’s Formal Teacher
- BIRTHDAY: Today would've been 120th birthday of Ip Man!
Please check The Wisdom Of ... for other greats' Wisdom they passed onto us.
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