Written by the author: This guide is written by Sifu Kendra Mahon (Kung Fu Kendra), who wrote this book. It describes what the book covers and who it suits. It is not an independent review.
At a glance
- Series: Masters of Kung Fu, Book 7
- Type: Biography of Leung Jan in 50 short chapters, with a lesson after each chapter and a reflection workbook after each part
- Formats: Kindle and paperback (coming soon)
- Best for: Wing Chun students in the Ip Man lineage, kung fu film fans and readers new to martial arts
- Not for: Readers looking for a technique manual or a form-by-form training guide
What the book covers
Part One, The Opera and the River, sets the scene: Foshan as one of the Four Great Towns, his family roots in Gulao (birth year usually given as about 1826, some sources say 1821), the Opium Wars, the Taiping and Red Turban uprisings, the Red Boat Opera Company, his traditional teachers Leung Yee-tai and Wong Wah-bo, and the six-and-a-half point pole. Part Two, The Doctor of Foshan, covers his medical hall and its several remembered names, dit da injury medicine, his title Jan Sin-sang, the King of Wing Chun nickname, the culture of challenge and his students, including his sons Leung Bik and Leung Chun, Lee Wah and Chan Wah-shun. Part Three, Return to Gulao, follows his retirement, the short-drill Gulao or Pin Sun Wing Chun he is said to have taught there, its keepers Wong Wah-sam and Fung Chun, and his death, generally said to be in 1901. Part Four, The Philosophy, links Wing Chun principles such as the centreline, economy of motion, chi sau, structure and martial virtue to his life. Part Five, Legend and Legacy, traces the art through Chan Wah-shun, Ng Chung-so and Leung Bik to Ip Man and the world, and looks at Warriors Two, The Prodigal Son, two TVB series, common myths and the many branches of Wing Chun. Extras include a group guide, timeline, recommended reading and viewing, and a glossary.
Who should read it
- Wing Chun students who trace their art back through Ip Man and want to know the man at the start of its documented history.
- Newcomers since the book says you do not need to know anything about martial arts to use it, and a short introduction to Wing Chun comes first.
- Kung fu film fans who loved Warriors Two or The Prodigal Son and want to see where the films part ways with tradition.
- Book clubs, classes and teams who can use the built-in group guide, discussion questions and workbooks.
How to use it
Read it one part at a time; the book suggests each part makes a natural session for a group meeting weekly. Pause on the lesson that closes each chapter, and use the workbook at the end of each part for reflection questions and notes, completed privately and shared as members feel comfortable. The Training Together guide adds ground rules, discussion questions, notes for leaders and a note on professional support. Keep the author’s approach in mind: she relies on what the major Wing Chun traditions broadly agree on, flags where accounts differ, labels legend as legend, and does not invent dialogue or quotations. It is a life story with lessons, not a training manual, and the chapter on dit da notes that traditional injury medicine is not a substitute for modern medical care.
A short excerpt
“Every story has a part that is legend and a part that is history. Knowing the difference does not make the legend less meaningful.”
Where to get it
Leung Jan: The Wing Chun Doctor of Foshan is coming soon to Amazon in Kindle and paperback. In the meantime, see Kendra’s other books on her Amazon author page or on Goodreads under Kendra Mahon, and read what students say on the Kung Fu Kendra reviews page. For other Wing Chun books, see our guide to Wing Chun books.
About the author
Sifu Kendra Mahon, known as Kung Fu Kendra, has trained since 2005 and holds Master level (purple sash). She teaches Traditional Wing Chun as it was passed down to her by Master Brian Lewadny, who learned it from Grandmaster William Cheung. She is the author of 13 books and counting, including the ten-book The Way of Wing Chun series and the Masters of Kung Fu series.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Leung Jan: The Wing Chun Doctor of Foshan?
Sifu Kendra Mahon, known as Kung Fu Kendra, who has trained in Wing Chun since 2005 and holds Master level (purple sash). She teaches Traditional Wing Chun as it was passed down to her by Master Brian Lewadny, who learned it from Grandmaster William Cheung.
Is it available yet?
It is coming soon to Amazon in Kindle and paperback.
Did Leung Jan teach Ip Man or Bruce Lee?
No. The book says he died in 1901, before Ip Man began training and decades before Bruce Lee was born; Ip Man learned from Leung Jan’s student Chan Wah-shun, from Chan’s senior student Ng Chung-so, and from Leung Jan’s son Leung Bik.
Was Leung Jan really a doctor?
Yes. The book says the major Wing Chun traditions broadly agree he was a physician in nineteenth-century Foshan, running a medical hall that was both pharmacy and clinic, and he is remembered as skilled in dit da, the traditional medicine of injuries.