Traditional Wing Chun Bai Si
Article by Tony Massengill added on 20 Jul 2012. Last updated on 15 Aug 2014.
The Bai Si with Ip Ching and Sam Kwok
Traditional Chinese Discipleship Ceremony
In honour of the occasion of Master Kwok's new book "Mastering Wing Chun" being placed in the Ip Man Museum in Foshan, China, Grandmaster Ip Ching decided to do a Re-Dedication and Re-enactment of the original Discipleship Ceremony they performed in 1992 when Samuel Kwok first became an official close student of Grandmaster Ip Ching.
The ceremony at the Ip Man Museum was performed for several reasons. First, as a public demonstration of the close relationship of Grandmaster Ip Ching and his long-time disciple Samuel Kwok. Second, to show the foreign students in attendance the tradition and proper procedure of the Chinese Bai Si, or Traditional Discipleship Ceremony. Acting as Master Kwok's assistants in the ceremony were his U.S. Student, Tony Massengill, and European Student, Billy Davidson. The official witness was Master Kwok's Kung Fu Brother Edmond Fung who also performed the Bai Si with Grandmaster Ip Ching.
Below we take you step - by - step through the Bai Si ceremony.
Master Kwok Kneels and presents the traditional red packet. This red envelope usually contains a token monetary gift for the teacher. Grandmaster Ip Ching accepts the gift.
Master Kwok presents the tea to his teacher. Grandmaster Ip Ching accepts the tea and drinks. At this time the first of three bows is performed by Master Kwok.
Billy presents Grandmaster Ip Ching with the gift that the Grandmaster gave to Master Kwok at the original Bai Si ceremony in 1992. A set of knives that belonged to his father, Grandmaster Ip Man. Grandmaster Ip Ching then presents his disciple with the knives.
With the presentation of the knives, the Grandmaster now helps his disciple to his feet and the ceremony is now complete.
When asked why the ceremony was performed, Grandmaster Ip Ching replied "Samuel Kwok is my most senior disciple along with Edmund Foing. Sam has done a lot to promote the Ip Man Wing Chun method for many years. He has performed demonstrations at the first and second World Wing Conferences in Hong Kong, as well as at the opening of this museum, dedicated to my father. He has now written a book that will for many years to come be a great reference for those that follow my father's method.
No one has ever performed a Bai Si ceremony here at the Ip Man Tong, so I thought it would be fitting to perform this ceremony here, in front of the statue of my father.
Although this ceremony was originally performed between myself and Samuel in 1992, I felt it would be a good way to educate the foreign students as to the tradition of the Bai Si which is performed between a teacher and his very closest students.