Ip Man (traditional Chinese: ??; simplified Chinese: ??; pinyin: Yè Wèn) is a 2008 Hong Kong martial arts semi-biopic film that is based on the life of Ip Man, the celebrated martial arts master of Bruce Lee, and the first to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun openly. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung. Ip's two sons, Ip Chun and Ip Ching, along with several Wing Chun practitioners also appear in the film. The supporting cast includes Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-Tung, Xing Yu and Japanese actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi.

Ip Man is the first film to be based on the life of the martial artist. After a first attempt to portray Ip's life on screen resulted in the project being abandoned, producer Raymond Wong developed his own film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan, to research Master Ip's life. Ip Chun, Ip Man's eldest son, served as a consultant for the film. Donnie Yen, who was set to star in the abandoned film project, received a star fee and was invited to join Wong's production after a successful collaboration with director Wilson Yip on the 2007 film Flash Point.

From March to August 2008, principal photography for Ip Man took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan. During filming, conflict arose between producers and film director Wong Kar-wai over the film's working title, Grandmaster Yip Man (??????). Wong had intended on making his own film based on the life of Ip Man tentatively titled The Great Master (????). To settle the dispute, filmmakers of Ip Man changed their title, and it was later revealed that Wong's five-year rights to make the Ip Man biopic had expired.

Ip Man was released in Hong Kong on 18 December 2008, [1] receiving widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences. Following its critical and commercial success, Ip Man was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

Plot

Premise

Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grandmaster of the Wing Chun style of martial arts and sifu of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. This film is the first important record of the master's life.[2]

Summary

In the 1930s, Foshan thrives as the hub of Chinese martial arts, with various sects actively recruiting disciples and competing against each other to prove their strengths. Well known throughout Foshan for his martial arts skills is Ip Man, who is an expert in Wing Chun. While Ip Man is an accomplished martial artist, he is unassuming and keeps a low profile. At the same time he doesn't run any martial arts school, nor accept students. He only stays at home, quietly sparring with his compatriots in friendly competitions, swapping pointers with each other.

One day, Ip Man (Donnie Yen) is challenged by Master Liao (Chen Zhi Hui) in a closed match that ends with Master Liao losing. Sha Da Yuan (Wong You-Nam), who witnessed the entire fight while retrieving his kite from a tree, tells everyone about Master Liao's loss. Seeing it as a public humiliation, Master Liao gets into a dispute with Sha at the teahouse, forcing the local officer Inspector Li Zhao (Lam Ka-Tung) to intervene. Li scolds them for starting a commotion and mocks them by stating that in the new era, duels are meant to be fought with guns not fists. Ip Man proves him wrong by forcing the cylinder of his gun out with a single finger, calming things down.

The next day, a martial artist from out of town named Jin Shan Zhao (Fan Siu-Wong) starts going around challenging various martial arts schools in Foshan and beating them all in the process. The teahouse owner, Zealot Lin (Xing Yu), who is also a martial arts practitioner, informs Ip Man of the situation. However, Ip Man isn't able to help due to his wife, Wing Cheng's (Lynn Hung), disapproval and dislike of her husband fighting. Jin eventually makes his way to Ip Man's residence and arrogantly challenges Ip Man. Ip Man dispenses Jin with ease, causing Jin to leave in shame. Following this incident, the people of Foshan’s respect and admiration for Ip Man increase.

Following the Japanese invasion in 1937, everyone's life is adversely affected. Ip Man's property is confiscated and his family is forced to live in a decrepit house. Being one with strong pride, Ip Man refuses charity from his wealthy friend Zhou Qing Quan (Simon Yam), owner of a cotton mill, opting instead to work as a coolie at a coal mine to sustain his family, which turns out to be the workplace for several former martial arts practitioners and masters. At the mine, he reunites with Lin, who tells him that his brother Sha Da Yuan is missing.

Later, General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) arrives with his troops. As a fanatical practitioner in martial arts himself, he sets up an arena for the Chinese martial artists to fight against Japanese karate military trainees, offering rice as a reward. Sato (Shibuya Tenma), another high-ranking Japanese officer who is a sadist, together with Li Zhao who is now an interpreter for the Japanese, goes around recruiting people to fight in the arena. Eagerly taking up the challenge, Lin makes use of the opportunity to demean the Japanese. This time at the arena however, Miura himself decides to fight, facing three men at once including Lin. The two other men declared defeat, but Lin continues fighting and is brutally beaten to death.

The following day, Ip Man notices Lin's absence, and decides to fight in the arena to find out what happened. He witnesses the death of former Master Liao who is shot by Sato for taking the rice (which he won earlier) after losing to three Japanese fighters. After being questioned angrily by Ip Man, Li finally admits that Lin was killed in the arena. Enraged, Ip Man demands to be faced by 10 fighters, which he dispatches and kills some swiftly, much to the interest of General Miura who told Ip Man to come back another day and fight again.

Later it is revealed that Jin Shan Zhao is now the leader of a highway robbery gang, with Sha having joined their ranks. They hijack a truck from the cotton mill and bully Zhou Qing Quan into giving them money. Since the cotton mill has not sold any of its goods, Jin gives Zhou more time to gain funds. Zhou's son quickly calls for Ip Man, and asks him to teach the workers Wing Chun to protect themselves, which Ip Man agrees to do.

After some time, General Miura starts getting impatient when he notices that Ip Man has not returned to the arena. He then calls for a search for Ip Man and Li is forced to lead Sato and some soldiers to Ip Man's home. Ip Man takes the entire squad down after Sato attempts to harass Wing Chen. Li then helps relocate Ip Man's family to his own house to hide.

Jin Shan Zhao's gang return to the cotton mill, and thanks to Ip Man's teachings, the workers are able to defend themselves from Jin's men. Ip Man arrives in time to assist them, and later single handedly defeats Jin, Sha and the rest of the gang. Before Sha could flee, Ip Man stops him and tells him that his brother Lin is dead. He also gives him Lin's metal box, which Ip Man found in the coalmine. Sha opens the box, and discovers that it contains his old kite, causing him to break into tears.

The Japanese soldiers continue searching for Ip Man and raid the cotton mill. Ip Man appears and turns himself in to protect the workers, while telling Zhou to take his family out of Foshan. General Miura tells Ip Man that his life will be spared if he teaches martial arts to the Japanese Army. Ip Man refuses and instead, challenges Miura to a duel, which the general gladly accepts. Before the match, Sato, who was more worried about preserving Japanese superiority and dignity, threatens Ip Man that he will be shot if he wins the duel.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing Quan takes Ip Man's family out of Foshan, but Wing Cheng cries in despair. She pleads with Zhou to take her back to see Ip Man, fearing that this might be Ip Man's last match. Zhou eventually relents and brings Ip Man's family back to Foshan to witness the duel. After an intense fight, Ip Man wins the match, with General Miura severely injured. The crowd starts cheering, prompting Sato to shoot Ip Man, hitting him in the shoulder. The crowd is provoked into fighting with the Japanese guards to come to the aid of the wounded Ip Man. Sato is killed when Li wrestles with Sato over the gun.

By the end of the film, it is revealed that, after the incident, Ip Man and his family managed to escape and flee to Hong Kong. There, Ip Man sets up a martial arts school that teaches the art of Wing Chun.