While many people complain about politics, it often seems that their grievances stem not from politics itself, but from a dislike of the particular politics they oppose. This observation rings true in the current situation involving Sifu Leung Ting’s attempt to take control of the EWTO through his Eastern European representatives. Instead of delving into this ongoing series of comedic follies, let’s focus on the teachable moments that arise from what appears to be another round of “Leung Ting’s typical brand talking points”. We can examine whether his claims, primarily aimed at retaining or recruiting students, hold any validity in the landscape of martial arts in 2025. Perhaps we can glean some lessons from the insufferable politics at play.
Whenever Sifu Leung Ting or his representatives assert the “authenticity” of the Wing Tsun they offer in contrast to what they deem inauthentic practices by others, they present a few key arguments:
Only Sifu Leung Ting and his official organization (the IWTA) and their representatives teach authentic Wing Tsun.
Only certificates from the IWTA (and/or their representatives) are valid, legitimate, or recognized.
Rebels have severed ties with the source forever.
Recently, Sifu Leung Ting has claimed that one can only learn authentic “Yip Man” Wing Tsun from him.
1. Only Sifu Leung Ting and His Representatives Teach “Authentic” Wing Tsun
This claim undermines everything Sifu Leung Ting tries to sell regarding his program, association, and the competency of its practitioners. He attempts to have it both ways: marketing his program as the most organized version of Yip Man Wing Tsun, complete with a standardized curriculum and high standards for rank levels. While this is a fair assertion, it raises a critical question: If his program is genuinely effective and produces skilled practitioners, why do high-ranking individuals who leave the IWTA suddenly seem to lack competence? If his program is so good, how can masters holding 6th to 8th level “practician” ranks, as well as 10th level grandmasters, be transformed into “know nothings” the moment they exit the IWTA? If they truly lacked knowledge, why did Sifu Leung Ting grant them such high ranks in the first place?
Sifu Leung Ting’s disparagement of both former and current high-ranking members suggests one of three possibilities: either his curriculum and ranking system are inadequate, he awarded ranks to unworthy individuals, or he is misleading others about former members’ abilities. If his program is indeed effective, we would expect those with high ranks to demonstrate skill and competence. Yet, he claims they do not. This inconsistency casts doubt on the legitimacy of his ranking system. So, is it flawed? Did he issue ranks to those who didn’t earn them? This raises questions about his integrity as a leader in the martial arts community. Alternatively, is he simply disparaging former members by claiming they lack knowledge?
Consider asking Sifu Leung Ting if you can train at Sifu Chris Collins’ school as a member of the IWTA. Sifu Chris trained at the Hong Kong headquarters and was a competent practitioner and fighter featured in several of Sifu Leung Ting’s publications. Even Sifu Leung Ting's own son, perhaps not satisfied with the IWTA HQ training had secretly trained with Chris Collins. How does that even work? This is just one of countless examples.
Although discussing this is beyond the scope of this post, it’s important to note that Sifu Leung Ting has publicly and privately criticized many former and current members of his association. He has openly disparaged the late Sifu Kernspecht, a fact well-known in Hong Kong and European circles. He has also criticized Sifu Cheng Chuen Fun, a long-time partner from the days of Leung Sheung. Sifu Cheng’s “crime”? He wanted to stop teaching at the Hong Kong headquarters after over 40 years of service to open an IWTA branch closer to his business in eastern Kowloon. The list of those he has criticized includes Sifu Tam Hung Fan, Allan Fong, and Sergio, among others. Sifu Leung Ting’s contempt doesn’t stop with former members; he recently mocked a longtime student for not knowing the wooden dummy while still being allowed to teach. He has also ridiculed his Hungarian representative during seminar at my school, making fun of his performance of the wooden dummy as fast and erratic, deviating from the expected Leung Ting Wing Tsun style. If Sifu Leung Ting scoffs at his current dues-paying grandmasters, how special should you feel learning from him? It seems that no one, not even his own students, can teach “authentic Wing Tsun.” This is hardly a compelling selling point for his association.
2. Only Certificates from the IWTA Are Valid, Legitimate, or Recognized
This issue perplexes anyone who is not currently indoctrinated in the IWTA’s ideology. Sifu Leung Ting appears painfully unaware of several key issues regarding certificates. Firstly, he seems to believe that a certificate from him holds the same weight as a degree from a prestigious university. In the world of martial arts, this is simply not the case. Martial artists, particularly instructors, are not revered because of the certificates they possess, but rather for their skill and ability to help their students. Every martial artist has some certificate displayed on their wall, but it is the quality of instruction that retains students.
The IWTA seems to mistakenly think that students join schools primarily because of the instructors’ certificates, rather than their competence as teachers. This misjudgment reveals a self-centered perspective that prioritizes the IWTA’s interests over those of the students, whom they appear to view as mere pawns in their game.
Secondly, Sifu Leung Ting’s emphasis on the value of his certificates is undermined by how he speaks of his own students, both former and current. If Sifu Cheng Chuen Fun, a 10th level grandmaster under Sifu Leung Ting, can be dismissed as a “know-nothing” who only practices “Leung Sheung style,” what does that imply about everyone else? If his former training partner, who trained almost as long as he did since 1960 and holds the same rank, is deemed a “know-nothing,” it suggests that over 50 years of training alongside Sifu Leung Ting means nothing. Additionally, his current Hungarian 10th level representative has been ridiculed not only for his wooden dummy performance but also for borrowing EWTO ground-fighting ideas. This raises serious questions about the value of any “IWTA” certificate when even the highest ranks are not seen as competent in Sifu Leung Ting’s eyes.
Finally, while Sifu Leung Ting is quick to dismiss certificates from “rebel WT” organizations, his own certificates hold no special value to others. Anyone who comes to my school with an IWTA certificate is treated like everyone else; I must assess their actual knowledge because their certificate tells me nothing about their skills. To this day, despite having multiple certificates from Sifu Leung Ting, they have not provided any advantages. It seems that neither I nor anyone else cares about IWTA certificates, and apparently, neither does Sifu Leung Ting.
3. Rebels Have Severed Ties with the Source Forever
While psychology is beyond my area of expertise, it doesn’t take a specialist to see that Sifu Leung Ting’s disdain for “rebels” (those who have left him) may stem from a self-hating component. I possess numerous emails in which Sifu Leung Ting expresses morally repugnant sentiments about individuals whose only “crime” was resigning from his organization. Why is this such a sore point? It’s likely because Sifu Leung Ting, despite being a private student of Grandmaster Yip Man, was once the biggest rebel against his former teacher, Leung Sheung. No matter how many times he disparages “rebels,” he cannot escape the fact that he once left his Si-Fu for what he perceived as greener pastures. Sifu Leung Ting is the same type of rebel he so vehemently dislikes.
Regardless of any psychological speculation, the claim that rebels have severed ties with the source is simply untrue. Many high-ranking students have departed from Sifu Leung Ting, leaving “rebels” with numerous options for learning “authentic Wing Tsun.” These alternative sources often lack the political baggage and regulations associated with the IWTA. In 2025, students no longer need to jump through hoops to learn this particular style of Wing Tsun; they can avoid the headaches, politics, and ever-changing regulations that plague the “official” source.
This situation is reminiscent of the development of the printing press. Before its invention, common people had to rely on clergy to interpret religious texts. The clergy fought to keep these texts in languages that the average person could not read. Once texts could be printed in the common language, everyone gained access and was no longer dependent on a single source for information. Similarly, in 2025, nearly 60 years after Sifu Leung Ting began teaching, there are plenty of competent instructors who can teach “Wing Tsun” without requiring slavish adherence to dogma, martial “piety”, or adherence to silly IWTA regulations. Just like the clergy after the advent of the printing press, the IWTA no longer holds the power they desperately want you to believe they possess.
4. Authentic “Yip Man” Wing Tsun Can Only Be Learned from Sifu Leung Ting
Perhaps this recent claim is a sign of Sifu Leung Ting’s age, as it is one he has never made until now (in his January “EWTO statement”). Previously, he often dismissed claims of “authentic Yip Man” Wing Tsun, and in private conversations, he would disparage Yip Man’s sons for making such assertions. He emphasized that one either understands Wing Tsun or they do not, suggesting that invoking authenticity by relying on a name (like Yip Man) indicates a lack of true understanding. Sifu Leung Ting often wrote in his books, “Who cares how ‘traditional’ you are if you get beat up?” His brand has always centered on the functionality of his Wing Tsun, not its traditional roots.
Now, it seems that in a desperate attempt to retain students, Sifu Leung Ting is positioning himself as the last bastion of “authentic Yip Man” Wing Tsun! This is a claim he has never made before, perhaps emboldened by the passing of most of Grandmaster Yip Man’s students.
Wing Tsun deserves better than this to survive. To ensure its development for future generations, I believe it needs to be liberated from the corrosive shackles of IWTA culture. To grow as both an art and a community, Wing Tsun must distance itself from the outdated figures who threaten its progress with their notions of authenticity. After all, according to Sifu Leung Ting, competency is not transferable post-IWTA membership. Therefore, kung fu acquired within the IWTA is merely rented, never truly owned.
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