Moy Yat
Encyclopedia
Moy Yat (June 28, 1938 - January 23, 2001) was a Chinese martial artist, painter, seal maker, teacher and author. He was a student of the legendary Ving Tsun Kung-Fu teacher Yip Man
(also romanized as Ip Man) from 1957 until Yip Man’s
death in 1972. Moy Yat is survived by his wife, Helen and his children Vieven, William and Viva.
or Wing Tsun
) style of Kung-Fu. He began teaching in Hong Kong
, in 1962, at the direction of his Sifu
(teacher), Yip Man
. After Yip Man's
death, Moy Yat moved to New York City
and began teaching there until he retired from teaching at age 60. According to Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, he was "...considered among the greatest martial arts teachers of all time."
, Grandmaster of his own “Traditional Wing Chun
” organization said: “The death of Moy Yat is a great loss not only to the martial art of Ving Tsun, but also to the world. He was a very learned man, a good painter, poet, artist and a gentleman. This is a great loss to Chinese culture.” In recognition of the 2008 Olympic Games, and the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008
, both held in the Peoples Republic of China, the Chinese Government issued a series of commemorative postage stamps and a collectors album, Chinese Wushu Treasure Stamps Album, in a Limited edition of 7200 copies. The album features the greatest Wu Shu
(martial art) practitioners of all time, including Moy Yat.
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
(also romanized as Ip Man) from 1957 until Yip Man’s
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
death in 1972. Moy Yat is survived by his wife, Helen and his children Vieven, William and Viva.
Teaching
Moy Yat was a teacher of the Ving Tsun ( 詠春, also romanized as Wing ChunWing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
or Wing Tsun
Wing Tsun
Wing Tsun is a branch of Wing Chun, led by Leung Ting.The particular phonetic spelling of 詠春 as Wing Tsun was picked by the branch founder Leung Ting to differentiate his branch from the others...
) style of Kung-Fu. He began teaching in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, in 1962, at the direction of his Sifu
Sifu
Shifu is the identical pronunciation of two Chinese terms for a master. The character 師 means “teacher”. The meaning of 傅 is “tutor”, and of 父, “father”. Both characters are read fu with the same tones in Cantonese and Mandarin, creating some ambiguity...
(teacher), Yip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
. After Yip Man's
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
death, Moy Yat moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began teaching there until he retired from teaching at age 60. According to Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, he was "...considered among the greatest martial arts teachers of all time."
Published work
Moy Yat was the author of six books: 108 Muk Yan Jong; Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit; A Legend of Kung Fu Masters; Dummy: A Tool for Kung Fu; Ving Tsun Trilogy; and Luk Dim Poon Kwan. Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit includes prints of Moy Yat’s famous stone carvings of the history, lineage, and major principles of the Ving Tsun style of Kung-Fu.International Recognition
After Moy Yat's death in 2001, William CheungWilliam Cheung
William Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing , born ? October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun kung fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun...
, Grandmaster of his own “Traditional Wing Chun
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a style of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. It is claimed to be the authentic, more effective version of Wing Chun taught exclusively to William Cheung by Yip Man...
” organization said: “The death of Moy Yat is a great loss not only to the martial art of Ving Tsun, but also to the world. He was a very learned man, a good painter, poet, artist and a gentleman. This is a great loss to Chinese culture.” In recognition of the 2008 Olympic Games, and the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008
Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008
Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 was a wushu competition which was held from August 21 to 24, 2008 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Beijing, China....
, both held in the Peoples Republic of China, the Chinese Government issued a series of commemorative postage stamps and a collectors album, Chinese Wushu Treasure Stamps Album, in a Limited edition of 7200 copies. The album features the greatest Wu Shu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
(martial art) practitioners of all time, including Moy Yat.