Yip Man is the patriarch of the Wing Chun style of kung fu. His teaching has become a cornerstone of the modern martial arts era. The efficiency of his fighting techniques, coupled with the knowledge that he was Bruce Lee's instructor, caused millions to regard his art with awed curiosity. Today Wing Chun is the most influential martial art to emerge from the 20th century China. Yip Man was born in the year 1898 in the Southern Chinese town of Fatsham, son of a wealthy merchant who owned a large farm and an merchandise exporting business. As a boy Yip Man approached Chan Wah Shun and asked to be accepted as a student. Yip Man became the last of Chan's disciples. He became the youngest in a direct line of Wing Chun practitioners dating back nearly 200 years. Yip Man studied with Chan Wah Shun for four years, until the old master's death. Yip spent another two and a half years training with his senior, Ng Chung So.