Sum Fat is skill and experience eternally bound up in the soul of a person. Consider it the life blood of a man. It is who he or she is in the marrow of their bones. Grandmaster Ip Man, we must bear in mind, was a physical man; but the blood within him, through his life training, morphed into a sort of fire. Simply put, Grandmaster Ip Man, became the brilliant, insightful Soul of Wing Chun.

While Sum Fat cannot be taught, it can be shared and when Sum Fat influences another -- the way Ip Man's influenced his students' -- the recipient's Sum Fat is changed. It is because Sum Fat is central to Wing Chun that Wing Chun cannot be learned from a book or a website. They can illustrate, convey information, encourage, entice, and perhaps inspire. But nothing in Wing Chun replace the experience of a master's Sum Fat, gained through working with him and living Wing Chun under his watchful eye.

Sum Fat, then is a "Way," a principle, and a life. It is the ability to influence how others are walking, In other words, it is the influence of one great life on the lives of others; a ripple of influence passing through time.

In Wing Chun, there must be discipline for there to be great Sum Fat. It is the life dedication that influences others. The frantic searching and running hither and yon for the next "new and improved" secret of Wing Chun only makes you tired and broke. Discipline to the "Way" of Wing Chun under the tutelage of one who is on the "Way" is the influence you ought to be seeking.

Perhaps a story can illustrate what we mean:

The Chinese say, "Duk sum ying sao" (or "The hands respond to the heart"). This has reference to the Sum Fat. A wheelwright saw the duke of Chi reading in the palace gardens. He asked the duke about the book he was reading. When the duke told him, the wheelwright said. "What you are reading is nothing more then the dregs of bygone men." Angered the duke demanded the he explain himself lest he execute him. The wheelwright quickly answered, "I get the truth from my work. The strength used in making wheels has to be just right, or the wheels will not work properly. But how do I know the proper balance, the proper wight? The answer is in my hear, and my hands respond to it. I cannot express in in words, so I cannot pass it on. I can only give such things to one who has the desire and endurance to work diligently; a willingness to learn the things I have to teach. Furthermore, this person must be humble and loyal. How can I pass this on in a book? This is why I say that what you are reading are only the dregs left by them."

The wheelwright is, however, only partially correct. His mistake in in not seeing the full process. We agree with the wheelwright that nothing in this book, or in any other, can replace the living of life; the practice of Wing Chun. But this website is a sort of portal, a doorway that allows you a unique privilege: a glimpse of Ip Man's Sum Fat. From that hint of reflected light, we hope then that you will seek the direct influence of a master who honors Ip Man's Sum Fat.

This article originally appeared in the book IP MAN'S WING CHUN MOOK YAN JONG SUM FAT by Ip Ching. and has been edited slighty for this online publication.