In my search for Wing Chun in the NYC area, I have seen many wing chun instructors using Bruce Lee as a way to market their wing chun school to the public.
What do you people think when you see the late Bruce Lee used to validate their a paricular
wing chun style? Does it mean anything? Is there anything wrong with this type of marketing?
For me personally, I do not trust any wing chun branch who uses famous dead people as a way to promote their style.
bao
Seems like it’s casting the net pretty wide.
I can understand Wing Chun schools using Bruce Lee as a drawcard in the 70s but I’m surprised that they’re still doing it.
Max
Sounds a bit suss to me…
I had honestly thought that Bruce Lee had rejected Wing Chun as being too traditional and cumbersome (his words, NOT mine). I can’t see how advertising using someone’s name who doesn’t like what you’re trying to sell would be particularly effective.
On the other hand to the uneducated masses I suppose it would prove somewhat of a drawcard. Until they had to choose between their loyalty to Wing Chun or their liking of Bruce Lee when they found out Lee’s ideas towards WC. I’ve always been a big Lee fan, and have had to find my own way in regards to whether to study WC or not.
My answer?
I’ll think for myself & study WC.
But I’d have to chat with the instructor about using the whole Bruce Lee thing. Though funnily enough, I’ve seen Karate schools using him too. 
“Pain is merely weakness leaving the body”
Why not?
Bruce Lee did study the style under Yip Man.
If you don’t trust using dead people to promote the style, then forget the “Wing Chun” style which has a long lineage of “dead people” like Yip Man, Leong Bok, Tan Sau Ng, and Wing Chun herself.
hahahahaha, many styles are “marketed” based upon the skill of now dead people who did the style also and handed it down to the next generation.
Bruce Lee is used, because of the generl ignorance of people. But once you say the name “Bruce Lee” people think “Oh yeah, he kicked arse and if this is what he did then I will learn it”.
That is mostly here in the west. In other places people say things like Lam Sai Wing did this style so it is good (in reference to Hung Gar) or Huang Fei Hung did this style and they mase more than 100 movies about him because he was so good!
And so on. The point is, when you are trying to help someone understand what you are trying to propogate, you must develop a common ground to begin at.
As far as martial arts in the west, Bruce Lee is the common starting point for many. Or nowadays, Jackie Chan or Jet Lior Van Damme or Seagal and so on and so on. I’m sure Aikido wouldn’t be so popular without the Segals of the world busting butt with it in movies just as ju jutsu especially Brazillian jujutsu wouldn’t be popular without the huge television and pay per view spectacles put on by those who practice it.
If not for these “famous” people, some dead some alive, martial arts would still only be in the military, the back streets and the roof tops of Hong Kong.
If what they give is effective, then that’s what it is.
peace
peace
Kung Lek
$$$$
I think its used to draw students in. Not sure if I think its a bad thing. It gives something that is familiar to identify with.
Bruce Lee
Thanks for the posts people. The problem of using dead people is that there are many people who are under the assumption that they can “copy” these dead people’s gung fu. Copying mentality is one of the greatest ignorance I believe when one’s begins the way.
Honestly, I do not think anyone can “copy” gung fu. You can not past down or give gung fu to someone else. Therefore, under the copy mentality, there are secret techniques, hidden powers, and mysteries yet uncovered. Which is bullsh**t to me. E.g. Can someone past down your experience or can someone copy your abilities?
For me I do not try to copy techniques of my sifu or my seniors, but I try to understand how I relate to it and compare it to my mental disposition. And, Yes, there are moments of frustration when I do try to copy instead of learning.
You are right that Bruce Lee is the drawing card, but I can’t believe he is the evidence for wing chun. Even tho some grandmasters aren’t ashame of using him as a playing card and their stories and books.
Be well everyone…
Bao