Joseph Cheng taught Kung Fu.
He came to the UK from China in the early Seventies when the Kung Fu craze kicked off. He had studied under Grand Master Lee Shing, who himself had studied under Wing Chun founder Ip Man. Bruce Lee was also a student of Ip Man.
I had the great honour of being taught by Joseph Cheng at our local Wing Chun club in Preston, where I was a young member. I would have been age 13. He had been invited along by club instructor John Darwen. I recall the Saturday morning sessions being totally exhilarating whilst they lasted because Jo Cheng was a Kung Fu Sifu or master.teacher from China. To me he seemed like Bruce Lee himself!
He had a club in London too, Chong Woo Kwan, i think. I have no idea if he is still alive.
He had a club in London too, Chong Woo Kwan, i think. I have no idea if he is still alive.
Whilst in the UK back then Sifu Cheng did at least two things to promote Wing Chun Kung Fu to a wider audience. He featured alongside John Darwin in a lengthy article in the popular magazine Karate and Oriental Arts. he even featured on the cover:
He also appeared on the superb kids' TV facts show, HOW! with the Fred Dineage and co, where he spectacularly bent a shaolin spear using just his adam's apple! I haven't been able to find any reference to this online but here are the brilliant HOW team to jog your memory!
Sifu Cheng also wrote a book, which was and is still well respected in the world of Kung Fu and Wing Chun. I remember it being advertised in Karate and Oriental Arts magazine when I was a youngster.
It took me forty three years to actually add a copy to my book collection this year, which brought me right back full circle to those glorious high kicking days of my early youth!
That's the end of my Kung Fu nostalgia week. Hope you enjoyed some if not all of it.
Hi-Ya!
Woodsy,
ReplyDeleteGreatly enjoyed your look back at Kung-Fu/Karate from the 70s. I too was a child of that era, and ate, breathed, and lived the karate lifestyle! They were glorious days, weren't they?
Jim
Sacramento, CA.
Cheers Jim, thanks for that. It means a lot. Yes, they were glorious days, which consumed us youngsters like only youngsters can be! You had so many pioneering Martial Artists in the states back in the Sixties and Seventies. one Chuck Norris and not to mention Bruce Lee himself! Happy days!
DeleteHi I stumbled across your blog about Joseph Cheng, I also trained with John Darwin in Preston about 1973 I was trying to see if John was still about but Sorry to hear he died Joseph Cheng was like the ultimate guy to train with but he never showed when I was there. I also now have his book. We did train and had a grading by The awesome Danny Connor, John Darwin was pretty awesome too and the only guy teaching authentic Kung Fu. You mention not learning the other forms, I was taught si lum tao but from what I remember, the other 2 forms were Secret back then and if you wanted to learn It Cost you a lot of Money. I wonder if you might remember Barry Potter, he formed his own eclectic Kung Fu club?
DeleteOf course this was all when Kung Fu was New.
Best Clayton
Hi Clayton, I recommend getting the old karate and Oriental Arts mag with Sifu Cheng in it too. A great memento of his London dojo, dated July Aug 1974. It was exhilerating to study Wing Chun at the Walberg's kwoon under Sifu Darwin. I managed one grading and performed Sil Lum Tao - not very well and could see older students performing Bil Gee at the other end of the room. I always wanted to learn that but never got to. I can still do Sil Lum Tao after 47 years! Sorry I don't remember Danny Connor. I do remember Lloyd Bell, who was a junior instructor. Sorry, don't recall Barry Potter either. I seem to recall that John Darwin's school was a shotokan dojo first. Lots of kids from round Walbergs went to the club. I cycled from Ashton. I eventually went on to do Judo and a little Aikido near Lane Ends in Preston. Some of the best days of my life were back in those heady Kung Fu Martial Arts days when I was a young teeanger!
DeleteI also trained with john darwen but not until 1980 i had the opportunity to go down to london in 1985 to train as a bodyguard with master cheng but as a poor nortern lad from preston could not afford the train fare.master darwen died in the late 90'i took his last class...is it possible to have a copy of the article i have no pictures of master Darwen...
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm sorry to hear Sifu Darwen has passed away. I enjoyed being part of his wing chun school in the early Seventies. I can still remember Si Lum Tao to this day after John Darwen showed us the way. Never got to practice the next kwoon, Bi'l Gi I think it was. Maybe us kung fu craze kids were too young ... or not good enough! As for the article, sure. I can scan it for you if you like and send it by email, which would be easy. My email address is at the bottom of the page. Email me with your email address. Have you got Sifu Cheng's book?
DeleteHi! I am Married to one of John Darwen’s sons. Could you share the article and pictures with us? We have photos of John with his knives and dummy.
DeleteHi TH, my magazines are in all in storage I'm afraid. The best way to see the article is in the complete magazine in your hands. I just did a quick search of Ebay and this issue is available for a reasonable price. Might be worth getting. I'm not related to the seller in any way! Hope it works out. I enjoyed training with Sifu Darwin a great deal, they were very happy times at his Dojo in Preston in the early 1970's. He had various assistant instructors too but I can't recall their names. here's the link to Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Karate-Oriental-Arts-UK-Magazine-July-August-1974-Bruce-Lee-Fist-of-Fury-49/223588860703?hash=item340eef431f:g:jKsAAOSwfmldLXSb
DeleteJust thought of another name TH, Alan Lamb. Sifu Alan Lamb knew Sifu Darwin think. They may have trained together or Sifu Lamb may have instructed John in Wing Chun. I'm not sure. I understand that Sifu Lamb sadly suffered a bad stroke in the last few years. Here's his website http://www.alanlambwingchun.com/chronology.htm
Deletewhen i was 12 years old i started learning koyokoshinkai karate. the year was 1974 kung fu craze swept the Uk . Going through a magazine i found a Wingchun school in south london in a community hall on lambeth rd . At 12 i was the youngest student there only being ther for9 months as my family emegrated to malta. my instructor was master Josph Cheng . while there master leungh came over two visit the school. Well i never continued down the martial arts path from maybe 2 years from then . but meeting at the school was the highlight of my experience in martial arts . I do believe master cheng is still alive and it was one of my high points as a youngster.
ReplyDeleteHi Neville, so nice to hear from you. I'm so pleased you got to train with Sifu Cheng in London. There maybe pictures of that club in the Karate and Oriental Arts magazine I've pictured above. You maybe able to get a copy on Ebay or Amazon. Fantastic that you met Sifu Leungh too. They were great days and like you say, high points when we were young.
DeleteHi, It was great to read your article on Master Joseph Cheng, and some of your contributors messages ...To start I am presently researching for a book I am writing on Wing Chun.
ReplyDeleteI too am a ex-student of Master John Pritchard and later Master John Darwen. I too was 13 (1974) when I started.
My club was in the Leyland club under Master John Pritchard at Leyland St Mary's school.
It was at this time we attended a grading at Master John Darwen's Kwoon in Preston, which was done by Master Joseph Cheng.
I am interested in collecting any photographs from that period either from the Leyland or Preston clubs, and especially one that was group photograph taken at Master Joseph Cheng gradings in Preston - in fact I will pay for a copy !
So, if any one would like to contact me directly - authenticatemail@protonmail.com
Any help will be most appreciated!
Cheers and thanks again!
Nick
Hiya nick...I'm doin a bit of research as well in wing chin...I was at Leyland with John Pritchard and bill rigby!contact me if u don't mind...ian
DeleteHello Ian, are you the Ian who lived on Golden Hill Lane? My name is Bill Rigby and I taught Wing Chun with John Pritchard at Leyland St. Mary's school. I lost touch with John but found out recently that he passed away a few years ago. One of our students was a 13-year-old named Nick Smart, he later went on to study all over the world, mostly in Hong Kong with Leung Ting, and eventually became a Grand Master. I was unaware of this until two years ago when a series of coincidences put me in touch with him after he had been looking for me for forty years. It was a lovely meeting which we have repeated many times since, even meeting John's widow Lynn where we exchanged photos and stories. We were, contrary to the claims of a certain German master, the first club in Europe to open under the title of 'Wing Tsun Leung Ting Martial Arts Association'. This is verified by Master Leung's travel itinerary which shows he visited the Leyland club first on his world tour. If you need further information please let me know but be quick as I turn 80 in May [ha ha]. Do you have any photos as Grandmaster Nick is writing another book and any materials from that time would be welcome? Bill.
DeleteWhen you mean a German Master, You mean GM Keith Ronald Kernspecht?
DeleteI do indeed mean Herr Kernspecht.
DeleteThought so. He is my Si-Gung, I train with the EWTO.
DeleteAnother story (a true story) is of a British 8th Dan Tae Kwon Do practitioner named John Black (sadly who passed away) who was a soldier stationed in Hong Hong in the early 70s.
DeleteBack then, he had only been doing Tae Kwon Do for a couple years under Rhee Ki Ha in the UK and then got his posting to HK. Whilst in HK he came across an advert for Leung Ting Wing Tsun and trained under him. When it came to deciding between Wing Tsun and Tae Kwon Do (Leung Ting made him chose) John Black opted to go with Tae Kwon Do. Had John Black chose Wing Tsun, Leung Ting would have offered John his full backing and support him and be the first British man to open a Wing Tsun school in the UK, upon his return.
I have many photos of myself and Master John Pritchard in the company of Great Grand Master Leung Ting on the occasion of his visit to our club in 1976. Master John had trained with GGM Leung in Hong Kong 8 hours a day seven days a week for 6 months while I ran the club in his absence. On his return, we opened up under the banner of Wing Chun Leung Ting Martial Arts Association. Sadly John is no longer with us but I am still around if anyone would like any further information.
DeleteHello I'm Stephen John Darwen sifu John Darwen's son. I have all the photo's of the school in Abbey street Preston what my dad owned and teacher wing chuntea
DeleteHello Stephen, I would be delighted to see the photos as I trained with your dad and in 1973 opened a Wing Chun school with Master John Pritchard in leyland. We trained under Master Joseph Cheng and eventually Grand Master Leung Ting. One of our pupils was a 13-year-old named Nick Smart who went to Hong Kong and trained for 10 years under GM Leung, he is now a Grand Master with clubs worldwide. He is writing his second book so any pictures you have would be much appreciated. You can contact me at leylandbill9@gmail.com.
DeleteHe taught an upward twist at the end of the punch, a great technique i have never seen another teach!I also learned Wing Chun in Preston under Sean Lem and then Barry Darwin who brought Alan Lamb and Danny Connor to the club to teach as well as Sifu Cheng!After around 10yrs of Wing Chun I studied TKD for 15yrs reaching 3rd dan, currently at 67yrs old I am doing Shotokan although the Dojo is closed at the mo due to covid
ReplyDeleteGreat memories Steve. Sifu Cheng touched a lot of people's live back in the Seventies. Is Barry Darwin a relative of John Darwin? Good luck with the Shotokan when the dojo's doors re-open, gedan berai and all that. Sounds like you're doing great for 67! Did you live in Preston?
DeleteHello Steve. Are you the lad I used to hang about with a bit. Went to John's Wing Chun school in Abbey Street and also trained under Alan Lamb and Joseph Cheng. You worked with me at Goss's if I remember rightly. I'm Frank Smith if you can recall me.
DeleteYes Frank, I trained under sifu darwin and worked at Goss and I remember you! happy memories brother!
DeleteI wants learning wing chun where is your adres please thankyou ahsan
ReplyDeleteI don't teach Wing Chun Ahsan sorry. Maybe google Wing Chun clubs or Kung Fu clubs in your area.
DeleteI studied under John in the 1970's also Joseph Cheng ,Alan Lamb and Samual Quok i used to go to Manchester training with AlanbLamb great tim
ReplyDeleteGreat memories and great times, yep.
DeleteHi. I'm afraid the "How" feature never happened. As soon as it was advertised, several people wrote in to complain about something "violent" like kung fu on a children's TV show. I remember tuning in, and finding a lion dance instead. I was bitterly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI was a member of Chong Woo Kwan in London in the early 1970s. I don't think I have ever been that fit since!
Really, I thought I saw it. Was it shown in the advertisement, Sifu Cheng bending a spear on his throat? Wow, you were at the London Chong Woo Kwan. Are you pictured in the article in Karate and Oriental Arts from back then?
DeleteVery interesting to learn of the other clubs. My father was one of Sifu Cheng's senior students at Chong Woo Kwan as they studied in London. He showed me heaps of photos and he mentioned the club would do demonstrations and they would move the wooden dummy around the stage for sifu Joseph so everyone in the audience can see all around.
ReplyDeleteGreat memories about Sifu Cheng and your father. If ypou email me some photo's I'll post them here of you want. Email address at the bottom of the page for me, Woodsy.
DeleteI don't know if any of you have heard but Alan Lamb passed away on Oct 9th 2021. My name is Earl and I trained with Alan for 6 years in Glendale CA from 2002-2008. He was my first Wing Chun instructor and was a great teacher to me. Unfortunately he suffered a stroke several years ago and was struggling with his recovery. I lost touch with him and hadn't spoken to him in years. He never really kept in touch with me. I don't know why. I called him several times to talk but our conversations were brief. We were never really that close personally. I tried but he always treated me in a teacher/student way. I guess that's just how he was. It's sad that he's gone. I never had the chance to reconnect with him. It's something I regret. Rest in Peace Sifu Alan Lamb. You were big influence on me. I will miss you. The fond memories of training with you will always be in my heart.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear this news. I didn't know Sifu Alan Lamb but I know he devoted his life to Wing Chun. May he rest in peace.
DeleteHe was simply amazing!
ReplyDeleteI did have some training sessions with John Darren in Preston UK. My main instructor was Joe Oliver in Ingol around 1977 to 1979. Have fond memories from them days. Thank you for creating this site.
ReplyDeleteMeant John Darwen.
ReplyDelete