Tom Wong's Biography

by Ben Eller, PhD.

Sifu Tom Wong studied Wu style Tai Chi at age 11 from Master Tam who was also a police chief. Master Tam later introduced Sifu Wong to many top grandmasters of various styles including Wing Chun legend, Grandmaster Sum Neng. Grandmaster Neng hesitated to accept Sifu Wong as a student at first due to his young age of 12. However, Grandmaster Neng later became very impressed by Wong's photographic memory and incredible ability to repeat his demonstrations including the sophisticated figure 7 combination attack and the ability to spin his opponent twice his own weight in a blink of an eye. Grandmaster Neng himself was famous for being able to defeat multiple attackers. Once Grandmaster Neng was attacked by 12 red guards (a gang of students during the cultural revolutionary period) with swords, knives, chains and pipes. Grandmaster Neng was able to use Wing Chun to defeat all 12 gangsters. Like Sum Neng, Sifu Tom Wong had many combat experiences including fighting off up to 10 gang members at once who would attack him with various weapons including knives. Sifu Wong and Grandmaster Neng have knife marks on their forearms to this day from such encounters. However, Sifu Wong's expertise in Wing Chun enabled him to be victorious in such attacks. Sifu Wong was also exposed to other impressive living legends, and Grandmasters throughout China which included:

  • Master Lee, a Shaolin monk jumped from a second-story building and landed unharmed without making a sound. Climbed up a flat wall without metal claws.
  • Master Wong (a Wudong Chi Kung master 8th Level Shaolin Chi-Gung, 11th Level Taoist Chi-Gung), used Chi to immobilize several wrestlers at once.
  • Master Chen, able to kick and bend a 2 1/2 inch steel rod with his shin. Pinned and immobilized two men with only one leg.
  • Master Cheung, poked his fingers several inches into a fresh pine tree and ripped out chunks of wood.
  • Master Woo, being able to smoke and drink, while an experienced martial artist has him in a strong choke hold.

Because of these hardcore classical experiences and his excellent training, Sifu Wong developed into a superb martial artist. In China, Hong Kong and the U.S., many have praised Sifu Wong's kicking techniques but his one-inch punch which fractured the bones of many of his opponents left him the nickname the "bone-crusher." Other quotes about Sifu Tom Wong include the following:

  • "The most powerful lap-sau and superb sensitivity since Bruce Lee" (Jerry Poteet, Bruce Lee's original student and Jeet Kune Do instructor).
  • "Very fast and powerful" (James de Meil, Jeet Kune Do instuctor and Wing Chun expert/author).
  • "What Tom Wong learned in two weeks would take the average person years to learn" (Tai Chi Master Tam descendent of legendary Woo Gam Chuen).

After training many years in China, Sifu Wong later came to the U.S. to meet his grandfather Wong Wing, who was remembered by many as Long Wing (meaning Tall Wing) and was elected as a Chinese community leader in the old Chinatown of Los Angeles and San Francisco areas in the 1940's and 1950's. In the U.S., Sifu Wong trained over 1,000 students during his college years. Due to his extensive traveling, he often had to abandon his teaching. However, some of Sifu Wong's students are teaching Wing Chun today and some first level instructors have taught more than a hundred students.

Naturally everyone was curious about Wong's fighting skill with his Wing Chun. Jerry Poteet and others said, " feeling is believing..." and challenged Wong, so Wong demonstrated his inch power forwards and backwards! A quick one handed lap sau on Poteet lifted the hair off his head as he flew past Wong. Sifu Wong barely moved an inch. Later Wong became friends with these guys and they all respect his kung fu, speed, power and applications. The one inch punch and lap sao are not the least of them all. Boxers Like Lee Smith, a multiple Golden Glove champ, and kickboxing champs, wrestling Champ Kirk Gloss all who will attest to Sifu wong's incredible speed and short explosive power. It was his favorite thing to tell people, "I'm gonna hit you right there and you won't be able to stop it". I've personally experienced him use that on me and seen him do it to other people repeatedly. 80年代黄智烨用爆炸性的寸劲技服许多了不起的名人,截拳道掌门 如詹姆斯--李小龍 首徒及寸劲作者, 副掌门 杰瑞, 副掌门史蒂夫,及多届西洋拳冠军--李•史密斯，众自由搏击冠军，众摔交冠军,证明能使用它在真正的战斗, 他喜爱的示范是, 提早告诉他的挑战者他要击中的地方后再重复攻击证明他的对手不能阻挡!!!