Ip Man

Behind every great man there lies a teacher, and this was certainly true of Bruce Lee, who claimed as his mentor a martial arts expert named Ip Man (1893-1972). A genius of Wushu (or the Chinese martial arts school), Ip Man grew up in a China nearly ripped to pieces by racial hatred, nationalistic strife, and warfare. He rose like a phoenix above these ashes, however, courtesy of his participation in matches against various Wushu masters and kung fu warriors -- ultimately training martial arts icons such as Lee.