The Tang Family
One lineage. One family.
A tradition passed down through generations, from Hong Kong to Belgium.
A tradition passed down through generations, from Hong Kong to Belgium.
In the Chinese tradition, a Sifu is not merely a teacher. He becomes a spiritual father, while his own master takes on the role of a grandfather. A school is therefore built not only around techniques, but around a relationship founded on trust, respect and transmission.
The Tang Family embodies this human dimension of Wing Chun / Ving Tsun: a legacy received, lived and then passed on to the next generation.
Sifu Tang Shun Ping opened his first school in the 1970s. Passionate about martial arts from a young age, he never stopped searching, studying and comparing different styles throughout China and beyond. His journey also led him to Shito Ryu karate, in which he holds an 8th Dan black belt. Recognised as an expert in Tai Chi, which he teaches notably for the city of Hong Kong, Sifu Tang Shun Ping is also highly respected as a practitioner of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine and osteopathy. He practises full-time in Yuen Long, in Hong Kong’s New Territories. In Wing Chun / Ving Tsun, after studying several approaches in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, he chose to continue his training under Sifu Ip Ching and became his disciple. He is one of the eight privileged disciples who completed the Bai Si ceremony with Sifu Ip Ching, the traditional ritual that formally establishes the deep bond between master and disciple. Today, Sifu Tang Shun Ping remains one of the pillars of the Ving Tsun Athletic Association. He remained at Sifu Ip Ching’s side until his passing on 25 January 2020, at the age of 83.
Born in Hong Kong, Tang Hau Min is the second of three brothers. The Tang brothers began martial arts at a very young age. Tai Chi provided their foundation before they also trained in harder styles such as Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut and Shito Ryu karate, in which Tang Hau Min holds a 4th Dan black belt. He later discovered and deepened his Wing Chun / Ving Tsun under Tang Shun Ping. When the three brothers reached young adulthood, the Tang family moved to London to open a restaurant. Later, two of the brothers settled in Belgium and each opened his own establishment. In the 1990s, together with a childhood friend who was also a chef, Tang Hau Min opened a Kung Fu class at the Louvain-la-Neuve sports centre. A few years later, as his catering business demanded too much of his time, he chose to stop teaching the general public and to pass on his knowledge only to a small number of privileged students, including Sifu De Beil. His very first student was Sifu Olivier Vanden Broeck. Sifu Tang Hau Min passes on his knowledge with the same humility as his own Sifu: in a family-minded, caring and rigorous way, giving equal attention to practical precision and to the philosophical dimension of the art.
This transmission was built over years of travel, training and correction, but also through shared meals, conversations and moments of life. It rests not only on what is demonstrated, but also on what is entrusted.
Wing Chun / Ving Tsun then becomes a way of being: precise, humble, faithful and alive.
The photographs tell a story that words alone cannot convey: that of a family who opened their doors and shared their time, knowledge and culture.
“Pass it on.”
— Sifu Tang Hau MinThe Tang Family continues to live through every student who walks through the dojo door. What was received in Hong Kong is now passed on in Brussels with the same commitment: to respect the lineage, preserve its spirit and train sincere practitioners.
