Ip Man 3

### Synopsis

Ip Man takes on a crooked developer and his gang of brutal thugs who are trying to take over the city.

## General Information

### Written By

Edmond Wong
Chan Tai-lee
Jil Leung

### Starring

Donnie Yen
Zhang Jin
Wenwen Han
Patrick Tam
Karena Ng
Kent Cheng
Bryan Leung
Louis Cheung
Danny Chan
Mike Tyson
Tats Lau

## Release Information

### Release Date

December 16, 2015 (Hong Kong premiere)
December 24, 2015 (Hong Kong)

### Language

Cantonese

**Ip Man 3** is a 2015 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film and is the third film installment of the Ip Man series.

## Summary

In 1959, Ip Man lives in Hong Kong with his wife and his younger son. Trouble arises when a corrupt property developer and his thugs terrorize the school where Ip Man's son goes to. Ip Man and his disciples have to help the police guard the school day and night. On the other hand, Ip Man has to deal with his wife's terminal sickness, and at the same time, faces a challenge from another Wing Chun fighter who ambitiously seeks to claim the Wing Chun Grandmaster title.

## Extended Plot

In 1959, Ip Man settles into his low-profile life in Hong Kong. His elder son, Ip Chun, has returned to Foshan to study, leaving Ip with his younger son, Ip Ching, and his wife, Cheung Wing-sing, in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee visits Ip and asks to become one of his students. After Lee demonstrates his speed, Ip neither accepts nor rejects him, but insinuates for him to leave by opening the door.

After Ip Ching gets into a fight with his schoolmate Cheung Fong, their teacher, Miss Wong, asks the parents to come to the school, though only the Ips arrive. As an apology, the Ip family invite Fong to their home for dinner. At Ip's house, Fong displays rudimentary yet impressive Wing Chun skills. When asked who his mentor is, Fong says that it is his father, Cheung Tin-chi, who shows up to collect his son shortly after. Although Tin-chi interacts cordially with Ip, he secretly envies and seeks to surpass him.

Tin-chi participates in underground fights organized by Ma King-sang, a local triad leader who works for Frank, an American property developer and highly proficient boxer. Frank orders Ma to acquire the land occupied by the school where Ip Ching and Cheung Fong study. When Ip goes to collect his son from school, he witnesses Ma and his men beating the school principal after he refuses to sell. Ip interferes and restrains Ma, but is forced to release him. Ip seeks help from his close friend Fat Po, a local police sergeant. Po agrees to help, but says that he lacks the manpower and influence to protect the school every day. Ip then decides to guard the school alongside his students.

That night, Ma's men set fire to the school and attempt to kidnap the principal. Tin-chi happens to be passing by, and helps fight off Ma's thugs. Tin-chi's skills impress Ip, and he thanks Tin-chi for his help. Tin Ngo-san, a local martial arts master and Ma's former mentor, is enraged by Ma's unscrupulous acts and confronts Ma at a Hong Kong shipyard, humiliating him in front of his men. Ma wanted to retaliate with a hidden knife, but Ip stops him. Po arrives and keeps tensions from escalating further. Ma offers Tin-chi a large sum of money to get revenge against Ngo-san on his behalf. Desperate for money, and wanting to open his own martial arts school, Tin-chi accepts the offer and attacks Ngo-san, hospitalizing him.

Ip receives a call from the hospital and visits Ngo-san. Upon learning that Ngo-san did not call him, Ip realizes it was a set-up by Ma to lure him away from the school, where Ma's gang have abducted some of the students. Ip arrives alone at Ma's shipyard, where Ma holds Ip Ching at knife point and threatens to sell the children into slavery if the principal refuses to sell the school. Tin-chi is allowed to leave with Fong due to being an associate, but after his son tells him that they still have his friends, he returns and fights alongside Ip. Ip and Cheung are able to hold their own until a troop of policemen led by Po arrives to arrest the gang. Frank dismisses Ma for his failures and sends a Thai boxer after Ip instead.

Returning home, Ip learns that Wing-sing has been diagnosed with cancer. On their way home from a medicine shop, Ip and Wing-sing are attacked in an elevator by the Thai boxer, who Ip defeats before the elevator reaches the ground floor. Po tells Ip about Frank, who wants to eliminate Ip at all costs for obstructing his plans. Ip confronts Frank in his office, where Frank promises to leave the school alone if Ip can last an entire three minute fight. Initially overwhelmed by Frank's muscle and sheer force, Ip turns the tide by attacking Frank's lower half. They fight to a draw after the three minutes pass; seemingly impressed, Frank keeps his promise.

Tin-chi opens his martial arts school with the money he obtained from Ma, and claims that his Wing Chun is genuine while Ip's is not. He publicly challenges Ip to a battle that will decide who is the true Grandmaster of Wing Chun. However, Ip instead spends more time with his ailing wife, ashamedly feeling that he has neglected her. Wanting to dance with his wife, Ip is taught how to dance by Lee, whom Ip finally accepts as a student. Tin-chi is declared the winner because of Ip's failure to attend but feels unsatisfied. Despite being happy about Ip's decision to accompany her, Wing-sing makes arrangements with Tin-chi for another match on her husband's behalf, correctly guessing that Ip would have attended if not for her deteriorating health. Wing-sing accompanies Ip to the fight where Ip eventually overpowers Tin-chi with a one-inch punch. Tin-chi accepts defeat, and destroys the banner proclaiming himself to be the Grandmaster. Ip tells him that spending time with their closest ones is more important than competing with others.

A closing onscreen text states that Wing-sing passed away in 1960, and that Ip helped make Wing Chun well known internationally thus leaving a legacy. Not long, after Tin-chi leaves martial arts, Ma King-sang moves on from Frank to the Cheung Lok company and a drug dealer: Tso Sai Kit.