Leung Jan

Leung Jan
Born	1826 Foshan, China
Died	1901 Foshan, China
Residence	Foshan, China
Occupation	Chinese herbal doctor
Predecessor	Leung Yee-tai
Successor	Chan Wah-shun

Leung Jan (梁贊, aka Leung Tsan; Mandarin Chinese: Liang Zan) (1826—1901) was a Wing Chun practitioner. Leung Jan was a Chinese herbal doctor in Foshan. His name became well-known due to his wins in competitive bouts. He was called Mr. Jan from Foshan (佛山贊先生).

Leung Jan, originally named Leung Dak Wing (Liang Derong), was born between 1816–1826 (End of the Chia Ching (Jia Qing) period of the Ching (Qing) Dynasty 1796–1820), though accounts vary on the exact date. Leung Jan’s father was a herbal doctor and ran a pharmacy on Fai Jee Street. Leung Jan was the youngest of two sons born to Dr. Leung. The eldest son, Leung Dak Nam, became a businessman, while the younger Leung Dak Wing followed in his father's footsteps with his love of medical knowledge. Leung Dak Wing took over the family pharmacy (known as either Jan Sang Tong, Wing Sang Tong, Hang Lam Tong, Yan Sang Tong or Hang Chai Tong from different accounts) on Fai Jee Street in the mid-1850s, after his father died. Because of his occupation (in some accounts because of the name of his pharmacy) he came to be called Jan Sin-Sang (Zan Xiansheng, Mr. Jan) or more simply rendered, Jan Sang (Zan Sheng) by the locals.

Leung Jan began learning Wing Chun during the 1840s (or 1850's depending on which account, but probably during his early 20's, about 24, due to him already having enough medical training before starting Wing Chun in order to take over his father's clinic after his death) from members of the King Fa Wui Goon Opera Troupe. It is commonly believed that Leung Jan started learning under Leung Yee-Tai, a Mo Deng performer (male dressed as female)/poler, apprenticing on the Red Boats from the 1840s to 1850s, up until his father's death, whereupon he left to run the family pharmacy. It is also believed that, during the opera ban in post-1855, Leung Yee Tai and Wong Wah Bo lived in the surrounding area of Foshan. At this time, Leung Jan continued his studies, and some oral traditions credit Leung Jan alongside his second teacher Wong Wah Bo with creating the three hand forms which are the main vehicle for the transmission of the modern Wing Chun system.

Some oral traditions suggest that Leung Yee Tai visited Leung Jan's pharmacy in search of medical treatment after being introduced by a relative (Leung Kais). Due to Leung Jan's good nature in helping the sick and poor for free, Leung Jan was accepted as a student. Leung Yee Tai later introduced Leung Jan to Mo Sing Wong Wah Bo to further his studies. In a variant of the oral tradition told by Pan Nam, Leung Jan started learning from Wong Wah Bo first and then continued training with Leung Yee Tai when Wong Wah Bo went back to opera performance when the opera ban was lifted around 1869.

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