Ip Man: Origins

Ip Man awaits his childhood sweetheart, Wing-Shing, while Master Wah-Shun and his son Zi quarrel.

Wing-Shing goes to Ip Man's home and is surprised to find Ching-Shan there. Ching-Shan reveals to her that he wants to save the country by setting up business in Foshan. Wing-Shing reveals to Ip's family that she comes to cancel her childhood wedding engagement with Ip Man and everybody is shocked. Ip Man is heart-broken but respects Wing-Shing's decision. Wing-Shing doesn't want to have a traditional marriage. She hints to Ip Man that she wants to see the world with him. Ip Man doesn't understand and leaves sadly. Wing-Shing feels that Ip Man doesn't know her well. Ip Man knows that Wing-Shing loves him and doesn't understand why Wing-Shing has to cancel the engagement. He airs his grievances to Zi. Both of them are in a bad mood and they end up fighting, which Wing-Shing witnesses. Ching-Shan learns that Wing-Shing has called off the engagement and comes to celebrate with her. Wing-Shing reveals to Ching-Shan that she wants Ip Man to pursue her like a modern man. She finds it hard to explain to Ip Man and she asks Ching-Shan to tell him instead. Ching-Shan goes to dinner with Wing-Shing at the restaurant and they find that Ip Man's father is bringing Ip Man to a blind date. Wing-Shing listens to the conversation and finds it really funny.

Ching-Shan tells Wing-Shing that Ip Man cares only about his martial arts and Wing-Shing is disappointed. Ip Man buys Wah-Shun a jade tobacco stem. Ip Man assures Wah-Shun that he is not asking him to be his mentor and Wah-Shun takes the gift. Pak-Lam's soldiers ask Wah-Shun to pay tax. They beat him fiercely and take away the tobacco stem. Zi witnesses everything but he doesn't offer any help to Wah-Shun. In the evening, Wah-Shun wears a mask to attack the soldiers and he takes back his tobacco stem. Zi misconceives that the tobacco stem is a disciple's gift from Ip Man and he throws it to the ground angrily. Ching-Shan talks about revolution and his dream with Wing-Shing. Wing-Shing hopes that Ip Man is as knowledgeable as Ching-Shan. Wing-Shing asks if Ip Man wants to go to France but Ip Man is very focused with his martial arts. Wing-Shing leaves disappointedly. Wing-Shing decides to go to France alone and she goes to Ip Man's home to say goodbye but Ip Man is not there. Wing-Shing passes by Ip Man's study room and she discovers that Ip Man is taking detailed notes of the books she gave him. Wing-Shing is deeply touched and she leaves. Ip Man rushes to the pier and the ship has gone. Zi opens a Wing Chun martial arts school on the street and waits for Wah-Shun to come. A passer-by asks him to be his mentor. Chun-Loi comes to destroy the school with his followers. Wah-Shun rushes to the place but rejects Zi's request once again.

Wah-Shun finally takes on Ip Man as his disciple. Since Wing Chun can be taught only one to one, he hopes that Zi will give up his hope completely. Wah-Shun brings Ip Man to his deceased mentor Leung Tsan's Tsan Sang Hall. He tells Ip Man that Wing Chun can only be taught to somebody of good character and pure heart. Zi has been a bad-tempered boy since childhood. Wah-Shun worries that he will lose his son so he decides to give up practicing martial arts. In order to urge his father to teach him martial arts, Zi teaches people to fight all the time. He later hurts his leg accidentally and runs away angrily. During the martial arts convention, Wah-Shun believes that his aggressive son will join the contest so he comes to look for him. Ip Man wants to go to France with Wing-Shing. Wah-Shun reveals that he can wait for him. Zi is desperate and attempts to commit suicide by burning himself. Ip Man passes by and he rushes him to the hospital. Ip Man goes to the pier to tell Wing-Shing that he cannot go to France. Wing-Shing finds that Ip Man has dust all over his body and misconceives that he has been fighting again. Ching-Shan tells Wing-Shing that Ip Man canceled the trip because he has become the disciple of Wah-Shun. Wing-Shing is very disappointed with Ip Man, which pleases Ching-Shan.

Ching-Shan rushes to the hospital to tell Ip Man that Wing-Shing has left the hotel. Ip Man rushes to the pier but the ship has gone already. He returns home and he is overjoyed to find Wing-Shing there. Wing-Shing visits Zi with Ip Man. Wah-Shun agrees with Ip Man that Zi is in need of love and care. Ip Man decides to travel with Wing-Shing and Wing-Shing is overjoyed. Before departure, Ip Man suddenly realizes that Ching-Shan's country-saving plan is suspicious and decides to get off the ship. Ching-Shan asks Wing-Shing to give a speech to the Foshan businessmen. Afterwards, they agree to become shareholders of the company. Ip Man publishes an article in the newspaper to disclose that Ching-Shan is setting up the business to raise money for Pak-Lam's armaments. All investors are shocked and they refuse to become shareholders. Wing-Shing supports Ching-Shan's business. She discovers that the article was written by Ip Man and is very upset. She writes an article to blame Ip Man. Ching-Shan tries to fan the flame. Wing-Shing and Ip Man start a debate in the newspapers. Wing-Shing decides to sell the old house at Sangyuan town but Chun-Loi has rented the house as a martial arts school and he refuses to return the house to Wing-Shing. Chun-Loi returns home and discovers that his father is giving the lease back to Wing-Shing. He believes that Ip Man has caused everything and hates him deeply.

Zi has a fever and Wah-Shun fetches him some ice to cure his illness. Ip Man visits him and Wah-Shun insists that he will not take Zi as his disciple. Zi overhears it and is enraged. He sets Tsan Sang Tong on fire and destroys Leung Tsan's tablet. Wah-Shun is enraged and wants to punish Zi. Ip Man kneels down in front of Wah-Shun and becomes his disciple officially. Wing-Shing witnesses it and leaves angrily. Chun-Loi is being attacked and jumps into the river. Ip Man wants to accompany Wing-Shing to France but Ching-Shan claims that he will be going with her instead. Ching-Shan and Wing-Shing are on board and Ip Man is very sad. Ip Man turns around and is overjoyed to see Wing-Shing in front of him. At this time, a group of soldiers suddenly arrives to shoot Ip Man since Pak-Lam has framed him for killing Chun-Loi. Ip Man runs away. After saying goodbye to his parents and Wing-Shing, Ip Man escapes by taking a boat to Hong Kong. On the boat, Leung Pik recognizes Ip Man's Goat Clamping stance. Somebody has stolen Ip Man's wallet. Ip Man has no choice but to jump off the boat. Li Sam picks him up. Leung Pik buys Ip Man and his oil wrap with one hundred dollars.

Ip Man changes his name to Ip Wing-Shing and starts working at the pier to earn money to repay Leung Pik. Wing-Shing learns from Pak-Lam's subordinate that Chun-Loi's dead body is fake. In order to protect Yim Tung and Ip Man's family, she hides the truth. Fung Yee Lung is in danger. Ettenberg wants to take over the pier. Ettenberg has bribed Li Sam and Cheung Mang kicks Li Sam away in order to gain control of the pier again. Leung Pik recognises Ip Man's Wing Chun style. He opens Ip Man's oil wrap and discovers that he is the son of Foshan's richest man Ip Oi-Dor as well as the disciple of Wah-Shun. He takes out his father Leung Tsan's tablet and swears to Ip Man that he is the real Wing Chun master. Cheung Mang tells his landlady that he wants to marry Jenny and the landlady rejects him. Leung Pik has a plan and he returns the oil wrap to Ip Man. He then tells the landlady that Ip Man is the son of a tycoon and he would like to introduce him to Jenny. The landlady brings Ip Man to buy a suit before picking up Jenny at the pier. She then goes to steal Ip Man's title deed. Jenny fails to find Peter when she gets off the boat. She pretends to commit suicide by taking some medicine and Ip Man carries her to the hospital at the peak.

The hospital guards try to stop them but Ip Man goes into the hospital with Jenny by force. Jenny catches Peter and asks him to marry her. Peter takes out some money but Jenny throws them at Peter's face after seeing Ip Man's facial expression. Jenny believes that Ip Man is the son of the shipping company owner who admired her always. The landlady fails to find the title deed and she chases after Leung Pik angrily. Leung Pik rushes to Cheung Mang's place and reveals that the landlady wants Ip Wing-Shing to marry Jenny. Ching-Shan and Pak-Lam work together on a plan to take over the house of Ip's family. Pak-Lam asks somebody to set the military camp on fire and he announces that Ip Man is the one who committed the crime. He then surrounds Ip's family and takes all their food away. Wah-Shun takes a risk to deliver food to them secretly. Leung Pik suggests to Cheung Mang that he should ask Ip Man to join Fung Yee Lung. Ip Man rejects the idea. Cheung Mang urges Ip Man to fight with him and Ip Man defeats him. Master Hung recognises Ip Man's Wing Chun style. After fighting with Ip Man, Master Hung appreciates Ip Man very much and he brings him to the reporters for an interview. Jenny is very upset to discover that Ip Man is only a worker at the pier. Leung Pik shows her the newspaper article on Ip Man as a Wing Chun master and Jenny changes her attitude completely.

Ching-Shan and Pak-Lam try to lure Wah-Shun with the fake Chun-Loi. They capture Wah-Shun while he delivers food to Ip's family. Jenny sends sweet soup to Ip Man and she asks a couple of questions that Leung Pik taught her to ask. Master Hung brings Ip Man to a boxing contest. The Englishman has won and he hangs a "Sick Man of East Asia" flag on the Chinese contestant's body. Ip Man is shocked. Leung Pik tells Ip Man that Master Hung and Ettenberg are not getting along well. Jenny enters the Miss Float Contest. Ettenberg comes to the pier to provoke her with boxers and other contestants. Jenny refuses to dance for the boxers and Ettenberg beats her. Ip Man and Cheung Mang start a fight with the boxers. The police come to arrest Ip Man, Cheung Mang and the others. Ettenberg seizes the chance to throw all the goods on the pier into the sea. Ip Man, Cheung Mang and Jenny are sent to prison. Leung Pik and the landlady come to bail Ip Man and Jenny out. Master Hung comes to bail Cheung Mang out as well. Wing-Shing visits Wah-Shun at the jail and she realizes that everything was done by Ching-Shan. Wing-Shing receives Ip Man's letter from Hong Kong but Ching-Shan is monitoring her at the same time.

Ip Man decides to fight for the dignity of Chinese people and keeps practicing day and night. Master Hung learns about it he asks Cheung Mang to send Ip Man some tonic. Leung Pik and the landlady have different plans in mind. Both of them try to replace the tonic and Leung Pik eventually succeeds but Ip Man does not drink it. Ip Man goes to the stage to fight and Leung Pik tries to put some hallucinogen in his towel. Ip Man loses the contest eventually. Leung Pik tries to blacken Master Hung and Wah-Shun. Ip Man realizes that Leung Pik has put hallucinogen in his towel. Master Hung starts a fight with Leung Pik and Ip Man recognizes that Leung Pik is fighting in Wing Chun style. Master Hung appreciates his kung-fu very much and he stops fighting. After the fight, Leung Pik returns to his room sadly. He takes out his father's tablet and he is really angry that Wah-Shun has destroyed his father's Tsan Sang Tong. Fung Yee Lung is in great trouble. Cheung Mang decides to save Fung Yee Lung by going to jail. Cheung Mang gives the landlady a sum of money and he buys a wedding ring for Jenny as well. He wishes to marry Jenny three years later but the landlady doesn't welcome the idea. During the chaos, Ip Man misconceives that Cheung Mang is harming the landlady and he tries to help her. He accidentally drops the wedding ring to the sewer. Wing-Sing arrives at Foshan to pass Ip Man's letter to Wing-Shing.