Wing Chun

• History of the Art

• Routines

History is the Art

           Wing Chun, is one of the styles taught in the Shaolin Temple. The words " Wing Chun" was used to commemorate the founder of the style. Master Yim Wing Chun. Founder Yim Wing Chun is from the Fujian region of Guangdong. His father, Yim Er-Gong sold bean curds on the recesses of the mountain Jiulianshan.

            Wing Chun has been learning martial arts from abbot Wu Mei from a young age. Later, as she observed a fight between a snake and a crane, she was able to come up with her one theories and principles of combat. Having the techniques modified slightly by abbot Wu Mei, she was able to create the now famous style. As she asked her master to place a name for this new style, the abbot said that since she was named Wing Chun, the style could be named after her. Hence, the style was Wing Chun was born.

             Master Yim was later married to Leung Bo Chou and after settling in Guangzhou with him, she passed on the skills to him which made him the second generation of Wing Chun practitioners.

 During the last years of Jia Qing era, Leung Bo-Chou has many friend within the Red Boats and often had long conversations about martial arts with Leung Lan-Quey, Wang Hua-Bao, Leung Er-Di while having wine. He even exchanged the art of Wing Chun for the famous style of the 6.5 foot pole. Later on, he traveled around with Hua Bao and the people of the Red Boats. During this time, they trained and explored deeper in their arts and within two years, they mastered them completely. People such as Leung Lan-Quey, Wang Hua-Bao, Leung Er-Di could be considered as the third generations of Wing Chun practitioners. The 6.5 foot pole also become one of the weapons within the list of Wing Chun armed techniques.

           Hua Bao retired at the age of 60 and lived on Qingyun road in the Kwazishi of Fushan. Kwazishi was a place where the renowned physician Leung Tzan which practiced at Xingjitang. The people of Fushan all called him Mr Tzan.  The friendship between Hua Bao and Mr Tzan grow over a length of time and often went to Xing Ji Tang to drink as well as talk with Mr Tzan. In time, Hua Bao even taught him the art of Wing Chun. This was at the era of Dao-Guang in Qing Dynasty

           Tzan Yuan was from Juishan but lived in Fushan. His had great skills within the field of medicine and sold herbs in his Xing Ji Tang. He was a well known man which many friends around. Also, he has always had a liking for martial arts. However, despite looking around, he is never found a style which made him satisfied enough to learn it. From his point of view, all aspects of Wing Chin including how the power was used, bodily forms and hand techniques were all of high quality. With his natural talent along with hard work, he was able to make the art of Wing Chun popular during the times of the later parts of Qing dynasty. Unfortunately, as he was often occupied with the work at his clinic, he was unable to start his own school and take on students. Aside from his two sons Leung Chun and Leung Bin, only  Chen Hua-Shuen-Gong was able to learn from him.

             Although living in Fushan, Hua Gong is a man from the Shuende region. He worked for money and was given the nickname Money-seeking Hua. Because his work often led him to Xing Ji Tang he was by Chance able to become a student of Mr Tzan. After mastery of the style, he defeated Zhu-Rou Gui in front of Mr Tzan and became famous. Later, after the death of Mr Tzan, Hua Gong started his own martial arts school and began formally teaching Wing Chun.

   Method of teaching for Wing Chun is somewhat different compared to arts of the Shaolin branch. This is because it requires a long time of "sticky hands" sparring as the best form of practice. As this art requires personal tuition, it is therefore impossible to teach many people. Hence, the teaching fees of Hua Gong is quite high. A price which could not be afford by every body. Only those who are wealthy had the opportunity of being taught. During this time, Wing Chun took on a name of "rich people's style". Hence, Wing Chun was not able to be passed down to the common people during this time.

    Those who were able to learn the art included Wu Zhong-Suh, He Han-Lu, Lei Ru-Ji, Yip Man and his son Chen Ruu-Jin. But out of them all, only Yip Man was able to promote it. Yip Man was a wealthy family in Fushan. Due to his weak and feeble form during his youth, he started to train under Chen Hua-Shuen-Gong at the age of seven.

    Hua Gong saw that he was one of the few who were smart as well as hard working, therefore, his own taught Yip Man personally. While Wu Zhong-Suh would help and sparred with Yip Man while giving him advises. Due to this, Yip Man's skills grew tremendously.  However Hua Gong soon passed away. But before he died, he told Wu Zhong-Suh to continue to train Yip Man and his son Ruu-Jin. Yip Man and Wu Zhong-Suh worked hard to three years and grew even more in technical skills. This was at the age of fifteen.

               Yip Man came to Hong Kong with his father and studied at St. Stephen's School. During this time, he was introduced hi the son of Leung Tzan, Leung Bi. This began the training between the two of them and Yip Man soon learnt everything Leung Bi knew. Even his character became   humble and ample.

                Three years later, Yip Man returned to Fushan and met many heroes of that area and even entered a match with Uen Dai-Niu. This caused him to become famous throughout the area. After he has established his fame. He pursued the occupation within the political arena which met with great success. He was renowned for his achievement of capturing the Bandit Luo Zao in Gongzhen Road. When Fushan Changed, Yip Man left and moved to Hong Kong in the year of 1949. During this time, his livelihood was still quite unstable. Under the advise of a friend Li Man, he started to teach Wing Chun while he worked at "Hong Kong & Kowloon Restaurant" in Tai Nan Street of Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. This began his life in the path of teaching Wing Chun. His students of this time included Leung Shiang, Lou Tiao, Xu Shang-Tian, Zhou Yun, and Lu Wen-Jin. Afterwards, he even opened up new schools in Hoi Tan Street, Lee Tat Street, Lee Cheng Uk Tai Wong Ye Temple of Queen's Road, Road East, Hing Yip Mansion in Castle Peak Road, etc. Over the course of twenty years, Yip Man's promotion and improvement of Wing Chun made it one of the most popular style of martial arts in Hong Kong, Taiwan and all over the world.

Known Routines