Wing Chun
From MartialTalk Online Martial Arts Encyclopedia Project
in the 1994 movie, Wing Chun.
Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu that is best known as the original style of Bruce Lee. It was founded in China in the 18th or 19th century, but developed to its current form on the Red Junk Opera boats of mid-19th century China.
The style is characterized by its vertical punch, the chain punch (repeated vertical punches), and its emphasis on trapping hands techniques. Weapons include the pole and the Chinese butterfly knives, as depicted in the picture above.
A popular legend holds that it was crafted by a Shaolin martial artist and Buddhist nun, Ng Mui, and named after one of her first students, Yim Wing Chun. More plausible origin theories include that it is a derivative of Shaolin Kung Fu, or Hung Gar Kung Fu, or of Fujian White Crane Kung Fu. There may also be a relationship with Bok Mei Kung Fu.
A typical Wing Chun curriculum includes three empty-hand forms (siu lim tao or siu nim tao, chum kiu, and bil gee or biu jee), a wooden dummy form (muk yan jong), a pole form (Luk dim bune gwan or luk dim boon gwan), a butterfly knives form (Bat jaam do), chi sao sticky hands and chi gerk sticky legs semi-sparring, and possibly separate techniques practiced in partner form. Some styles of Wing Chun have more forms, or other additional training elements. Some styles do not use forms at all; they teach via san sao (separate techniques).
There are several types of chi sau including double sticking hands or rolling hands (Seung chi sau / Lok sau / Poon sau), double sticking hands with three people (Seung yan chi sau) and single sticking hand (Dan chi sau). Chi gerk is generally performed at the same time as double sticking hands, thus enabling the practitioner to use all parts of their body at once.
In 1949, Yip Man brought Wing Chun out of China and into the rest of the world. He is considered to be the Grandfather of modern Wing Chun. Most practitioners of the art today are of his lineage, but there are numerous other styles of Wing Chun.
