Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春; Hanyu Pinyin: yǒng chūn; Yale Cantonese: wing2 cheun1), also romanized Ving Tsun, is a system of Chinese Martial Arts with an emphasis on non-grappling close-range fighting. Its curriculum also includes weapons.
The history of Wing Chun has been passed from teacher to student verbally without documentation and is thus uncertain. Stories tend to be romanticized or mythologized. Higher criticism methods have been applied with varying results to discern the origins of Wing Chun by determining the specific purpose of its techniques. The earliest documented reference to Wing Chun comes from the writings of Wing Chun practitioner Dr. Leung Jan.
The oral history of the Yip Man branch of Wing Chun dates its creation to the reign of the Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722). After escaping the destruction of the Fujian Shaolin Monastery by Qing forces, the Abbess Ng Mui fled to the distant Daliang mountains (大涼山) on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan. One day, she came upon a fight between a snake and a crane. She took the lessons she learned from observing the fight between the two animals and combined them with her own knowledge of Shaolin Kung Fu to create a new style. Ng Mui often bought her bean curd at the tofu shop of Yim Yee (嚴二). Yim Yee had a daughter named Yim Wing Chun (嚴詠春)(1) whom a local warlord was trying to force into marriage. Ng Mui taught her new fighting style to Wing-Chun, who used it to fend off the warlord once and for all. Wing-Chun eventually married a man she loved, Leung Bok-Chao (梁博儔), to whom she taught the fighting techniques that Ng Mui had passed on to her. Husband and wife in turn passed the new style on to others.
The oral history of the Yiu Kai lineage dates the creation of Wing Chun roughly a century later, to the early 19th century, and names Wing-Chun's father as Yim Sei (嚴四), a disciple at the Fujian Shaolin Temple who avoids persecution by fleeing with his daughter to Guangxi. Wing-Chun learned the Fujian Shaolin arts from her father and, from their raw material, created a new style after being inspired by a fight between a snake and a crane. She eventually married Leung Bok-Chao (梁博儔)—a Shaolin disciple just like Wing-Chun's father—and taught her fighting style to her new husband. The young couple began teaching Wing Chun's fighting style to others after moving to Guangdong Province in 1815, settling in the city of Zhaoqing.
Numerous variations on this story abound.
Other origins for Wing Chun have been suggested, typically involving connections to the Triads, revolutionary groups (often anti-Qing), or the Hakka people of southern China. Almost all extant lineages of Wing Chun, with the exception of the Pao Fa Lien (刨花蓮) branch, claim decendance from the members of the mid-19th century cohort of the Red Boat Opera Company (紅船戲班).
According to one theory, opponents of the Qing Dynasty used the Red Boat Opera Company as a cover to disguise themselves as a troupe of traveling entertainers. Their identities as Chinese Opera performers provided a cover for martial arts training; however, the flashy moves of opera style martial arts were not suited to the activities of espionage and assassination, which required specialized skills. Even though assassinations themselves would be carried out using poison or knives, their targets were usually protected by bodyguards who, on discovery of an intruder, would seize the person, call for help, and disable the person to be held for interrogation. Therefore, according to this hypothesis, Wing Chun was designed to deal with an opponent who seized rather than struck and to silence that opponent immediately. This would explain certain technical aspects of Wing Chun, such as its emphasis on close-range combat and its many strikes to the throat and diaphragm.
Also of note is the existence of a city called Yongchun (永春)(2) in Fujian Province, China. In Mandarin, the pronunciation of the martial art and the pronunciation of the town are identical: Yǒngchūn. In Cantonese, the pronunciations are not identical, but nonetheless similar: wing2 cheun1 (martial art) vs wing5 cheun1 (municipality). The name of the town is written with the character yǒng/wing "永" meaning "always," whereas the lineages of Wing Chun that descend from Yip Man, Yiu Kai, Yuen Kay-San, the Cho family, Tam Yeung, Fung Sang, Yeung Fook, and Leung Kwok-Keung write the name of their martial art using the character yǒng/wing "詠" meaning "sing." However, the lineages of Wing Chun that descend from Pan Nam, Nguyễn Tế-Công, Way Yan, the Wang family of Saiquan, and Pao Fa Lien use the yǒng/wing "永" character, making the name of their martial art identical with the name of the town.
Several other Chinese martial arts come from Yongchun and the surrounding area, most notably the Fujianese style of White Crane, one branch of which is even called Wing Chun Bak Hok Kuen (永春白鶴拳), (3) or Wing Chun White Crane boxing. Li Wenmao (李文茂), a historically verifiable opera performer and leader in the 1854-1855 Red Turban Rebellion in Foshan, is said to have been a Wing Chun White Crane practitioner.
There is a story that White Crane was created by Ng Mui after she was inspired by a fight between a snake and a crane, as in the Yip Man oral history of Wing Chun. Another White Crane legend states that the art was created by a young woman who combined her observation of cranes with the martial arts she learned from her father—in some versions a refugee from the destruction of the Fujian Shaolin Temple—and later taught her art to her husband, as in the Yiu Kai oral history of Wing Chun. Most stories name this young woman as Fong Chut-Neung (方七娘), (4) to use the Cantonese pronunciation, but other stories name her Fong Wing-Chun (方詠春)(5) and the Shaolin disciple she marries as Hung Hei-Gun (洪熙官), to whom she teaches her Crane style which he combines with his Tiger Style to create the famous Hung Family Tiger Crane style.
Oral history aside, the technical similarities of Wing Chun and Fujian White Crane suggest that the two are related. As Yip Man's student Leung Ting put it, "Wing Tsun System is derived from the Fukien System of kung-fu, which is related to the Hakka System. Their common features are that during fights, pugilists of these systems prefer short steps and close fighting, with their arms placed close to the chest, their elbows lowered and kept close to the flanks to offer it protection. Another characteristic of these two systems of kung-fu is, unlike those of Kwangtung Province and Northern China, their boxing forms are rather simple" (Leung, 1978, p. 30). Fujian White Crane and Okinawan Karate are indisputably related and Guangdong is much closer to Fujian than Okinawa.
Leung Jan (梁贊)(6) is as far back as the lineages that descend from him—Yip Man, Yiu Kai, Pan Nam, Tam Yeung, Fung Sing—can reliably verify their genealogy. He was a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine in the city of Foshan in the 19th century. Leung Jan is said to have learned from Wong Wah-Bo (黃華寶)(7) and Leung Yee-Tai (梁二娣),(8) respectively the male and "female" martial leads of the Red Boat Opera Company, each of whom is said to have been an expert on different aspects of Wing Chun. According to legends from the Yip Man lineage, Leung Yee-Tai was a poler, that is, he used a pole to steer the Red Boat away from rocks and shoals, and was therefore chosen by the legendary Shaolin master Jee Shim himself to learn the six-and-a-half point pole. Leung Jan's students included his sons Leung Chun (梁春)(9) and Leung Bik (梁壁)10) as well as "Wooden Man" Wah (木人華) and Chan Wah-Shun (陳華順)(11) nicknamed "Moneychanger Wah" (找錢華), from whom the Yip Man, Yiu Kai, and Pan Nam lineages descend.
However, the Leung Jan lineage is not the only branch of the art. According to the traditions of the Cho family, Wong Wah-Bo and Leung Yee-Tai had as many as 11 peers in Wing Chun among their colleagues at the Red Boat Opera Company. For example, "Dai Fa Min" Kam (大花面錦),(12) who played the role of the martial painted face, is the ancestor of the Way Yan lineage. The Yuen Kay-San and Pan Nam branches claim descent from both Wong Wah-Bo and "Dai Fa Min" Kam. Gao Lo Chung ("Tall" Chung) and "Hung Gun" Biu (紅巾彪),(13) also of the Red Boat Opera Company, both passed the art on to relatives, respectively, his son-in-law Yin Lee-Chung and the Wang (王) family. Outside the Red Boat Opera Company, a monk who had taken the name "Dai Dong Fung" (大東風)(14) is named as its ancestor by the Pao Fa Lien (刨花蓮)(15) lineage of Wing Chun.
In this cohort of the Red Boat Opera Company, the role of the virtuous "female" was played by Yik Kam(16) (翼金), better known as "Ching-Deng" Kam because of the role he played. Cho Shun (曹順),(17) who played the "Little Martial" (小武) role, was a student of Yik Kam. By passing the art on to his son Cho Dak-Sang (曹德生), (18) Cho Shun established the Wing Chun lineage of the Cho family of Panyu village.
Yip Man was the first Wing Chun master to teach the art openly in Hong Kong on a school fee basis. His students and their students therefore make up the majority of the practitioners of Wing Chun today (see his article for the outline of a family tree). Yip Man died in 1972.
One great-grandstudent of Yip Man (Yip Man's student's student's student), Leung-Ting, formed a branch called Wing Tsun (rather than his Great-Grandmaster's Wing Chun). His international organization is called IWTA. This organization has spread to Europe and spawned several offshoots.
More recently, beginning in 1970, Bruce Lee, who had trained in Wing Chun but also other arts, incorporated some of its techniques and ideas into the art he created, Jeet Kune Do. His fame led to international interest in Wing Chun.
Though he never started a school himself, Yuen Kay-San's lineage of Wing Chun was continued by his student Sum Nung and the subsequent generations of students that descend from him.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Yale Cantonese | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yim Wing-Chun | 嚴詠春 | yán yǒngchūn | yim4 wing2 cheun1 | |
| Yongchun | 永春 | yǒngchūn | wing5 cheun1 | literally "Always Spring," the name of a town and its surrounding county in the prefecture of Quanzhou, Fujian Province known for its White Crane boxing |
| Wing Chun Bak Hok Kuen | 永春白鶴拳 | yǒngchūn báihèquán | wing5 cheun1 baak6 hok6 kyun4 | the style of White Crane boxing associated with the town of Yongchun, Fujian |
| Fong Chut-Neung | 方七娘 | fāng qīniáng | fong1 chat1 neung4 | Minnan: hng1 chhit1 nia5 |
| Fong Wing-Chun | 方詠春 | fāng yǒngchūn | fong1 wing2 cheun1 | |
| Leung Jan | 梁贊 | liáng zàn | leung4 jaan3 | |
| Wong Wah-Bo | 黃華寶 | huáng huábǎo | wong4 wa4 bou2 | |
| Leung Yee-Tai | 梁二娣 | liáng èrtì | leung4 yi6 tai5 | |
| Leung Chun | 梁春 | liáng chūn | leung4 cheun1 | |
| Leung Bik | 梁壁 | liáng bì | leung4 bik1 | |
| Chan Wah-Shun | 陳華順 | chén huáshùn | chan4 wa4 seun6 | nicknamed "Moneychanger Wah" (找錢華) |
| "Dai Fa Min" Kam | 大花面錦 | dàhuāmiàn jǐn | daai6 fa1 min6 gam2 | "Painted Face" Kam |
| "Hung Gun" Biu | 紅巾彪 | hóngjīn biāo | hung4 gan1 biu1 | "Red Bandanna" Biu or "Red Turban" Biu; the red turban, or red bandanna, was initially a symbol of opposition to the rule of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty that was revived by opponents of the Manchu Qing Dynasty |
| "Dai Dong Fung" | 大東風 | dàdōngfēng | daai6 dung1 fung1 | "Great East Wind" |
| Pao Fa Lien | 刨花蓮 | pàohuā lián | paau4 fa1 lin4 | "Wood-Planer Lien" |
| Yik Kam | 翼金 | yì jīn | better known as "Ching-Deng" Kam (??金; pinyin: "qingdan" jīn) because he played the role of the virtuous "female" | |
| Cho Shun | 曹順 | cáo shùn | ||
| Cho Dak-Sang | 曹德生 | cáo déshēng | chou4 dak1 saang1 |
Forms are a meditative, solitary exercise which develop self-awareness, balance and sensitivity. Forms also train the practitioner in the fundamental movements of Wing Chun. It is from the forms that all Wing Chun techniques are derived.
Conventional Wing Chun generally comprises six forms: three empty hand forms, two weapons forms and one "wooden dummy" form.
Empty Hand
The first and most important form in Wing Chun. Siu Nim Tao is the foundation or "seed" of the art from which all succeeding forms and techniques depend. Fundamental rules of balance and body structure are developed here.
The second form Chum Kiu focuses on advanced footwork and entry techniques to "bridge the gap" between practitioner and opponent and disrupt their structure and balance. Close-range attacks using the elbows and knees are also developed here.
The third form Biu Jee is comprised of extreme short-range and extreme long-range techniques, low kicks and sweeps, and "emergency techniques" to counter-attack when structure and centerline have been compromised, such as when the practitioner is seriously injured.
Note: Both the Way Yan and Nguyễn Tế-Công branches use different curricula of empty hand forms. The Tam Yeung and Fung Sang lineages both trace their origins to Leung Jan's retirement to his native village of Gu Lao, where he taught a curriculum consisting of dozens of short drills rather than conventional long routines. The Siu Nim Tao of Cho Ga Wing Chun includes the movements that, in other branches, comprise Chum Kiu and Biu Jee. The other 2 major forms of the style are Sui Da ("Random Hitting") and Jui Da ("Chase Hitting").
Weapons
The weapons curriculum of the Vietnamese style includes the jian and the Pao Fa Lien lineage trains more weapons still.
"Wooden dummy"
The Muk Yan Jong form is performed against a "woodendummy", a static contraption made from several wooden posts representing a human opponent. Wooden dummy practice aims to refine a practitioner's understanding of angles, positions and footwork.
Chi sao or "sticking hands" is a drill performed in pairs. The participants face each other with their forearms touching. They then push and "roll" their forearms against each other while trying to remain relaxed. The aim is to feel forces, test resistances and find defensive gaps. Chi sao helps to develop contact sensitivity and trapping skill, crucial elements to Wing Chun. There are also pre-arranged chi sao and "chi gerk" (sticking legs) drills used to practice basic techniques.
Some Wing Chun schools use wing chun kuen kuit (詠春拳訣 lit. Wing Chun Fist Formula (mnemonic)) in teaching the art. These are short, often sing-song, sayings or rhymes that encapsulate principles, strategies or combat responses. Their meanings are often derived from local slang. Some sayings may appear simple but gain greater lucidity and meaning during training.
The tenets of Wing Chun are practicality, efficiency and economy of movement. This core philosophy becomes a useful guide to practitioners when modifying or refining the art.
Wing Chun techniques emphasize practicality and effectiveness over health or aesthetics. Most strikes are intentionally fatal and target vulnerable areas of the body such as the throat, groin, eyes and stomach.
Wing Chun believes in using the least amount of required force in any fighting situation. It believes that small movements, properly timed and correctly positioned, can and should be used to defeat large movements. This is achieved through balance, body structure and relaxation. The famous Chinese saying "8 taels to move 1000 catties" (referring to an old Chinese measurement system) is appropriate here in describing how a small amount of force, precisely applied, can neutralize large and powerful attacks.
Wing Chun prefers deflection and counterattack to hard blocking to conserve movements.
Most Wing Chun attacks take the straightest possible path to the target (usually a straight line). They also tend to attack the opponent's centerline, an imaginary vertical line bisecting the opponent's vitals (throat, heart, stomach, groin). The Wing Chun punch, for example, is delivered centrally from the practitioner's chest rather than diagonally from the shoulders in the first two forms. This helps teach the centerline concept. In the later forms, the punch is delivered diagonally from the shoulder to the centerline. This is because the distance is shorter than bringing the hand from the shoulder, to the center of the chest, and then down the centerline at the opponent.
Wing Chun practitioners believe that the person with better balance and body structure will win. A correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding. This structure is used to either deflect external forces or redirect them into the ground.
Balance is related to structure because a well-balanced body recovers quicker from stalled attacks and structure is maintained.
Wing Chun favors a high, narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body. Within the stance, arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline. All attacks and counter-attacks are initiated from this firm, stable base. Wing Chun rarely compromises structure for more powerful attacks because this is believed to create defensive openings which may be exploited.
Softness (via relaxation) and performing techniques in a relaxed manner, is fundamental to Wing Chun.
Wing Chun emphasizes attack and defense along an imaginary horizontal line drawn from the center of the practitioner's chest to the center of the enemy's chest. The human body's prime striking targets are considered to be on or near this line.
Wing Chun techniques are "closed", the limbs drawn in to protect the centerline and also to maintain balance. Generally, the hands do not move beyond the vertical circle that is described by swinging the arms in front, with the hands crossed at the wrists. To reach outside this area, footwork is used.
Wing Chun practitioners attack close to the centerline to transmit force more effectively. For example, striking an opponent's shoulder will twist the body, dispelling some of the force and weakening the strike. Striking closer to the center transmits more force directly into the body.
Punches are thrown with the elbow down and in front of the body. The fist is held vertical and the contact points are the bottom three knuckles. In some lineages of Wing Chun, the fist is swiveled on point of impact so that the bottom three knuckles are thrust forward adding power to the punch while it is at maximum extension.
Wing Chun favors the vertical punch for the following reasons:
The last item above can be easily tested. Hold your fist vertically, in front of you, your elbow pointing down, one foot behind the other. Make sure your elbow is in your centerline. Then ask a friend to push into your fist while you attempt to resist. You will feel the push pressuring your legs and stance. Repeat with a horizontal fist, elbow at shoulder height and to the side. You will feel the incoming push twisting you sideways.
Wing Chun techniques are uncommitted. This means that if the technique fails to connect, the practitioner's position or balance is not compromised. If the attack fails, the practitioner should be able to "flow" easily into a follow-up attack. All Wing Chun techniques permit this. Any punch or kick can be strung together to form a "chain" or combination attack.
The Wing Chun practitioner uses reflexes and sticking hands to probe for holes in the opponent's defense through touching.
The practitioner controls an opponent by contacting through a block or a strike and maintaining contact or "sticking" to the opponent. If the opponent attempts to withdraw or redirect the hand, the practitioner follows, often using the motion to facilitate a trap or a strike.
A common Wing Chun saying is "greet what arrives, escort what leaves and rush upon loss of contact", regarding the importance of trapping incoming force and advancing quickly when an opening is sensed.
Wing Chun teaches practitioners to advance quickly and strike at close range. While the Wing Chun forward kick can be considered a long range technique, many Wing Chun practitioners practice "entry techniques" - getting past an opponent's kicks and punches to bring him within range of Wing Chun's close range repertoire.
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