Wing Chun
Wing Chun or Yong Chun is a concept-based martial art, a form of Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense. It is a martial arts style characterized by its focus on close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, rapid-fire punches, and straightforward efficiency. It has a philosophy that emphasizes capturing and sticking to an opponent's centerline. This is accomplished using simultaneous attack and defense, tactile sensitivity, and using an opponent's force against them.
Wing Chun has various spellings in the West, but "Wing Chun" is the most common. The origins of Wing Chun are uncertain, but it is generally attributed to the development of Southern Chinese martial arts. There are at least eight distinct lineages, of which the Ip Man and Yuen Kay-shan lineages are the most prolific.
The martial art was brought to Hong Kong and then the rest of the world by Ip Man, with Bruce Lee being his most famous student. The Ving Tsun Athletic Association, founded in 1967 by Ip Man and his students, helped spread Wing Chun globally. Traditionally taught within a family system, modern Wing Chun lessons have taken on a more academic and commercial character.
Wing Chun gained popularity in the 2010s due to the Ip Man film series starring Donnie Yen and has been featured in video games like Tekken 7. Notable practitioners include Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, Samuel Kwok, and Carlos Deleon.
Etymology
In Chinese, this martial art is referred to as 咏春拳 or 詠春拳. Though it is written in an almost identical way in traditional and simplified, it is not pronounced and transcribed in the same way according to the regions and their dialects: Yǒngchūn quán in Mandarin pinyin, Wing-Chun keen in Cantonese Wade–Giles. It is made up of two terms: 拳 which means "fist, boxing" and the term 詠春 meaning "singing spring". The full name is thus translated as "singing spring boxing".In its short designation, the martial art is simply designated by these two sinograms:
- the sinogram 詠 yǒng/wing: "to sing, to sing..."
- the sinogram 春 chūn/chun: "spring, vitality..."
If the use of 詠春 seems privileged today for Wing Chun styles, 永春 still appears in the name of other Southern Chinese martial arts ; for example jee shim weng chun and Yǒng Chūn Bái Hè Quán.
Romanization
In the West, the name of this martial art has been transcribed variably due to the use of different or personal Chinese language romanization methods, and differences in pronunciation between Chinese languages or according to Western languages. In addition, some Wing Chun masters voluntarily created their own terms, in order to dissociate their personal teaching from traditional teachings. For example, Yip Man's Ving Tsun or Leung Ting's Wing Tsun.Finally, this martial art is pronounced quite identically in the West but is written with many spellings: Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun, Wing Tsung, Yong Chun, Weng Chun, Wyng Tjun, Ving Tjun, Wing Tzun, Wing Tschun. Wing Chun is the most common form, used to apply to all lineages of this martial art.
Context
Context of the name Wing Chun varies between various branches of Wing Chun. Common legend is that the name is derived from Yim Wing-chun, the mythical progenator of the martial art, who was a student of the legendary Abbess Ng Mui.According to the Hung Suen / Hung Gu Biu lineage, the Ng Mui / Yim Wing Chun legend was conceived to protect the identity of Cheung Ng, a Shaolin monk who survived the Manchurian massacres and took refuge at Red Boat Opera. The "Yim Wing Chun" name was chosen for specific reasons, as Yim could be understood as the word for "Secret" or "Protected", and "Wing Chun" refers to Siu Lam Wing Chun Tong. With "Yim Wing Chun" being a secret code for "the secret art of Siu Lam Wing Chun Hall."
In the Pan Nam lineage, the "Wing" in Wing Chun comes from Chan Wing-wah, one of the founders of Hongmen. According to the Pao Fa Lien lineage, the name Wing Chun is a shortened form of the revolutionary motto, "Wing yun chi jee; Mo mong Hon Juk; Dai dei wu chun." A secret code that allowed the anti-Qing revolutionaries to recognize each other. Eventually, the codeword was shortened to Wing Chun
Origins
The definitive origin of Wing Chun remains unknown and is attributed to the development of Southern Chinese martial arts. Complications in the history and documentation of Wing Chun are attributed to the art being passed from teacher to student orally, rather than in writing. Another reason is the secrecy of its development, due to its connections to anti-Qing rebellious movements.There are at least eight different distinct lineages of Wing Chun, each having its own history of origin. Additionally, there are competing genealogies within the same branch or about the same individual teacher. The eight distinct lineages of Wing Chun which have been identified are:
- Ip Man
- Yuen Kay-shan
- Gu Lao Village
- Nanyang / Cao Dean
- Pan Nam
- Pao Fa Lien
- Hung Suen / Hung Gu Biu
- Jee Shim / Weng Chun
Modern Wing Chun
Of the eight Wing Chun lineages, the Ip Man and Yuen Kay-shan lineages are the most prolific branches of Wing Chun worldwide. The other lineages are pretty much unknown outside of China, except for the Pan Nam line, which survives in the USA and the Jee Shim / Weng Chun line with a strong presence in Germany.The Yuen Chai Wan form of Wing Chun has a notable presence in Vietnam, with this lineage having earned the moniker of "Vietnamese Wing Chun".
In 1949, Ip Man, considered the most important grandmaster of modern Wing Chun, brought the style from China to Hong Kong and eventually to the rest of the world. Yip Man's most famous student was Bruce Lee, who had studied under Yip Man before he moved to the United States. Lee is also credited for popularizing Wing Chun internationally, although he would later develop his own martial arts philosophies that contain many Wing Chun influences. Some masters changed the way of teaching only 1 loyal student because it was a tradition that came because of Qing dynasty's influence and destruction of Southern Shaolin, in order to preserve the style, ancient masters taught only 1 loyal student.
The Ving Tsun Athletic Association
The Ving Tsun Athletic Association was founded in 1967 by Cantonese master Ip Man and seven of his senior students so they could teach Wing Chun together and Ip Man would not take on all the work himself. The first public demonstration of the Wing Chun fighting system, according to Ip Man, took place in Hong Kong at an official exhibition fight in the winter of 1969 at what was then the Baptist College. Leung Ting, a student of Ip Man, invited his master and some well-known representatives of the martial arts scene of the time to the college and conducted the exhibition fights in front of a specialist audience. The Association helped Wing Chun to spread to the rest of the world.International Wing Chun Organization (IWCO)
The International Wing Chun Organization was founded by Grandmaster Donald Mak in 1997, a respected Wing Chun practitioner and instructor who studied under the Great Grandmaster Chow Tze Chueng.Characteristics
General
Wing Chun puts emphasis on economic movement and encourages its practitioners to "feel" through their opponents' defenses and to utilize the incoming attacks with parrying, deflection, rapid punches, and finger pokes. Slapping and defensive maneuvers are used to distract the opponent to make them shift their defenses away from their centerline.Wing Chun favors a relatively high, narrow stance with the elbows close to the body. Within the stance, arms are generally positioned across the vital points of the centerline with hands in a vertical "wu sau". This puts the practitioner in a position to make readily placed blocks and fast-moving blows to vital striking points down the center of the body, i.e. the neck, chest, belly, and groin. Shifting or turning within a stance is done on the heels, balls, or middle of the foot, depending on the lineage. Some Wing Chun styles discourage the use of high kicks because this risks counter-attacks to the groin. The practice of "settling" one's opponent to brace them more effectively against the ground helps one deliver as much force as possible.
Relaxation
and performance of techniques in a relaxed and controlled manner By training the physical, mental, breathing, energy, and force in a relaxed manner a "soft wholesome force" known as Chi is develop which is fundamental to Wing Chun. On "softness" in Wing Chun, Ip Man said during an interview:Forms
Most common forms
The most common system of forms in Wing Chun consists of three empty hand forms, two weapon forms: the Dragon pole and Butterfly swords, and a wooden dummy form.Empty hand">Hand-to-hand combat">Empty hand
Siu nim tau
The first and most important form in Wing Chun, siu nim tau, is practiced throughout the practitioner's lifetime. It is the foundation or "seed" of the art, on which all succeeding forms and techniques are based. Fundamental rules of balance and body structure are developed here. Using a car analogy; for some branches this would provide the chassis and for others, this is the engine. It serves as the basic alphabet of the system. Some branches view the symmetrical stance as the fundamental fighting stance, while others see it as a training stance used in developing technique.Although many of the movements are similar, siu nim tau varies significantly between the different branches of Wing Chun. In Ip Man's Wing Chun, the first section of the form is done by training the basic power for the hand techniques by tensing and relaxing the arms. In Moy Yat's Wing Chun, the first section of the form is done without muscle tension and slowly in a meditative, calm, and being "in the moment" way. In 1972, weeks before he died, Ip Man demonstrated Siu Nim Tau on film, showing how the form is to be performed.