| Brief History: | | | | techniques in Wing Chun are often meant to be |
| | | | fatal. |
| Wing Chun (also known as Wing Tsun, Ving Chun | | | | |
| or Ving Tsun) is one of the most popular | | | | 2. Efficiency: Wing Chun does not use force |
| types of Chinese martial arts. Though it's | | | | against force, in order to gain the most |
| basically an unarmed combat technique, Wing | | | | efficient manipulation of the body's energy. |
| Chun may include weapons as part of its | | | | It believes in accurately timed and |
| course. The origin of Wing Chun can be traced | | | | appropriately positioned little movements, |
| back to China, but the real history of its | | | | and counter-attack is based on the opponent's |
| creation has long been a topic of much | | | | own force. This concept is also called |
| debate. The most credible suggestion | | | | Contact Reflexes. |
| regarding the origin of Wing Chun dates back | | | | |
| to 1700 AD in the Henan Shaolin Monastery. | | | | 3. Economy of Movement: This is a linear |
| | | | concept in which movements are based on an |
| When the Qing forces raided and ravaged the | | | | imaginary pole running vertically through the |
| Southern Shaolin temple, a nun named Ng Mui | | | | center of the body. The Center Line spreads |
| fled to the distant Daliang Mountains, the | | | | out from this Mother Line, and since most of |
| only survivor. Ng Mui already had knowledge | | | | the vital points of the body are located |
| of Kung Fu in the Shaolin temple, which she | | | | along the Center Line, many offensive and |
| assimilated with a new form she had learnt | | | | defensive movements are based on this line. |
| while observing a battle between a snake and | | | | The Central Line, on the other hand, is the |
| a crane. She taught this new combat style to | | | | shortest path between the fighters where most |
| her adopted daughter whom she named Yimm Wing | | | | of the combat exchanges take place. |
| Chun. The new system was refined and then | | | | |
| passed on from generation to generation, and | | | | Wing Chun Forms: |
| was eventually named Wing Chun, after Yimm. | | | | |
| | | | There are three basic forms in Wing Chun: |
| The modernization of Wing Chun started in | | | | |
| Hong Kong during the 1950s under a | | | | 1. Empty Hand Form: This form has three more |
| Grandmaster called Yip Man. The discipline | | | | sub-forms - Siu Nim Tao - the foundation of |
| began to gain real popularity in Asia and the | | | | the art, Chum Kiu - focus on advanced |
| West when actor Bruce Lee became one of the | | | | footwork and entry techniques, and Biu Jee - |
| most famous Wing Chun practitioners. | | | | extreme short-range or long-range techniques, |
| | | | low kicks and sweeps, and emergency |
| The Concept of Wing Chun: | | | | techniques. |
| | | | |
| Wing Chun is based on three basic principles | | | | 2. Weapon Forms: The Dragon Pole and |
| - Practicality, Efficiency and Economy of | | | | Butterfly Swords are the two forms of weapons |
| Movement. | | | | incorporated in Wing Chun, categorized under |
| | | | advanced training. |
| 1. Practicality: Techniques such as Palm-up | | | | |
| Hand (tan sau), Wing Arm (bong sau), Slapping | | | | 3. Wooden Dummy or the Muk Yan Jong Form: A |
| Hand (pak sau) are designed to maim the most | | | | dummy made from several wooden posts |
| sensitive or vulnerable parts of the | | | | represents a human opponent. The contraption |
| opponent's body such as throat, groin, eyes | | | | is used to perfect angle, position, and |
| and lower torso. Many movements and | | | | footwork. |