The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun’s History and Traditions

The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun’s History and Traditions – Robert Chu, Rene Ritchie Y. Wu

FOREWORD

I began the study of Wing Chun kung-fu at the age of sixteen. I was already a black belt in taekwundo at the time, and involved in the study of escrima and amis, but felt an inexplicable attraction to the art by the legacy left behind by the late Bruce Lee. The first book I ever read on the martial arts was Dan Inosanto's Jeet Ktme Do: The Art and Philosophy of Bruce Lee. After reading this book and about the training methods and fighting art of Lee, I knew that if I wanted to become as good as Lee 1 would have to study the arts he did. As 1 read on, I discovered that Wing Chun was the nucleus of his new style.

Fifteen years later, 1 am still interested and intrigued by this compact martial art system. I never actually perfected or completed the system as a result of poor scheduling (spreading myself too thin among different arts), and moving from place to place. However, I was exposed to the Yip Man system as taught by William Cheung and Moy Yat, and the Jun Fan (Bruce Lee) Wing Chun system as taught by Dan Inosanto and his students.

Over the years I have read several articles about Wing Chun systems nor associated with the arts legendary master,YipMan.To my surprise, I discovered that there are actually several lineages of this economical art form, with variations among the forms and in their respective training methods. After reading these articles my interest again peaked. Sadly, however, rhcrc was no substantial information on the topic available to the uninitiated.

While working as the martial arrs editor for Turtle Publishing inTokyoin 1996, 1 received a package from theirUnited Statesoffice inBoston. It was a manuscript on the art of Wing Chun by Robert Chu, Rene Ritchie, and Y. Wu, with a big rejection notice on it. Since Turtle already had three books on the subject, and there are dozens of Wing Chun books on the market, rhe company didnt think there was a need for the book. I, too, didn't think this would be much different than a brief history of Yip Man and an overview of the three base forms. To my surprise after scanning the table of contents, however, I discovered that there was much more to this book—and art—than I had initially assumed or ever expected. I immediately contacted the authors and contracted their book.

The authors have successfully traced the lineages and history of eight Wing Chun styles and present them here as the masters of the respective arts have passed them down through oral traditions. This is particularly insightful as it not only presents many points of view on a variety of topics—such as the real meaning of the term Wing Chun—but stays true to the teachings and traditions of each system by the authors not adding in their own thoughts. All of this information is then presented side-by-side for the

interested reader to cross check and make his own decision as to what he chooses to believe and how he then interprets the art form. Given their in-depth research into the many Wing Chun systems, the authors then draw together the various oral histories with fact and construct, in the Conclusion, what they believe to be the actual history and development of the art and its many collateral systems. A detailed Glossary is also presented, with the corresponding Chinese characters for further reference and interpretation.

Complete Wing Chun is perhaps the best book written on the various schools comprising a single martial art form. The authors have done an excellent job in their tireless research and presentation of material into this comprehensive treatise on one of the most controversial and misunderstood arts of this century. This book is destined to become the classic reference on the subject, and has set a standard by which other researchers and practitioners wishing to uncover their art should follow. I highly recommend this book to all Wing Chun stylists and martial arts researchers alike without hesitation. If ever you were to buy just one book on the art, this should be it.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 The authors would like to thank Mark V. Wiley for recognizing and believing in the potential of this work. Eddie Chong, sifu of Pan Nam Wing Chun, for sharing his knowledge, and John Murphy and Garrett Gee, sifu of Hung Suen Wing Chun, for contributing their chapter. Also, many thanks to Jane HaJlander for her photographs of Pao Fa Lien Wing Chun, Reiner Klimke and Andreas Hoffman sifu for their notes on Jee Shim Wing Chun (Chi Sim Ving Tsun), Ilya Olshanetsky and Andrej Moskwitin for their notes on Vietnamese Wing Chun (Vinh Xuan), and Y. C. Yeung for his kind help on several of the branches of Wing Chun. The work would have been considerably lessened without their generous contributions. Thanks as well to the Internet Wing Chun Mailing List, created and maintained by Marty Goldberg and Robert Gillespie, an outstanding forum for exchange among Wing Chun practitioners .

Robert Chu would like to thank Hawkins Cheung, Kwan Jong-Yuen, William Cheung, Koo Sang, Augustine Fong, Eddie Chong, Eric Kwai, Jeung Ma-Chut, Gary Lam, Johnny Wong, Allan Fong, Henry Moy and the Moy Yat Wing Chun family for sharing their Wing Chun. Special thanks to his students and good friends who have taught him as much as he taught them, James Ng, Stephen Eng. Anant Tinaphong, all his New York students, and all his Los Angeles students, especially, Stephen Wenger, Patrick Lee, Dimitris Horiatis, Robert Ting, David Young, and Peter Kwong who have supported him over the years. Also special thanks to Robert S. Weinberg Sensei for starting him on the path to martial arts and his brothers, Charles, Johnson and Douglas Chu, who kept him inspired. Also special thanks to his two partners and sworn brothers, Rene Ritchie for shar¬ing with him his Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun kuen, and to Ng Yew-Mun, who shared his Nanyang Wing Chun kuen on his brief visit. It was their urging that led him to the completion of this project despite his dislike for rewrites. He couldn't ask for two betrcr partners. Most of all, special thanks to his beautiful wife, Pauline, for purring up with mistress Wing Chun for all these years.

Y. Wu would like to thank and express his appreciation for the years of friendship and knowledge from Victor Leow of the Intelligent Combative Arts Network Australasia, his sworn senior kung-fu brother, mentor, and above all teacher (and author of Virtual, Intelligent, Kinaesthetically Oriented Geometric Articulations (VIKOGA): Authenticated Mindwill Wing Chun Gungfii). Thanks also go to big brother Robert Chu for generously sharing his knowledge of Wing Chun kuen; brother Rene Rirchie for his Yuen Kay San Wing Chun kuen and vast knowledge of the history of Wing Chun kuen; sifu Hawkins Cheung for his entertaining and highly knowledgeable views on the application of Yip Man Wing Chun kuen and the Wing Chun boat jaam do, and Gary Lam for his insights into the late Wong Shun Leung's methods. Special thanks to Yap Boh Lim, S. Y. Liu, Lcong Lin Hcng, Bch Lau Seng and Hui See Lim, all great teachers from various martial arts traditions who have contributed to his knowledge. In addi¬tion, thanks to his student Long Han Ching for his photography and Alan Ang who starred him on the Internet and keeper ol theNanyangWingChunWebsite. Last but not least, many thanks to his wonderful one in a million wife Alice for her tolerance, understanding and love.

Rene Ritchie would like to thank his teacher, Ngo Lui-Kay (Ao Leiqi) for sharing with him grandmaster Sum Nung's teachings of Yuen Kay-Sans art and for his continual support, encouragement, and assistance with this project and others. In addition, thanks to his class¬mates Antony Casella, Georgia Dow, David Johnson, Deon Weir, and Wilson Woo for all their assistance. Also, thanks to Yuen Jo-Tong, Y. C. Yeung, Dan Lam, Bud Shapard, and Michael Engle of the Yuen Kay-San style and to Jim Roselando and the many other Wing Chun enthusiasts he has had a chance to converse with over the years.

Thanks also to Kenny Fung for his help with Chinese language and culture. Lastly, special thanks to his co-authors and big martial brothers Robert Chu and Y. Wu for sharing with him their knowledge and widening his understanding of the many branches of the art.

INTRODUCTION

  When Bruce Lee first exploded on television and into the movies, he captured the imagination and hearts of people all over the world. With the fame of Bruce Lee, the conditions inHong Kong, and the hard work and effort of many of his classmates, the Wing Chun oi his teacher. Yip Man, became one of the most well-known and popular Chinese martial arts in the world. Although this gave Wing Chun international recognition, it also led to a lot of misconceptions. Due to a lack of authentic information, many mistakenly came to assume thai the renowned Yip Man was the sole inheritor of the style and that his Wing Chun was the lone version ol the art.

In fact, there are several different and distinct systems of Wing Chun. Unfortunately, over the years most of these systems have remained unseen or unreported to all but a few. From where then do these misconceptions come?

Over time. Wing Chun's history has become a mishmash of factual accounts and fictionalized stories. Early secrecy and modern marketing did much to create and fuel the confusion. Legendary figures like Ng Mui and Yim Wing-Chun are believed to be the sole founders of the art and a single lineage through Leung Bok-Chao, Leung Lan-Kwai, Wong Wah-Bo, and Leung Yee-Tai to Leung Jan has become accepted as the only branch.

The doors of Wing Chun, however, were never this closed, nor the line this limited. Over the generations, many highly skilled mas¬ters of the past have learned the art, contributed enormously to its development, and passed along their knowledge. Yet, masters such as Cheung "Tan Sao" Ng and many of the Red Junk actors like Dai Fa Min Kam, Cao lxi Chung, Hung Can Biu and their descendants have disappeared entirely horn all but a very lew records.

As Wing Chun's origins and development have remained relatively unknown, so has its true breadth. Inside the Bamboo Curtain of the People's Republic of China, however, many branches including the Yuen Kay-San, Gu Lao, Pao Fa Lien, Jce Shim, Pan Nam, Hung Suen,

Pien San, and even the early Foshan students of Yip Man survived the rise of communism and the Cultural Revolution. While the Yip Man style was brought toHong Kongaround 1950, the Yuen Kay-San, Pao Fa Lien, Pien San, and Jce Shim styles followed soon thereafter. Beyond China, Wing Chun spread into Southeast Asia over half a century ago and today many unique versions of the art can be found in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and surrounding areas.

Thus, it has been very difficult to find real information on the Wing Chun family of styles, especially in the western world.

Complete Wing Chun, presents, for the first time, seldom seen information on over a dozen branches of the Wing Chun art. It is hoped that this volume will serve as a helpful resource for the interested newcomer and as a valuable reference for the long-time enthusiast.

NOTES ON GENEALOGY

Wing Chun kuen, while a relatively young style by Chinese martial arts standards, is one which has grown much since the mid-1900s, and one which has, unfortunately, been plagued by more then its share of controversy. Thus, the history of Wing Chun's founding (who created the style) and development (who passed the art along to whom) presented in this book is not, and cannot, be exact.

Over the generations, due to errors, omissions, mix-ups, padding, filling, and modification, many different genealogies have come to exist for the same style or individual. In addition, since some practitioners had more then one teacher, and some also studied with grand-teachers, senior classmates, friends, and so on, the lines and stories are sometimes quite muddled, with different branches recording different aspects.

For the purposes of this book and out of respect for the various branches, the following chapters present the history of the different arts as their masters orally transmit them. While some of these accounts may appear similar and in some cases repetitive, it is necessary in order to properly present the history and traditions of each branch.

It is not our goal to promote one style over another and while we do present our own thoughts in the conclusion, we encourage the readers to consider them all, and to decide for themselves. In our humble opinion, each holds but a piece of the puzzle.

 Contents

Foreword by Mark V. Wiley

Acknowledgments

Introduction………………………………………………………….1

Notes on Genealogy………………………………….………………2

Notes on Language…………………………………..……………….2

1.Yip Man Wing Chun……………………………….………………4

History and Development……………………………………………4

Basic Movements……………………………………………………………10

Forms and Training………………………………...…………………13

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………23

Conclusion………………………………………...………………….27

2.Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun Kuen………………………………..…28

History and Development……………………………………………28

Basic Movements……………………………………………………………32

Forms and Training……………………...……………………………34

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………43

Conclusion……………...…………………………………………….44

3.Gu Lao Wing Chun Kuen………………………………..…………45

History and Development……………………………………………45

Basic Movements……………………………………………………………47

Forms and Training…………………………...………………………47

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………51

Conclusion……………………………...…………………………….52

4.Nanyang Wing Chun Kuen…………………………………………53

History and Development ……………………………………………53

Basic Movements……………………………………………………………56

 Forms and Training……………………..……………………………60

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………65

Conclusion………………...………………………………………….68

5.PanNamWing Chun Kuen………………………………...………69

History and Development……………………………………………69

Basic Movements………………………...…………………………………73

Forms and Training………………………...…………………………73

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………76

Conclusion………………………………………………………….77

6.Pao Fa Lien Wing Chun Kuen……………………………………78

History and Development……………………………………………78

Basic Movements…………………………………………………………80

Forms and Training…………………………………………………81

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………82

Conclusion………………………...………………………………….82

7.Hung Suen Wing Chun Kuen………………………………………83

History and Development……………………………………………83

Forms and Training………………………...…………………………85

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………88

Conclusion………………………………………………………….89

8.Jee Shim Wing Chun Kuen…………………………………………90

History and Development …………………………………………90

Basic Movements……………………………………………………94

Forms and Train ing……………………….…………………………95

Concepts and Principles………………………………………………97

Conclusion………………………………………………………….99

9. Other Wing Chun Kuen Styles…………………………………100

FujianWing Chun Kuen……………………………………………100

Hung Sucn Hay Ban Wing Chun Kuen ……………………………100

Malaysian Wing Chun Kuen………………………………………101

Picn San Wing Chun Kuen ………………………………………102

Vietnamese Wing Chun Kuen ……………………………………103

Yiu Kai Wing Chun Kuen…………………………………………104

Other Branches ……………………………………………………104

Conclusion…………………………………………………………106

Stage 1, Predecessors of Wing Chun………………………………106

Stage 2, Founders of Wing Chun……………………………………109

Stage 3, Red Junk Ancestors of Wing Chun ………………………115

Stage 4, Disseminators of Wing Chun ……………………….……117

Stage 5, Developers of Wing Chun…………………………………118

Final Thoughts ……………………………………………………120

The Wing Chun Kuen Family Tree…………………………………122

Glossary…………………………………………………………….124

About the Authors…………………………………………………143