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What is Wing Chun Kung Fu?

Wing Chun Kuen (Wing Chun Fist) is a famous Southern style of Chinese Kung Fu. It is said to have been created over 400 years ago by a nun from the Shaolin Temple named, Ng Mui. Her first student was a young girl named, Yim Wing Chun and it is after her that the style takes it name. The story goes that a local bandit was forcing himself on Yim Wing Chun. Seeing what was going on, Ng Mui took pity on the young girl and decided to teach her Kung Fu. After training very hard, Yim Wing Chun challenged the bandit to a fight which she convincingly won. Though there is a great deal of debate as to the accuracy of this story, what is agreed is that today Wing Chun is one of the most popular and effective forms of Kung Fu. This popularity is due to the teaching of late Great Grandmaster Ip Man who bought the skill from China to Hong Kong and from there it has spread all over the world. Great Grandmaster Ip Man’s most famous student was the legendary Bruce Lee.

Wing Chun is a very effective close range fighting system of Chinese kung fu. The wing chun system contains six forms altogether, there are three empty hand forms a wooden dummy form and two weapon sets.

The first empty hand form is called, SIL-LIM-TAO
It is the foundation of the wing chun system. We need to have a proper understanding of the position and energy application of each and every movement. It is also the basis of which the rest of the wing chun system is built on.

The second empty hand form is called, CHUM-KIU
It is a practice of the techniques in which we learn to deflect and borrower the opponents incoming force or energy. To achieve the maximum sequential motion in our body, the techniques require us to accomplish and reach a stage in which we can have good co-ordination in stepping BIU MA and turning YIL-MA.

The third empty hand form is called BIU-JEE.
It demonstrates the application and generation of power or energy, in the wing chun system. The practice of generating power to two different directions at the same time, to a stage that the application of power or energy is completely under the control in our mind.

The wooden dummy, MUK-YAN-JONG.
The wooden dummy or MUK-YAN-JONG helps us to train our power and fighting ability, in wing chun it also develops our waist power or YIL-MA. When we use the dummy we need to make sure that our foot work is correct, and that every technique or movement that we apply on the dummy must have or incorporate the YIL-MA or waist power.

There are two weapon sets in the system. The pole form LUK-DIM-BOON-QWAN and the knife form BART-JARM-DOE

The pole form can be used to attack one or more opponents, it is the shortest of all the forms but it is the most difficult one to master.
The knife form BART-JARM-DOE or eight chopping knives is similar to practicing the wooden dummy techniques they both achieve the purpose of bringing footwork, strokes, and waist power together.
We also have a training method in the wing chun system called CHI-SAO, Chi-sao is important, very, very important it is for training the sensitivity and reflexes, and it is the practical application of the system.

Participate in society — be conservative, cultured and gentle in your manners.

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