SIMPLY WING CHUN KUNG FU E-Book

Shaun Rawcliffe

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Wing Chun is a logical, scientific yet simple Chinese martial art system, which was developed purely for practical and effective self-defence for everybody. It is a martial art known for its efficiency and economy of movement, which emphasizes natural and efficient use of the body. Topics include: the fundamental principles of the hand and leg techniques; detailed explanations of the shape, structure and movements and a checklist for each technique; a detailed analysis and explanation of each of the 'empty hand' forms; an in-depth explanation of the principles and concepts behind Chi Sao, Wing Chun's 'sticky hands'; a scientific and anatomical explanation of the basic principles underlying the Wing Chun system.

Leseprobe

Wing Chun passing down the traditional way, making the whole nation stronger.

Copyright

First published in 2003 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2012

© Shaun Rawcliffe 2003

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 436 5

Note Throughout this book ‘he’, ‘him’, ‘his’, etc, have been used as neutral pronouns and as such refer to both males and females.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Forewords

Acknowledgements

Preface

1 Introduction

2 The History of Wing Chun

3 Fundamental Principles

4 Siu Nim Tao

5 Chi Sau

6 Chum Kiu

7 Biu Tze

8 The Movements of the First Two Forms

9 The Eight Psychological Stages of Wing Chun

Glossary

References

Index

Forewords

As the editor of three of the world’s leading martial arts publications, I come into contact with thousands of martial arts practitioners on a daily basis. I regularly feature, communicate with, and profile, many of the world’s greatest names in our industry, which makes me one of the luckiest people alive today! In my thirty something years of being involved in martial arts, I can quite honestly say that I have come to know only a few people whom I respect on a personal level. Shaun Rawcliffe, the author of this book, is one of those people. Having almost pushed Shaun into the situation of having to write a book, I feel somewhat responsible for the outcome, although the knowledge that Shaun has amassed over the years will, as I am sure you will discover, make it well worth the read. Shaun is one of Wing Chun’s pioneers, and the product of thousands of hours spent training with Master Ip Chun, the eldest son of Wing Chun’s grandmaster Ip Man.

Shaun’s knowledge is the result of being a student: of training in small darkened halls, of dreaming of perfecting technique — but above all it is the outcome of his thirst and passion for a total understanding. In fact, I believe this book should be called ‘Total’ Wing Chun Kung Fu, rather than Simply Wing Chun Kung Fu, because this is how I refer to Shaun when attempting to describe him. I know that you will enjoy his book, and will probably want to train with him, so I urge anyone with a genuine interest in genuine Wing Chun to both read the book and make the call — you won’t be disappointed.

There are many martial arts practitioners today who purport to have the answers, but what sets Shaun apart is the fact that he still has questions. Moreover, his tenacity and eternal search for perfection are another two qualities which, when combined with humility and deep understanding, make him a modern-day master.

I hope that you come to regard this book as I do Shaun’s friendship: a valuable commodity in today’s society.

Paul Clifton Editor of Combat, Traditional Karate, Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts

I first met Shaun back in June 1985 in Leeds, where I held my very first seminar in the UK. At the time I was aware that he was already teaching Wing Chun in Birmingham, but when I practised Chi Sau with him, I found that his arms were quite tensed and that he used a lot of physical strength. In 1986 he invited me to his home to practise Chi Sau, but I found that his Wing Chun was still making little progress. He was keen to find out why no progress was being made, and asked: ‘What should I do to improve?’ My reply to him was: ‘First, you must relax. Only use energy when you need to, and don’t use energy when you don’t need to.’

Two to three years later, when he first came to Hong Kong to study with me, I found that he had managed to appreciate the meaning and importance of relaxation, both in his teaching and practice. As a result his Wing Chun had improved dramatically, to a point where he seemed to be a totally different person to the one I had met in 1985.

I have conducted nearly 200 seminars over the last eighteen years, all over the UK. During each seminar, based on my many years of learning and teaching Wing Chun, I have always stressed the importance of relaxation in Wing Chun and the correct use of energy. And every time I want to emphasize this point and its benefits, I will invariably use Shaun as a fine example.

Today Shaun has fully understood the importance of relaxation, added to the fact that he has over twenty-one years of teaching experience, I believe that he has gained an even deeper insight into, and understanding of, Wing Chun. In his book, he publicly shares his wealth of knowledge and insight, and I truly believe it will be of benefit to all Wing Chun practitioners. Thus it is well worth my wholehearted recommendation.

Ip Chun Spring 2003, Hong Kong.

Acknowledgements

I wish to express my gratitude to all those who have had the patience to teach me and train with me, especially Sifu Brian Hook, who provided me with a good solid technical grounding, and Martin Brierley, who offered me the hands to train with, and has remained a good friend ever since. In addition, both Sifu Simon Lau and, later, Sifu Sam Kwok, spent time honing and guiding my skills. Sam in particular gave up many of his weekends to spend time with me practising and discussing the finer points of Wing Chun technique and energy, for which I shall always be grateful.

The one individual, however, who has had the greatest influence on my Wing Chun training and teaching, as well as on me as a person, is my Sifu and mentor, Ip Chun. He saw and drew out my potential, influenced my thinking, and directed my approach to both training and teaching. His patience, humility, understanding and wisdom are an inspiration to myself and to all those who are fortunate enough to know and to train with him. He is truly a scholar and a gentleman. Ip Chun Sifu opened my eyes to Wing Chun training and teaching, and gave perspective, focus and meaning to my Wing Chun. In Sifu I found a mentor, teacher and friend who was willing to spend his free time practising and discussing Wing Chun during my frequent trips to his Hong Kong home. There are no words that can truly express my respect, admiration and thanks.

I would also like to thank his wife, Si-Mo, for accepting the many evenings I trained in their living room until late at night, and for providing me with many needed cups of Chinese tea.

In my years of training and teaching Wing Chun I have been fortunate to have met and discussed Wing Chun with numerous Wing Chun Sifus, including Ip Ching, Wong Shun Leung, Chu Shong Tin, Lok Yiu, William Cheung and many others. I thank you all, and apologize for those whom I have not named, but all your time and assistance will always be remembered.

The many hours I have spent discussing and practising with my Kung Fu brothers has assisted greatly in the development of my Wing Chun, particularly Lo Tak On (Raymond), Leung Cheung Wai, Ho Po Kai and Steve Cheung in Hong Kong, Yip Pui (Terence) in the USA, and Michael Tse and Colin Ward in the UK. However, there is one Kung Fu brother who has given up so much time to help me and has always been there for me, and that is my good friend, Leung Ting Kwok (Patrick): without your help and translations, I may never have developed the way I have. To you I am eternally grateful.

I have had the privilege to meet many people through Wing Chun – far too many to mention them all, and for that I apologize – but I would particularly like to thank one person who has been a good friend for many years, who has advised me many times, and who has been my sounding board on more issues than I care to remember: Mr Paul Clifton, editor of Combat magazine.

I would like to thank all the students within the Midlands Wing Chun Kuen who have helped and supported me, taught me as much as I have taught them, and driven me to train harder. In particular I would like to thank the senior students and instructors of the Midlands Wing Chun Kuen: Steve Woodward, Dave Jones, Steve Jones, Alberto Riccardi, Steve Shaw and Harj Singh, with special thanks to Chris Bates, Ken Sayle and especially Kwok Wan for his translations and for the Chinese characters. In addition I would like to thank Kim Wager, Jason Braithwaite and Mark Dunbar for writing their articles for inclusion in this book.

Finally I would like to thank my wife, Genea, who has had to endure years of me disappearing in the evenings and at weekends to teach classes and seminars; she has supported me on many training trips to Hong Kong, and has recently spent many hours proofreading this document, correcting my grammar, and advising me on its presentation and layout.

This book is for, and because of, all of you.

Shaun Rawcliffe 2003

www.wingchun.co.uk

Preface

I resisted pressure from my friends, students and peers for many years to write a book about the Wing Chun system, primarily because most Wing Chun books tend to be written to promote the authors and their way of utilizing Wing Chun techniques, rather than promoting the Wing Chun system itself. These books often contain glamorous photographs of the authors and their students, illustrating their interpretation of how it should be done, but little in-depth analysis of the system itself; they are, therefore, of little benefit to anyone other than their own students.

Then after twenty-four years of intensive Wing Chun study both in the UK and in Hong Kong, I was persuaded, finally, to write the book that I wished I could have read when beginning my Wing Chun training.

This book is a technical, illustrative and diagrammatical analysis of the core theories and principles of Wing Chun. It aims to exemplify and define the musculoskeletal structure that every Wing Chun student and instructor utilizes in the practice and deployment of their Wing Chun.

Throughout my years as a teacher, I have felt it necessary to keep up to date with teaching methodologies, and, perhaps more importantly, I have devised new methods, to cater for the ever-changing needs of my students. In an attempt to provide explanations that suit their different learning styles, I have varied my teaching methods to include auditory, visual and kinaesthetic means.

I have also learned that my illustrations, that I have been drawing for over fifteen years, constitute one of the most effective tools for assisting students. I allowed my original hand-drawn diagrams to be included in a published article entitled ‘Grandmaster Yip Man Centenary Birth Book’ (1993), along with several articles I had written about Wing Chun. From both this publication and my students’ comments, I have received positive feedback regarding the value of these diagrams, and so I decided to use them in, and as the basis for, this book.

This book does not, however, represent a conclusion in my training and teaching, because the latter is continually improving and developing; nor does it make any pretence to be the definitive ‘style’ or methodology of the Wing Chun system – rather it lays out for all to share the culmination of over twenty-four years of research and training in the Wing Chun system.

In order to progress and develop in Wing Chun, it is vital to understand what you are doing, how you should do it, and the reason and theory behind each technique and position. Therefore throughout this book, each technique and position is illustrated, with its triangulated structure and support shown to reinforce the idea that the correct skeletal structure, combined with minimal and efficient muscular energy, can create a shape that can withstand and redirect a much greater force. In addition, by utilizing correct, efficient body mechanics, a small movement can be fast, effective and extremely powerful without undue stress or risk to the muscles, tendons or bones.

It must be remembered that the structures in Wing Chun are simply tools which, if fully understood in terms of shape, energy, structure and inherent lines of strength and weakness, can be employed in a multitude of ways and situations. By illustrating and explaining these structures and techniques without delving into or discussing how, why or when each technique may be used, this book aims to provide a reference and checklist for every Wing Chun (Wing Tsun, Ving Tsun) practitioner. Consequently, each practitioner is able to explore freely their applications, whilst still adhering to the basic core principles and shapes of the system.

This is a book for all Wing Chun students and instructors; it is not steeped in any martial arts mysticism, it does not discuss personal preferences, nor does it delve into the ways in which each individual student might personalize the system in order to make it work for him or her. It is the definitive, scientific and technical analysis of the Wing Chun system.

It is… simply… Wing Chun Kung Fu!

If you don’t train hard when you’re young, you will have nothing when you’re old.

1 Introduction

Following the death of Wing Chun’s Grandmaster, Ip Man, in 1972, and the dedicated and somewhat cult-like following of Bruce Lee (one of his students), Wing Chun has exploded in popularity all over the world. However, due in part to that same popularity and rapid expansion, some of the traditional Wing Chun ‘teachings’ seem to have been lost, distorted, or even shrouded in martial art mysticism.

Wing Chun today is made of several fragmented ‘families’ or ‘family trees’, each of whom interpret the applications and their meanings differently. There is great debate as to who is right and who is wrong, what is correct and what is not. It was that very debate, and the uncertainty it created, that led me to travel to Hong Kong in 1989 to discover for myself Wing Chun according to the late Grandmaster’s teachings. There I discovered that the late Grandmaster Ip Man taught each student differently, based upon age, physique, aptitude and personal requirements. In essence Wing Chun is a very personal martial art, and unique to each person.

During my many trips to Hong Kong I have met and visited many Wing Chun Sifus, notably Ip Ching, the late Wong Shun Leung, Chu Shong Tin, Lok Yiu and Leung Ting, and of course I spent many hours with my own teacher, Ip Chun. Through these visits, discussions and training sessions, I discovered that behind the personalizations and interpretations taught by Grandmaster Ip Man to his students, or that Wing Chun practitioners have researched and developed themselves, lie common core theories and structures.

It is these core elements that this book aims to clarify and define. Whilst every Wing Chun practitioner should, and must, be encouraged to explore how they use their Wing Chun ‘toolbox’ and to personalize the system to suit their physique, mentality, ability and age, they must also maintain the core concepts and principles. After all, there is neither need nor benefit to reinventing the wheel!

I have deliberately chosen to avoid discussing the application of the techniques, since this is when personalization and interpretation take over. Each Wing Chun practitioner will have a preference as to how a certain technique should or could be used, and each may have a different opinion as to its purpose and practical application; however, every Wing Chun practitioner will utilize the same core elements, and it these core elements that this book will endeavour to discuss and illustrate. These basic principles and techniques need to be fully understood and ‘refined’ before any personalization or practical interpretations can be explored and developed to any great effect.

When studying or discussing Wing Chun, it is vital to focus on what is important, and not be distracted or misled by the ‘trivial’. It does not matter whether in English it is called Wing Chun, Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun or by any other derivative. Equally it is irrelevant whether the first form is spelled Siu Nim Tao, Siu Lim Tao or Sil Nim Tao. What is important is to fully appreciate the components of each movement, shape, structure or sequence: its musculoskeletal structure; its inherent strengths and, equally important, its weaknesses; the correct usage of energy; how each technique is formed, and why it is that shape.

The natural, anatomical body mechanics and musculoskeletal structures, combined with its simple and logical concepts and theories, make Wing Chun a truly realistic and practical self-defence/self-protection system, simple to learn and fast to deploy.

The following chapters provide detailed and concise information and analysis of the empty hand tools of Wing Chun, which I hope will act as a reference for all members of the Wing Chun family.

What’s in a Name?

There are many reasons why the names of the various Wing Chun techniques and principles vary between instructors and associations. The truth is that Wing Chun is made up of two Chinese characters, and it really depends upon the accent and intonation of the speaker as to how the listener perceives it and writes it in English. It is also true that some individuals deliberately spell Wing Chun differently to distinguish their association from others: such is human nature.

The translation into English of the names of the techniques also varies from ‘family’ to ‘family’, and even between schools. This is partly due to the fact that some of the ‘names’ are simply a description of the action, and the description varies according to the individual’s perception and verbal interpretation of that action. Each technique may, therefore, have several names to describe the action, but no specific or definitive ‘label’.

Some techniques or movements do not have ‘names’ attributed to them: when taught they are simply demonstrated and explained as a physical movement. Furthermore, the ‘names’ of certain techniques may vary due to poor or lazy translation, or perhaps because of a lack of knowledge of Cantonese and written Chinese.

Finally, it is said that in trying to simplify Wing Chun, the late Grandmaster, Yip Man, also simplified some of its terminology and so much of the direct meaning contained within the original names may have been lost or replaced.

In writing this book, I have chosen to spell Wing Chun and the names of the techniques in the way of Ip Chun Sifu, translated for me by my Si-Hing, Leung Ting Kwok, one of Ip Chun Sifu’s senior students.

Throughout this book I shall use the names of each technique or movement simply as a point of reference in order to discuss the shapes, structures and energies; the ‘definitions’ and their ‘translations’ are included simply to help you towards a greater understanding of the technique or movement.

It is my hope that readers will appreciate and enjoy the content of this book, rather than being distracted by the more trivial concern as to whether the names, spellings or translations of the techniques match their own or those of their teacher.

The Wing Chun Code of Conduct

The late Grandmaster Ip Man set out the Wing Chun code of conduct to serve as a reminder to all Wing Chun practitioners that their art represents more than skill and fighting ability. It is preserved on an engraved plaque on the wall of the Ving Tsun Athletic Association in Hong Kong.

What is Wing Chun Kuen?

‘Wing Chun’ is the Cantonese name for a specific practical southern Chinese martial art, and ‘Kuen’ is a Cantonese word meaning ‘fist’ – a hand with the fingers clenched into the palm.

‘Wing Chun Kuen’ means the ‘empty hands training of the Wing Chun Kung Fu system’.

Wing Chun is recognized as one of the most practical and devastatingly effective, no-nonsense self-protection martial arts systems in the world. Historically it is said to have been developed in Southern China by a Buddhist nun, Ng Mui, refined and later made famous in Hong Kong by a fifty-year-old gentleman of slight build, Yip Man, and then finally brought to the world’s attention by a young Chinese film star, Bruce Lee. Often referred to as ‘Hong Kong street-fighting’, Wing Chun is often classed as a ‘soft style’ because of the minimal effort or physical force required to overcome larger, stronger opponents.

Wing Chun is a logical, scientific, yet simple Chinese martial arts system that was developed for practical and effective self-defence. It is a result-oriented martial art known for its efficiency and economy of movement, based upon the natural body mechanics of the human musculoskeletal framework. It was developed for survival, self-defence and damage limitation, rather than for purely attack or for aesthetic appeal. Wing Chun’s simple and direct short-range simultaneous attack and defence hand techniques, its use of only low kicks, and its simple but evasive footwork, combined with its logical and scientific methodology, are the reasons why it is fast becoming one of the most popular Chinese martial arts around the world. Employing several key concepts – sensitivity, contact reflexes, forward energy and ‘borrowing’ the opponent’s force – Wing Chun emphasizes and utilizes natural and efficient body mechanics, eliminating the necessity to use and rely on size and strength; it is therefore suitable for anybody, regardless of age, gender or physique.

Wing Chun seeks to ‘feel’ the direction and force of an opponent’s attack through contact with the arms and legs, teaching the student to occupy the centreline at all times by forming a defensive wedge. Unlike some martial arts that focus self-defence training on assault targets and elaborate, impractical techniques, Wing Chun teaches students how to use their bodies efficiently to generate more power, through the co-ordination of movements, correct use of body structure, and focused use of elbow energy. They are also taught how to redirect or neutralize powerful strikes without using brute force, such as hard blocking techniques. Additionally students are encouraged to analyse and question the reason for movements. Due to the scientific nature of the Wing Chun system, a thorough understanding of the art is necessary before students can execute the movements properly, and indeed remember them in the long term.

Training is aimed at sharpening mental and physical skills, and in addition offering relaxation, concentration and awareness as an integral part of the system. As one might expect of a Chinese martial art, Wing Chun training also provides the broader health benefits of mental relaxation and stress management alongside physical exercise.

Wing Chun Kuen training consists of certain core-training methods.

Forms

Forms are the solo performance of a pre-set sequence of movements that practise, refine and instil a set of structures, body mechanics, principles and techniques. There are no direct applications of these movements, and the forms do not teach the student how to apply those techniques, as they do not involve the fluid interaction with another person whilst under threat, duress and stress that is self-defence. It is possible, however, to train these positions and moves to ‘perfection’, as there is no one else involved. The closer to perfection the positions are when practising solo, the better they will be when applied on an opponent. The techniques, structures and movements should then be individually analysed, first to appreciate the musculoskeletal framework that gives them their inherent strength, and the correct body mechanics that makes them fast and efficient, and also to develop an understanding regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each technique and structure.

Drills

Drilling involves taking a single position or technique, and practising it over and over again. Any new skill involving co-ordination requires time and practice until the new combination of movements and muscle contractions required to execute that movement has been learned; only then can that movement be performed without concentration and conscious effort. Large parts of the cerebral cortex of the brain are taken up with ‘association areas’ that analyse and register data received from the primary senses. For example, complex movement sequences are analysed and registered by the premotor cortex, voluntary movement by the primary motor cortex, and so on.

In order to remember that particular movement or combination of movements, the sensations and musculoskeletal structures required for their performance must be transferred into the motor areas of the brain and stored in the long-term memory. This process is known as consolidation, and it requires attention, repetition and associative ideas: ‘There is no substitute for mileage’.

Application

This method is usually in the form of one attack/one defend: it teaches how to apply the techniques that have been refined within the forms and structurally developed within drilling. Fighting application teaches the first and second stages of fighting: first, through lots of practice, to recognize the form and direction of the attack; and second, to bridge the gap and make contact, simultaneously defending and striking.

Chi Sau

Known as sticking hands, this is practised and played as a ‘game’. It teaches and practises the third and fourth stages of fighting: trapping hands and maintaining contact and fighting range until the defender decides to break contact and change the distance.

Chi Sau is a unique training method that develops sensitivity and contact reflexes in the arms. This allows the practitioner to assess the situation and to perceive and deflect the opponent’s force as soon as he comes into contact with his opponent’s arms. Chi Sau also develops close-distance co-ordination, mobility, balance, timing, accuracy, and the correct use of energy.

Wing Chun uses a logical step-by-step approach to allow the students to experience the actual development of this ‘feeling’ themselves.

Dan Chi Sau

Known as ‘single sticking hand’, this technique practises the use of individual arms to perform pre-set Wing Chun techniques within a cyclic drill, whilst maintaining contact and reacting to a partner’s movements. When performing this drill, it is important to remain relaxed and to concentrate on the basic hand positions, and on controlling the centreline.

Seung Chi Sau or Poon Sau

This teaches the student to use both arms simultaneously, but independently, whilst rolling within a pre-set sequence of movements. It represents a neutral starting point from which to explore attack and defence scenarios, given contact and motion of another’s arms whilst guarding the centreline.

Jeung Sau

This practises changing the contacting hands smoothly and safely from inside gate to outside gate, or vice versa, whilst rolling and maintaining centreline control.

Gor Sau

This method involves the free application of Wing Chun techniques, each student feeling for a weakness in his partner’s defence through which he might attack, whilst maintaining his own centreline protection.

Lye Bye Muk

Blindfold Chi Sau eliminates the use of the eyes, so every reaction and technique is based upon the information felt and perceived through contact. Since the practitioner can only react to what he feels, blindfold Chi Sau develops and increases sensitivity, economy of movement, and the ability to respond instantly and directly to the movements of his partner.

Only through constant, diligent practice of all the elements of Wing Chun Kuen can anyone hope to ‘master’ the essentials of the system. It takes a lot of time, patience, hard work and understanding for these to make sense, and to be able to apply Wing Chun freely, safely and successfully.

It is only when the Wing Chun syllabus has been completed that a student can look back at what he has been taught and has learnt. Only then can he appreciate what he has achieved – and of course, what he has yet to achieve. Wing Chun can be likened to a jigsaw puzzle – only after accumulating all the pieces is it possible to commence assembling them, revealing the bigger picture. A jigsaw, however, can be completed, whereas Wing Chun study never ends: there is always more to learn, develop and improve – better positioning, better energy, greater understanding, and later, a better way to teach or explain a technique to others.

To be successful at Wing Chun is to study for life.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Ben Sweetman

Profile of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe

Shaun began his martial arts training in judo, at the age of twelve, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, though he soon left to join a local karate school where he studied for over six years.

In 1979 fate intervened: during a full-contact karate tournament he received a serious hamstring injury that prevented him from training for almost five months. During this time, he saw a promotion in the local paper about the opening of a new Wing Chun Kung Fu school at a nearby hall. As an avid Bruce Lee fan, Shaun knew that Bruce had studied Wing Chun and rated it very highly, so he went along to watch the class. He has never looked back since!

After over three years of intensive study and training, Shaun moved to Birmingham, and in February 1982 he was given permission to teach by his teacher at that time. He opened his first school in the Hall Green area of Birmingham, where he still teaches today.

In June 1985, the Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Chun came to England to give a series of seminars, including one at Shaun’s Birmingham school. Shaun was so impressed with his depth of knowledge and openness that every year since then, Ip Chun has been invited to give at least one seminar at Shaun’s school. During his stay in the UK, Ip Chun would often stay for several days with Shaun, giving him plenty of opportunities to practise and improve his skills.

Following one of these seminars in 1989, Ip Chun gave Shaun a personal invitation to come to Hong Kong to train with him, an opportunity that was not to be missed. Shaun’s first visit to Hong Kong in May 1989 lasted just six weeks, but it was six weeks of intensive one-to-one training at the home of Ip Chun. However, before Shaun was accepted as one of his students and allowed to begin training, Ip Chun took him to Fanling in Hong Kong’s New Territories to visit Yip Man’s grave and to pay his respects.

All aspects of Wing Chun training and teaching were covered during these intensive sessions, and on some evenings after they had finished, Ip Chun would take Shaun to meet other famous Wing Chun Sifus, such as Lok Yiu, Tsui Shun Tin, Leung Ting, Wong Shun Leung and Ip Ching to discuss Wing Chun further.

At the end of his stay, Shaun was made a permanent member of both the Ving Tsun Athletic Association and the Yip Man Martial Arts Association. The former also presented him with an instructor’s certificate.

Since 1990 Shaun has continued to return to Hong Kong at least once, if not twice a year, to refine his skills with Ip Chun, either privately at his home or at his school in Shatin in the New Territories alongside his Kung Fu brothers, most notably Patrick Leung Ting Kwok, Raymond Lo, Ho Gay, Law Kam Tak and Wai Leung.

During one of those stays, Ip Chun took Shaun to Fatshan in China, the ‘home of Wing Chun’, where Yip Man lived before he fled the Communist takeover to settle in Hong Kong in 1949. There, Shaun had the opportunity to meet and discuss Wing Chun with several Sifus, including Pang Nam and Lun Kai, and visited the former homes of Leung Jan and Ip Man. Whilst in Foshan, Shaun and Ip Chun gave a Wing Chun demonstration at the Ching Wu Association as a prelude to Ip Chun starting a Wing Chun class at the University in Foshan.

Today Shaun is a certified instructor and the certifying officer of the Ip Chun Wing Chun Martial Arts Association, one of only fifteen people in the world to have earned an instructor’s certificate, and be allowed to officially represent Ip Chun. He is also a permanent member of the Ip Chun Wing Chun Academy, set up by students of Ip Chun.

Shaun continues to teach Wing Chun in the same manner that he was taught in Hong Kong (the same methodology used by Grandmaster Ip Man to teach his students, including his own sons), traditionally and informally. He now heads an international association but still refuses to teach for a living, believing that teaching without the need for personal financial gain ensures that he remains focused on the quality of his teaching, rather than the quantity of students.

Training at each of his schools is on an invitation-only basis, and follows an introductory course during which the beginner is assessed to determine his/her suitability for training, whilst the student has the opportunity to assess the class.

The hand that hits also blocks.

2 The History of Wing Chun

The history of Wing Chun has been passed down by word of mouth over several hundred years, so it has been subject to exaggeration and misinformation, and is therefore open to much interpretation.

Ng Mui

The story commonly told is that, during the reign of Emperor K’anghsi (1662–1722), a Buddhist nun named Ng Mui fled the burning of the Siu Lam (Shaolin) monastery of Mt Sung in the Honan province of China, along with Abbot Chi Shin, Abbot Pak Mei, Master Fung To Tak and Master Miu Hin. Each went their separate ways to avoid capture by the Manchu government, which was responsible for the attack.

Ng Mui took refuge in the White Crane temple on Mt Tai Leung. Here she reflected upon the Shaolin style of martial arts she had learnt, and realized that, with its elaborate stances and overwhelming number of movements, it was not a practical fighting system, particularly for a woman, and took too long to learn. It is said that she was out walking one day and witnessed a fight between a crane and a snake. Instead of mimicking the movements of the animals, as do other martial arts’ styles, she adopted the principles and concepts that she saw, and developed a fighting style based upon the human skeletal and muscular framework.

Yim Wing Chun

It was during this time that Ng Mui came to know Mr Yim Yee, who owned a store where she bought bean curds. He had been wrongfully accused of a crime and nearly went to jail, so the family moved far away from their native Canton and finally settled at the foot of the Tai Leung Mountain at the Yunnan–Szechuan border. Mr Yim Yee had a beautiful young daughter, Yim Wing Chun, who was betrothed to Leung Bok Chau, a salt merchant of Fukien. However, Yim Wing Chun’s beauty had attracted the unwanted attention of a local warlord, who made known his intentions to marry her, forcibly if necessary. Ng Mui learnt of the situation and took pity on Yim Wing Chun and agreed to teach her this newly developed fighting system, so that she could protect herself. Yim Wing Chun went to the mountains with Ng Mui and trained diligently to master the techniques; she then returned to her village and challenged the warlord to open hand combat, which she won. She was then free to marry her intended husband.

Ng Mui then left to travel the country, but before she left, she told Yim Wing Chun to honour the Kung Fu traditions and develop her Kung Fu after her marriage. Once married, Yim Wing Chun taught her Kung Fu skills to her husband, Leung Bok Chau, who named the system ‘Wing Chun’ in reverence to his wife.

Wong Wah Bo/Leung Yee Tai

Leung Bok Chau taught Wing Chun to Leung Lan Kwai, a herbalist who took a student named Wong Wah Bo; he was a member of an opera troupe on board a junk, known to the Chinese as the ‘red junk’. Also on board was Leung Yee Tei, who had been taught the six-and-a-half-point long pole techniques by Abbot Chi Shin. Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee Tei became close friends, and they shared their knowledge of the martial arts.

Together they correlated and refined their techniques, and so the six-and-a-half-point long pole techniques became incorporated into Wing Chun. Leung Yee Tei passed his martial art skills on to Leung Jan.

Leung Jan

Leung Jan, a well-known herbal doctor in Fatshan in the Kwangtung Province, is said to have grasped the innermost secrets of Wing Chun and attained the highest level of proficiency and skill. Many Kung Fu masters came to challenge him, but all were defeated and soon Leung Jan became very famous and well respected.

Chan Wah Shan

Leung Jan had two sons, Leung Bik and Leung Chun, both of whom were taught Wing Chun daily; he also took one other student, Chan Wah Shan, also known as the money changer. He taught only sixteen disciples over a thirty-six year period, including Ng Siu Lo, Ng Chung So, Chan Yu Min and Lui Yu Jai. Chan Wah Shan was teaching in the Ip family clan hall on Song Yuen Dai Gai, Foshan. It was here that he took his final student, Ip Man.

Ip Man (1893–1972)

Born on 10 October 1893 in the Namhoi county of Kwangtung, Ip Man spent most of his life living in Foshan. There he began training Wing Chun with Chan Wah Shan around 1902, at the age of nine.

In 1905 Chan Wah Shan passed away, but his senior student, Ng Chung So, continued to train Ip Man at his school on Sin Huen Gai Street. Ip Man continued his training until 1908 when, at the age of fifteen, he went to live at Kane road in Hong Kong to pursue his academic studies at St Stephen’s College. It was whilst he was there that Ip Man met and subsequently began training with Leung Bik, the eldest son of Grandmaster Leung Jan. Ip Man continued to train with Leung Bik in Hong Kong until the latter passed away in 1912; Ip Man then returned to Foshan.

Between 1914 and 1931 Ip Man served in the army, and later took up the post of ‘Captain of Local Police Patrols of Namhoi’, which he held for some years. During this period he spent many hours discussing martial arts, and in particular Wing Chun, with other members of the martial arts’ community, and soon became well known.

In 1937 the Japanese invaded China and set up their own government. During this period, Ip Man refused to work for, or ‘kow tao’ to, the Japanese authorities, and so became very poor and often went hungry.

In 1945 the Japanese surrendered, and for the next four years Ip Man taught just a handful of students, until 1949, when mainland China fell to the Communists. Due to the political forces at work, Ip Man was forced to leave his home, and after a couple of weeks in Macao he settled in Hong Kong to try to make a better life for his family; he left his sons with his wife in China.

In May 1950, Ip Man began teaching Wing Chun full time at the Restaurant Workers Union Hall; from that initial class Grandmaster Ip Man is reputed to have taught many thousands of students over twenty-three years of teaching.