Articles – Page 6 – Wing Chun Lexicon

Enter the Wing Chun Time Machine

The following is presented in the interest of preserving and promoting the history and practice of Wing Chun Kung Fu. The information contained in this article was obtained from a recognized Master of the art and is in no way intended to offend anyone or to disparage any organization or in any way to demean the history and practice of Wing Chun as it is taught by the disciples of Yip Man. It is recommended that, before conclusions are drawn, both Part I and Part II should be carefully read and even reread because most answers are contained in the text.

WHO REALLY ORIGINATED and developed Wing Chun? Exactly which martial arts did its originator draw upon when formulating Wing Chun? Since it is supposed to have originated in the Shaolin Temple, did any internal arts influence its development?

The information which follows addresses these intriguing questions, and is derived from a small book commissioned by Master Pan Nam, from information told to Sifu Eddie Chong by Pan Nam, and from the observations and opinions of the author. Wing Chun’s unusual approach to empty hand fighting has generated much speculation regarding its origin and practice. Some have tried to draw parallels with the techniques of other fighting arts, speculating that in the past there may have been some cross-influence. Due to the lack of information, these and other questions have remained unanswered. The fact that the history and practice of Wing Chun has literally come down to us from one individual, Yip Man, has in itself caused speculation, debate, animosity, and on occasion, even violence.

Anyone who has been fascinated with Wing Chun, studied its “family tree” and read or heard its history, knows about the legendary figures who developed and refined this amazingly effective fighting art. As the accompanying chart “A” indicates,some of the notables are the Buddhist nun Ng Mui, Ng’s student Yim Wing Chun who taught her husband, Leung Bok Chau, who taught Leung Lan Kwai, who taught both Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee Tei each of whom taught the great Dr. Leung Jan who became known as “King of the Boxers” because he defeated all challengers. Leung Jan taught, among others, his son Leung Bik and Chan Wah Shun, who each taught the world renown Yip Man, the undisputed Grandmaster of the Wing Chun system generally known outside of China today (often referred to as “Hong Kong Style” to distinguish it from several others).

While training for the past half dozen years, this author has often contemplated what those individuals must have been like both as people and as martial artists. Unfortunately, except for just a handful of stories, there are few details regarding the lives of the early practitioners or regarding the development of this unusual fighting art.

One cannot look at the chart hanging in the Sacramento Wing Chun school for very long (reproduced in part as “Chart A”) without wondering what it would be like to travel to China and find the descendants of the “others” referenced as having been students of Leung Jan or to find students descending from other unrecorded “branches” of the Wing Chun family tree. How fascinating it would be to see how their Wing Chun compares to that known to us here in the West and to hear the history they have preserved.

Sacramento based Wing Chun instructor Eddie Chong has done just that. Sifu Chong (who taught in San Francisco from 1972 to 1990, has two schools in Sacramento, one since 1981, and currently has affiliated schools in thirteen American cities and one each in Singapore and Germany) has recently returned from a lengthy trip to Fatshan, China where he traced the “roots” of his martial art to Wing Chun Master Pan Nam. Master Pan is very well known in the regions around Fatshan by the nickname “Blackface Nam” due to a large birth mark on his right cheek. (Author’s note: Fatshan or “Fat Shan” is Cantonese. On many maps the City, about 20 miles Southwest of Canton, is referenced by its Mandarin spelling, “Foshan” or “Fushan”.)

From the age of thirteen until he was about 30, Pan Nam was a practitioner of Sil Lum Kung Fu. He then changed to the Wing Chun System which he has been practicing and teaching now for over fifty years.

Pan Nam’s first Wing Chun instructors was Chiu Chau who learned from Chan Wah Shun’s son and Yip Man’s classmate, Chan Yu Mint. Pan Nam’s second teacher was Lai Yip Chi, who was another of Yip Man’s classmates under instructor Chan Wah Shun (in fact, Lai was Chan’s live-in apprentice). When Chan became an invalid as the result of a stroke, Lai Yip Chi continued training for a time under senior classmate Lui Yu Chai, while Yip Man followed Ng Chun So. Subsequently, Lai Yip Chi apprenticed to teachers whose lineage goes back to the founder of Wing Chun on a branch of the family tree about which most practitioners are totally unfamiliar.

The Shaolin Temple monk, Yi Chum, is said by Pan Nam to be the true founder of Wing Chun. Yi Chum taught Tan Sau Ng who taught Dai Fa Min Kam, Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee Tei (Leung Jan’s teachers). “Dai Fa Min” is a nickname meaning “painted face” and refers to the makeup he wore as an actor. “Kam” is all of his true name that has survived. Painted Face Kam taught Lok Lan Koon and his nephew who taught Pan Nam’s teacher Lia Yip Chi.

This branch of the Wing Chun family tree has not only preserved a different, possibly older, form of Wing Chun but has preserved the chi gung exercises that Master Pan says have been a part of the Wing Chun System from its inception. When Sifu Chong learned that there still lived a Wing Chun practitioner who had preserved this older form of the art, he fairly jumped at the opportunity to meet and become his student.

Prior to meeting Master Pan, Sifu Chong’s dedication to his art brought him to the realization that something was lacking. While it is obvious that, at the highest levels, the proper execution of Wing Chun involves characteristics that fit the definitions used by internal stylist to describe that which makes their systems “internal,” there existed a missing “connection” with regard to history, theory, and, to a large degree, technique.

In the West, Sifu Chong observed that the fighting art taught at many Wing Chun schools varied, sometimes dramatically. Although a highly effective martial art, he recognized that the system had been modified, and therefore resolved to trace back and find as original a form of Wing Chun as possible. Obviously, the closer he could get to the system’s founder, the more pure the art would be. Eddie Chong realized the possibility existed that a practitioner might still be living who had been trained by one of the early masters. With China now open to travel, Sifu Chong decided to seek him out.

On a trip to his Singapore school, Sifu Chong took an excursion to Fatshan, the traditional home of Wing Chun. While in Fatshan, his inquires regarding local Wing Chun instructors brought information about 81 year old Master Pan Nam, the last known disciple on Painted Face Kam’s branch of the family tree. Sifu Chong learned that Pan Nam had ceased teaching in 1990 and had, in fact, “closed the door” to his gymnasium. Unknown to Sifu Chong, Master Pan had delayed officially retiring (involving certain formal rituals) because he had a premonition that someone, his final student, was coming.

There are great changes occurring in China today, everyone is busy trying to make money, and sadly, interest in the martial arts has declined. Because of this, Pan Nam had nobody outside of Fatshan he felt could or would perpetuate the art entrusted to him by his teachers, an art which, while a young man, he had gone to great lengths to trace back to Painted Face Kam’s version of the art, and which he has spent 50 years perfecting. And so Pan Nam waited for the last student to whom he intended to give his knowledge.

When they finally met, Master Pan recognized Eddie Chong’s desire and sincerity, and accepted him as his final student and, eventually, as the heir (outside China) to the original Sil Lum (Shaolin) Wing Chun system of his teachers. Sifu Chong told Master Pan that, in order to promote a better understanding of this very popular fighting system, he wanted to let the people in the United States see the difference between the Wing Chun they had been practicing and the original Sil Lum Wing Chun system preserved by Master Pan.

Mr. Chong went through the traditional Chinese ceremony of kneeling and giving a cup of tea to the old Master, asking to be accepted as his disciple (see photo above). This was followed by a special meal. Afterwards, Master Pan took out his family tree and entered Eddie Chong’s name as his closed-door student, the last he would accept.

Having fulfilled his desire to train a successor, Master Pan Nam officially hung out the scrolls that proclaimed his retirement when Eddie Chong left Fatshan in late Spring of 1992. Sifu Chong has returned to visit Pan Nam every year since.

This article will discuss the fighting art of Wing Chun as it has been preserved by Master Pan Nam, and now by his designated heir, Sifu Eddie Chong.

Motive is everything

For those who may be wondering, Pan Nam has not been in hiding. Many well known Wing Chun instructors came from Hong Kong and the West to see Master Pan in Fatshan but, apparently, none were prepared to “empty their cup.” They listened to the history and saw the art preserved by Pan Nam and, for one reason or another, decided not to accept this knowledge (some of these visitors borrowed and never returned irreplaceable books depicting the historical and technical aspects of Wing Chun). It is unknown whether they were merely comfortable with their own system or too proud to acknowledge the possibility that, just as there are different styles of Tai Chi, White Crane, etc, there exists another style of Wing Chun which has preserved a somewhat different practice and history.

Being comfortable with one’s martial art is understandable and will not cause malicious contention. However, the unfortunate nature of ego is often to favor the protection of vested interests, and to reject anything that does not conform by attacking dissenters and by “playing politics.”

Sifu Chong sincerely hopes that his efforts to preserve this significant part of Wing Chun history and practice does not meet with such animosity. He hopes that the information presented here and in subsequent articles and books will be met, if not with acceptance, at least with the open mindedness and tolerance befitting mature martial artists. After all, this isn’t a religious discussion.

The conflict between the stories of the origins of Wing Chun and between the theories and techniques of the various Wing Chun systems is not really a problem when understood and considered objectively. Though at first glance some of the differences are dramatic, each system in fact complements the other, and knowledge of the theories and techniques of the Wing Chun taught by Master Pan can only improve one’s martial skills. Understanding the differences and the reasons for any changes that have occurred gives us our only glimpse into the martial minds of the early masters, a type of “martial arts time machine,” if you will.

Certainly, the history Pan Nam has preserved fills in many gaps and explains much. Even the renown Dr. Leung Ting expresses doubts about the traditional story of Wing Chun’s origin (sometimes spelled “Wing Tsun” or “Ving Tsun”):

“I have some doubt about the authenticity of Buddhist Mistress Ng Mui’s creating the Wing Tsun System after seeing a fight between a fox and a crane, of Miss Yim Wing Tsun’s encountering the local bully, of the fire at the Siu Larn Monastery or even of the existence of Ng Mui herself! *** Of course, the final decision on their authenticity still rest with the reader.” From WING TSUN KUEN, eighth edition (1986), pages 30-31, by Leung Ting. (note: others record the legend of the fight observed by Ng Mui as being between a fox and a snake).

Similar opinions regarding the story of Ng Mui and Yim Wing Chun are expressed in an article entitled “Researching the Origins of Ving Tsun” by Yip Man’s son, Ip (Yip) Chun, that appeared in the recently published GENEALOGY OF THE VING TSUN FAMILY, 1990, pages 27-29, edited by Leung Ting, and published by the Hong Kong Ving Tsun Athletic Association Ltd. On page 28 of that article, Ip (Yip) Chun reports having visited Pan Nam in Fatshan, and that Master Pan credits Tan Sau Ng as bringing Wing Chun to Fatshan “from the North” (”Tan Sau” is a nickname meaning “palm up,” and refers to a particular technique unique to Wing Chun). On page 29, Ip (Yip) Chun also notes that Painted Face Kam was a contemporary of Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee Tei.
On page 28 and 29 of his article, Ip (Yip) Chun reports independent substantiation in two books of the historical existence of Tan Sau Ng and of his martial skills. First, from A STUDY ON THE HISTORY OF THE CANTONESE OPERAS, by Mak Siu Har:

“In the years of Yung Cheng (Manchu emperor, 1723-1736), Cheung Ng of Wu Pak, also known as Tan-Sau Ng, brought his skills to Fat Shan and organized the Hung Fa Wui Koon (now the Chinese Artist Association)”; (author’s note: Hung Fa Wui Koon is literally, “[Red Flower Union]“).

And from the same book:

“Besides being very accomplished in Chinese opera, Cheung Ng was especially proficient in martial arts. His one Tan-Sau was peerless throughout the martial arts world.”

And, secondly, from A HISTORY OF CHINESE OPERA, by Mang Yiu, Vol. III, page 631:

“For some reason, Cheung Ng could not stay on in the capital, so he fled and took refuge in Fat Shan. This was during the reign of Yung Cheng. This man, nicknamed Tan-Sau Ng, was a character “unsurpassed in literary and military skills, and excellent in music and drama.” He was especially proficient in the techniques of Siu Lam. After settling down in Fat Shan, he passed on his knowledge in traditional opera and martial arts to the Hung Suen (Red Boat) followers, and established the Hung Fa Wui Koon in Fat Shan. Today, Cantonese opera groups revere him as Jo-Si (Founding Master), and refer to him as Master Cheung.”

It is highly probable that Tan Sau Ng had to flee the capitol because of his revolutionary activities. Also, note that the reference to “Siu Lam” (Sil Lum or Shaolin kung fu) and not to Wing Chun is probably because, as will be explained, the system did not receive its name until sometime after Tan Sau Ng.

What conclusion did Yip Man’s son, Ip (Yip) Chun, draw from this astounding information? From “Researching the Origins of Ving Tsun,” page 28 of the GENEALOGY OF THE VING TSUN FAMILY, 1990: “Comparing the legend of Yim Ving Tsun with the information on Tan-Sau Ng, I consider the latter more acceptable in our examination of Ving Tsun’s origins.”

Even though there are some differences and inconsistencies (especially regarding dates), if Sifu Chong’s introduction of this information is objectively considered by each of the contending factions of the Wing Chun community, perhaps the individuals involved will reconsider any animosity felt and be drawn closer in the realization that each system’s history and practice is a legitimate part of Wing Chun tradition.

As for the story of exactly who originated Wing Chun, Yi Chum the nun and her disciple Tan Sau Ng, or Ng Mui the nun and her disciple Yim Wing Chun, Dr. Ting’s advise is sound: let the reader consider each version with an open mind, and then decide which makes more sense. Actually, no decision is really necessary. Whatever its origin, both histories are a part of the art’s tradition, and both tell us important things about the old masters and the forces that shaped Wing Chun. Personally, this author likes the story of Ng Mui and of her first student, Miss Yim Wing Chun. At the very least, it is very romantic. However, intellectual honesty demands open-mindedness, and an objective review of the details of the history Pan Nam has preserved and of the independent corroboration of that history discovered by Ip (Yip) Chun cannot permit an out-of-hand dismissal of this information.

Perhaps the examples set by Sifu Ip (Yip) Chun and Sifu Eddie Chong will be followed by others, and further efforts can be made to trace this fascinating history so that the Wing Chun community can better know its illustrious founders and the fighting art to which they were dedicated.

Critical to the following discussion of the two systems are these facts:

Pan Nam’s association with instructor Chiu Chau gives him intimate knowledge of the system of Wing Chun taught to Yip Man by Chan Wah Shun (Master Pan refers to this as “fast hands” Wing Chun)
Pan Nam’s association with Lai Yip Chi gives him not only intimate knowledge of the earlier version of Wing Chun as it was practiced by the opera actors (Painted Face Kam, Wong Wah Bo, Leung Yi Tei, and Lai Fook Shun) of the Eight Harmony Union, but because of his own and Lai’s knowledge of “fast hands” Wing Chun, he has a solid basis for comparing the two.

Therefore, Pan Nam has the rare qualification to authoritatively comment on the Wing Chun practiced by both branches of the family tree. In Pan Nam, and now in Eddie Chong, this knowledge is perpetuated, and a better understanding of the differences between the two histories and between the fighting theories and techniques of these two great systems of Wing Chun is now possible for the first time outside of China.

By Michael Nedderman, Inside Kung-Fu

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Beginning of Modern-Day Wing Chun

Most of the information surrounding the life of the grandmaster Yip Man revolves around anecdotes. But by dealing wither his approach to teaching we also can gain excellent insight into wing chun’s greatest modern-day teacher. Through this introspection we will be able to answer many of the question students have about Yip Man.

Yip Man’s Beginnings

The China of the early 1900s was an empire on the verge of collapse. Most of the Western powers had carved spheres of influence out of the country’s sovereignty. Yip Man was born in Futsan in 1895. He was 5 years old at the time of the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 and 16 when the Ching dynasty crumbled and Sun Yat-sen’s Republic was proclaimed. His family had money and he was raised in the fashion befitting a child of wealth – educated, but sheltered as much as possible from the turmoil in the country. When he was 14. Yip Man started wing chun training with Chan Wah Sun, his first sifu. After approximately one year, master Chan died and Yip Man continued his studies with Chan’s senior student, Ng Chang-so.

Leaving home to attend high school in Hong Kong, by then an established British colony. Yip Man continued his wing chun education with Leung Bik. After graduation he returned to the Mainland, and worked in his family’s business. He was not teaching at the time.

Yip Man lived through the Kuomintang’s revolution warlord period of the 1920s, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and the upheaval of World War II. When, in 1949, the Communists succeeded in consolidating their hold on the Country, Yip Man, now 55, was forced to leave his possessions and wealth. He escaped with his family to Hong Kong.

Yip Man turned to teaching to survive. He had several schools. His first location was at The Hong Kong Kowloon Restaurant Union. This lasted only a short time. Next he moved to Li Dai Strect (1953-54) and then to the Government Resettlement Area (1955). The average size of his school was 350-to-400 square feet, which doubled as a living space for his family. In essence, his was a school within a school within a school. The daily classes held from 2-4 p.m. and from 4-6 p.m. were open and informal. Anyone who paid could train. Information was passed on by the senior students, but for the most part you either trained by yourself or with a few friends. The high number of people passing through during these hours made it impossible to know everyone who was training. Bruce Lee and I didn’t realize we were training with Yip Man until Bruce transferred into my class at St. Xavier Junior High School. Having Yip Man in common. we started spending most of our time together.

At these open sessions. Yip Man barely paid attention. Most of the time he was watching what was happening Out in the street, while his senior students did the teaching. He did, however, know what was going on, although he was generally unconcerned with the progress of the public group.

The Old Man’s Students

Before continuing with the story, let me explain the three basic student groups that formed much of what has been taught since Yip Man’s death. The first group was predominantly people who had studied other martial arts styles. The most notable of these were Leung Sheung, Lok Yiu and Tsui Sheung Tin. They were older than us and their approach was more traditional, and perhaps more intellectual because of their maturity.

The second group was made up of myself, Bruce Lee and other teenage school kids. We wanted to learn how to fight. We were the fighters and partly through our victorious efforts in the street, wing chun began to get a good reputation as an effective fighting method. I make this distinction because other martial artists looked down their noses at us, claiming we were all brawl and no art. We didn’t give a damn. We wanted the techniques as fast as possible so we could fight. Just like other teer-agers, we wanted to show off our skill and courage.

The third group was comprised mostly of individuals or small, groups studying privately. Most in this section were professionals for whom wing chun was a hobby. It is believed there are people, unknown to us, who trained privately with the old man and are probably excellent fighters.

One should also remember Yip Man started teaching at the approximately age of 56. By 1954-55 he was 60 and by 1965 he was 70. Obviously, as he became older he was forced to change his teaching approach either because experience had shown him better ways to get his points across or because physically he had to adapt to his physical limitations. Also remember that each of his students was different. I was 5-foot-1 and weighed 98 pounds. Bruce was 40 pounds heavier and William Cheung was even bigger. Our needs were different.

Our training went like this. Each day after school we would go to the roof of the Rose Hotel for a couple of hours of sticky hands practice. Next door to the hotel was the gym where Bruce began weight training and several days a week he would go there after a session on the roof.

However, three or four times a week we would head for Yip Man’s after our rooftop session, where we would do regular, informal training. The training regime allowed us to work out with many different people, each of whom had a unique way of doing things. This gave us the experience to adapt to different situation and different feels. We would train with seniors, union workers and juniors.

During this time I never saw Yip Man stick hands with anyone in the school. He was so busy watching what was happening in the street, or telling jokes. It took me a long time to realize how the improving students were getting their information. Finally, I asked Bruce and learned that after 6 p.m., Yip Man taught private groups by appointment. The name of the game was money and for school kids in Hong Kong like us, the amounts he charged were considered a fortune. However, I teamed with Bruce and several others. We pooled our money and trained privately.

These private groups were small and usually composed of students, lawyers, policemen or businessmen. Usually one or two senior students would accompany Yip Man and take the bulk of the physical training. Yip Man would watch and coach. Again, he never stuck hands with anybody at these sessions. Occasionally, he would show a few moves to illustrate his points or he might satirize a student’s inability to perform by exaggerating the student’s technique. This was done partly to help the student, but also to have a good laugh. What I want to share at this point is that Yip Man Wasn’t into the “sifu image” you see in the movies. He was a friend, a coach. He had a sense of humor and a sense of fun. Our respect for him was like one friend to another. That is not to say that he didn’t have a serious side. If you lost a fight or had a problem, he became very serious.

His Teaching Method

I went with him to many of the different groups, both as a senior instructor or a friend to keep him company. Each group was taught differently. Business or professional people treated wing chun as a hobby or sport. So, he concentrated more on theory and sticking-hands training. Our group wanted to fight, so he concentrated on entry techniques, closing the gap and combination.

Furthermore, he adjusted his methods to the student’s character, natural ability, size, coordination and need. For example, if someone couldn’t get the swivel (e.g.. keeping both heels planted and shifting the front of the feet simultaneously to the right or the left. while the upper body shifts). he had the person step and turn. This became two-count instead of one-count technique, but it allowed the student to do the job.

The student gained something, but he also lost something, By stepping, you lose the inside game because the timing is stretched and the body is moving away from the opponent. However, if the student felt comfortable and natural, and honed the technique, the compromise became minimal because of the increase in the student’s ability to perform the maneuver. This meant that each person learned something different, because each had a different level of ability. Then, a person worked on the techniques he liked, and made them his own. Even though everyone is different, everyone is right.

To better illustrate this point, let’s look at lap sau. Lap sau changes relative to the size of the person performing the technique and the job he wishes to accomplish in various situations. One is strictly defensive. Another is strictly offensive. The size and shape of the opponent dictates usage. You might decide to smash your opponent’s forearm while pulling him off balance, or you may decide to set up a flow so a heavy second punch can he landed. The choice is yours.

When I returned to Hong Kong after attending a university in Australia, I trained privately under Yip Man. By then, he was 70 and primarily offering private training to older students. I had trained with him as an adolescent, and now I was training with him as an adult. We had a certain affinity that was built on being the same size and of similar character. Most of this later training was control technique and theory.

To capsulize the theory of the system, as it was imparted to me by Yip Man, the essence of wing chun is to get the mind and body working at speed to process the information of a given situation in microseconds and then perform the correct maneuver with the best possible coordination and timing. Within this is the ability to read your opponent before he acts or to trick him into acting. This is the control level of wing chun, which requires a great deal of experience. It was the ultimate game Yip Man played toward the end of his life.

There are many stories, rumors and anecdotes about Bruce and Yip Man. I am not about to go into which are true. But there are three which for me are the most important; they show Yip Man’s character, Bruce’s humanity. and the relationship between the old man and his prized pupil.

A Student Named Chou

During our high school days, Yip Man had another student named Choy. He was the son of a restaurant owner. Bruce and Choy just didn’t get along. They couldn’t stand each other, and each wondered if he could best the other if it came down to a fight. Choy went to Yip Man and asked if he could beat Bruce. Yip Man showed him a technique and said now he could beat Bruce. Bruce also went to Yip Man with the same question. Again, Yip Man showed Bruce a technique and said now he could beat Choy. The joke was that each thought he could beat the other and proving it didn’t matter because sifu had told each he was better. When Yip Man told me the story, he laughed and said, “What else could I do? They’re both my students. They both respect me. They both have the wing chun attitude. I have to satisfy both and keep the peace between my students.”

Bruce Wanted to Quit

When those of us in the second group were growing up, we would challenge any style. This gave us a great deal of experience in dealing with many different opponents. Choy Li Fut practitioners became our foremost enemies because their long-range style was opposite our short-range style. In the mid-1950s, wing chun’s high reputation was very much because of our efforts in the street. The rules for these fights were simple. Each side would provide a referee. The fights lasted two rounds. In the first round, one opponent would attack first. In the second round, the other opponent would attack first.

Bruce Lee’s first fight took place on a rooftop in Kowloon City, against a Choy Lee Fut practitioner, it was the second fight of a two-fight afternoon. The opponent was first to attack. His attack was violent, with a wild flow of techniques. Bruce handled the situation as best he could. He got in a few punches, defended himself, and absorbed quite a few blows. At the end of the first round, Bruce was scared and wanted to quit. We had already lost the first fight thanks to our fighter’s inexperience. We told Bruce the worst was over because he had survived the first round. We told him to go for his face as soon as possible. His fear and excitement became focused and he moved in. He broke the guy’s jaw and won the fight. Often, in his letters to me from the U.S. he would relate how good the wing chun served him arid how he was still practicing. Regardless of what he went on to achieve, I still think this first fight was one of the turning points in his life.

His Fued with Yip Man

In 1964, Bruce came back to Hong Kong for his father’s funeral. When he visited Yip Man, he asked him for permission to film him doing the dummy techniques. Yip Man refused, although Bruce was one of his favorites, he was not his senior student. If he let Bruce film him, he would have to let all his seniors film him. Later in his visit, Bruce did a television demonstration and referred only to his “gung fu.” To me, this was the first indication of Bruce’s departure from wing chun.

This turn of events is consistent with Yip Man’s way of teaching. The style was only the raw material; the system was the means by which the material was made to work. The forms of sil lim tao, chum kil, and, bil jee create a dictionary or shop manual of the basic material and its application. Usage is dependent on size, coordination, timing and situation. When two opponents meet and the fight is hand-to-hand, the larger person wins. When a physical challenge is met with, for example, superior timing, control techniques, or trapping (the opponent’s mind as well as hands), the physical will usually be contained This doesn’t mean you should not train for a physical game. It just means the more games you can play, and the more games you can recognize being played, the more often the odds are in your favor.

Using a straight lap sau on a big man will produce little success. In this situation, the timing of the lap sau and the use of a smashing lap sau instead of a rolling one, will give the smaller man a chance to use lap sau and follow through with his attack.

A Wing Chun Recipe

Yip Man tried to get each of his students to make the system his own. Consider if you will that all the moves found in wing chun are raw foods – eggs, flour, water, carrots. Onions, beef, or fish, for, example. The theory is what helps you cook the raw food, changing it into a meal. Your level of mastery of the style is that when confronted by your opponent (the guest), you have to cook a meal (fight). You choose those ingredients which are necessary (techniques) to the situation, and you cook and serve them (timing, control. experience). If you serve up a good meal and deliver it in the fastest conceivable time, you have a proficiency in this type of meal for this type of guest. This may not he the right meal for your next guest. You have to serve something else. This comes from experience and is a guide to your level of fighting. Furthermore, given the same materials, different cooks and different guests, every meal will be different even if called by the same name. One person’s usage will differ from another’s because each person is different and each sees things in different ways.

Yip Man’s Death

This rift between Bruce and Yip Man continued until 1971 when Bruce visited Yip Man. They got along well. In 1972, Yip Man died of throat cancer. Everyone wondered if Bruce, now a world-recognized film star, would attend the funeral. Rumors circulated that Bruce had betrayed the old man by leaving wing chun. However, Bruce’s respect and loyalty never strayed. He attended Yip Man’s funeral and paid homage to his teacher. Six months later, Bruce Lee died.

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An Evening with Kwon Wan-Ping

by Rene Ritchie

We emerged from the Prince Edward Station onto the crowded streets of Kowloon just as the sun was beginning to set. Working our way through the heavy traffic, both human and automotive, framed beneath a patchwork sky of ever-glowing store signs, With the smell of the many restaurants, cafes, noodle & snack shops, and food stalls filling the air, we headed towards Sham Shui Po.

“There,” my friend said after a goodly walk, “do you see his sign?”

Following my friend’s gaze, I looked down the street, straining to see what he had seen. I could read some Chinese, especially martial terms and those proper names I was familiar with, but there were simply too many signs, too much clutter, to sort out. “I see hundreds of signs,” I replied with a grin.

“The red one,” he added, pointing to a large mosaic of color down the street, perhaps wondering why I hadn’t caught it earlier.

As we got closer, I finally made it out – “Guangzhou Taiji Wing Chun Institute” and just below, standing out from the rest of the line by size of print “Kwok Wan-Ping”.

Kwok Wan-Ping was born in 1939 and as a youth studied at the Guangzhou and Wuhon Sports Institutes for 4 years. At the institute, he studied Mongolian, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling and went on to win the All.-China lightweight wrestling championship. He also practiced weight lifting, fencing, and the martial arts. Later, he studied the taijiquan, baguazhang, and xingyiquan of Fu Wing-Fay, son of the legendary Fu Zhensung, Chen family taijiquan, among other systems. In Guangzhou in the mid-1960s, he was exposed to and immediately began studying Yuen Kay-San wing chun kuen under Yuen’s disciple, grandmaster Sum Nung.

During this period, China was in the midst of turbulent times and, thinking in terms of what was best for his family, in the late-1960s Kwok Wan-Ping moved from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Settling in Kowloon, Kwok Wan-Ping opened the Guangzhou Wing Chun Taiji Institute.

Grandmaster Sum Nung had personally taught for a short time in Hong Kong in the mid-1950s, yet desspite lucrative requests from local unions and offers of partnerships from other established instructors, he’d been unwilling to remain away from his family. Thus it wasn’t until Kwok Wan-Ping’s institute opened that Hong Kong finally had long-term access to his teachings. Concerns over the conditions in China, however, caused grandmaster Sum Nung to ask his public followers to use the name Guangzhou wing chun kuen, instead of using his name, to avoid trouble in the mainland, where the teaching of wing chun kuen was still forbidden.

Other wing chun kuen practitioners had already established themselves in Hong Kong but having come from Foshan themselves, they had long term friendships with grandmaster Sum Nung and when Kwok Wan-Ping’s school opened, several stopped by to visit and welcome him into the community.

Although it was not always easy, and he would face many challenges over the years, Kwok Wan-Ping went on to become one of the most famous and sought after professional martial arts teachers in Hong Kong. In addition, several of his students and descendants have become highly respected wing chun kuen instructors in their own rights, spreading the art in Hong Kong and internationally, such as Tse Chung-Fai of British Columbia, Chow Gwok-Tai of Toronto, and Lee Chun-Ming of Virginia.

It was through the latter’s line, through one of Kwok Wan-Ping’s tosat (great grand-students) I had met online, that I’d gained my first insight into this branch. Of the next few years, I would meet (electronically), many others. Although my own teacher, Ngo Lui-Kay, had begun learning from grandmaster Sum Nung at roughly the same time, classes back then had been separate and private and the two had only met a few times on special occasions. Nevertheless, I had always heard great things about Kwok Wan-Ping, his skill and his warm and friendly nature. I had also been taught that our wing chun kuen family was important and that wing chun kuen was a great way to make new friends. Thus when I passed through Hong Kong on my way to Guangzhou, I could not pass up the opportunity to stop by and pay my respects to my martial uncle.

All this background flashed through my mind as we climbed the stairs up the half-dozen or so floors to Kwok Wan-Ping’s school. Joking that the stair climb was a good leg warm-up, we finally reached the gate before our destination and, opening it, we stepped in side.

Well-sized by Hong Kong standards, Kwok Wan-Ping’s institute was already alive with activity. We had arrived at around 6pm, half-way through the taijiquan lesson. Several pairs were deep into their push-hands practice, bending back and forth, turning and moving in the distinctive Fu family style. Above them, three large pictures dominated the room. On one wall, a portrait of grandmaster Sum Nung smiled down. On the other hung the father and son of the Fu family. Covering almost every spare inch around them were photos, large and small, of Kwok Wan-Ping in action, and of him posing with classes from throughout his long teaching career, visitors and celebrities, and other special events.

On the floor in front of us, a small group had begun practicing a fan sequence. In front of them, leading them, was Kwok Wan-Ping.

I had seen pictures of him from some 20 years previous. It appeared that not much had changed. 60 years of age and perhaps 5′ tall, he was only slightly less wide. In keeping with the saying “arms the size of thighs” his solid mass and well-defined physique would have been impressive on a man one-third his age. This was easy to see, as due to the humidity and the warmth generated by so many working so hard in so small a space, he wore only a pair of blue shorts and workout shoes. As I watched him go through the sequence with his students, I noticed immediately that he also possessed amazing flexibility and balance.

When he turned an noticed us, I saw the other attribute that had always stood out in the old pictures, his smile. Taking a break from his teaching, he approached us and welcomed us to his school. His reputation for hospitality was well earned. Kwok Wan-Ping shared old stories from his past and asked questions about our own. When my friend mentioned that I had been studying Mandarin (although he neglected, as usual, to point out that I was presently only at about a grade 1 level), Kwok Wan-Ping switched to that dialect and, despite my shortcomings in the language, we managed to have a short, yet very interesting conversation.

Over time, more and more students arrived, including Kwok Wan-Ping’s son, who has been learning from his father for several years, and practice began. Like most good teachers, Kwok Wan-Ping’s class stressed the basics, and lots of them. Students went through their boxing and paired up to do lots of partner work like chong choi (crashing punches), chai kiu (stirring bridges), huen sao (circling arms), and luk sao (rolling arms). While the students practiced, Kwok Wan-Ping moved among them offering corrections and instruction in new material. In between, sihing (elder classmates) helped the newer students review and drill what they had learned. After, some moved on to the practice of chi sao (sticking arms).

Kwok Wan-Ping’s students, even the beginners, were all remarkable for their stability (an area that even many long term practitioners have trouble with). No doubt the pressure they use and learn to adapt to early on in partner training accounts, at least in part, for their skill in this area.

As the hour grew late, and Kwok Wan-Ping’s wife began to get his dinner ready, we reluctantly decided we had better get on our way. I could not have hoped for a better welcoming to Hong Kong and start of my journey and would like to thank Kwok Wan-Ping and his students for their hospitality.

The sky above was dark as we left the building but the streets alight in neon. Slightly weary from the class yet exhilarated by the visit, we hurried off into the night. We still had a dinner date to keep and plans to make for our trip to Guangzhou.

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Body Structure: What Is and What Isn’t

by Robert Chu

Since I have written about WCK power and body structure for may years now, the term “body structure” has become a bit of a buzzword. Since I am now semi-retired and not often teaching WCK, I decided to part with some of the secrets that I have been holding close to the vest…

Many people think, “Because I have a body, and it is a structure, I must have body structure!”

Or they think, “Well sifu, put me in this pose, so this must be what Robert Chu and others are talking about…!”

But what is real body structure is not a form. It’s not even a body, or a structure!

What is it?

It’s energy.

Or rather, taking a person’s energy and intention into the ground to root you and allow you to manipulate it to control a person, break their center of gravity, or throw them about, or issue force on them. It also allows you to pound them at will and control their whereabouts and set up your next shots.

Many have asked me, “Do I have to stay rooted all the time?”

My answer is no, otherwise how can you move?

I often get other questions like, “What is it like?”

Its like a big spring – you press on it, it receives your force; when you let go of it, you go flying or falling down immediately.

How does one do this?

In the first step, it does require a knowing teacher to show you the way. Afterwards, it’s a matter of practice with application. Of course, proper WCK practice is required. If you have unrealistic practice and lack of knowledge here, better to seek out adequate instruction.

Many ask about the leg positions –

I tell them, there are no stances in WCK – it’s a mistranslation. It actually means steps and in WCK it means that the horse is alive, like riding a skateboard or surfboard.

But people will ask, “It doesn’t quite look the same as Yip Man or my sifu or sigung did…?”

Yip Man’s mastery of WCK was very clear. A look see at the famous picture with Bruce Lee in Luk Sao position tells it all. Also, recently, I spent some time with Mark Hobbs, a student of Lun Gai in Futshan, China, and saw the early teachings of Yip Man up close and saw the elements of structure throughout the teachings. Yip Man had it. Now if your sifu or sigung learned from Yip Man, there’s no guarantee you have structure, as Yip Man taught hundreds of students.

Often, my sifu Hawkins Cheung would appear to not have any appearance of body structure at all, appearing to only be standing. When I attacked, it was so real – he was linked from the ground up and rooted so that the direction of my force would be dissipated into the ground and neutralized.

Many mistakenly take the external shape and forms of WCK and can’t see the real teachings. Its just about the same as reading about the real teachings and not having an idea of what they are. If you have real body structure, you know exactly of what I am talking about, and if you don’t, well…perhaps its time to seek adequate instruction.

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History of the Red Boat Opera

At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, the opera activities in Foshan were very popular. With the elements of Cantonese music, folk song melodies, performing and singing in Cantonese, integration of south school of wushu, and musical instruments like gongs, drums and flutes etc, it has become a local opera with popular style, featured with vividness, popularization in language, specialty in tunes and novelty in actions. The Cantonese Opera Teams always took red boat as traffic vehicle for circular performance, thus the performers of Cantonese Opera were also called “Red Boat Folks”.

According to records, in Foshan there once appeared over 30 opera performance centers. In Qing Dynasty, a poem described: “Prosperous is opera performance, with red boats berthing along beach in the evening. Especially in Tiankuang Festival each year, thousands of audiences come to watch Qionghua.” It shows the popularity of Cantonese Opera performance activities.

In 1854, Fenghuangyi Cantonese Opera performer Li Wenmao and Chen Kaihe, the leader of Guangdong Tiandi Assembly, rose up in Guangzhou, changing the members of several thousand red boats into soldiers, wearing opera costumes and red muffle, called “Red Muffle Army”. The insurrectionary soldiers fought with Cantonese Opera vaulting skills. After capturing Foshan Town, they set Qionghua Guild Hall as headquarter. The insurrection of Cantonese Opera performers led by Li Wenmao is an unprecedented event in the world history of opera.

After defeat of the insurrection, the Cantonese Opera was once prohibited. The performers were scattered to the street or the villages to perform for living, under constant pressure from the officials. Liu Huadong, a Nanhai native, educated the Cantonese Opera performers to perform in the name of “Beijing Opera” in order to dodge persecution by the Qing Dynasty.

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Lee Man-Mao (Li Wenmao) of the Red Boat Opera

Li Wenmao was an actor of Guangdong opera at the end of Daoguan and beginning of Xianfeng of Qing Dyansty, who was physically robust, with voice like large bell, skilled at sword etc. He regarded low the fortune and high the personal loyalty, full of knightly spirit and anti-oppression thoughts.

In 1853, after Taiping Army captured Nanjing, Hong Qiuquan accepted the recommendation of the inferior officer Luo Dagang and sent emissary to Guangdong for looking for the leaders of anti-Qing organizations so as to plot armed force for south-north cooperation to overthrow Qing Dynasty. The emissary first found Li Wenmao in the Qionghuaguan at Dajiwe, Foshan, and then contacted the leaders of Guangdong Tiandi Association Chen Kai and Chen Jingang before plotting uprise. In July 1854, they started to upsrise at Damaogang, Foshan, with Chen Kai as the Generalissimo, Li Wenmao as the Vice Generalissimo, Kuang Neng (Monk Neng) as the Military Counsellor, Feng Gun and Feng Man etc as the generals. They soon captured Foshan Town. Chen Kai called himself “Daning”. At that time, the operas were resisting opera taxes and beat the tax officers, so the Red Boat disciples and the city poor people ran after them. So Li Wenmao organized three Troops with the valiant opera disciples, respectively “Wehu Army”, “Menghu Army” and “Feihu Army”. He himself and the other general officers wore the opera clothes. Later as the insurrectionists increased radically, the opea clothes fell short. So they used the red kerchief instead of the helmets, hence they were called Red Kerchief Army. They used their opera Kung Fu of vaults and jumps in attacking the enemy cities. The Qing soldiers were frustrated and escaped. At the beginning of Wemei Uprise, they had only several thousand of soldiers, and soon they grew to tens of thousand soldiers. After several weeks, they had conquered tens of prefectures and couties. Even the Qing Dynasty ruling class had to admit “they were remarkable in fighting”.

From summer of 1854 to spring of 1855, the Uprise Army occupied Foshan for half year. About one million peasants responded to the insurrection and occupied fourteen prefectures and counties around Guangzhou. Li Wenmao and Chen Kai besieged Guangzhou City. They advanced the slogans of “capture dragon”(Shilong), “catch tiger”(Humen), “kill goat”(Guangzhou was also called Five-Goat City), “visit Buddist”(Foshan), “go to west” (to establish base area in Guangxi Province). However, as the British imperisalists helped a tyrant to do evil, shipping foodstuff, munition and troops to Liangguang Viceroy Ye Mingchen, the Uprise Army failed to capture Foshan after fighting for half year. So they gave up Foshan, and turned to attack Guangxi from Zaoqing. Under the help of the uprise army of the minorities in Guangxi, they captured Xuzhou Prefecture (now Guiping County), and established Dacheng State, where the Xunzhou was renamed Xiujing, and Chen Kai was called Pingxun King.

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X Marks the Spot

by Robert Chu

Trapping is a core training method of Wing Chun Kuen, but it has been complicated to teach.

Over the years, I’ve searched for ways to teach the skills to my students. I would explain, “After striking with the Tan Da, the right fist changes into aLop Sao and traps the opponent, where you strike him with a Lop Da, then you can continue on to Jut Da!”

I’d get puzzled looks – then the opportunity was lost…and it became a mess and a jammed up tangle and struggle for the students.

Recently, I’ve turned to core objectives when teaching and every training method has its skill set, tools and theme.

Perhaps its my having to read aloud to my two young ones, but a few pirate stories have inspired me. In a good pirate story, theres always a map, then a big “X” on it to denote where the treasure is!

I simply tell the my students now, “X marks the spot! Cross the arms, and when it looks like an “X” diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, left, right, or center, or high, middle, and low, simply strike them!”

Its worked out so beautifully, that even I am surprised.

Since martial arts skills are largely physical, we should learn them physically, rather than just intellectually or with words ad nauseum. Words are representations of what is. If you develop a skill set, you bypass words, which don’t have to get translated, then cause a time lag due to thought. Thought is one of the factors for slow reaction time. Many instructors get too technical with certain students. Some students are more kinesthetically gifted, others auditory or visual. That is why some students eyes glaze over when an instructor begins a long winded dissertation of their system’s superiority and terms and jargon…if you show the visually gifted, and make the kinesthetic ones feel, you’re doing your job properly as an instructor! Of course, you have to tell the audtory gifted ones…

Some suggested I should use the WCK terms in English, rather than the Cantonese mother tongue. I have no problem with that, since I am bilingual, however, English is multisyllballic, whereas Cantonese monosylliballic. It just makes things longer.

If I were to teach the WCK terms in English, it would sound like this, “After striking with the combined strike and spreading hand, the right fist changes into a Grabbing Hand and traps the opponent, where you strike him with aGrab and simultaneous strike, then you can continue on to Choking bridge and strike!”

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Pien San Wing Chun

Side Body Wing Chun, also known as Gulao Wing Chun, originates from Mr. Leung Jan. Mr. Jan’s ancestral home was Gulao village, Heshan county. It is said that when he was 73 years old, he retired to his native village. There, he accepted Wong Wah-Sum, Yik Ying, Leung Bak-Cheung, etc. as students. They say what he taught them was Side Body Wing Chun, not Straight Body Wing Chun. It had one set of hand techniques and a 3 1/2 point pole method. Leung Jan taught them until he died at age 76. Following his death, Mr. Jan’s Kwan Knife was placed in the Heshan Ancestral Hall and every year a memorial ceremony was held.

Wong Wah-Sum taught the skills to Koo Siu-Lung and Fung Lim. Pien San Wing Chun thus has two branches- the Fung Family and the Koo family.

Pien San Wing Chun was generally only taught to students in the same village. Trusted to teach it outside were Fung Lim (Fei Lo Lim or Fat Lim) and Fung Joi-Hoi (called Seung Hoi). In Guangzhou, Fung Lim’s son, Fung Sang, received instruction from Koo Siu-Lung, thus learning from both families. In Hong Kong, there are very few students. Fellow villager Lee Ding (Bak Tao Lao or White Head, also known as Lee Bak) moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1988 where he taught a few students.
Fung Lim had studied Fujian Siu Lam (Shaolin) and mixed the methods. Therefore, the Fung family fist method was compartively harder and more fierce.

Pien Shen Wing Chun uses short bridge and narrow stances. The “Yee” Character Clamping Yang Stance is the foundation, the stances and steps turn and move with agility, like the wheels of a cart. The elbows sink and the shoulders drop. The fingers are together and the fists are empty. The specialty is sticking and striking.

Gulao Wing Chun is 7 parts soft, 3 parts hard. Foshan Wing Chun is 3 parts soft, 7 parts hard.

New Martial Hero. Roughly translated from Chinese.

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The Story of Mr. [Leung] Jan’s Employee and Student Big Mountain [Ngau] Shu

By canceling the millstone palms, Moneychanger Wah knew in his heart Shu was better but when he pushed down the elder son, Leung Bik, trouble came.

Chu Chong-Man was a Foshan native. His name was originally Chu Yee-Sheung and his older brother was Chu Yee-Han. When Chu Chong-Man was young his body was not healthy, so his father had him learn martial arts to promote his health. He liked martial arts a lot and followed several teachers to learn. He gained his greatest understanding in Wing Chun Kuen. When he was young, he followed Ngau Shu, known as San Dai (Big Mountain) Shu. Later, he followed Dong Jik and Wong Jeet-Sing. This article is based on a story Chu Chong-Man heard, and what he saw.

Ngau Shu Became an Employee To Steal Martial Arts

In Foshan, the southern sects of martial arts are popular. There were many masters of the martial world in Foshan. For example, one famous master was Foshan Jan Sin-Sang (Mr. Jan of Foshan). Mr. Jan’s history has been made famous by many writers and many stories and his martial arts have spread to Hong Kong, making him an important figure.

The history for these many stories has come through the line of Mr Jan’s student, Chan Wah-Shun, known as Jiao Chin Wah (Moneychanger Wah). Chan Wah-Shun’s story has also become very popular in the martial world. This article, however, will talk about martial world expert, Mountain Shu.

Before, many people did not know much about Mountain Shu. Some have said Mountain Shu learned Hung Kuen. Another said he learned “tense-fist tense-stance” based martial arts. This is not true. Mountain Shu’s real name was Ngau Shu. His original occupation was in Siu Lap (Bar-BQ) and he was good at it. He learned Wing Chun Kuen from Mr. Jan. This history can be proven.

How did Mountain Shu come to learn from Mr. Jan? Through many twists and turns.

Mountain Shu discussed methods with Chan Wah-Shun. Chan Wah-Shun’s Mor Poon Gong Jeung (Millstone Palms Attack) was canceled by Mountain Shu

This story Chu heard as a young child, because his family were the neighbors of Mountain Shu’s Mao Sing Hall on Sing Ping Street. So, how did Ngao Shu, come to learn martial arts? Chu will relate the story.

When Ngau Shu was 20 years old he was very poor and did not have a lot of relatives. For a living, he worked at the Foshan Siu Lap (Bar-BQ) shop. At the time, Ngau Shu was young, strong, and had a lot of power. He used a fork to turn the pig rapidly in the cooking fire. Because he could turn it so fast, his pig’s always retained more juice and were heavier then other cook’s. While Ngau Shu worked at the shop, he came to know that Mr. Jan’s martial arts were first class.

Mountain Shu very much liked the martial arts, he wanted to learn from Mr. Jan. At the time, however, this martial art was not taught to poor people. This is because learning the martial arts was like learning scholastics. One had to have enough money to afford a good teacher and enough time to learn. Mountain Shu had neither of these things. Also, because Mr. Jan was very famous and had quality skills, one could not simply approach him for lessons. One had to have a trusted friend who could gain one and introduction.

Mountain Shu did not give up, however, he kept trying to figure out a way. Every day he stood outside and peaked in on Mr. Jan’s classes. Whenever Mr. Jan entered or existed his shop, Mountain Shu smiled broadly and tried to make a good impression.

After a long time, Ngau Shu became familiar to Mr. Jan and came to know the workers and family around his shop. Mr. Jan get accustomed to him. One day, Ngau’s chance came. Mr. Jan needed to employ someone to clean the shop and, hearing the news, Ngau Shu asked the people of the shop to recommend him for the job. In the end, Mr. Jan agreed to hire him.

Ngau Shu quit the bar-bq job, hoping he would have a chance to see more martial arts. During that time, class distinction was rigidly enforced and the workers could not mingle with the wealthy people who made up Mr. Jan’s class. Thus, Mountain Shu could not simply stand and watch, but had to make sure he stayed busy or stood off to the side. Because he could only watch and not participate, he worked very hard on his own to gain skill. In the beginning, Mr. Jan did not realize what Ngau Shu was doing. Eventually, however, he caught on.

One day, when no one was around, Mr. Jan approached Ngau Shu and told him he knew Ngau was stealing his martial arts. Ngau Shu confessed honestly and explained that he had neither the money nor the connections to gain proper lessons and spying was his only way to learn. Because of his honesty and good character, Mr. Jan gave his tacit approval. Since the wealthy and workers couldn’t mix, however, Mountain Shu could not join the class and had to settle for only words of encouragement. From time to time, however Mr. Jan would let him come close and watch clearly.

Double Uplifting Hands To Cancel A Grinding Palms Attack

Watching Mr. Jan’s classes let Ngau Shu progress fast. In fact, since Leung Jan had over ten students and Ngau Shu got to watch each one of their lessons, he got to see more then any one individually. After work, he would practice hard by himself. In this way, Ngau Shu got good quality boxing methods.

One night, Mr. Jan was invited for food and drink at a party and asked Chan Wah-Shun to teach the students. Chan Wah-Shun often said that 90% the masters could not stop his side millstone palm. That night, one class member asked Chan Wah-Shun how to apply the side palm. Ngau Shu watched from the side as Chan Wah-Shun showed the class member. He made it look very easy. Mountain Shu, however, did not think the technique was perfected and saw a problem with the elbow power.

Ngau Shu did not say anything when the class member was there. When his younger martial brother left, however, he went over to Chan Wah-Shun. Mountain Shu told dai sihing (eldest classmate) Chan Wah-Shun that something was wrong. Mr. Jan did not use the palm in that manner and he felt if one did, it would not be effective since the elbow would not be powerful.

Chan Wah-Shun saw Ngau Shu as a low-class worker in the shop and himself as an experienced student of Mr. Jan. Jan had told him many things. He felt it was impossible for the worker to have more the knowledge them him. Due to his pride, Moneychanger Wah asked Mountain Shu to practice with him.

Ngau Shu agreed and they began to practice. Chan asked Ngau Shu to punch first. Ngau Shu punched with high speed and hit Chan in the chest. He used center-line punch to hit Chan. Chan Wah-Shun used the Wong Jeung (Side Palm), using one hand to Fook (Control) the bridge and with the other tried to grab his throat. Chan thought Ngau Shu must block his hand, and both of their bridges would be in contact. Chan’s bridges ended up on the outside. He wanted to use the millstone palm like he had previously. He made up his mind and repeated the side palm to set it up. As their bridges moved around, Chan felt Ngau Shu’s bridges were not easy to control. Ngau Shu’s two bridges were very powerful. Chan wanted to retreat and change, but had not time. Both his shoulders were then lightly pressed by Ngau Shu. Chan lost his center of balance and fell back several steps before regaining his feet. Chan Wah-Shun felt Ngau Shu’s hands were fast like lightning. He didn’t know he had been pushed back. Ngau Shu worried that Chan Wah-Shun would hold a grudge. He immediately spoke to Chan but at that time Leung Bik came home.

Leung Bik listened to their story and thought Chan Wah-Shun had used the palm reasonably. He wonder if Ngau Shu’s skill was good or not and asked Ngau Shu to practice. Ngau Shu was thus forced to try it with Leung Bik as well. They switched positions and began to compare. This time it was serious. Ngau Shu’s hands were still fast as lightning and Leung Bik fell on the ground. Because Leung Bik wanted to understand Ngau Shu’s methods, he tried again, this time with 80% power. Ngau Shu responded with the increased power and again Leung Bik fell to the floor. This time, however, the fall was hard, sending him flying back many meters and falling over a chair that Leung Jan always relaxed in. Because he fell heavily, the leg of the chair broke. Ngau Shu, recognizing the situation, quickly helped Leung Bik up and apologized. Leung Bik, however, was happy. Even though he had fallen and hurt himself, it wasn’t serious. He was more concerned about the bamboo recliner. Mr. Jan, after finishing teaching, liked to lie back on the chair to relax. Thus Mr. Jan was certain to discover the broken leg and from there, that they had been practicing. So, the three had to fix the chair. They thought Mr. Jan would this way not find out.

When Mr. Jan Taught You Techniques, He Hit You

Many days later, bad things happned. That day, Mr. Jan finished his course and, as usually, lay down on his recliner. When he lay down, he felt it was wobbly. He discovered the leg had been broken and repaired. Mr. Jan, thinking something was wrong, called Ngau Shu and asked for an explanation. Mr Jan was very serious when he asked, and Ngau Shu could not lie to him. He told that he had practice with Chan Wah-Shun and pushed him down. Mr. Jan smiled and asked why the chair was broken. Ngau Shu had to admit he practiced with Leung Bik and pushed him down over the lounge-chair, breaking it. This time, when he heard Ngau Shu explain, Mr. Jan’s face was dark. Because Chan Wah-Shun was a student, if he compared with this lower-class guy, is was not important if he won or lost. But for the low-class person to practice with the master’s son and use heavy power was not good. Mr. Jan was not happy with Ngau Shu for hitting his son. He was very angry but could not show it in front of people. Instead he kept it in mind and though of a way to settle the problem with Ngau Shu, unobtrusively. Ngau Shu thought everything was finished and okay.

10 days later, Mr. Jan finished the class and turned to Ngau Shu. He said that Ngau has been there many years already, and he thought Ngau had at least learned some techniques, so he wanted Ngau to practice with him. Ngau Shu was happy and afraid at the same time. Leung Jan told him not to worry, that he only want to know his level. Ngau Shu though he could practice with Mr. Jan only because Mr. Jan was the master and he was just the worker. He thought Mr. Jan wouldn’t kill him, only hurt him maybe. Ngau Shu could not await this point and very pain. If Mr. Jan wanted to kill him it would have been very easy. Mr. Jan only use the heavy power to hit his rib, and he would be dead. But, Mr. Jan didn’t want to kill him or permanently injure him, just hit him a little. This time Mr. Jan, instead of using his palm, used two fingers to pinch Ngau Shu.

The pinch was hard and Ngau Shu felt a lot of pain, he lost strength in his whole body and his face turned green. Because he had taught him a lesson and resolved things, Jan thought everything was fixed. Ngau Shu didn’t die but for a long time after felt something was wrong.

Chu Chong-Man said that when Ngau Shu taught him the martial arts, he would lift his clothes and show him the spot. Everytime it rained or got windy, he felt pain. From this story we know Ngau Shu learned martial arts the hard way.

How did Chu Chong-Man learn from Ngau Shu? By chance. When he was just over 10 years old, his body was not healthy. His father knew martial arts was popular in Foshan. It was good exercise like sport andcould make you healthy but was also useful for defense. He wanted to go learn one system. One problem was that martial schools had people from everywhere and it was hard to know if the sifu’s behavior good or not. His elder brother, Chu Yee-Hon made sure he found a good teacher. By chance, his elder brother had a frined named Fok Yui, who was know as Jong Biu Yui. He liked martial arts had a rich family. His family had a big house in Foshan and he had money to martial arts. He learned from many famous teachers. Like the pole from Leung Sai-So, who Jong Biu Yiu had paid a lot of money to learn from. After that he’s paid a lot of money to learn kicking methods from another. By then, Jong Biu Yui thoungt nobody could match him in Foshan. His cousin was Ngau Shu. One time Jong Biu Yui and Ngau Shu compared methods and Jong Biu Yui failed. From then on, he followed Ngau Shu to learn Weng Chun. Chu’s elder brother heard this story, that Jong Biu Yui had learned a long time but failed to beat Ngau Shu, so thought Ngau Shu was first class.

By Mok Poi-On, New Martial Hero. Roughly translated from Chinese.

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Gulao (Pien San) Wing Chun

Pien San (Side Body) Wing Chun originates from the village where Dr.Leung Jan retired after leaving Foshan. Gulao was his home (a small village in Heshan province).Traditionally in Chinese culture the leading Kung Fu master of thevillage would teach the village youngsters in order that they would beable to protect their village from bandits and raiders who were prevalent at this time and would prey on the weaker villages. Like allstyles of Kung Fu this teaching had two purposes, one was to provide apractical fighting system that would allow the youngsters to defendthemselves and their loved ones. The second was to promote health inmind and body to allow the youngsters to live long lives. In additionwith the ability to deal out deadly techniques, there must be someresponsibility so the Master much teach the youngsters to be mature,responsible people.

Leung Jan therefore taught a method of Wing Chun that was different fromthe stylized approach he had previously taught in Foshan. It was quickand easy to pick up being made up of separate techniques (San Sao). Thatthe beginner could repeat in order to strengthen his body and use veryquickly in a fighting situation. Yet there was a lot more to Leung Jan’steaching than mere body movements. At a more advanced stage the studentwould realize that these San Sao actually encompassed all theunder-lying principles that make up Wing Chun. Once this was realizedthe student would be able to apply them with ease to any situation -including fighting with sticks, pole and knife.

Many people today fail to realize that Wing Chun is primarily a set offighting principles. The basic movements taught are merely a vessel tofocus these principles. Today many instructors teach like this, the movemust be done this way, rather than focusing on the principle behind themove. This will allow the student to learn much faster, and allow WingChun to become a part of themselves rather than a set of foreignmovements that a student must repeat with the hope that they may one dayassimilate them. This, I believe, was the original intention of LeungJan.

What then happened to this Pien San or Gulao Wing Chun, and what does ithave to do with the man who brought Wing Chun to England? Indeed, whowas the man who brought Wing Chun to England?

Wing Chun was brought to England towards the end of the 1950’s by myMaster, Lee Shing. Who’s first teacher was Fong Yee Ming, who himselfhad learnt from Wong Wah Sam who hadlearnt from Leung Jan. Lee Shing had a real interest in Wing Chun andwas a keen disciple who was interested immediately in researching allthe different styles of Wing Chun inspired by his knowledge of PienSan Kuen. He therefore, in his research, went on to study under FungSang who was one of the central points of Pien San Wing Chun, havingstudied under his father Fung Lim and his uncle Koo Siu-Lung (bothstudents of Wong Wah Sam). He then went on to learn from the famous Kung Fu master Ng Jung So, and later Jiu Wan. Please excuse me for the detailin this article but I try to maintain interest in the history of WingChun.

Even though the present of Wing Chun is more important than the past, itis important to know where your roots lie. This can give you an insightinto the reason: mg behind your art and the techniques used. Lee Shingeventually moved to Hong Kong where he met and trained with Lok Yiubefore being introduced to Yip Man in the 50’s before being allowed toopen up a school on Hong Kong island – with the opening ceremony beingconducted by Grandmaster Yip Man. It was at this time that Lee Shing met Yip Chun who had resumed his studies in Wing Chun. The two became firmfriends and henceforth when Yip Chun came to England, he would alwaysstay at Lee Shing’s home.

Lee Shing eventually moved to England and went on to teach many cur-rentday masters such as Joseph Chung, and was well respected by all Londonbased Kung Fu Masters; Nigel Fan, Eddie Yeoh, Tan Man Kun, How Bing Sam,Austin Goh and Joseph Man.

His syllabus comprised of the following Siu Lim Tao (little idea form) intended to give beginners an idea of the scope of Wing Chun, Chum Kiu(seeking the bridge) teaching how and when to make first contact, Biu Jee and Dai Lim Tao (big idea form). This is as important as Siu Lim Taoin that it encompasses the scope of Wing Chun but this time with theidea for the techniques to be used in all situations. The principles ofthe hands can therefore be applied to the feet, ie. Bong Gerk or whilst grappling.

The Form consists of the following 12 Handsets;

Siu Lim Tao
Dai Lim Tao
Sam Jheen Choi (Three finger jab)
Biu Choi (Charging/Thrusting punch)
Sap Jee Choi (Reverse meridian/Cross hand punch)
Dip Cheung (Double Butterfly Palm). Alternating low palm strikes.
Lan Kiu (Bar Arm bridge)
Teet Jee Chum Kiu (Iron Finger Sinking bridge). Back fist flowinginto low strike followed by low palm strike.
Tang Ma Biu Jee (Rising thrusting finger with phoenix eye).
Hok Bong (crane bong). Level Bong Sau, moving into side body withsimultaneous attack.
Wan Wan Yeu (Life after Death). Using the waist to lean back toavoid strikes detected late, then using the return waist power in thehand strike.
Fook Fu (Subduing the Tiger). Mixture b/w Gan and Fak Sau withphoenix eye.

Also included in the syllabus are Dai Bong (Low soft Bong), Fu Mei (lowstrike to the groin), Gwai Lung Na (double Lop Sau), Sam Bai Fut (Threebow to Buddha), Sam Jhin Chiu (Three arrow blow), Fan Kup Choi (uppercut), Lien Wan Fai Jeung (linked fast palms), and important principleslike the double bridge – double, Flicking Tan Sau with forward energy tobrige the Gap in Chum Kiu.

Pien San teaches you also how to modify these points depending on thesituation and how to combine them effortlessly in free flowingtechniques so that they are not static but flow freely along withcorrect footwork.

I would like to dedicate this article to the Wing Chun Family,especially of the Lee Shing lineage and I would also like tocommemorate the recent unfortunate passing away of one of the Lee ShingWing Chun Family, Nigel Fan, who has done a lot of work in film andtelevision programs as both a stuntman and actor. Always ready with ajoke, he would often drive to my school on his motorbike before we wouldgo off for a quiet meal with the rest of my indoor students – may herest in peace.