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Wing Chun History: Wing Chun is a system of martial arts developed in South China around 300 years ago. A Buddhist nun named Ng Mui (a master of Shaolin Kung Fu) used this knowlege to create an art that takes advantage of the weakness inherent in the shaolin systems, and uses the power of an opponent against them. www.chinawingchun.com Myth has it that the Abbot of the temple had Ng Mui incharge of looking after the goats and other animals for the temple. Included in this was the sheering of the goats coats for which the goat would have to be held securely between the sheerers legs. Thus developing a strong and stable stance which she used in her system, named "Yee Jee Keem Yeung Ma" literally transalted as "Goat clamping stance" this is used in the first form of Wing Chun - "Si Lum Tao" meaning "little idea". The system is designed so that weaker fighters to defeat the strong. The more power an opponent puts into an attack, the more they will be harmed. She passed on her skills to only a few very dedicated students. Her first student was named Yim Wing Chun who further developed the art. In 1949 Yip Man who was considered the Grand Master  of modern Wing Chun, brought the style out of China and into Hong Kong. This is where Yip Man passed on his Skills to Bruce Lee, Yip Chun and other famous Wing Chun Masters who have spread this amazing martial art all over the globe. It is today considered the most effective and practical form of martial arts, and practiced by thousands of schools all over the world. Click Here for Bruce Lee interview! - www.chinawingchun.com (then click image of Bruce Lee) Techniques: Wing Chun uses a vast range of close combat techniques. They are designed to be short, fast, and devastating. The emphasis is on relaxation for speed, fluidity, and sensitivity to anticipate an oponants attack. There are many 'drills' practiced in Wing Chun to help develop techniques, feel energy, and also to help a practioner's 'automatic reflexes' allowing you to react to an attack as soon as it happens, thus borrowing an oponents energy and turning it into a simultaneous attack. One of the main drills used in Wing Chun is called "Chi Sao" (known as sticky hands - can be seen above, Yip Man with Bruce Lee), students practice upper and lower structured arm movements in the art of 'rolling' hands with each other. Between positions 'Bong sao', Tan Sao' and 'Fuk Sao',  students will attempt simultaneous attacks on each other and learn to feel the energy of an oponant. As soon as an oponant breaks contact, or gives energy in a particular direction, this is used to leek through the opponants guard with a combination of attacks. Wing Chun uses low kicks designed to take away an opponants stance or severly injure them, going for knees, hips, the lower abdomen and the groin. A very useful tool in Wing Chun is the 'Wooden Dummy' which is used for range practice, kicks, strikes, and most of all power development. (click here for Wing Chun Demo! www.chinawingchun.com - then click the same image as above). Wing Chun is also known as Chinese Boxing, and sometimes spelt Ving Tsung or Wing Tsung. But however it is referred to, it is an extremely effective form of self defence, and becoming one of the most studied forms of Kung Fu in the world. Tai Chi Tai Chi is the study of internal energy, known as 'Chi'. It focuses on the symbol of the Yin Yang. It can be related to water, which is the softest yet most powerful substance on this earth. In Tai Chi the focus is that softness = power. (Yin/Yang). Many people practice Tai Chi every day for health reasons (especially the Chinese). It is not unusual to walk through parts of China in the morning/evening and see people practicing in parks, their homes or wherever they can. The belief is that everything has Chi - and that you can live for a long time with out food, not so long without water, but you cant live 2 seconds without Chi. Besides having amazing uses for your mind, health, and long life... it is also a devastating and brutal martial art. (Again, Yin and Yang - it can be used to harm or heal), Using vital acupuncture points and energy channels in the body - Tai Chi can be a very applicable fighting art. But to use it in this way takes many years of practicing the steps and focusing on the applications, Many Masters have stated that after a long time of practicing Tai Chi, an unexplainable feeling is adopted when performing the movements, and attacks can be anticipated and dealt with in an extremely fast and efficient way.  Moves are performed slowly and fluidly, all of your body should move in one motion, and you should try and 'catch the feeling'. After developing internal energy, your power output for whatever art you practice will be immense! Mantis Mantis Fist has several hundred years of history. It is unique and excellent, absorbing the theory of Yin Yang, hard and soft .
Mantis Fist emphasises movements to resemble the physical form of Mantis, especially taking its brave spirit, the alternation between the upward and downward movements, and coordinating the internal and external movements.  It is useful for short-range and long-range attacks. Hand, step and leg techniques are often used together in order to create an effective offensive and defensive ability. The movements are stable, agile and fast, with abundant and abrupt changes, hard but not stiff, soft but with power, fast but without disorder. The movements keep complete positions for different situations. Mantis Fist uses power abruptly and fast, tense and loose, while flexible.
Mantis fist imitates the Mantis front claw, so it is simply named Mantis Claw. The main hand techniques include hook(gou), embrace (lou), grab (cai), defence with Mantis hook (gua), wind (chan), chop (pi), collapse(beng), cut(jie), etc  The main steps include empty step, four and six step, jade ring step. The main step techniques include slippery step, following step, triangle step, arrow step, etc. The body techniques mostly develop around the hand and arm, moving in an arc, a circle, winding inward or outward, and spinning, the waist coordinates with the body and limbs through continuously twisting, wrenching, winding, and turning. The available power is great, as hard and soft is able to move in four directions, including upward and downward spirals. Traditionally, it is seen as soft as a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water, and a butterfly flying across the flowers. It is brave and fierce like a tiger going down hill, like a dragon exploding out from water. It is fast like lightning in the nights sky; it is stable like a mountain when still. The movements employ Yin and Yang aspects, the power is trembling, with continuous movements. It combines both attack and defence, using fist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and foot, often leaving no way for the opponent.  Hung Gar Hung Gar (or Hung Kuen), is a southern style of Chinese Kung Fu. Many films like 'Once Upon on a time in China' - About the legendary Wong Fei Hung have been based on this style (literally meaning Hanging Fist). www.chinahungkuen.com Foshan (in Guangdong province - South China) is famous for this style and many films have been based here.  The Style was named after a Zen Master of the Shaolin temple Hung Hei Gun - a tea merchant by trade. He was born in Fujian but brought this style to Foshan, after the Shaolin temple was destroyed by Qing forces in that dynasty. Hung Gar is just as much an internal art as it is external. There is a big emphasis on the development of Qi, which is incorporated in different patterns and exercises. Click Here to watch Jet Li who played Wong Fei Hung in Once upon a Time in China! - www.chinahungkuen.com (then click image of Jet Li) External practises include the 5 animal styles: 1 - Dragon - which enhances flexibility and fluidity 2 - Tiger - for strengthening bones 3 - Snake - for pressure points and development of Qi 4 - Crane - to develop a strong foundation and faster movements 5 - Leopard - which is to develop power and speed Chiu Chi Ling  A famous actor who has been in many films, teaches Hung Gar. You can see him in the latest film Kung Fu Hustle. The rings you can see on his fists are a classic Hung Gar training technique Click Here for Chiu Chi Ling Hung Kuen Demo - www.chinahungkuen.com (then click Chiu Chi Image) "Hung Gar is an amazing art and helps to develop your mind, your body and your spirit". (More information on all the other Styles will be added shortly. Thank you) |
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