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Sheffield Wing Chun Centre, Martial arts, Kung fu, Yip Man, ip man

It is said that the Buddhist mistress Ng Mui of the Sui Lam (Shaolin) Monastery created Wing Chun System after seeing a fight between a fox and a crane. But the story goes back over 250 years during the reign of Yung-Cheng (1662-1736) of the Ching Dynasty. Soldiers of the Manchu Government during this period set fire to the Sui Lam Monastery with inside help and most of the monks, skilled in martial arts were killed or burnt to death. Only five monks escaped from this calamity. These included leaders of the five systems of Siu Lam, notably the Buddhist Mistress Ng Mui. They later went into hiding and organized secret societies for the purpose of over throwing the Ching Dynasty. Ng Mui was more tolerant towards the Manchu Government than her Kung-Fu brothers and want traveling about the country. At last she settled down in the White Crane Temple at Tai Leung Mountain. There, being seldom disturbed she practiced martial arts as she realized that one day she may need to defend herself from attacks of skillful Siu Lam defectors and the Manchu Government endevour to rid the history of the Siu Lam Monastery. She knew the difficulty of overcoming these defectors of Siu Lam as her knowledge of Kung-Fu theories and practice being equal to the defectors and worried, being a woman, that one day her strength would fail to strong male Siu Lam defectors. The only way to defeat them was to create a new fighting system that would overcome the existing Siu Lam techniques. The question were 'But What?' and 'how?' Her chance came when one day she witnessed a fight between a fox and a large wild crane. The fox ran around the crane in a circle with the intention of launching a fatal attack. The craned remained at the center of the circling fox turning all the time to face the fox. Each time the fox came to attack the crane with its paw, the crane would block the fox's paw with one of its wings and simultaneously counter attacking with its beak. Ng Mui was inspired by the fight and formed a new system incorporating her Siu Lam Kung-fu System of the Siu Lam Monastery. The new system was more flexible in movements consisting of three boxing forms and a set of Wooden Dummy Techniques for training purposes. The Siu Lam System was very rigid consisting of many movements and each movements were named after animals "Dragon and Phoenix Dance" and "Lion coming out from the cave". The new system retained all the practical fighting techniques and each movement were named according to how the each technique was delivered. Thus the term "Palm-up Arm" clearly indicating the motion of the hand and arm. More importantly, the former Siu Lam System paid too much emphasis on strength training. Ng Mui's new system of Kung Fu emphasized defeating your opponent with "methods" rather than with "strength". The methods employed were the secret to developing your strength in combat. Why was the system called "Wing Chun" and not "Ng Mui" since she developed it? Miss. Yim Wing Chun lived in the province of Kwangtung. Her father, Yim Yee, a disciple of the Siu Lam Monastery kept a Bean Curd Stall and the Buddhist mistress Ng Mui was a regular visitor to the Bean Curd Stall for her provisions (Monks are not allowed to eat meat or kill any living creatures. The systems of Kung Fu used by Monks were and are for self-defence only). Ng Mui knew Wing Chun very well and was aware of her problems with a local bully by the surname of Wong. Wong was infatuated with Miss. Wing Chun and was skilled in martial arts. He wanted her to be his wife and if she refused he would marry her by force. Miss. Wing Chun's father was too old and weak to fight and worried about this problem day after day. Ng Mui was determined to help Wing Chun in her predicament; not by beating the local bully herself, but to teach her the art of fighting under her guidance and under three years mastered the skill of Ng Maui's Kung-Fu System. Wing Chun was once again bothered by the local bully and challenged him to a fight. The local bully Wong saw this as a chance to win her for his wife and accepted. Wong was helplessly knocked down by Wing Chun and was never bothered again. Wing Chun continued to practice the new form handed down to her by Ng Mui. Wing Chun later married her fiancé Leung Bok Chau and taught him the Kung-Fu System. He later named the new system after his wife, Wing Chun. The technique continued to be passed on and much later the System passed to other disciples, notably Grandmaster Yip Man, his student the legendary Actor Bruce Lee, Grandmaster Yip Chun (Son of Yip Man), his student and master Samuel Kwok, his student and Sifu (teacher) Richard the founder of Sheffield Wing Chun Centre. It can thus be said that the Wing Chun System was passed on to us in a direct line of succession from its origin, Ng Mui Buddhist Mistress of the Shaolin Monatery. Wing Chun traing consists of the basic 3 forms: 1st form: Siu Lim Tao (little idea) 2nd Form: Cium Kiu (seeking the bridge) 3rd Form: Biu Tzi (thrusting fingers) There is also a Wooden Dummy Form and two weapons forms - butterfly knives and pole. Training follows the order of these forms to build up the high level of skill, knowledge and theories within Wing Chun. Along side this there is a practice called "Chi Sau" (sticky hands) technique which encompasses the hole Wing Chun System. Wing Chun owes its origin to Ng Mui, the Buddhist Nun, whom applied intelligence to overcome physical strength. The System of Wing Chun is ideal for women, children and all those who would benefit from the knowledge of self-defence. The form created by Ng Mui is simple and flexible and unlike other martial arts that take several years to master its fundamental techniques, Wing Chun has only three basic techniques to learn. Originally the Ng Mui's system of kung-fu was kept secret until it was passed on to her disciple girl Yun Wing Chun. Later the system was passed on to later generations but still very secret to those that knew the system as it was never intended to be made public until Grand Master Yip Man inherited the system. 1st Form: Siu Lim Tao (Little Idea) Every beginner of Wing Chun Kung-Fu takes Siu Lim Tao as their fundamental training. If the beginner cannot gain a good foundation in the first form, the student will never be able to master the more advanced techniques that will be taught in the future. One of the most important characteristics of this form is to train the lower portion of the body. 2nd Form: Chium Kiu (seeking the bridge/arm seeking) The name refers to the technique that which aims at seeking the bridge arm of the opponent. This form is the intermediate boxing form. It is important that the student learns to defend before learning to attack. The art is to dissolve the opponent's attack by finding out, through practice and experience, the motives of the opponent's arm movements. Only by recognizing the arm movements can you offer defence. The Chum Kiu form is mainly for defence and in its application includes techniques of the body, steps, stances, elbows and the legs. The most important of these techniques you will learn is 'Bong-Sau'. 3rd Form: The Biu Tzi (thrusting fingers) Biu Tzi is Wing Chun's advanced form. This form was only taught to disciples of Wing Chun and in its tradition it was a guarded secret. Today however, this form is taught to all students having accomplished the first two forms. The form comprises of the technique using the hand, palm and fingers for attacking. The Muk Yan Form (wooden dummy) The wooden dummy techniques are for students having skillfully attained the techniques of the basic 3 forms mentioned above. There are 116 movements of which 16 are kicking movements, 8 for the left foot and 8 for the right foot. The wooden form is superior techniques and encompasses all the Wing Chun System. Students who learn it will overcome the opponent with technical skills rather than strength. CHI SAU (Sticky Hands) The most important part of Wing Chun training is the system called 'Chi-Sau' and the technique is practices in pairs. Its aim is to develop the student's reflex action so that other Wing Chun fighting techniques can be employed. Martial Arts are dangerous. The student who takes part in the practice of Wing Chun must at all times be responsible for his or her own safety. This is a contact sport and whilst we take every care in ensuring your training is safe, the student must understand that Wing Chun is a fighting system and that you are going to get hurt.