The North American
Wing Chun Association
Ying Gi Ga
Wing Chun Kung Fu
Wing Chun Information
What is Kung Fu?
As popular as the media and the movies have made various martial art forms, few people understand the real essence of the Arts (as the movie image and the real thing are rarely the same). Kung-Fu is the original and the oldest of the martial art forms and is the predecessor of martial arts as we know them today. In Kung-Fu the emphasis is on understanding what you learn as opposed to merely memorizing movements. This leads to greater proficiency and higher levels of comprehension and achievement.
History of Wing Chun?
Wing Chun, is relatively young style, can be traced back to the Ching Dynasty aprox. 350 years ago when the Manchus who made up about 10% of the population ruled the Hans who comprised the other 90% of the population. When weapons were banned by the repressive Manchu government, the Hans began organizing secret rebel groups within the Sil Lum (Shaolin) Temple. Because the classical animal styles of Kung Fu took 15-20 years to master it was necessary to develop a new style that would enable students to become proficient fighters in a much shorter time span. As the Manchu soldiers were often trained in classical kung-fu styles, it was important that this new style be designed to be effective in neutralizing the existing styles. Five masters pooled the knowledge of their respective styles in order to come up with a new, more economical style utilizing only the most effective methods of combat. Before they could teach anyone the new style a traitor within the temple opened the gates to Manchu soldiers and the temple was burnt to the ground. Only one Master, a Sil Lum Nun named Ng Mui escaped. She later passed her knowledge to a young orphan girl who she named Yim Wing Chun who shared this knowledge with her husband Leung Bok Cho. Through the years the style became known as Wing Chun Kung Fu.
How does the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu work?
In a real self defense situation chances are your opponent will be bigger than you, stronger than you, or both. It would be rare to see a small, weak person attack a larger, stronger person. Wing Chun teaches economy of energy and movement and believes in the importance of not confronting your attacker’s force directly. Instead, in Wing Chun you gain the ability to work around and with your attacker’s energy, working against his weakest point thereby turning the advantage to you, the Wing Chun practitioner.
Who can learn Wing Chun Kung Fu?
It is not important that you be a super athlete to learn Wing Chun. Its design makes this style attractive to men, women, and children alike. People of all ages are increasingly being drawn to this system for its health benefits, self-defense, practicality, development of confidence, and increased powers of concentration.