Three Forms – Part 6 The third part of Tsum Kìuh 尋橋 focuses on Jeun Máh 進馬 – Forward Step. Jeun Máh is attacking footwork, so we only use it when we are attacking or going to attack. Some people will say “Attack is the best form of defence.” I disagree with this. The best […]
Three Forms – Part 5 In the second form, Tsum Kìuh 尋橋, the first part teaches Jyún Máh 轉馬 – Turning Stance, turning left and right. In Jyún Máh we must turn on our heels and maintain the shoulder width distance between our feet. Many people turn on their toes and this creates different distances […]
Three Forms – Part 4 In Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭, we first learn develop Gūng Lihk 功力 – Internal Strength and then Faat Gihng 發勁 – Releasing Power. In the third part of the form we learn some basic techniques, like Tāan Sáu 攤手 – Opening Hand, Bóng Sáu 膀手 – Wing Hand, Fuhk Sáu伏手 […]
Three Forms – Part 3 The first form is Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭. This teaches us how to develop Gūng Lihk 功力 – Internal Strength, Faat Gihng 發勁 – Releasing Power and basic techniques. The most important part is the first part Gūng Lihk. In all of Wing Chun Gūng Lihk is the most important […]
Three Forms – Part 2 People asked Lèuhng Jan 梁贊 why shorter and simple was better, he said, “Shorter and simple techniques we can master better, and from the simple technique, we can go deeper and find may ways to use it.” Then one day Lèuhng Jan said to his students, “Wing Chun has three […]
Three Forms – Part 1 Most people would know that in Wing Chun there are only three bare hand forms. The first is Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭, the second is Tsum Kìuh 尋橋 and the third is Bīu Zī 標指. We only have these three forms. We do not have four, five or six forms. […]
Crooked Nail Part 3 When you begin to study Wing Chun, you will be impressed by all the movies, internet videos, books and articles on it and they will make you think or is powerful and fast. It is true, Wing Chun is powerful and fast, but in order to reach that level you need […]
Crooked Nail Part 2 When we are learning Wing Chun there are always three levels we need to go through. They deal with the basics, the detail, and the energy of the technique. The basic level we must do slowly, take our time and enjoy it. Then we come to the details and we need […]
Crooked Nail Part 1 Whenever we learn any Wing Chun skill, we must practise it in a proper way to develop correctly. One very common technique is Tāan Dá 攤打. In Tāan Dá, one hand performs Tāan Sáu 攤手 and the other hand is a punch, so we are blocking and hitting at the same […]
Kung Fu – Part 11 In the end we need to ask ourselves why we want to learn Kung Fu or martial arts. Is it for self- defence or for competition? If it is for self-defence then we should be able to use it when we get older, even in our 60’s, 70’s or 80’, […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 10 Of all the skills I have learnt, Wing Chun Kyùhn 詠春拳 is my main fighting skill, then comes Tàijíquán太極拳. This I find very natural when applying fighting skills. Actually do not fight, I only practise Chī Sáu 黐手 with my students in every Wing Chun lesson and Tuī Shǒu […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 9 Although we learn Kūng Fū 功夫, we might not need to use it, or if we do it might happen so quickly that we are not expecting it. When I was a policeman in Hong Kong, I was once patrolling in the Hong Kong Underground, which is called the […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 8 When I was young, I had a few fights. They were with friends, as we knew each other, or friends of friends. We fought, but we never hurt each other. My first fight was with a classmate’s friend who studied Taekwondo. We were both 14. I had just started […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 7 In the Hong Kong in the 1950s and 60s a famous student of Ip Man’s 葉問 liked to challenge different styles of martial art. He was Wong Shun Leung 黃淳樑. The challenges would often take place on rooftops and two different styles of Kung Fu would come together to […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 6 If challenges were serious, a matter of life and death, then you could not have many of them as it is like playing Russian roulette. In the past, in China, opposing masters did not want to kill each other, they only wanted to test their skill. Usually there were […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 5 There was once a famous Xíng Yì Quán 形意拳 master. He as famous because his footwork was very good and he could move very fast. When he moved forward to attack, no one could avoid or escape him. People said you had to stay at least ten steps away […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 4 In the past, in China, challenge fights were very serious. However, sometimes they could be gentler, and this would be when the two master already knew each other and wanted the test their skills. In this situation, they would be gentler with their techniques or only hit with a […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 3 In the past, in China, if you were a well-known master, people would always come to challenge you. Usually, they would come to your school and if you did not have a school then, they would come to your home. If they were serious, they would send you a […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 2 When we become very good in martial arts, people want us to compete against others. You might even want to do this yourself. Nowadays, there are a lot of martial arts competitions held in a ring or a cage. In these competitions, to stop the competitors killing or seriously […]
Kūng Fū 功夫 – Part 1 In China there are over a thousand styles of Kūng Fū功夫. China has over 5000 years of history and human beings have always fought, and whoever had the better skill or was more powerful gained the most benefit. This is part of nature. Nowadays, martial arts are different, in […]
108 Movements – Part 5 If nine represents space and 12 represents time, space and time together 9×12 = 108. This is the reason we use 108 movements. Numbers are energy, the situation, the success or failure, the balance. It is like when we want to make a cake, we need the correct ingredients and […]
108 Movements – Part 4 Nowadays, virtually everyone knows that in the Chinese Calendar we have 12 animal years. Each year belongs to a different animal. This year, (2022) for example, is the Year of the Tiger. The Tiger is powerful and strong and so this is the energy of the year. Each animal has […]
108 Movements – Part 3 Wherever we stand there is always the front, back, left and right – four directions. Also, if we count the forty-five degree angle in-between each direction, it creates eight directions and so we have, north, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast. For Chinese we call this Baat Gwa […]
108 Movements – Part 2 The same could be true for Tsum Kìuh 尋橋 and Bīu Zī 標指. In Tsum Kìuh we repeat Jyún Máh 轉馬 -Turning Stance three times. Repeating three times is a very convenient number in Wing Chun, but six and nine times are also convenient numbers in many Chinese skills. Two […]
108 Movements – Part 1 According to my Sīfú 師父, Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準, all the forms in Wing Chun traditionally had 108 movements. However, today we only hear about the 108 movements in the Muhk Yàhn Jōng 木人樁 – Wooden Dummy form. So why did our Wing Chun Ancestors choose 108 movements? We all […]
Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 6 The fifth of the Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 is Mìuh Hín 苗顯 and unfortunately there is not much written about him in history or in stories. All the other ancestors, Ngh Mùih Sī Taai 五枚師太, Ji Sihn (Zhì Shàn) 至善, Fùhng Douh Dāk (Féng Dào Dé) 馮道德 and […]
Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 5 The frouth of the Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 is Baahk Mèih Douh Jéung (Bái Méi Dào Zhǎng) 白眉道長 – White Eyebrows Master. After the burning of Sīu Lam Jih (Shàolín Sì in Mandarin) 少林寺 – Shàolín Temple, Baahk Mèih escaped and settled at Ngòh Mèih Sāan (Ér Méi […]
Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 4 The novel Sing Chìuh Díng Sihng Maahn Nìhn Chīng (Shèng Cháo Dǐng Shèng Wàn Nián Qīng )聖朝鼎盛萬年青 – The Prosperity of Holy Dynasty Everlasting Youth, mentions the third of the Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 and this is Mountain’s Fùhng Douh Dāk (Féng Dào Dé) 馮道德. Fùhng Douh Dāk […]
Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 3 The second of the Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – is the Shàolín monk Ji Sihn (Zhì Shàn) 至善. Ji Sihn had a very high level of Shàolín Kung Fu 功夫 and he was a very senior monk within the Shàolín Temple. After the Shàolín Temple was burnt down […]
Shaolin Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 2 The first of the Siu Làhm Ngh Lóuh (Shàolín Wǔ Lǎo) 少林五老 Shàolín Five Ancestors, was Ngh Mùih Sī Taai 五枚師太. After the Shàolín Temple was burnt down by the Qing Government 清政府, she escaped to Sei Chyūn Sáang (Sìchuān Shěng) 四川省, Da Liang Shan (Mountain)大涼山. Whilst she […]
Shaolin Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 1 The Siu Làhm Ngh Lóuh (Shàolín Wǔ Lǎo) 少林五老 – Shàolín Five Ancestors, were first known because of a Chinese novel written in 1893 called, Sing Chìuh Díng Sihng Maahn Nìhn Chīng (Shèng Cháo Dǐng Shèng Wàn Nián Qīng)聖朝鼎盛萬年青 – The Prosperity of Holy Dynasty Everlasting Youth, which […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 33 The second knee technique is Gwaih Sāt 跪膝. Gwaih 跪 mean kneel down, like when we kneel down on one knee. Gwaih Sāt we push our knee down and inwards. We use it when we have an inside contact with our opponent’s lower leg and so we are very close […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 32 After learning all the kicking techniques, we now need to work on the knee techniques. Knee is Sāt 膝 in Cantonese. There are three types of knee techniques. The first is Díng Sāt 頂膝. Díng 頂 means to go forwards against (something). So Díng Sāt means the knee goes forwards […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques – Part 31 Ngāu Geuk 勾脚, means Hooking Kick. This means the technique is used to hook the opponent’s kick or leg. For example, we can block their kick with Bóng Geuk 膀腳 – Wing Leg, and then we can circle around their leg and use the back of our lower leg […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques – Part 30 Hyūn Geuk 圈脚, like Hyūn Sáu 圈手 – Circle Hand, so Hyūn Geuk is Circle Leg. With any circling technique there is always an inward circle and an outward circle, like with Hyūn Máh 圈馬 – Circle Step, where we have Ngoih Hyūn Máh 外圈馬 – Outside Circle Step […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 29 Some people are easily confused by Bóng Geuk 膀脚 and Gāan Geuk 挌腳 as their positions look very similar. In both techniques we lift the thigh up to about waist level on the lower leg is down. With Gāan Geuk, the knee is in, and the body is turned to […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 28 Of the four directions for kicking, Dāng Geuk 蹬脚 and Jāk Geuk 側脚, front kick and sidekick, are the most obvious and so the most common. We can use these kicks quite easily, especially when we use Laap Sáu 擸手 and Páak Sáu 拍手 to defend and control our opponent. […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 27 There are four directions that we can kick to. The front kick is Dāng Geuk蹬脚- extend with power (Faat Gihng 發勁) kick. Kicking out to the side is Jāk Geuk側脚 – side kick, kicking in from the side is Páak Geuk 拍脚 and kicking backwards is Hauh Dāng Geuk後蹬脚. This […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 26 Páak Geuk 拍脚 is like Páak Sáu 拍手 – Slapping Hand, and so Páak Geuk is Slapping Leg. If our opponent throws a straight punch at us we can use Páak Sáu to slap it away. It is the same idea with Páak Geuk only when they kick at us. […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 25 Bóng Geuk 膀脚 is like Bóng Sáu 膀手 – Wing Hand, so Bóng Geuk is Wing Leg, where the leg is just like Bóng Sáu. The correct position of Bóng Geuk should be the knee is out and higher than the ankle, the same as in bong so where the […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 24 Cháai Geuk 踩脚 has another function of that is a bit like Laap Sáu 擸手 – Grasping Hand, but using the foot instead of the hand. We sometimes us Laap Sáu to hold on opponent in that position and we can also do this with our foot. In this case […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 23 Cháai Geuk 踩脚 will be the next technique we will look at. Cháai 踩 means to stamp on and so Cháai Geuk means stamping leg. We use it to stamp on our opponent’s foot and it can hurt them quite a lot, particularly as some martial arts like to train […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 22 Gāan Geuk 挌脚 is like Gāan Sáu 挌手. Gāan 挌 means block, so with Gāan Sáu we use the hand to block, but with Gāan Geuk we use the leg. We perform Gāan Geuk by lifting the leg with the knee bent and the knee in (closer to the Centre) […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 21 During Chī Sáu or a fight, we might make contact with our opponent’s leg, with one of our legs. This is also Jip Geuk 接脚. Once we have contact, we must attack as the position is so dangerous, because we are so close. Whoever attacks first will win, however, we […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 20 With Jip Geuk 接脚, we can also contact with the inside of the foot, this means at the big toe area. If this happens then we are even closer to the opponent. So as before, if we feel our foot is in contact, then we must attack first with our […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 19 When we contact our opponent’s foot, outside edge to outside edge, small toe to small toe, this is Jip Geuk 接脚 and we need to pay close attention to our opponent as we are so close to them. We cannot see what they are doing to our leg as we […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 18 Jip Geuk 接脚 is the next technique. Jip 接 means contact, so Jip Geuk means Contacting Leg. When we are fighting, or during Chī Geuk 黐腳 – Sticking Leg or even during Chī Sáu 黐手 – Sticking Hands one leg can make contact with one of the opponent’s legs. This […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 17 Now we look at Hauh Dāng Geuk 後蹬脚. Hauh 後 means behind, so Hauh Dāng Geuk is a behind or backwards Dāng Geuk or a back extension kick. So this kick is like Dāng Geuk only we kick behind. With a normal Dāng Geuk we kick using the heel, with […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 16 When we practise Chī Geuk 黐脚 – Sticking Leg, there are many kinds of Lìhn Wàahn Geuk 連環脚. All Chī Geuk begins with both partners in Bóng Geuk 膀脚. One partner attacks the other using Dang Geuk蹬脚, or we can use Bóng Geuk膀脚, then Páak Geuk 拍脚 to slap the […]
Twenty-Four Leg Techniques Part 15 Lìhn Wàahn Geuk 連環脚 can also be used to control our opponent whilst we kick them. For example, while we are in close range and our hands are in contact with our opponent, we can us Laap Sáu擸手 to hold the opponent’s hands then we can use Dang Geuk蹬脚 to […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 14 Lìhn Wàahn Geuk 連環脚 is the next technique we will look at. Lìhn 連 means connect to another or one links to another. Wàahn 環 means ring. So Lìhn Wàahn 連環 means one ring connected to another ring, connected to anther ring and to another etc. So many rings connected […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 13 As we have seen, Hyūn Máh 圈馬 has Noih Hyūn Máh 内圈馬 and Ngoih Hyūn Máh 外圈馬. Noih Hyūn Máh circles inwards and Ngoih Hyūn Máh circles outwards. In Wing Chun, all circles like in Hyūn Sáu 圈手 have Noih Hyūn- inwards circles and Noih Hyūn – outwards circles. Likewise, […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 11 Now we come to Hyūn Máh 圈馬. Hyūn 圈 means circle and this is the same as in Hyūn Sáu 圈手. Máh 馬 means horse, but in Kung fu 功夫, when we talk about Máh we are referring to the stance or footwork. So Hyūn Máh means Circling Footwork. At […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 11 In Bīu Geuk 標脚, Biu 標 is the same as in Bīu Zī 標指, and means thrust so thrust so Bīu Geuk means Thrusting Leg. When we use Bīu Zī means Thrusting Fingers and we thrust our finger to our opponent’s eyes, or vulnerable parts like throat. In Bīu Geuk […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 10 Now we come to Johk Geuk 鑿脚. Johk 鑿 means hammer down, so Johk Geuk means Hammer Down Leg. Which part of our leg is like a hammer? The answer is our heel. We can use Johk Geuk to hammer our heel down on our opponent’s foot, which is very […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 9 The next technique is Muht Geuk 抹脚. Muht 抹 means wipe and so Muht Geuk means Wiping Leg, like wiping a window, this kick however, wipes down the opponent’s leg. We first see this kick in Section 8 of Mòh Jōng 磨樁 – Polishing Dummy. To use Muht Geuk we […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 8 When we place our leg behind our opponent’s and use Jaht Geuk 窒脚 together with Jihk Jéung 直掌 to their chest, the technique will be very powerful. We can also use Jihk Jéung to push their chin, as well as their chest, and with Gahm Sáu 㩒手 holding their arm, […]
24 Leg Techniques Part 7 To use Jaht Geuk 窒脚, we need to be very close to our opponent. Then we will be able to put or leg behind their leg and suddenly straighten it. The Jaht Geuk together with our Jihk Jéung 直掌 to their chest and our Gahm Sáu 㩒手 on their arm […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 6 Jaht Geuk 窒脚 is the next Wing Chun leg techniques we will look at. Jaht 窒 means jerk and so Jaht Geuk means Jerking Leg. We can see this techniques in the section 7 of the Muhk Yàhn Jōng 木人樁 – Wooden Dummy. Here we use Gahm Sáu 㩒手 […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 5 Jāk Geuk 側脚 is the next kick we will look at. Jāk側 means side. So Jāk Geuk is Side Kick. The Side Kick is very powerful, and we have this technique in the Muhk Yàhn Jōng 木人樁 – Wooden Dummy. We stand with our ankle facing the opponent and […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 4 The second leg technique is Cháan Geuk 鏟脚. Cháan 鏟 means shovel, so Cháan Geuk means Shovel Leg. This technique is opposite to Dāng Geuk 蹬脚. Dāng Geuk is used when the opponent is still and we move to them, Cháan Geuk, on the other hand, is used when […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 3 1 Dāng Geuk 蹬脚 Dāng 蹬 means to extend the arm or the leg with force. Geuk 脚 means leg. Therefore, Dāng Geuk 蹬脚 means to extend the leg with force, so of course, this is a kick. Dāng Geuk is a front kick where we lift up the […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 2 When our hand techniques, stance and footwork are good enough, then we can begin to learn the kicking techniques. So far, we have discovered 24 Leg Techniques within Wing Chun. Over the history of Wing Chun some kicking techniques may have different names, but they are actually the same. […]
24 Leg Techniques – Part 1 When we study Wing Chun, most of its will concentrate on our hands. However, this is not right, we should first concentrate on our legs, though this does not mean thinking about kicking. To begin with we should think about our stance and footwork. Good stances will bring up […]
Ip Man 葉問 One Against Many – Part 5 All the gangsters had been beaten and some had even been thrown into the water. A crowd of people had gathered around to watch Grandmaster Ip Man葉問 take on this local gang. Some of them had been victims of this gang and so they were happy […]
Ip Man 葉問 One Against Many Part 4 All the gangsters heard Ip Man demand an apology and the man who had spilt soup on Ip Chun began to laugh and then the rest of the gang joined in. Ip Man knew that these people would not take him seriously, so he quickly walked up […]
Ip Man 葉問 One Against Many – Part 3 The passengers on the ferry gradually disembarked, including Ip Man 葉問 and the gangsters, who were laughing and joking with each other. They acted as if they could do anything and that no one would dare to challenge and stop them. They were wrong! Just near […]
Ip Man 葉問 One Against Many Part 2 Ip Man 葉問 reacted as any father, who seeing someone spill hot liquid on his five year old son face would react. Ip Chun 葉準 could have been very badly burnt! Ip Man right the way took out his handkerchief to clear up the soup on his […]
Ip Man 葉問 One Against Many Pt 1 Around 1929, there was a festival in Foshan 佛山, China and so there were many different people travelling from one place to another. There was a very famous temple near Foshan and so many Foshan people would go to visit it. However, the only way to get […]
Ip Man’s 葉問 One Leg Stance On one occasion, Ip Man 葉問 was teaching a class, when one of the students asked him why Wing Chun only concentrates on hands and not on the legs. Ip Man smiled. He then put his weight on his left leg and lifted his right leg and extended it, […]
Ip Man Kicks a Thief One day, Ip Man 葉問 was taking a walk, in Hong Kong, with one of his students, Tsui Shong Ting 徐尚田. There was another man, who they did not know, walking towards to them. The man got very close and as he bumped passed Ip Man, he used a small […]
Ip Man Grabs the Pistol When Ip Man 葉問 was living in Foshan 佛山, his family were so rich that he did not have to work and so he had a lot of social time. He enjoyed meeting his friends and going sight-seeing. One Autumn, Ip Man went to a public function with some lady […]
How Many Bóng Sáu 膀手? Pt3 So far, we have seen that traditionally there are three kinds of Bóng Sáu 膀手. The normal Bóng Sáu, which is soft, and Chìhn Bóng Sáu 前膀手 and Wàahng Bóng Sáu 橫膀, which are both hard. Then I invented another Bóng Sáu which I call Chèunhg Bóng Sáu 長膀手 […]
How Many Bóng Sáu 膀手? Pt2 So far, we have seen that traditionally there are three kinds of Bóng Sáu 膀手. The normal Bóng Sáu, which is soft and Chìhn Bóng Sáu 前膀手 and Wàahng Bóng Sáu 橫膀, which are both hard. However, after over 40 years of experience, I have invented another Bóng Sáu […]
How Many Kinds of Bóng Sáu 膀手 We Have? Pt1 In Wing Chun, how many kinds of Bóng Sáu 膀手 do we have? Everyone knows that there is Bóng Sáu and Dai (Low) Bóng Sáu 低膀手, as we usually call them, these hare in Tsum Kìuh 尋橋. So, most people will say there are only […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 Pt 6 In the first section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭, we have Tāan Sáu 攤手, four Wuh Sáu 護手 and three Fuhk Sáu 伏手. Why do we have these numbers? The answer is that our Wing Chun ancestors have told us which techniques are the most important, […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 Pt 5 Once we Have opened our stance, when doing Siu Lim Tao 小念頭, we do not move it until we have finished the form. The main part of Siu Lim Tao is the first section, where we hold our position, relax, empty our mind and then just […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 Pt 4 Once we are in a relaxed position, our mind will start to relax as well. The brain will have more blood supply and so the mind will feel better. Now bad thoughts, stress, worry, that are caused by tension in the mind will disappear. As we […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 Pt 3 When practising the first section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭, many people find it hard to relax and empty the mind. The meaning of Síu Lihm Tào is minimising the thoughts. Siu小 manes small, Lim 念 means thinking, and Tao 頭 means head. Lim Tao 念頭 […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 – Pt2 When performing Tāan Sáu 攤手 in the first section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭, the most important part is holding the final correct position. Therefore you we can move the hand forward at any speed we feel, but it should still be slowly. Then at the […]
First Section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 – Pt1 Many of you might know that when we do the first section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 we should perform it very slowly. But how slow should we be? This depends on how slow you can go and how long you want to do the form […]
Kwán Sáu 綑手 and Gāan Sáu 挌手 pt4 As we have seen, Kwán Sáu 綑手 moves from the inside to the outside, that is to come out from the centre of the body. Gāan Sáu 挌手 moves from the outside in. Kwán Sáu is applied when the hands are in contact and Gāan Sáu is […]
Kwán Sáu 綑手 and Gāan Sáu 挌手 pt3 In the Muhk Yàhn Jōng 木人樁 – Wooden Dummy we have three basic techniques. They are Kwán Sáu 綑手, Gāan Sáu 挌手 and Hyūn Sáu 圈手. All three of these hands use energy, Faat Gihng 發勁 and Jyún Máh 轉馬. We must always remember training is different […]
Kwán Sáu 綑手 and Gāan Sáu 挌手 pt2 When we practise Kwán Sáu 綑手 on the Muhk Yàhn Jōng 木人樁 – Wooden Dummy, we hit the dummy quite hard. In the technique the Bóng Sáu 膀手 is lower and the Tāan Sáu 攤手 is normal. What kind of Bóng Sáu do we use in Kwán […]
Kwán Sáu 綑手 and Gāan Sáu 挌手 pt1 In Wing Chun there are two very famous techniques, one is Kwán Sáu 綑手 and the other is Gāan Sáu 挌手. If you look at all the Wing Chun techniques, you will see they mostly come in pairs. Kwán Sáu and Gāan Sáu are a pair. This […]
Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌 – Part 5 What is Ngun Jéung 䟴掌? Have you ever seen someone sitting on a chair and shaking one of their legs up and down? This movement is Ngun 䟴. However, it is not just shaking, it is also a kind of […]
Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌 – Part 4 In the second section of Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 we have Yauh Yan Jéung 右印掌, Jó Yan Jéung 左印掌, Hauh Yan Jéung 後印掌 and Chìhn Yan Jéung 前印掌. So, we have left, right, back and front Yan Jéung. I have […]
Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌 – Part 3 If someone was to throw a punch at us, we will often use Páak Sáu 拍手 to block it. After we have blocked it we will often also hold on to their hand before we strike back. If we are […]
Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌 – Part 2 Now we will take a look at Gahm Sáu 㩒手. We see this technique in the third part of Tsum Kìuh 尋橋, where the palm strikes down. “Gahm 㩒” means “To hold on to something”. It is like putting a […]
Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌 – Part 1 Wing Chun has a number of palm techniques, which look very similar and have similar sounding names, like Yan Jéung 印掌, Jihk Jéung 直掌, Gahm Sáu 㩒手, Ngun Jéung 䟴掌, so what is the difference between them? If we look […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 8 The following is being shared as a reference to the training methods, however you should not attempt any of the following methods without proper tuition from a qualified Tse Qigong Centre Wing Chun instructor. After the initial training, the legs are […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 7 After practising our Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁, our legs will become stronger, this usually takes about one month. However this must be regular, daily practise and 15 to 30 minutes of Síu Lihm Tào […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 6 We can also practise the Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 in this same way. To do this we should hold the position, as we do in Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭. Now extend one hand forwards into the Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 5 Doing Siu Lim Tao on one leg will develop our balance so that when we kick we will be very stable and our one leg stance will be strong. Standing on both legs, when doing Siu Lim Tao will develop the […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 4 When using Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 or Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁, how do we create a powerful punch? The question here is how do we Faat Gihng 發勁? Training Faat Gihng takes times, it can even take years of […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 4 The advantage of Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 is not that the most powerful. Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 is more powerful. However, in a fight, whoever can hit their opponent first has the most change of winning the fight. So […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 3 The question is, which one is more powerful, Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 or Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁? The answer is Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng. Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng can injure people very badly. This is because the tight fist […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 – Part 2 In Wing Chun we have both Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁. For Wing Chun, in particular, we must have both opposite ways. Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng is normal and it is powerful, but it takes […]
Chèunhg Kìuh Faat Gihng 長橋發勁 and Dyún Kìuh Faat Gihng 短橋發勁 Wing Chun has a special way of doing Faat Ging 發勁. It is commonly known as the One Inch Punch, Chyun Gihng 寸勁. This is what Bruce Lee called it when he introduced his Wing Chun power to the West. It was a spectacular […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 21 From 1965 to 1972, between the ages of 72 to 79, Ip Man 葉問 closed the Tao Kok Tsui 大角咀 school and most of the time he stayed at home in Tung Choi Street 通菜街, although still taught some close students, private classes and lessons. During this time […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 20 From 1957 to 1962, when Ip Man 葉問 was aged 64 to 69 years old, he moved to Lei Cheng Uk Estate, Sham Shiu Po 深水埗李鄭屋邨. This is where he lived and also taught Wing Chun from his home. The students who joined at this time were Mak […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 19 Ip Man 葉問 came to Hong Kong in 1949. He travelled from Foshan to Hong Kong via Macau 澳門, where he stayed for a few weeks. This was the first and only time he went to Macau and never returned. He was 56 years old. In 1950, when […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part – 18 Ip Man 葉問 could never have imagined that when he started teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu that it would become his life’s work and that it would bring him fame. He even had the most famous student in the world – Bruce Lee 李小龍! Ip Man had two […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 17 In 1945 the Japanese surrendered and the war was over. Ip Man 葉問 found a job as a plain clothed policeman and so he stopped teaching. His finances slowly got better and so his whole family started to have a better life. Ip Man worked around Foshan 佛山 […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 16 Jāu Chaan Yiuh 周燦耀 asked his brother to study with Ip Man 葉問. He said, “Gwōng Yiuh 光耀, Uncle Man’s Kung Fu is very good. If we can learn from him it would be good!” Jāu Gwōng Yiuh 周光耀 agreed. Chaan Yiuh knew that Ip Man liked his younger brother more, so […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 15 Ip Man 葉問 and his family lived in very bad conditions. They did not even have enough food to eat. To try and support all six members of his family, Ip Man sold or pawned anything of value to try and get money or food. In 1949, his […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part 14 In 1931, Japan invaded China and took over the north-eastern part of China which was the Manchurian area. On the 7 July, 1937 at Lú Gōu Qiáo (Lòuh Kāu Kìuh in Cantonese, Lu Gou Bridge) 盧溝橋, the Japanese Army claimed to have lost a soldier and wanted to search […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part 13 At that time, Wing Chun in Foshan was based on Ǹgh Juhng Sou 吳仲素. Other Wing Chun practitioners, like Yúhn Kèih Sāan 阮奇山 (1887-1956) and Yìuh Chòih 姚才 (1890-1956) also liked to go to Ǹgh Juhng Sou’s school to practise. Ip Man had returned from Hong Kong and since […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part 12 In 1909, Ip Man 葉問 was studying at St Stephens English School in Hong Kong. While he was there, his classmate, named Làih 黎, introduced him to Lèuhng Bīk 梁壁. Lèuhng Bīk was running a textile and clothing business in Hong Kong. Ip Man was happy to meet someone […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part 11 Chàhn Wàh Seuhn’s 陳華順 youngest student was Ip Man葉問. Ip Man began studying when he was only six years old. Chàhn Wàh Seuhn was already old and so he passed Ip Man on to his eldest student Ǹgh Juhng Sou 吳仲素. Ǹgh Juhng Sou’s father ran an earthenware shop […]
Wing Chun Family Tree Part 10 Lèuhng Jan 梁贊 had two sons, Lèuhng Bīk 梁壁 and Lèuhng Chēun 梁春. As I mentioned before, Lèuhng Bīk was interested in Kung Fu and Lèuhng Chēun was interested in Medicine. Though some people say Lèuhng Jan had five children where Lèuhng Bīk was the eldest and Lèuhng Chēun […]
Wing Chun Family Tree part 9 Lèuhng Jan 梁贊 liked Chàhn Wàh Seuhn 陳華順 a great deal. He not only taught him Wing Chun Kung Fu, but also taught him Chinese Medicine, and so Chàhn Wàh Seuhn then started to help treat patients in the clinic. Chàhn Wàh Seuhn only had 16 students. His first […]
Wing Chun Family Tree part 8 Lèuhng Jan’s 梁贊 most famous student was Chàhn Wàh Seuhn 陳華順. Chàhn Wàh Seuhn had the most studetns, his skill was very high and he earned respect as he had many challengers and defeated all of them. Chàhn Wàh Seuhn (1849-1905) was born in Guangdong Province 廣東省, Shun De […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – Part 7 Lèuhng Jan 梁贊(1826-1901), was a very good doctor of Chinese Medicine. He was so famous many people travelled far and near to see him for treatment. His clinic was called Wìhng Sāng Tòhng 榮生堂 (Rong Sheng Tang), which means Prosperity Living Clinic. This was good name, as everyone […]
Wing Chun Family Tree part 6 The opera company on the Hùhng Syùhn 紅船, Red Boat, went to Foshan 佛山, Guangdong 廣東 to perform and they were very successful and attracted a lot of people. There was a very famous Chinese doctor, named Lèuhng Jan 梁贊(1826-1901), in Foshan who also came to see the opera. […]
Wing Chun Family Tree pt 5 On the Hùhng Syùhn 紅船, Red Boat, there was a very good actor named Wong Wàa Bóu 黄華寶, and as Lèuhng Làahn Gwai 梁蘭桂 had been to see the opera so often he got to know Wong Wàa Bóu and got along with him very well. So Lèuhng Làahn […]
Wing Chun Family Tree part 4 Lèuhng Bok Chàuh梁博儔 had of course heard of his new wife’s Kung Fu and so on their wedding night he decided to test her. He was a strong man and he also knew a little Kung Fu, but of course he could not gain any advantage. The story goes […]
Wing Chun Family Tree pt 3 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 finished studying the new form of Kung Fu from her Sīfú Ng Mui Sitai 五杖師太 and then returned to Da Leung Shan 大涼山, but before she left she asked her Sīfú, “What is the name of this Kung Fu that I have learnt?” Ng Mui […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – part 2 Between 1704 – 1735 the Shaolin Temple 少林寺 was burnt down. One of the leader of was Shaolin Temple, Ng Mui Sitai 五杖師太. Ng Mui 五杖 was her Buddhist name and it means Five Pieces of Wood. Sitai 師太 is a title given to someone who has a […]
Wing Chun Family Tree – part 1 Whatever we are learning, we should ask ourselves, “What is it good for?” Those of us who are studying Wing Chun must have been inspired by someone else. Most people who take up Wing Chun today have seen Ip Man 葉問 1, 2, 3 and 4. They are […]
How Does a Lady Chī Sáu 黐手with a Man – part4 Often, a stronger man will like to use more force. So if they grab your hands and pull you in to punch you, you can find it very hard to go against them. The more you resist his pulling the harder he will be […]
How Does a Lady Chī Sáu 黐手with a Man – part 3 In Chī Sáu 黐手, when a man cannot easily hit a lady, because her footwork is good, he will start to use more force, like grabbing hold of her hands and using Laap Sáu擸手 . If you are that lady, then you should […]
How Does a Lady Chī Sáu 黐手with a Man pt2 In the beginning, when a lady learns how to Chī Sáu 黐手 with a stronger man, safety is the most important. In order to have this you must have good footwork and good sensitivity. So practising the Seven Star Footwork 七星步 often is crucial, and […]
How Does a Lady Chī Sáu黐手with a Man – Part 1 Ladies can often feel intimidated when they Chī Sáu 黐手 with a man. They often feel that they are not as good as the men, as the men are stronger, taller and have longer arms. So if you are a lady who feels like […]
Chī Sáu 黐手 with Beginners part 2 Sometimes senior students can be hit by beginners when they are doing Chī Sáu 黐手. Beginners can often just hit without thinking how vulnerable or how incorrect their technique is. This is because they think that is the way to Chī Sáu. Seniors who are not used to […]
Chī Sáu 黐手 with Beginners pt1 It is a lot of fun practising Chī Sáu 黐手 with beginners, this is because they do not how to use their energy well and so will use too much. This makes it more like fighting. Senior students are used to practising with opponents who know how to do […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 10 Finally Sīfú 師父 said, “I am very happy with this seminar we have had in China today. I have taught you everything I had planned. The most important thing is that you all practise and in the end you will be successful! Thank you, thank you!” Everyone gave […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 9 Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 got up from his chair and called for Tom to come up. He then told Tom to hold his Tāan Sáu 攤手 out and Grandmaster Ip Chun brought out his hand and contacted so they contacted each other at the wrist. Grandmaster Ip Chun […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 8 The next person to ask a question was Tom from Australia. He asked his Tai Sigong, “When I watched you Chī Sáu with Sigong (he is referring to me) and Siba (meaning Darryl) you looked very comfortable even when got very close to them. That is not like […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 7 The next person to ask Grandmaster Ip Chun葉準 a question was Radu. He said, “Sigong, I want to ask you about when you are defending with your Fāt Sáu 拂手, is your energy coming from your hand or your legs?” Grandmaster Ip Chun smiled and answered, “Everyone can […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 6 The next it came from Paul. He asked, “Tai Sigong, when I watched you Chī Sáu 黐手 your hands were often crossing over, Bóng Sáu 膀手 over Tāan Sáu 攤手 or Tāan Sáu over Bóng Sáu, and touching each other. How do you do this without getting hit?” […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 5 The next question came from Jordan. He asked his Tai Sigong, “When you Chī Sáu 黐手 with my Sīfú (Darryl) and Sigong (myself), what method do you use to handle them?” This was a very interesting question because Darryl is Jordan’s Sīfú 師父 and I am his Sigong […]
Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 4 Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 went on to say, “Wing Chun is no secret. You can see it and you can follow it. All you need is to practise more Chī Sáu 黐手and forms, and to think about it. Then eventually you will work out.” He then invited anyone […]
2019 Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 3 Grandmaster Ip Chun葉準 demonstrated the Fāt Sáu 拂手 and Jyún Máh 轉馬 and then invited everyone to try it. As he walked around the room he noticed that many students’ energy was not right even though they were repeating the techniques, this is because they needed more […]
2019 Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 2 After the Chī Sáu 黐手 Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 said,”I am 95 years old. At my age I am not as strong as both of them. They become tired I am alright. This is because they used energy while I did not. If I tried to use […]
2019 Grandmaster Ip Chun Seminar Part 1 In September 2019 I took 40 students to Loucun 羅村 in Foshan 佛山 to attend a seminar with my Sīfú 師父, Ip Chun 葉準, who had just celebrated his 95th Birthday with a big dinner party in Hong Kong. Our seminar was on the 21 September which was […]
Laaht Sáu 捺手 and Jaht Sáu 窒手 What is the difference between Laaht Sáu 捺手 and Jaht Sáu 窒手? They are quite similar and both are in the second section of Siu Lim Tao 小念頭 . Laaht Sáu 捺手 comes after Bīu Zī 標指, and Jaht Sáu 窒手 comes after Jám Sáu 枕手, Tok Sáu […]
Laaht Sáu 捺手 Laaht Sáu 捺手 is a technique found in Siu Lim Tao 小念頭, it comes after Bīu Zī 標指, when both hands quickly press down. Many people do not know the name of this technique. In February 2019 I saw my Sīfú, Ip Chun葉準, and asked him again to confirm (as he told […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 28 Yìhm Wig Chun 嚴詠春 and her father settled down on Da Leung Shan. The former bandits all had jobs and the whole village was safe and peaceful. Everyone was happy. One day Yìhm Yee turn to his daughter and said, “ I am still worried about one […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 27 Sadly Wing Chun 詠春 was right, she never saw her Sīfú, Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 again. Ng Mui Si Tai travelled across China to meet up with the other leaders of the Shaolin Temple, and together they began and rebellion against the Qing Government. Yìhm Wing Chun […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 26 Wing Chun 詠春 open the letter and looked at the bottom, it was signed by her Sīfú. Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 wrote, “My dearest student Wing Chun, meeting up was fate. I don’t have any other students you are the only one. I watched your family […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 25 Wing Chun 詠春 thought about it, “What should I do with all these people?” She asked herself. After a while had an idea and then said to them with a very serious look on her face, “I will be your leader, you will listen to me and follow […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 24 The sword swished down very fast towards Wing Chun’s 詠春 head, but she was even faster! She stepped back to the side and using Dāng Téui 蹬腿, she kicked the Leader’s front knee and at the same time used Yan Jéung 印掌 to palm the elbow of the […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 23 It was too fast! The Leader was struck twice on each side of his face! Fortunately for him he was strong and he did not fall, but his face was red! In a rage he swung his right arm across to Wing Chun 詠春 who stepped back […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 22 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 watched the Leader. He was taller and stronger than all the others bandits, but she knew what to do. Her Sīfú 師父, Ng Mui Si Tai五 枚師太 had told her, “When your enemy is bigger and stronger, do should not get too close […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 21 There were now six or seven injured bandits rolling in pain on the floor. The other three or four were too scared to move forwards. Fortunately for the injured bandits, Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 had not used the sharp edge of her Dōu 刀 to cut them, instead […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 20 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 looked around her, in front of her with the leader and behind her about 10 other gangsters all armed with weapons, swords, broadswords, even axes and sticks. This is what she had trained for, to be aware of everything surrounding her. She quickly […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 19 In a situation like this, Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 knew that she had to eliminate them quietly, one-by-one when they were not expecting it. She snuck up on each of them and using just one strike to the neck they each fell unconscious. Very quietly, Wing Chun entered […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 18 After those three months of hard training, Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 was now a different person. She was strong, clear minded, determined and she knew that she had to deal with this situation. The problem was the gang leader wanted to marry her and so she had […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 17 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 left her Sīfú 師父 and returned to Tai Leung (Da Liang) Shan 大凉山. She immediately went home to see her father, Yìhm Yee 嚴二, but as she approached she could immediately see that the house was damaged, broken furniture was scattered about and […]
Ng Mui Sitai 五枚師太 – Part 15 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 had trained very hard and her soul had grown to a high level. Ng Mui Sitai 五枚師太 very pleased with her and knew that she was good enough to deal with those gangsters! One morning Ng Mui Sitai called Wing Chun to her and said, “You have been […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 14 Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 also made Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 stand still in a wide open space. She would then make some sounds, some far away, some close and some very quiet to see if Wing Chun could hear her. Wing Chun had to train her […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 13 Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 observed Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 training. She had grown from a gentle, innocent, naive and weak girl into a strong, mature and alert lady. Although she was just 16 years old, these few months of training had changed her. It was now […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 12 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 practised day and night. First she stood, in order to develop her Gūng Lihk 功力 and footwork. Second, she practised all the forms, eventually learning Siu Lim Tao 小念頭, Tsum Kìuh 尋橋and Bīu Zī 標指. Third she recited all the poems relating to […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 11 The next day Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 followed her Sīfú 師父, Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太, to begin practising Kung Fu. Ng Mui Si Tai said, “Gūng Lihk 功力 is the most important thing and it comes from the stance. If you have good Gūng Lihk then […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 10 Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 repeated Ng Mui Si Tai’s 五枚師太 words and swore she would obey her Sīfú 師父 and be a good student. This is the traditional Chinese way. Sīfú and student perform a ceremony which is witnessed by Buddha or heaven and this creates a […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 9 Although Yìhm Yì h嚴二 was very worried about Ng Mui Si Tai’s 五枚師太 proposal, there was no other choice, and so he let his lovely daughter Yìhm Wing Chun 嚴詠春 follow Ng Mui Si Tai to White Crane Temple. White Crane Temple was very simple and very […]
Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 – Part 8 Seeing that something was wrong, Ng Mui Si Tai 五枚師太 asked Yìhm Yìh 嚴二 what was wrong. As Yìhm Yìh had come to know her well he told her the whole story. He said that there was a group of gangsters and the leader of the gangsters […]