Origin and Development of Wing Chun Kung Fu
By admin on 2014-12-16

Chinese character "Wing Chun Kungfu"

The origin of Wing Chun Kung Fu can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty of over 250 years ago. It was a time when 90% of the Chinese race were ruled by the 10% minority, the Manchus.  The Manchus placed a great amount of unjust law on the Han people.  For instance, the work opportunity of the Han people was restricted. They were unable to hold higher office in Government. Heavy tax burdens were placed on the country so that the Manchus could have economic control of the Han people. Kung Fu training was also banned for the Han people, however the Manchu Government was adopting the Han culture. They respected Buddhist sanctuary.

When all weapons were outlawed by the Manchus, the Han people began training a revolutionary army in the secret art of Kung Fu.  The Shil Lim Temple became the secret sanctuary for preparatory trainings of a classic style which took 15 to 20 years to master.

To develop a new form that takes shorter training time, five of China's grandmasters met to discuss the merits of various forms of Kung Fu.  By choosing the most efficient techniques from each style, they developed training programs that would develop an efficient martial artist in 5 to 7 years.  However before this new form could be put into practice, the Shil Lim Temple was raided and burned by the Manchus.

Ng Mui, a nun, was the only survivor of the original five grandmasters.  She passed her knowledge onto a young orphan girl whom she named Wing Chun.  The name represented "hope for the future".  In turn Wing Chun passed her knowledge on to her husband.  Through the years, the style became known as Wing Chun.  Its techniques and teachings were passed down to a few carefully selected students.

In 1950, Yip Man started to teach Wing Chun in Hong Kong.  One of his first students was the new Grandmaster, William Cheung, head of the World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association.