Ever since you can remember, I’m sure you have been told about the importance of warming up before engaging in sports and strenuous physical activity. You’ve probably been told that a proper warm up will decreasing the likelihood of injuries such as pulling a muscle or getting a cramp.

In the past, we all were told to stretch when warming up. Now many athletic trainers are saying that stretching is an “old school” mentality and should not be done when the body is cold. It is now said that stretching should be done after the workout. The new mentality for warming up with many trainers is more along the lines of light activity to get a slight sweat going to get the body warm.

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We emerged from the Prince Edward Station onto the crowded streets of Kowloon just as the sun was beginning to set. Working our way through the heavy traffic, both human and automotive, framed beneath a patchwork sky of ever-glowing store signs, With the smell of the many restaurants, cafes, noodle & snack shops, and food stalls filling the air, we headed towards Sham Shui Po.

“There,” my friend said after a goodly walk, “do you see his sign?”

Following my friend’s gaze, I looked down the street, straining to see what he had seen. I could read some Chinese, especially martial terms and those proper names I was familiar with, but there were simply too many signs, too much clutter, to sort out. “I see hundreds of signs,” I replied with a grin.

“The red one,” he added, pointing to a large mosaic of color down the street, perhaps wondering why I hadn’t caught it earlier.

As we got closer, I finally made it out – “Guangzhou Taiji Wing Chun Institute” and just below, standing out from the rest of the line by size of print “Kwok Wan-Ping”.

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Sum Nung had already been learning wing chun kuen for many years when Dr. Wai Yuk-Sang called him. Dr. Wai had been in service of the Nationalist Army. He had learned wing chun kuen from the classmate of the young man’s current teacher, Yuen Kay-San, had taught the art to the young man’s first teacher, Cheung Bo, and had taught medicine to the young man personally. He had been famed for his skills as a doctor and his skills as a fighter, especially his amazing talent with the gold coin darts. That was then. Now, the old man had had a change of heart, a change of life. He had shed his former existance, embraced the teachings of the Tao, and become a priest. When Sum Nung answered Dr. Wai’s call, he found his martial grand-teacher deeply concerned. Dr. Wai had come to regret having taught the martial arts. He felt that what he had passed on may be used to harm or even kill others and that thought his new-found faith could not bear. Sum Nung tried to reasure his grand-teacher, saying he had never, nor would he ever, gravely injure, let alone kill anyone. Dr. Wai knew this and took a measure of comfort in it, but pointed out that as his art was passed down and more and more people learned it, it became impossible to know what may eventually happen. Although Dr. Wai knew he could not unteach what he had already taught, he did think that perhaps he could help balance the scales. Hence, Dr. Wai taught Sum Nung the kidney breathing returns to source set and instructed him to perform it both before and after his wing chun kuen practice, so that the art of fighting would always be contained by the art of healing.

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Yueju (Yuet gak, Cantonese opera) companies of the mid-19th century were broadly divided into waijiang ban (ngoi keung ban, outside the province companies) and bendi ban (bun dei ban, local companies). The former encompassed those groups funded by the gentry and used at official functions. The latter, wandering companies like the Hongchuan Xiban (Hung Suen Hei Ban, Red Junk Opera Company).

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H20 is ice and water and steam.

Qi is air and breath and vital essence.

While we often look at facets, a step back can reveal a more interesting and complex whole.

In China, there’s a recognized tradition of ‘Wild History’. This is the history of folk-story, of Wuxia. This Wild History can include figures from real history, for example famed generals, emperors, founders of martial arts, but can re-imagine them in sometimes very different ways. The emperor of Qing could have secretly been switched at birth with a Han baby. The legendary founder of Taiji could have been a Qi-vampire.

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Wing Chun kuen san ying (body structure) strives to achieve several important goals. It works off simple, natural, geometrical shapes that can be reflexively assumed and easily maintained, even during stressful situations like combat (where more complicated mechanics can break down). Utilizing the concepts of the meridian line, the body is positioned so that it closes off direct access, obstructing the opponent before they begin (increasing the effort and time it takes for attacks). This skeletal alignment also naturally disperses incoming force, reducing the need for muscle movement (making responses faster and less tiring). These enable the practitioner to work as little as possible while forcing the opponent to work as much as possible.

While each individual motion will have its own unique characteristics, there are several overall structural principles that can generally be applied to most movements. It should be remembered that positions are always relative and depend on the build of the individual involved.

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The hui (wui, societies) encompassed groups organized for a range of goals, from mutual-aid and protection, to criminal enterprise and predation, to cult expansion and rebellious sedition. They were distinguished by their drawing of members with different surnames, lack of regard for traditional hierarchies, and their practice of initiation involving blood-oath.

The Evolution of the Societies

The origins of the hui are found in equal parts fact and fiction. Historically, elements of the societies can be traced as far back as the Tang dynasty when local villages formed yishi (associations of adopted social groups formed from above) for the pooling of funds (for the purchase of equipment and livestock, and the paying of funerals and child birth related expenses).

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Many systems have used the name Foshan Wing Chun Kuen in their marketing. This has come about in large part due to the popularity of Yip Man’s Wing Chun Kuen and its sometimes classification as “Hong Kong Wing Chun Kuen”. None of these geographical names, however, properly serve to illustrate their diversity of Wing Chun Kuen.

Foshan (Fushan or variously Futsan, Fatshan, etc. in Cantonese) is the modern birthplace of Wing Chun Kuen. In fact, almost all modern Wing Chun Kuen can be traced back to this town in China’s Guangdong province. How did Foshan come to be home to so many Wing Chun masters? The answer lies with the art’s origin aboard the Hung Suen Hei Ban (Red Junk Opera Company). The Red Junk performers were secretly members of revolutionary societies who’s goal was to overthrow the occupying Ching dynasty of the Manchurians and restore the Ming dynasty of the native Han people. Since the Junks had relative freedom of travel and the performers routinely wore elaborate make-up and costumes that could disguise their identities, they were an ideal hiding place for wanted revolutionaries. Their route would often take them through town like Guangzhou (Kwang Chow), Zhaoqing (Siu Hing), and Foshan. Later, they organized in support of the Taipin Rebellion and paid the price for the movement’s failure. The Ching destroyed the operan and the members who survived were driven into hiding. Many took Foshan as their new home base.

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“I’m the best!”
“I was the only one who learned the secret style/form/technique…”
“My way is the only true way…”
“Only I preserve the real/true/authentic/traditional/classical Wing Chun exactly as Ng Mui/Yim Wing-Chun practiced it…”
“Everyone else is no good…”
“I was the Grandmaster’s first/last/only/favorite/closest student…”
“I’m the only real Grandmaster/successor/inheritor…”
“I’m the best!…”

Since I first became active on the Internet several years ago, I have had the good fortune to speak with Wing Chun Kuen practitioners from many different branches, in dozens of different countries around the world. I have found almost all of them to be uniquely interesting and insightful. From them, I have gained numerous perspectives into the art, and a continually growing appreciation of the depth and breadth of Wing Chun.

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(via Marcus Pasram / WCKML)

Fundamental Wing Chun Kung Fu DVDs

SiFu Lee has released a DVD. It’s the first in a planned series thatwill get into more details on his view of the basics and approach toapplication. Enjoy (or not)