| Wing Chun
is a young martial art in comparison with
other styles of Kung Fu. It can be
traced back to the Ching Dynasty.
During this time a minority race called
Manchus ruled over the majority, the
Hons. The Manchus made many unjust
laws and imposed heavy tax burdens.
This was a time when a female infant would
have to have her feet bound, making them
dependent on their families and
husbands. However they did respect the
Shaolin Temple as a buddhist sanctuary, as
they gradually adopted the Hons culture.
The Manchus banned all weapons, which
meant the Hons started training
secretly and made the Shaolin Temple a
sanctuary for preparatory training.
The classic style of Kung Fu that they
learned took 15 to 20 years to master.
Five of China's grandmasters met to
discuss the merits of each of the various
forms of kung fu, in order to develop a new
form. They chose the most efficient
techniques from each style and developed a
training program that would develop an
efficient martial art in five to seven
years. Before this new form could be
put into practice, the temple was raided and
burned by the Manchus.
A nun called Ng Mui was the only survivor
of the original five grandmasters. She
passed her knowledge on to a young orphan
girl whom she named Wing Chun, a name which
represented "hope for the
future". Wing Chun in turn passed
her knowledge on to her husband.
Through the years the style became known as
Wing Chun, its techniques and teachings were
passed on to a few, always carefully
selected students.
|
WING
CHUN KUNG FU
David
Cheung
