A Brief History of Wing Chun Kung Fu

Wing Chun Kung Fu, like most martial arts, has a fairly clouded history. Details are patchy with facts being common in some areas and vagueness predominating in others. Some details that are commonly given as history are most likely largely mythological or highly embroidered versions of fact. Also as time goes on what was commonly held as fact only a few years before is seen as implausible. Therefore what follows is in no way a complete or flawless account of the history of Wing Chun Kung Fu. It is just what it says; ‘a brief history’ and should not be taken as the definitive version in anyway.

Myth and Legend
There are many legends surrounding the founding of Wing Chun. The most commonly told is that a Shaolin nun called Ng Mui, who practised a Shaolin art called Plum Blossom, taught a lone female disciple this style. The girl was called Yim Wing Chun and she adapted the techniques of Plum Blossom into her own style that came to carry her name. Another common tale of the beginnings of Wing Chun says that during the early 1700’s the Shaolin monastery was burnt to the ground by the forces of the Qing dynasty. Ng Mui escaped death in the fall of the monastery and fled into the mountains. While in hiding she observed a fight between a snake and a crane and used this insight to change the movements of her own Shaolin boxing. Another variation is that following the destruction of the Shaolin monastery the surviving elders went into hiding. To aide those opposing the Qing dynasty they distilled all there knowledge into a efficient fighting system that could be taught and understood much more quickly than the traditional fighting arts of the time. This art was Wing Chun.

There are many other myths and legends surrounding the early years of Wing Chun’s history and even more variations on similar themes. Many have certain features that are common in Chinese culture and philosophy. For example a snake and crane fighting is usually an analogy for the interaction of Yin and Yang. Therefore the story of a founder of a martial art basing its movements on these two animals may simply mean that it is supposedly founded on the principles of Yin and Yang. A very similar story is told about the birth of Tai Chi. Whatever the precise origins of Wing Chun it is likely that an early form of Wing Chun, or the art that gave birth to it (Plum Blossom) was practised in a temple in one of the Shaolin monasteries, probably the monastery in Fujian.

The Red Junks
The Red Junk Opera companies that toured the waterways of Southern China are an element frequently found in histories of Wing Chun. These touring companies are reputed to be hot beds of outlaw activity. Anti Qing dynasty revolutionaries are said to have used the Red Junks as cover for their activities. While the members of these opera companies practised numerous martial arts (many for display purposes) they are also said to have been practitioners of Wing Chun and to have used it for various purposes in the streets and alleys of Southern China. Many legendary masters are said to have been part of, or associated with, the Red Junks but again it is difficult to establish which, if any, truly were. However the Red Junks are frequently sighted as playing a crucial roll in the proliferation and development of Wing Chun. Whether the art they practised bears any resemblance to contemporary practice of Wing Chun is unknown.

Yip Man
One of the most important figures in the more recent history of Wing Chun is Grand Master Yip Man. Born in Foshan during the late part of the nineteenth century Yip Man began studying Wing Chun Kung Fu in his early teens under Chan Wah-Shun and later with his senior disciples. While he did have some students in Foshan the great proliferation of his style of Wing Chun occurred after he moved to Hong Kong in the later 1940’s where he began to teach. Starting with a few students the number of those studying under him grew along side his reputation. His students are responsible for passing on the knowledge around the world making Wing Chun the most widely practised Kung Fu style today. He also passed the system down to his sons Yip Chun and Yip Ching. Grandmaster Yip Man died in 1972 leaving thousands of practitioners of his branch of Wing Chun Kung Fu throughout the world.

text from The University of Nottingham Wing Chun Society