Wing Chun History

History of Wing Chun

During the Ching Dynasty (1662-1722) Kung Fu was very strong in the Siu Lam (Shaolin) Monastery. This made the government fear an uprising, so with the help of several Shaolin Monks, the Monastery was betrayed and was subsequently burned down. Buddhist Abbess Ng Mui, Abbot Chi Shin, Abbot Pak Mei, Master Fung To Tak and Master Miu Hin escaped. Ng Mui took refuge in the White Crane Temple towards the south. While there, Abbess Ng Mui met a young woman named Yim Wing Chun who was the daughter of Yim Yee, the owner of a bean curd shop that Ng Mui frequented. Wing Chun was a very beautiful girl and was being harassed by a local bully who wanted her to marry him. Ng Mui took pity on Wing Chun and agreed to teach her fighting techniques so she could protect herself. Wing Chun followed Ng Mui into the mountains and trained night and day for one year according to legend. She then challenged the bully to a fight and beat him. This caused him to loose face and left her alone. To honor her student and some say to protect her identity, Ng Mui name this new system after Wing Chun. She told Wing Chun to develop her Kung Fu and to help the people working to overthrow the Manchu Government.

Yim Wing Chun later married Leung Bok Chau and passed the system to him. He in turn passed these techniques Leung Las Kwai, who passed to Wong Wah Bo, who was a member of an opera troupe on board a junk, known to Chinese as the Red Junk (The Red Boat People). Wong Wah Bo shared his Kung Fu knowledge with Leung Yee Tei who had learned Six and a half point Long Pole. Leung Yee Tei was taught the Long Pole from Abbot Chi Shin who was one of the Monks that escape the burning of the Shoalin Monastery mentioned above. Chi Shin was hiding on the Red Boat as a cook. Together they shared and improved their techniques and incorporated the Long Pole into Wing Chun. Leung Yee Tei passed his Wing Chun to the famous Leung Jan, a herbal Doctor in Fat Shan that became to be known as king of the boxers. Leung Jan passed his knowledge on to Chan Wah Shan who passed it to Grand Master Yip Man. From Yip Man, the art was passed to Leung Shong, to Ng Wah Sum, who taught my Sifu Chow, Chung K.