 Wing
Chun. Ng Mui was one of five monks from the the Northern temple
that had the task of putting together a new system. This new system
was to take 5-7 years to produce a proficient fighter instead of
the usuall 15-20. These five masters were: Jee Shin Shim Shee, Ng
Mui, Fung Doe Duck Doa Jung, Mew Hing Doa Nung, Bok Mai Doa Jung.
The five were representative masters of various arts (Eagle Claw,
White Crane, Mantis, and a few others). They met to discuss and
evaluate the best techniques and concepts of their respective systems,
in order toform this newer one. As mentioned above, goal of this
art was not to fight against "renegade monks", but rather
to shorten the time it took to train proficient fighters to eventually
be used to try and overthrow the conquering Manchu's. When Emporer
Kangxi (1662-1722) set fire to the temple (approx. 1700) These five
were of the only ones to escape. Their plan was to eventually meet
up again at O'Mie Shan in Szchwan.  On
the way, Ng Mui wound up for a time in Kwangtung provinence at a
place called Bock Hock Gwoon ("White Crane Temple" on
Tai Leung Mountain. I'm assuming this is in Kwangtung, but it could
actually be the Fukien temple in the neighboring province of Fukien).
While staying there, she eventually met a young girl who sold bean
curds in the village below. What is not clear is whether she was
an orphan or not. Some say she was an orphan and Ng Mui named her
Yimm Wing Chun which can be translated to mean "Beautiful Springtime"
or "Hope for the Future". Other's say she was the daughter
a farmer/seller by the name of Yimm Yee. What is known is that a
head of the local Tong wanted Yimm Wing Chun for his own. Ng Mui
decided to teach Yimm the temple art so she could defend herself.
Yimm went to the Tong leader and said he could have her only if
he could beat her. The man was a talented Eagle Claw practitioner,
and laughed joyously when responding affirmitively to the challenge.
A time was set up and Ng Mui continued her training. During the
training, Ng Mui and Yimm Wing Chun modified and fine tuned the
temple art, further refining it from it's original form. This is
interesting to note, as there are other arts that claim to be related
to Wing Chun through the other five monks. One, Fut Ga Kin, goes
so far to say that it *is* the original art that Wing Chun was based
off of. Yimm Wing Chun met with the man, and thrashed him. After
the fight, sheleft the village and traveled with Ng Mui, further
challenging many great male fighters (and beating them) with the
understanding that any who could beat her would have her. What's
important to note is that according to master Doo Wai of Bok Fu
Pai system (founded by Fung Doe Duk Doa Jung of the original five
masters), the five monks met up at O'Mie Shan about two years after
the fall of the temple. This would lead one to believe that Yimm
was accompanying Ng Mui along her further trek to O'Mie Shan, and
corroborate the tale of the further challenges. Yimm Wing Chun eventually
found someone she cared about, and decided to throw the fight so
she could marry him. She left Ng Mui and settled down with the man,
Leung Bak Cho. After a time, Leung Bok Cho took to teasing his wife
about her fighting skills and giving her a hard time. When she'd
had enough, she challenged Leung in their courtyard and proceeded
to thrash him. Leung was in awe, and immediately began learning
the system from his wife. Later, this system became known as Wing
Chun in honor of the founder. (At what time period in the linneage
is not known). Now, some linneages say that Wing Chun was created
to be used on slippery surfaces like boats, and was actually formed
on a traveling opera boat. They say this is also where Wing Chun
got the long staff's or Dragon Poles, from the boat's oars. While
this story has some truth to it, it is only a smaller part of the
actuall Wing Chun history. After Leung Bok Cho learned the art,
he eventually taught it to his nephew Wong Wah Bo who was a performer
in a traveling opera troop based on the ship Hung Shuen (Red Boat)
in Canton. It was at this time that the Dragon Pole and Butterfly
Swords were added to Wing Chun. Apparently, Jee Shin Shim Shee of
the original five was in hiding on this ship as the ship's cook.
Given the timing, one would have to think this was some time after
they had all met up in O'Mie Shan. While Jee Shin was at the temple,
he had also specialized in two different weapons that he felt covered
the main ranges: Butterfly Swords and Long Staff. While on the ship,
he trained Wong Wah Bo in these two forms, who then modified them
to fit within the principles of Wing Chun he had learned. Wong then
went on to teach it to his nephew Leung Yee Tye, who was also on
the ship. The element of the ship's oars comes in because that is
what was used to practice the long pole, as it was most easily available.
What is also little known, was the arms of the mook jong first became
their detachable style that we use now, during this time. At this
time, the ship's masts were used as the dummy's body. The arms were
fit into slots grooved in to the masts, and taken out and hidden
when not in use. The art was then passed on to Dr. Leung Jan, the
son of Leung Yee Tye, he went to live in the village of Fatshan,
just south of Canton in Kwangtung provinence. The rest of the linneage
is commonly known, but either way I will quickly run through it:
Leung Jan passed it on to his son's Leung Cheun and Leung Bok, and
later to Chan Wah Soon. At the age of 12, Yip Man began learning
under Chan Wah Soon and became the man's last disciple. After Chan's
death, Yip Man later found Leung Bok in Hong Kong and finished his
training. He later returned to Fatshan, only leaving when the Communists
won victory on the mainland. He fled, leaving his fortune behind
and evetually wound up in Macau, impoverished and destitute. It
was here he technically had his first student. He defeated the son
of a reputable Tai Chi practitioner, and according to tradition
the son had to train under Yip Man for a short time. Some time later,
Leung Shan found Yip Man and brought him back to Hong Kong to stay
with him. Leung Shan was a White Eyebrow instructor, and upon seeing
the art and the training methods, Yip Man ridiculed Leung Shan.
Leung Shan chellenged Yip Man and was defeated. Yip Man then took
Leung Shan as his student and opened the now legendary school in
Hong Kong at the Worker's Union in 1951. Upon seeing no other's
were left that knew the full spectrum of the art, he declared himself
Grandmaster of Wing Chun. Find more information Wing
Chun World, WingChun.com
or Wing Chun
Kuen! |