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Martial Arts: Wing Chun

Wing Chun was developed when several grandmasters of the Shaolin temple systemised the best parts of the Chinese martial arts, to form a martial art that was practical and faster to learn than the other styles. Wing Chun aims to deflect force in combat rather than meet force.

Wing Chun uses a centre line theory that is based around attacking vital targets along a central line of the body. Two weapons are taught, the dragon pole and butterfly knives, which are used as a pair. Wing Chun also uses the wooden dummy to practice striking and blocking techniques. Wing Chun also uses a partner exercise called Chi Sao, where two partners practice various arm exercises together, to gain better reflexes and response to attacks.

Origin of Wing Chun: China

Founder of Wing Chun: Ng Mui (A female nun of the Shaolin Temple)

Popularised by: Yip Man, Bruce Lee, William Cheung

90 Responses to “Wing Chun”

  1. Paul Says:

    Hi, just a little note to say it’s generally accepted that Ng Mui “invented” Wing Chun outside of the Shaolin temple (therefore on her own), after the […] more

  2. Dan Says:

    Hi, just a note to say that I have studied a variety of martial arts and after discovering wing chun there is nothing else I would do. It is easy to l […] more

  3. Brandon Says:

    Needless to say Wing Chun is a great art. But it seems to have a lack of ground fighting. This may be false, maybe it is just my dojo, but I’ve yet to […] more

  4. Prodigal Son Says:

    this for Brandon who made the comment about WC not having any ground fighting tecniques….why train to fight on the floor? remain on your horse!!

  5. Dan Says:

    To back that last comment up, wing chun teaches how to stay on your feet by avoiding tackle techniques and throwing push style strikes off to the side […] more

  6. Kenshin Says:

    Obviously, you people have never been in a fight before. And I’ve noticed that all these people who posts replies who are supposed experts in martial […] more

  7. BattlEMasteR Says:

    I’am obessed with the concept of Wing Chun and the whole center line theory. I believe it’s great for ordinary self-defense technique against opponent […] more

  8. Brandon Says:

    Hi again guys, Training has been great! I couldn’t be happier with it. As for the above debate I have to side with the theory of putting blood sweat […] more

  9. Jay Says:

    I have been learning Wing Chun for almost a year - I know its not a long time. I would probably switch my guard to line up parallel with the opponents […] more

  10. Jay Says:

    The same centre line theory used in stand up is used on the ground. I feel the best part of wing chun comes after u have learned the fighting. The […] more

  11. Jay Says:

    I agree that who ever trains harder will most of the time come out on top. But in a dark alley if you are out numbered and you end up on the groun […] more

  12. J-Byrd Says:

    I have been practicing Wing Chun for a while now, and have found most of it’s power to be in the classic t-stance; the one where you keep your fist in […] more

  13. RJL Says:

    I have studied Wing Chun for a while now, and can see that it is a great style. The centre line theory is extremely effective. What our club does now […] more

  14. lee auty Says:

    studied wing chun briefly. Very good martial art. The speed is awesome.Visually unflamboyant because the movements are so economical but when you see […] more

  15. Iskander Says:

    Hey from Greece. I practice Wing Chun after tried lots of other martial arts for many years. I honestly believe that there is not a GOOD or BAD martia […] more

  16. Brenden Says:

    I agree with the aurgument that style isn’t as important as the student. I study many different martial arts as well as basic self-defense and I think […] more

  17. Joe Porter Says:

    Hi i was wondering I have done Judo and for 10 years. I gained a Sciatica injury during football (Gridiron for those that are Americans) I am wonderin […] more

  18. Joe Says:

    If you are proficient in wing chun, and it takes at least 4-5 years to become a good street fighter, throwing or ranged styles are no problem. Bombard […] more

  19. Chris Chan Says:

    I agree with your way of thinking and find that in a street fight, one does not think of doing this and that to your opponent. If you can respond inst […] more

  20. Joe Says:

    One thing my instructor always repeats when we train-always imagine a guy twice your size, half-drunk coming down on you like a train. We train to sto […] more

  21. Kick the big guy Says:

    I don’t agree that it takes years and years. Big guys are easier to hurt than you think. Their size can even be a real disadvantage if you know how to […] more

  22. Joe Says:

    Muay Thai in Thailand-you have my respect.It is that maybe you and I have different ideas about proficiency.I have been training wc for a year and a h […] more

  23. Heath Says:

    I was reading some of whats been said about lack of ground work. It is true that Wing Chun is weak in this area we do train to deal with these things […] more

  24. Joe Says:

    Fighting is 80 percent foot work. When I first started wc I could not even see my instructor move-and I trained other arts before. And by certain wc s […] more

  25. Ryu Says:

    Hey can anyone answer my question. Would wing chun be good for real self defence?

  26. Jay Says:

    Definitely! excellent for real self defence. This art is about defending against stronger and bigger attackers. It allows the practitioner to conse […] more

  27. Trevor Jefferson Says:

    TJ Wing Chun is my 30 years of self-investigation to understand myself, developed through 20 years of instructing to teach others to understand themse […] more

  28. Trevor Jefferson Says:

    The last submission was taken from a notice for a forthcoming seminar in the uk, however what I will say with reference to Wing Chun generally is that […] more

  29. Ryu Says:

    Can anyone answer my question would wing be good against street fighting?Would it be better to learn than boxing.

  30. Trevor Jefferson Says:

    In my mind Wing Chun was designed to fight against people who can fight rather than most other systems that began life as exercises that developed ove […] more

  31. Ray Says:

    I have studied many martial arts in my time and Wing chun is a very good one. But anyone can be put to the ground from behind making a Wing chun exper […] more

  32. Rory Says:

    In reply to DAN above any guy can get taken down from behind or by two people. The best martial arts have grappling and groundfighting. Wing chun is a […] more

  33. Robert Says:

    Hello, I am actually choosing between two options to start studying MA: Wing Chun, Kenpo Karate or another style called Ryu Te (Ryukyu Kempo). Do y […] more

  34. Ryu Says:

    Hey Robert I think you should choose wing chun. I dont know if it would give you a good workout but I could be use on the streets. Or many karate but […] more

  35. lee auty Says:

    wing chung as self defence ? well yeah :)

  36. Old Guy Says:

    The debate about ground fighting is a non starter in my books. No martial art is the final solution. If you want groundwork study some Gracy technique […] more

  37. Joe Says:

    Getting a WC master to the ground is not an easy thing - I mean a REAL masters - not many of them. They are extremely fast - you will not be able […] more

  38. White Sash Says:

    Wing Chun has ground fighting. I’m not going to say how, (because these are questions that require answers from the Sifu), but Wing Chun has ground f […] more

  39. CHRISTIAN K Says:

    I think Wing Chun if a very skillful way of fighting and should not be taken lightly because of lack of ground work. If the person learing wing chu […] more

  40. sam Says:

    Ok first off there is no way to glue your feet to the ground using chi or watever you can be move. nothing against wc as a matter of fact i like i […] more

  41. Joe Says:

    There is nothing magical about it or about Chi. It is all a matter of training. When we exercise every time I punch my instructor to the chest I g […] more

  42. danny Says:

    Wing chun is good at close range but when someone grabs you it is totally useless due to no grappling moves

  43. badfun Says:

    *Wing chun is good at close range but when someone grabs you it is totally useless due to no grappling moves * Wrong,Wing chun has ground fightin […] more

  44. ChareXen Says:

    hello i have done wing chun for some time now and wing chun is a style designed for defence. ok try not to get yourself on the ground but wing chun te […] more

  45. Brace Lee Says:

    Wing Chun was named after a beautiful lady

  46. Joe Says:

    Offense is the best defence.WC is incredibly direct and offensive.It was designed to end a fight in a matter of seconds.

  47. james oliver Says:

    im a practioner in wing chun an BJJ and i can safely say that you cant be a complete fighter without ground experience just look at the video of royce […] more

  48. No Shadow Kick Says:

    You are new to Wing Chun, Brandon. Wing Chun have so much more for you to discover yet. Be patient and work hard on your technique. However, I underst […] more

  49. Ryu Says:

    So does wing chun teach you ground techniques or not.I know it teaches you grappling techniques But what about ground? Its stand up is amazing.I would […] more

  50. Frederick Chagaong Says:

    Hi, I have trained under William Chueng in Wing Chun for around 8 years in Australia. I can tell you after doing kickboxing for 2 years and boxing […] more

  51. guy@aol.com Says:

    Let me just Say this. martial arts are great for the mind, body, and soul. but Boxing is a real life fighting art that demands complete balance the wh […] more

  52. Joe Says:

    I agree that boxers are among the best fighters in the world-that is more than obvious.Now,regarding martial arts.What you see in movies is nothing mo […] more

  53. Paul Says:

    Im with Joe, Boxing is a sport, aimed at defeating an apponent with rules, certain boundaries, gloves.. A decent level WC student will quite confident […] more

  54. Void Says:

    You know it’s a real shame to see so called martial arts practitioners bagging one style or another or living in a dream land and muck such statements […] more

  55. Void Says:

    With respect, i agree that a decent level WC student may face up to a good boxer cofidently but I disagree with the premise that they will confidently […] more

  56. monica Says:

    Hello all! I am making a holiday gift for a friend who was honored as a Wing Chun Warrior. I would like to use the symbol that is tatooed on the pal […] more

  57. Martin Crinkle Says:

    Hello Brandon my name is Martin Crinkle.I have been studying wing chun for a couple of years now. Dispite popular beleif there IS ground fighting in w […] more

  58. Toner Dan Says:

    Hey Brandon and Martin: If there is any Wing Chun Groundfighting, it must be either an aspect that died out, never exxisted, or is a a relatively new […] more

  59. matt Says:

    I have been taking wing chun for about 2 1/2 years now. even from the begining, grappling and ground fighting have been part of my training regiment. […] more

  60. John Simons Says:

    Actually, Wing Chun has many ground fighting techniques. CRCA Randy Willams Wing Chun has a very good ground fighting curriculum. It is not commonly p […] more

  61. ste j Says:

    Hi there. I practice a foreward thinking style of. wing chun , Ng Gar Tien based in Runcorn Cheshire. At our club we train in all areas of combat. […] more

  62. sammo Says:

    Wing chun is a great martial art that will help you out in a confrontation if all other avenues have been exhausted ie talking & running away. […] more

  63. Chris Says:

    Traditional Wing Chun which uses the central line rather than the centre line, it is different. William Cheung is the Grandmaster Traditional Wing Chu […] more

  64. Wing Chun Says:

    Wing chun a self defence system,using economy of movement,directness and simplicity,to overcome physical strength.Classes are friendly with the emphas […] more

  65. Joe Says:

    It is not true that WC is lacking when it comes to footwork.80% of fighting is footwork and WC has highly developed and fast footwork.As for WC not be […] more

  66. Chris Says:

    Sorry bro. I didnt mean to say WC wasnt fluent. HELL NO. I practise WC and IT IS FLUENT, i just noted that Arts such as Boxing or Muay Thai have more […] more

  67. Rakh Says:

    Alright, I hear that wing chun is good for self defense and fighting, but how can that be if it only includes striking? I heard people saying that to […] more

  68. Danielle Says:

    hey, i live in South Australia, Adelaide and i was interested in starting wing chun karate, if you could send me some information regarding the times […] more

  69. Ashura Says:

    Wing-Chun is great and easy to learn and in a very short time once the essentials are learned an artist can obtain superior effectiveness with hands a […] more

  70. Jamie Says:

    i’ve just started wing chun and i like the centre line theory and how you can manipulate opponents just by possioning your hands in certain places

  71. Antoine Morehead Says:

    There is a grandmaster of wingchun in australia. His name is william chueng and he teaches. His website is:www.cheungswingchun.com GrandMaster Cheu […] more

  72. For Brandon Says:

    The strong horse argument is a great one. A good horse will keep you off the ground. As to grappling and chokes. If you learn these in your Kwoon th […] more

  73. I can call ballet Says:

    to BattlEMasteR. Blood sweat and tears mean shit if you’re learning the wrong thing. My wife took ballet for 15 years. Blood sweat and tears she […] more

  74. SiFu Carroll Says:

    Wing Chun is a no B/S martial art that has no sport or competition element in it. Bruce Lee’s fame caused this art to be watered down by most modern d […] more

  75. Bah! Says:

    So is this more aggressve or defensive? deflections would sow defense…but useing sticks and such would show ofensive.

  76. j/c Says:

    Firstly i need to say this there is to much fury between martial artists. Every art has its pro’s and cons every artist deserves respect cause in a wa […] more

  77. Des Says:

    Hi, I’m interested in learning WC and live in North.Leics. Anyone know of any clubs local to me.I used to do Wado Ryu Karate but not for about 10 yrs […] more

  78. Sifu Cliff Says:

    If anyone is looking to find a school in Wing Chun my link page on the web site has world wide guide. www.ackungfu.net

  79. Gary Says:

    ANYTHING is possible to any type of fighter at any level of proficiency. Ending up on the ground is one of those possibilities. One must be ready for […] more

  80. Gary Says:

    Void, I agree. While each style has its strengths, no one style can address every possibility. Take the best things different styles have to offer; m […] more

  81. Fedor Says:

    Tradicionalni WING CHUN KUNG FU klub “DIM MAK” Lacarak Si-Fu Barac Dragisa Stokanovic Fedor

  82. 1yr wing chun Says:

    Hello all, I’m studying wingchun, have for a little over a year. I think that in any situation its reaction time that will save you…. even a black b […] more

  83. Fedor Says:

    Tradicionalni Wing Chun Kung Fu klub “DIM MAK” Lacarak Si-Fu Barac Dragisa 064/51-45-407 Fedor Stokanovic

  84. iwingchun Says:

    Hellow to everyone I think that Wing Chun is the best martial art ever since because it combines attack and defense together. It has lots of simple […] more

  85. SiFu Carroll Says:

    Wing Chun is an attacking art. This is an art of offense.

  86. Timmy Says:

    I have been learning taekwondo for a while now and I’m thinking of switching. Is Wing Chun more of a traditional martial art or a realistic one. I wan […] more

  87. ying tong Says:

    For those who think the world is a tiny place, try painting it

  88. martyer Says:

    whats better jeet kune do or wing chun?? its urgent

  89. characteristics of wing chun do Says:

    […] acteristics and origin of wing Chun. Where applicable, additional info such as founder, …http://www.martial-arts-info.com/139/wing-chun/Stephe […] more

  90. JON Says:

    thats right boxers do it better and they get the job DONE!!

Contribute!

If you are an exponent of Wing Chun (or should we have by accident or ignorance omitted your martial arts style elsewhere on this site), we invite you to send us a little paragraph or two that highlight certain aspects of Wing Chun, including history, current grand-masters, special features or techniques, strengths and weaknesses, and similarities and differences to related martial arts. Please contribute by using the form below.