Wing Chun Kung Fu
Wing Chun is the only martial art know to have been invented by a woman. It was designed to be direct, efficient, economical, using the minimum amount of muscular effort; never opposing force with force.
The Training
Forms
The system comprises of three open hand forms, a form performed using a wooden dummy and at a later stage weapons. The first form (Sil Nim Tao) teaches a student relaxation, body awareness and the optimal positions for attack and defence. The second form (Chum Kui) teaches how to utilise the mass of the body whilst moving, whilst the third form (Bil Gee) teaches how to strike at speed from any direction.
At Sung Wing Chun we seek to pass on the art as taught by our Grand Master, Chu Shong Tin. He emphasised the practice of the Sil Nim Tao form as a method of obtaining body awareness and power creation. Through his daily practice he was able to produce unstoppable force until right up to his death at 81 years of age.
Interaction - Chi Sau
Our training objective is to guide you to reach your full potential in your wing chun journey. We will help you develop a practical model of this martial art that works for you. We are a friendly informal club based not on aggression and who is better but on helping each other to develop and improve. Most of all, we want you to enjoy your training and become part of our wing chun family.
The interactive work between training partners is based on a traditional version of chi sau (sticking hands) practice. In our system, we use chi sau as a means to develop the skills to make our body more effective at disrupting the opponent’s balance or to cause his body structure to fail so that he has to yield to our imposed force. Our approach to the practice of chi sau is to train you to apply the principles of wing chun to the best of your ability while not being concerned whether you overcome your opponent or are yourself overcome. Either way you learn something. If you do manage to apply the principles and overcome your opponent you will see what you are doing right. If you are overcome by your opponent you will learn what you are doing wrong. Even if your opponent practises incorrectly and overcomes you by his superior physical size or strength, eventually you will learn how to deal with this by using more efficient and effective principles of movement.
This provides a simple and safe method of training that does away with the need for protective equipment or any other special setup for testing your wing chun ability. If you have not had any experience in martial arts before do not worry, you will be able to pick it up at your own pace with the help of our instructors. If you have studied something different before then we welcome what you will be able to bring to the classes.
Training begins with basic postures and movements to help the beginner get used to the correct way of standing and moving. Principles are shown from these starting points to help you understand how they relate to the movements. Everything that you do should be applied with minimum effort where possible. It is only when you are comfortable with the fundamental actions that we advance you on to more refined interpretations of the same movements. It is a key part of our teaching method that the fundamental actions are the beginner’s starting point and the fundamental actions are also the advanced stuff but done better.
The movements in wing chun itself cannot be classified into attack or defence. A single movement can serve either purpose, and at higher levels does so simultaneously. Put simply, a wing chun student will defend against an attack by delivering their own strike back at the opponent, intercepting the incoming strike in the same movement. The practice of sticking hands deals with the moment of contact as the strike is intercepted, and trains the wing chun student to deflect the opponents strike, whilst striking through themselves. The shapes of wing chun and the paths they take, are arranged to provide a structural advantage to the exponent. The correct responses are developed through the practice of chi sau.
Chi sau is incredible fun when done correctly, and like much of wing chun has an addictive element to those who train it regularly.
What to expect in class
Chinese martial arts differ significantly from those originating in Japan (like Karate or Ju Jitsu). There are no ranks, no belts and no uniform is required. Martial arts in China were traditionally passed down either within a family or within a village and hence training has a more informal and friendly feel. The term for teacher is Sifu, which can be translated as father.
During the class every student will spend time with an instructor, usually about 20 minutes on a one-to-one basis, which allows progress to be monitored and guidance tailored to the individual. Because there are no ranks, new students practice with those more experienced and the culture promoted is shared development and not competition.
Safety
As with any activity there is a risk of injury and we aim to reduce that risk. This is because our philosophy is to keep you injury free. If you are fit and healthy then you can train time and time again and if you can train continuously you can improve and more importantly enjoy training. All we ask is that you listen to our instructors carefully and follow their instructions to the best of your ability.
If you suffer from any ongoing health issues, we are unable to offer any medical advice and so we recommend that you speak to your doctor before you commence training. If in doubt please contact us to discuss any issues prior to attending a lesson.
The Training
Forms
The system comprises of three open hand forms, a form performed using a wooden dummy and at a later stage weapons. The first form (Sil Nim Tao) teaches a student relaxation, body awareness and the optimal positions for attack and defence. The second form (Chum Kui) teaches how to utilise the mass of the body whilst moving, whilst the third form (Bil Gee) teaches how to strike at speed from any direction.
At Sung Wing Chun we seek to pass on the art as taught by our Grand Master, Chu Shong Tin. He emphasised the practice of the Sil Nim Tao form as a method of obtaining body awareness and power creation. Through his daily practice he was able to produce unstoppable force until right up to his death at 81 years of age.
Interaction - Chi Sau
Our training objective is to guide you to reach your full potential in your wing chun journey. We will help you develop a practical model of this martial art that works for you. We are a friendly informal club based not on aggression and who is better but on helping each other to develop and improve. Most of all, we want you to enjoy your training and become part of our wing chun family.
The interactive work between training partners is based on a traditional version of chi sau (sticking hands) practice. In our system, we use chi sau as a means to develop the skills to make our body more effective at disrupting the opponent’s balance or to cause his body structure to fail so that he has to yield to our imposed force. Our approach to the practice of chi sau is to train you to apply the principles of wing chun to the best of your ability while not being concerned whether you overcome your opponent or are yourself overcome. Either way you learn something. If you do manage to apply the principles and overcome your opponent you will see what you are doing right. If you are overcome by your opponent you will learn what you are doing wrong. Even if your opponent practises incorrectly and overcomes you by his superior physical size or strength, eventually you will learn how to deal with this by using more efficient and effective principles of movement.
This provides a simple and safe method of training that does away with the need for protective equipment or any other special setup for testing your wing chun ability. If you have not had any experience in martial arts before do not worry, you will be able to pick it up at your own pace with the help of our instructors. If you have studied something different before then we welcome what you will be able to bring to the classes.
Training begins with basic postures and movements to help the beginner get used to the correct way of standing and moving. Principles are shown from these starting points to help you understand how they relate to the movements. Everything that you do should be applied with minimum effort where possible. It is only when you are comfortable with the fundamental actions that we advance you on to more refined interpretations of the same movements. It is a key part of our teaching method that the fundamental actions are the beginner’s starting point and the fundamental actions are also the advanced stuff but done better.
The movements in wing chun itself cannot be classified into attack or defence. A single movement can serve either purpose, and at higher levels does so simultaneously. Put simply, a wing chun student will defend against an attack by delivering their own strike back at the opponent, intercepting the incoming strike in the same movement. The practice of sticking hands deals with the moment of contact as the strike is intercepted, and trains the wing chun student to deflect the opponents strike, whilst striking through themselves. The shapes of wing chun and the paths they take, are arranged to provide a structural advantage to the exponent. The correct responses are developed through the practice of chi sau.
Chi sau is incredible fun when done correctly, and like much of wing chun has an addictive element to those who train it regularly.
What to expect in class
Chinese martial arts differ significantly from those originating in Japan (like Karate or Ju Jitsu). There are no ranks, no belts and no uniform is required. Martial arts in China were traditionally passed down either within a family or within a village and hence training has a more informal and friendly feel. The term for teacher is Sifu, which can be translated as father.
During the class every student will spend time with an instructor, usually about 20 minutes on a one-to-one basis, which allows progress to be monitored and guidance tailored to the individual. Because there are no ranks, new students practice with those more experienced and the culture promoted is shared development and not competition.
Safety
As with any activity there is a risk of injury and we aim to reduce that risk. This is because our philosophy is to keep you injury free. If you are fit and healthy then you can train time and time again and if you can train continuously you can improve and more importantly enjoy training. All we ask is that you listen to our instructors carefully and follow their instructions to the best of your ability.
If you suffer from any ongoing health issues, we are unable to offer any medical advice and so we recommend that you speak to your doctor before you commence training. If in doubt please contact us to discuss any issues prior to attending a lesson.