Wing Chun is a system, and not just a style. This means that it is a way of fighting, based on theories and principles, not just a set of techniques that anyone can copy.
Wing Chun is not a "pretty" martial art. It is designed with simple, yet effective moves. It is an evolution from the martial arts of China, where all the flowery movements have been taken out and only the direct and effective movements were kept.
Do not expect high kicks, or movie-like moves when you start Wing Chun. Expect effortless and simple moves that can easily be remembered. Do not expect lots of different moves, there are but a few moves that are perfected over time, and with the assistance of Chi Sau (Sticking Hands) become natural instincts based on feel - where techniques are applied because they feel right, not because that is what the instructor taught the student.
Wing Chun Kung Fu is an art designed by a Chinese nun some 300 years ago. It is one of the most popular martial arts in the world today.
Wing Chun is based upon 5 principles that can define it. These are:
- Efficiency
- Directness
- Minimum use of brute strength
- Practicality
- Economy of movement
These principles help explain how this fighting system was designed by a female. For a smaller person to have an advantage over a larger opponent, they cannot rely on their size, their strength, their physicality, nor can they rely upon elaborate and complicated techniques. The way the Wing Chun movements have been designed brilliantly overcome all these problems. The special and unique training techniques in Wing Chun are it's Forms and Chi Sau.
The main theory that Wing Chun is based upon is the Centreline Theory.
This has many meanings, and I will list 4:
- Firstly there is your own centreline of your body, which must always be defended.
- Attacks are launched along the centreline, this is the shortest distance between two points allowing for faster attacks and superior generation of force.
- the centreline is the most powerful line of attack. This is very important to understand in Wing Chun.
- The centreline of the opponent is targeted to create the maximum amount of damage.
The centreline theory must be learned as an integral part of the Wing Chun system. For a more a deeper understanding of this, one must study Wing Chun Kung Fu.
For a more detailed explanation of Wing Chun, with explananations from the Masters, click on our Articles page at the top of the site.
