The character "Wu" means "five" in the ancient Daoist characters that were used to write "Wuxing," which means "the five energy stages of life." "Xing" means "motion, process, manifestation, or phase" because of how it is made. Ancient Daoists thought "Wuxing," also called "Five Elements," was a secret energy template based on the magical study of five stages or Qi transformation processes. By...
January 2023
Since the dawn of time, when humanity first arose, successive rulers, have monitored the movements of the sun, moon, and stars. Their understanding grew clearer as they continued their efforts during the reigns of the Five Emperors and the Three Kings. Gazing up, they pondered the signs in the sky; looking down, they discovered parallels on the ground. There were five planets in the sky and five...
Various legends surround Wing Chun Kung Fu’s origins. The one we like goes roughly as follows: The government of Ching was threatened by the combative abilities of Shaolin monks who opposed their political ideology. They intended to attack the temple to eliminate the monks and their political adversaries. The monks were aware of this and believed that they needed to develop a fast-track fighting system...
A Wing Chun practitioner must have an objective. This primary goal might be something from becoming a master of the art to just reaching a certain level of skills in the art to discovering the secrets. Also, to better understand the skill to teach the craft to maintain one's health, build one's character, overcome mental challenges, overcoming physical obstacles to accomplish all these things. To...
Wing Chun has a profound and extensive history and philosophy. To decipher and grasp its depths would require a lifetime. However, much of its appeal and pleasure comes from the time and thought invested in its decipherment and understanding. Wing Chun isn't about strutting your stuff in front of an audience or boosting your ego. It was created with the hope that each student would take something from...
Many beginners of Wing Chun need to realize how much dedication is required to reach their goals. Students from the West are the most likely to think this way. Frequently, students will ask their teachers, "How long will it take me to get to?" That's not an unfair question, but there's no way to respond. In the old Wing Chun, there is a legend about the irony of a student's desire to learn new...
As with the majority of Asian martial arts, stability is one of the fundamental principles of Wing Chun. Every Wing Chun form typically begins with a movement related to the stance or warhorse. The pelvis and waist are the primary engines for controlling the horse and delivering force to the horse and rider. This power structure forms a triangle, with the shoulders as the triangle's apex, the legs as...