Wing Chun
History and Philosophy
Wing Chun is a new and popular martial art in modern times. Ip Man came to Hong Kong from mainland China in 1949 and was the first teacher to teach this kind of martial arts under the name of Wing Chun. The Wing Chun Fellowship was established in 1968 (later renamed Ving Tsun Athletic Association) VTAA. Beginning in 1970, Yip Man personally taught his Tou Syun ‘Male Grandstudent’, named Leung Ting. Sifu Leung Ting was the first to introduce Wing Chun to Germany. Therefore, this shows that it developed from Hong Kong, then was made familiar to the whole world. In mainland China, Wing Chun was developed greatly by the Cantonese people, and it also grew in favour and reputation in Hong Kong. Its essence became recognised by this name worldwide. Wing Chun is based on the actual theory of martial arts combat. It began as a study to improve on body structure, joint activity and fluid mechanics. It deviates from the traditional metaphysical, non-scientific and approximate philosophical interpretations of the five elements, putting aside rumours and pictographic expression. The predecessors further designed a training system from shallow to deep levels, starting with the first set of Siu Nim Tau (‘Little Idea’) and a set of Yat Taan Saan Fuk – hand-stretching movements, until the ideas reflect the overall movement of the whole body. These ideas are an exception as they can be used for attacking and defending, as well as during the training drill called Chi Sau ‘Sticky Hand’. As they create a natural reaction when practised carefully, so it will not be just a repetitive sequence of moves, which in turn makes it easier for practitioners to feel interested. Therefore, Wing Chun can compete inside ring events, and general training is regarded as a long-term fitness exercise. In Hong Kong, the regular martial arts training at the Gau Lung Jaai Police College and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) training camp are both dominated by self-defence techniques. Wing Chun elements feature in the training program. Also, some airline companies have included Wing Chun skills in the content of their flight attendant security training.
詠春拳是近代新興及流行的武術。葉問於1949年代從中國大陸來到香港，是第一個以詠春派為名稱的師傅教授這種拳術。於1968年成立詠春聯誼會（後改稱詠春體育會)。於1970年代起，葉問親授徒孫梁挺師傅率先將詠春拳介紹到德國。因此可以從香港繼而發展至全世界為人所熟悉。在中國大陸稱現今在香港流行的詠春拳為香港詠春拳, 詠春拳以實際的拳術戰鬥理論為主，以身體結構、關節活動及流體力學開始研究改進，脫離了傳統的五行八卦及象形神意等玄學、非科學性質、近似哲學性的解釋。前輩們進而設計了一套由淺入深的訓練系統，由第一套拳小念頭的單純靜態氣功及一攤三伏的手部拉筋動作開始，直至意念反應全身總體運動為止。除了真正可以用於攻擊及防守之用，及至其訓練黐手階段，由於是練習自然反應，不會硬套次序重複性的招式，更加容易使到練習者感到有興趣。故此，詠春拳可以在擂台的項目上比賽，一般的訓練亦可以被視作為長期健身強體運動。於香港，九龍寨警察學院及廉政公署訓練營的常規武術訓練以自衛術為主導，亦曾經加入詠春拳元素。此外，部份航空業在訓練空中服務員保安內容時，亦有加入詠春拳的技巧。
傳說 legend
Most of the early development of Chinese martial arts lacked written records and could only be transferred from teacher to student. This relied on students to absorb the knowledge by listening attentively in order to learn the essentials of the system (This means there were no real records). In the meantime, there were many setbacks due to insufficient personal knowledge and because of the changes in political power in the late Qing Dynasty, the hostility led to the forefathers using pseudonyms. In addition, the anti-Qing Dynasty reaction promoted the influence of chapters and novels of the Shaolin story, by adding some mystery. After many years, today’s legend has a mystery, mainly the facts of those years when it all began. According to Ip Man, the first generation of famous teachers used the name of Wing Chun. During the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty, A Cantonese man named Yim Yi was accused of travelling with his daughter, Yim Wing Chun, to the foot of Dalang Mountain, in the Sichuan province. Yim Wing Chun was 15 years old when some local tyrants were attracted to her and came to force her hand in marriage. Amongst them was a rich local rogue named Tou Ba. Dalang Mountain was home to Ng Mui, a teacher from the Songshan Shaolin Temple, she was a nun in Henan, who returned to the mountain with Yim Wing Chun and taught her the knowledge, training and essence of this new martial art. After Wing Chun completed her studies, she returned home to defeat Tou Ba. Yim Wing Chun passed the martial arts to her husband Leung Bok Chau, after his marriage, and then Leung Bok Chau passed to Leung Gwai Laan, Leung Gwai Laan and passed to Wong Wa Bou. Wong Wa Bo was a Cantonese opera actor living in the “Red Ship”, with batchmate Leung Yip Tai, who was taught the six-and-a-half pole from a Shaolin Temple monk, most possibly it was Chi Sim Sim Si. The two learned from each other’s martial arts and blended their skills. Later, Leung Yip Tai passed the technique to the famous Chinese Doctor Leung Jaan of FatShaan (Foshan).
中國武術的早期發展多半缺乏文字記載，僅能靠師徒口耳相傳。其間或因個人學識不足而多所短缺；又因為清末迄今的政權變更，引致有關人物雖要使用化名；加上期間的反清天地會宣傳少林故事等章回小說所影響而增添幾分神秘色彩。經過若干年後，今日的傳說與當年的事實必然有其差距。 依據最早使用詠春拳名稱的一代名師葉問所述：清康熙年間，廣東人嚴二因事被誣告，攜女嚴詠春遠徙四川大涼山腳。詠春年滿15時，有當地土豪垂涎其姿色，前來逼婚。大涼山白鶴觀有河南嵩山少林寺武僧出身的比丘尼五枚師太攜詠春返山，授以武藝。詠春技成後返家擊敗土霸。詠春婚後將武藝傳予夫婿梁博儔，其後梁博儔再傳予梁桂蘭，梁桂蘭再傳予黃華寶。黃華寶為棲身「紅船」之粵劇演員，與曾獲另一少林寺武僧至善禪師教授六點半棍的同袍梁二娣為伍。兩人互相切磋武藝，彼此盡得所學，技法亦互相融合。其後梁二娣將技法傳予佛山名醫梁贊。
According to Paang Na’s statement and research by the Wing Chun community of FatShaan (Foshan). It was Ip Man’s eldest son, Ip Chun, proposed a different version from his father: During the Yung Jing (Yong Zheng) period of the Qing Dynasty, Hubei province artist Jeung Ng, was good at Taan Sau ‘Spreading Hands’ in the Cantonese Opera, which made him known as Taan Sau Ng. For some reason, he was exiled from Beijing to FatShaan (Foshan), He organized Hung Fa Wooi Goon ‘Red Flower Hall’, to teach Cantonese Opera and Martial arts. Its martial arts had already begun to include the techniques of Wing Chun. After nearly 100 years of spread and development, and the efforts in history through Yim Wing Chun, Leung Bok Chau, Wong Wa Bo, Leung Yip Tai and others, Wing Chun became a complete and mature Martial art. This was until Leung Jaan began to carry it forward.
葉問長子葉準根據佛山永春拳的彭南陳述及研究，提出與父親不同的版本：清雍正年間，湖北藝人張五擅長攤手（粵劇做手），人稱「攤手五」。因故從北京流亡至佛山，組織紅花會館，教授戲曲及武藝。其拳術已經初具詠春拳的章法，經過近百年的流傳和發展，歷經嚴詠春、梁博儔、黃華寶、梁二娣等人的努力，詠春成為一套完整而成熟的拳術，至梁贊始發揚光大.
Wing Chun History - Chen Jin to Chan Wah Shun
In 1948, Mr Chan Jin, under the pen name “I am a Mountain Man”, published “Mr Foshan Jan” in Foshan, it was based on the achievements of Leung Jan Bi’s military affairs. Jin later arrived in Hong Kong in 1949. In the 1950s and 1960s, Yu Jing Bao wrote martial arts novels, including the rewriting of “Mr. Foshan Jan”. Leung Jan (1826-1901), formerly known as Leung Dak Wing, was a Gu Lao village man from Heshan, Guangdong. When he was 75 years old, he was renowned as the “Wing Chun King”. One of his descendants was named Chan Wah shun, which means one was “looking for Money”.
1948年由筆名「我是山人」的陳勁先生，根據梁贊比武事績改編寫成及在佛山出版了「佛山贊先生」。陳勁於49年後來到香港，50－60年代於晶報撰寫武術小說，包括重新編撰「佛山贊先生」。梁贊（1826至1901年），原名梁德榮，廣東鶴山古勞人，享壽75歲，葉問於1950年代來到香港後，香港報紙亦連載有《佛山贊先生》的武俠小說，「贊先生」被尊稱為「詠春拳王」。傳人有人稱「找錢華」之陳華順
Leung Dak Wing was born in Gulao, Heshan City, in the Guangdong Province of China. He inherited and managed his father’s Chinese Medicine and Chinese Bone-Setting clinic. After this, he managed the Bi Daai Da Therapy Hall in Faai Ji Street, Foshan. This later became named as Wing Sang Tong “Hang Jai Tong” and “Jaan Sang Tong”, these names were created by Chan Ging.
When Leung Jaan was 18 years old, he agreed to first learn Yam Jau (Qin Zhou) Hung Kuen (Snake Fist) from his younger brother Leung Yi Ji – a teacher from the Red Boat Opera Company. Later, Leung Yi Ji, approved and introduced Leung Jaan to Wong Wa Bo, a native of Heshan. He was from the same hometown. and Wong Wa Bo taught the secret of Wing Chun to Leung Jaan in private. He warned him, It is not allowed to teach this boxing openly; otherwise, it would violate the words of his teacher and those teachers who came before him.
梁德榮，廣東鶴山古勞人，在古勞出生。他承繼了父親位於佛山筷子街經營中醫及跌打醫館後訂名為榮生堂。「杏濟堂」及「贊生堂」等名稱，為陳勁所創作。
梁贊18歲時先師從紅船子弟梁二娣學習欽州蛇形洪拳。後梁二娣將梁贊引薦到亦師亦友之黃華寶〈四川梅花拳詠春〉門下。黃華寶亦是鶴山人，與贊是同鄉。黃華寶將詠春拳秘密傳授與梁贊。並告誡不可以將此拳公開發揚；否則違背祖師等語。
From 1870 to 1890, Leung Dak Wing (Mr. Zan) received his apprentices to teach Wing Chun in Rongshengtang, rearranging what he had learned throughout his life, and laying a good foundation for Wing Chun. After Leung Jaan reached 60 years-old, and due to the early death of the eldest son Leung Chun , the second son, Leung Bik, became the heir of his medical skills and martial arts. At that time, Leung Bik had left Foshan and went to work in a cloth shop in Hong Kong, unable to take over his father’s business. He only entrusted Rongshengtang to Chan Wa Sui, and returned to Gulao after Jaan retired. He was from the Hang Taan people, as he was also the author of the novel “Mr. Foshan Jaan”, he also called the medical hall at this time, Hang Jai Tong.
Leung Bik (1845-1911), had followed his father’s tradition to practice Wing Chun (20 years earlier than Chan Wah Shun ) since he was a child. He then went to Hong Kong to manage a silk shop with some of his friends. From 1909 to 1911, he passed on his skills to a new talent named Yip Man. He would become the heir who understood the history of Wing Chun through demonstrating an understanding of his father’s skill and knife skills the best. It would have the greatest impact on Yip Man in the future.
梁德榮(贊先生)約於1870年至1890年，在榮生堂內收徒授拳，將其畢生所學重新整理，從此奠下詠春拳的良好基石。梁贊年花甲後，由於長子梁春早逝，次子梁璧成為了其醫術及武學的繼承人。那時梁璧已經離開佛山去了香港在布匹行工作，不能接替父親的生意，唯有將榮生堂交託與陳華順，贊退休後返回古勞。順為杏壇人，故小說佛山贊作者又稱此時的醫館為杏濟堂。梁璧（1845－1911年），自小追隨父親習拳（比陳華順早20多年），後到香港與朋友經營綢緞店，1909至1911年傳技於葉問。他應該是對詠春之歷史，其父之拳法刀法最為理解的傳人。日後對葉問影響最大。資料來源維基百科 Dragon Sifu 翻譯如有錯誤以中文版本為正確