Wing Chun – About & History
The martial art of Wing Chun is believed to have originated as far back as 300 years ago during the Qing dynasty
The martial art of Wing Chun is believed to have originated as far back as 300 years ago during the Qing dynasty, with its roots tracing back to the Siu Lam (Shaolin) Temple.
The temple served not only as a religious sanctuary but also as a refuge for anti-Qing revolutionaries who were considered criminals by the ruling Manchurians.
Fearing both the growing revolutionary activity and the martial prowess of the monks, the Manchurian authorities infiltrated the temple and eventually had it burned down, killing many of those inside.
According to legend, five elders managed to escape the destruction. Known in Chinese history as “The Venerable Five,” they were revered for their wisdom and martial skill. Among them was the Buddhist nun Ng Mui, a skilled Siu Lam boxer.
While traveling near the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, Ng Mui witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane. Inspired by the fluid, evasive movements of the crane and the precise, coiled strikes of the snake, she combined these observations with her existing martial knowledge.
From this synthesis, she began to develop a new, unnamed fighting style — one that would later evolve into the system known today as Wing Chun.
Ng Mui eventually took on a student — a young girl named Yim Wing Chun, whose name means “beautiful springtime.”
According to legend, after training under Ng Mui for some time, Yim Wing Chun was harassed by a local thug who insisted on marrying her.
Determined to protect herself and end the harassment, she challenged him to a fight.
She quickly defeated him, earning a reputation as a skilled martial artist.
Yim Wing Chun later married Leung Bok Chao. After learning her martial art, Leung named the style “Wing Chun Kuen” (Wing Chun Fist) in her honor.
The system was then passed down from one chosen disciple to another until it eventually reached Ip Man in Foshan, China.
Ip Man broke from tradition by teaching the art more openly—though still exclusively to Chinese students.
Among his students was a young man named Jun Fan, better known as Bruce Lee.