Wing Chun - Martial Art

Master Henry Kwok

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Classes...

History

The martial art of Wing Chun Kung Fu was developed about 300 years ago by a woman from the Buddhist, Shaolin Temple of China. Her name was Ng Mui and as a senior Abbess in the temple was one of those responsible for developing and teaching the martial arts to the temple's monks. It was after leaving the temple during a tumultuous time in Chinese history that her development of the Wing Chun Kung Fu began.

Problem

The main problem with Chinese martial arts at that time, and to this day, is not in its effectiveness but in the time needed to master the arts sufficiently so that it was useful and effective. It was the norm back then for students to spend decades, or almost a lifetime, practicing and developing their style before becoming proficient enough to be able to use their art effectively. Wing Chun was developed with this issue in mind. To be simple, practical, and direct. And because it is simple and direct, it allows the student to be able to master it sufficiently relatively quickly so that it is effective and useable without requiring decades of practice and training.

Philosphy

Wing Chun is unique from other styles because of its developer. Being a woman she realized that she could never match the strength of male opponents. Therefore, the style was developed to de-emphasize reliance on strength and direct confrontation in favor of efficiency of movement and the ability to sense and blend with an opponent's energy. By blending with an opponent's energy it then becomes possible to manipulate it and to use that against them to find a point of entry other than straight ahead.

Efficiency

In Wing Chun, efficiency of movement has three meanings, and they are:. 

First, it can mean to perform several tasks at once. Since humans have 2 arms and 2 legs, they should be able to block, and/or punch kick at the same time. This is in direct contrast to other styles where the philosophy is to block first and then answer with a punch or a kick.

Second, efficiency also means to move without wasted movements such as winding up before punching. This requires finding the best placement of hands and feet combined with weight distribution. This also significantly affects speed of delivery.

Third, efficiency means timing, to maximize power and effectiveness. This involves the ability to hold and control the body's core where power originates. Developing timing to maximize power is a never-ending quest that can be improved throughout a lifetime.

Class Acivities

Learning Wing Chun Kung Fu and Kickboxing or any martial art, first and foremost involves developing a solid foundation. This begins by learning and practicing to hold your body in a good posture and to maintain it so that all movements are well supported. As this body positioning begins to develop, simple movements are introduced and the student is asked to perform simple movements while maintaining the body position. Movements then become more and more complex until you are able to move freely and easily and seemingly without structure so that you can apply your techniques and knowledge quickly and with power. As each student learns awareness of their bodies and are able to perform the structured movements with skill and awareness, they are then taught to express these same structured movements in a more free-flowing practical manner. To this end both Wing Chun and Kickboxing are taught. Students can choose to focus on either Wing Chun or Kickboxing or both although they are complementary. Classes are held on Friday nights and run 7:30-9:00pm. The cost is $45/month. Our club is not a commercial operation designed to make money. It is here simply to continue the spirit and art of Wing Chun and, to maintain a high level of learning and teaching so that the art continues to flourish and develop.

Assessment and Learning Plan

Students begin by attending a beginner class where their inherent skill, coordination, and fitness levels are assessed. Having completed this initial assessment the results are reviewed with them so that each student and his instructor know specifically what areas require focus and that subsequent teaching is then tailored to each student's individual requirements. This class is primarily taught by experienced senior students who are hand-picked to do so. During this phase of learning students learn the basic movements, body awareness, and develop the strength and coordination required to excel in Wing Chun and martial arts skill development. Students will also be tested for their knowledge and ability at specific points to ensure their progress before moving onto the next phase.

Controlled Sparring

After developing your foundation and skills to a sufficient level students can then choose to apply their skills in controlled sparring. After developing their skills through controlled sparring, students can then choose to apply their skills in full sparring. In either case students will not be placed into sparring until they are ready and until they choose to do so. Generally, these are martial arts classes and should not be considered exercise classes, although developing skill involves developing strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility. Therefore, exercises and activities during classes are practiced with the goal of improving strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility. As a result, most classes involve a fair to high degree of physical exertion.