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Wing Chun (Cantonese) or Yongchun (Mandarin) (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring") is a concept-based martial art, a form of Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense. It is a martial arts style characterized by its focus on close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, rapid-fire punches, and straightforward efficiency. It has a philosophy that emphasizes capturing and sticking to an opponent's centerline. This is accomplished using simultaneous attack and defense, tactile sensitivity, and using an opponent's force against them. Wing Chun has various spellings in the West, but "Wing Chun" is the most common. The origins of Wing Chun are uncertain, but it is generally attributed to the development of Southern Chinese martial arts. There are at least eight distinct lineages, of which the Ip Man and Yuen Kay-shan lineages are the most prolific. The martial art was brought to Hong Kong and then the rest of the world by Ip Man, with Bruce Lee being his most famous student. The Ving Tsun Athletic Association, founded in 1967 by Ip Man and his students, helped spread Wing Chun globally. Traditionally taught within a family system, modern Wing Chun lessons have taken on a more academic and commercial character. Wing Chun gained popularity in the 2010s due to the Ip Man film series starring Donnie Yen and has been featured in video games like Tekken 7. Notable practitioners include Ip Man himself, Bruce Lee, and Donnie Yen. Etymology In Chinese, this martial art is referred to as 咏春拳 (simplified script) or 詠春拳 (traditional script). Though it is written in an almost identical way in traditional and simplified, it is not pronounced and transcribed in the same way according to the regions and their dialects: Yǒngchūn quán in Mandarin pinyin, Wing-Chun keen in Cantonese Wade-Giles. It is made up of 2 terms: 拳 (quan/kuen) which means "fist, boxing" and the term 詠春 (wing-chun, in Cantonese) meaning "singing spring". The full name is thus translated as "singing spring boxing". In its short designation, the martial art is simply designated by these two sinograms: the sinogram 詠 yǒng/wing: "to sing, to sing..." the sinogram 春 chūn/chun: "spring, vitality..." This martial art is sometimes referred to by 永春, characters different from 詠春, but pronounced and transcribed in the same way: They are literally translated as "eternal spring", the character 永 meaning "eternal, endless". These characters also designate the Yongchun region near the city of Quanzhou (Fujian). If the use of 詠春 seems privileged today for Wing Chun styles, 永春 still appears in the name of other Southern Chinese martial arts (with 永春 often transcribed Weng Chun); for example jee shim weng chun and Yǒng Chūn Bái Hè Quán (永春白鶴拳). Romanization In the West, the name of this martial art has been transcribed variably due to the use of different or personal Chinese language romanization methods, and differences in pronunciation between Chinese languages (but Cantonese was often preferred) or according to Western languages. In addition, some Wing Chun masters voluntarily created their own terms, in order to dissociate their personal teaching from traditional teachings. For example, Yip Man's Ving Tsun or Leung Ting's Wing Tsun. The consequence is the ability to determine a lineage, a student-teacher family tree, just by spelling. Finally, this martial art is pronounced quite identically in the West but is written with many spellings: Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun, Wing Tsung, Yong Chun, Weng Chun, Wyng Tjun, Ving Tjun, Wing Tzun, Wing Tschun. Wing Chun is the most common form, used to apply to all lineages of this martial art. Context Context of the name Wing Chun varies between various branches of Wing Chun. Common legend is that the name is derived from Yim Wing-chun, the mythical progenator of the martial art, who was a student of the legendary Abbess Ng Mui. According to the Hung Suen / Hung Gu Biu lineage, the Ng Mui / Yim Wing Chun legend was conceived to protect the identity of Cheung Ng, a Shaolin monk who survived the Manchurian massacres and took refuge at Red Boat Opera. The "Yim Wing Chun" name was chosen for specific reasons, as Yim could be understood as the word for "Secret" or "Protected", and "Wing Chun" refers to Siu Lam Wing Chun Tong (the Always Spring Hall). With "Yim Wing Chun" being a secret code for "the secret art of Siu Lam Wing Chun Hall." In the Pan Nam lineage, the "Wing" in Wing Chun comes from Chan Wing-wah, one of the founders of Hongmen. According to the Pao Fa Lien lineage, the name Wing Chun is a shortened form of the revolutionary motto, "Wing yun chi jee; Mo mong Hon Juk; Dai dei wu chun." A secret code that allowed the anti-Qing revolutionaries to recognize each other. Eventually, the codeword was shortened to Wing Chun (Always Spring.) Origins The definitive origin of Wing Chun remains unknown and is attributed to the development of Southern Chinese martial arts. Complications in the history and documentation of Wing Chun are attributed to the art being passed from teacher to student orally, rather than in writing. Another reason is the secrecy of its development, due to its connections to Anti-Qing rebellious movements. There are at least eight different distinct lineages of Wing Chun, each having its own history of origin. Additionally, there are competing genealogies within the same branch or about the same individual teacher. The eight distinct lineages of Wing Chun which have been identified are: Regardless of the origins espoused by various Wing Chun branches and lineages, there is much third-party controversy and speculative theorizing regarding the true origins of Wing Chun. In the West, Wing Chun's history has become a mix of fact and fiction due to the impacts of early secrecy and modern marketing. Wing Chun at present Of the eight Wing Chun lineages, the Ip Man and Yuen Kay-shan lineages are the most prolific branches of Wing Chun worldwide. The other lineages are pretty much unknown outside of China, except for the Pan Nam line, which survives in the USA and the Jee Shim / Weng Chun line with a strong presence in Germany. The Yuen Chai Wan form of Wing Chun has a notable presence in Vietnam, with this lineage having earned the moniker of "Vietnamese Wing Chun". In 1949 Ip Man, considered the most important grandmaster of modern Wing Chun, brought the style from China to Hong Kong and eventually to the rest of the world. Yip Man's most famous student was Bruce Lee, who had studied under Yip Man before he moved to the United States. Lee is also credited for popularizing Wing Chun internationally, although he would later develop his own martial arts philosophies (namely Jeet Kune Do) that contain many Wing Chun influences. Some masters changed the way of teaching only 1 loyal student because it was a tradition that came because of Qing dynasty's influence and destruction of Southern Shaolin, in order to preserve the style, ancient masters taught only .... Discover the Toly Kay popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Toly Kay books.