What is Wing Chun?

Wing Chun is a direct style of Chinese Kung Fu that wastes no time or effort on superfluous movements. Wing Chun believes in using the least amount of required force in any fighting situation. It believes properly, correct timed position and movement can and should be used to defeat their opponent. This is achieved through balance, body structure and relaxation. Ip Man

Wing Chun uses deflection and counter-attack in the same motion or will intercept the opponent to nulify an attack, rather than blocking then attacking in two separate motions. Further, this interception can act as a block as a consequence of the structure and the position of the arm travelling along its path toward the opponent. This means that the opponent’s attack is automatically deflected by the arm-structure of the Wing Chun practitioner as the counter-punch is delivered.

A person using Wing Chun is said to be able to defeat a stronger person because they are able to use their structure effectively. Given this, it is essential in ensuring that the Wing Chun practitioner has a full understanding of structure which enables them to use the correct use of energy required. At the core of IMAS Wing Chun is our biomechanics and fitness programme that develops these core capabilities in a minimum timeframe.

Ip Man and Bruce Lee

History of Wing Chun

Over 300 years ago in China, a Buddhist nun called Ng Mui founded the martial art of Wing Chun Kung Fu. Designed to take advantage of the weak points of Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, it was the amalgamation of the top techniques, strategy and philosophy of the ancient masters. The aim was to seek vengeance against the traitors of the Shaolin Monastery. When the Shaolin monastery was burnt only five masters were able to escape: Chi Shin, Pak Mei, Fung Dotak, Miau Hin and Ng Mui. While Ng Mui is recognised as the founder of the system, each of the masters added their particularly expertise to the system such as the Baat Chum Dao (double knives) and Chi Kung (exercises for health).

Ng Mui was able to create a system that was able to defeat opponents of greater strength and size. Instead of relying purely on strength, she focused on speed and logical thinking, finding out how to use her enemy’s power against himself. She passed this new system to a woman called Yim Wing Chun. Yim later taught it to her husband, Leung Bok Chau. It was then in honour of his wife that Leung named it Wing Chun Kuen (“Kuen” means Fist-fighting Arts). Since then Wing Chun has been passed down from generation to generation as a top secret system, only taught to the most loyal disciples.

It was not until the 1940’s, when the late Grandmaster Yip Man started to develop it in Hong Kong, that the system was available to the public. Among his early disciples were Wong Shun Leung, Tsui Sheung Tin, Hawkins Cheung, Ho Kam Ming , Bruce Lee and Leung Sheung. When poor heath influenced Grandmaster Ip Man’s decision to retire from teaching Wing Chun, he did not expect a teenager to turn up on his doorstep. Leung Ting showed such devotion to him and his Wing Chun techniques that Grandmaster Yip Man accepted him as his last student and taught him the most advanced techniques of Wing Chun.

When Ip Man passed away in 1972, Si-Jo Leung Ting began his work to further develop, upgrade and modernise the art of Wing Chun. In 1973, Leung Ting exclusively adopted the name “Wing Tsun” (as opposed to Wing Chun and Ving chun) to distinguish his teaching method. Over the years Wing Chun has been refined into a complete modern fighting system which has now been developed all over the world.

Philosophy of Wing Chun

Wing Chun teaches more than just an effective fighting method. It teaches you to become a better person through physical, mental, and spiritual awareness.

Wing Chun gives you confidence in your own ability to protect yourself against physical attack. When fear is removed, the arrogance of uncertainty is dispelled, and it is no longer necessary to prove yourself in any form of physical combat. By learning how to fight, you learn how to not fight.

The philosophy of wing chun is embodied in the wing chun pledge with states, believe constant practicing of the art of wing chun will enable me to transcend to a higher mental and physical level. I shall show respect for the art, my sifu (teacher), sihing (seniors), and sidhi (juniors). I shall exercise my utmost tolerance and consideration in dealing with people and general matters in and outside the academy. In other words, the physical and mental training in wing chun makes you stronger physically, spiritually, and mentally. The lessons learned from studying the art become applicable to all phases of life. You learn respect for yourself and for other people, and at the same time, learn how to handle stressful situations better because through your training, you will have learned how to better control your body and our emotions.

Wing Chun in the Millitary

Many experts regard Wing Chun as the most practical and effective self-defence for modern day street confrontations. Over 5 million people train Wing Chun worldwide. These include previous world champions in Karate, Judo, Boxing, Muay-Tai and many others.

Wing Chun is also adopted among many national Special Forces, soldiers, bodyguards and anti-terrorist units. These include: FBI Hostage Rescue team and Marine corps (USA), GSG9 & SEK (Germany) and RAID (France), NOCS (Italy), GIP (Luxembourg), & special police units of Spain, Belgium, Austria and India.

Sifu Vik has many private students who are part of the police force, army and special forces.

Grading Syllabus

There are 12 student grades and 1 Master grade. The first 4 student grades are considered the beginner level, 5 – 8 intermediate and 9 – 12 advanced.

Having trained many masters of wing chun and other styles as well as champion fighters (as well as being one himself) Dai Sifu Vik has a very unique training method designed to help students attain mastery of the system in the shortest time possible. No secrets – all the concepts – Dai Sifu doesn’t believe it should take 25 years to complete the system as he has proven time and again many of his students have gone on to open their own schools and organisations and become masters themselves. ‘Those that teach, usually can’t do, those who can do, usually can’t teach – those who can do both – innovate!’

If you can make an Olympic level athlete in 8 years – why not an expert martial artist? Simply because 99% of ‘masters’ have no clue how and are stuck with archaic teaching methods.

There are then 4 TG grades and 1 Master Level (5 PG) and then 1 Grand Master Level.

When one reaches the 5th Practitioner grade he has attained a technical, philosophical and physical understanding of the WingTsun system and more importantly a deeper understanding of himself. There is no more set techniques and sequences, no more sections and forms, just angles, forces, vectors, an understanding of different energies and a level of autonomy that separates the Master from the Technician.

No obligations, complimentary free trial.

Book Free Trial