Complete Wing Chun:
Conclusion
(...)
Stage 4- Disseminators of Wing Chun
The next great stage of Wing Chun development probably began
in the mid- to late-1800s as the art moved off the Red Junks and expanded
into several of the local villages along their route (including Zhaoqing,
Foshan, and Guangzhou). Many of the individuals who learned during this
period became renowned for their fighting skills and the art of Wing Chun,
for the first time, began to become known and highly respected outside
its own tight family.
While a few practitioners of the period were rumored to
have carried on the anti-Qing activities, others were professionals who
used the style for protecting villages and capturing criminals and still
others used the art for self-defense and in challenge matches with practitioners
of other systems. Almost all won great fame for their talents. During
this period, Wing Chun likely grew from strict revolutionary defense and
assassination to a more well rounded and tested martial art.
As the Red Junk performers took leave or retired from the
Opera in the latter half of the 19th century, they passed along their
knowledge to Dr. Leung Jan, Fung Siu-Ching, Fok Bo-Chuen, Cao Desheng
(Cho Dak-On), Lok Lan-Gong, Cheung Gung, and others. Leung Jan, the student
of Wong Wah-Bo and Leung Yee-Tai, is credited with refining Wing Chun
and helping to spread the art in Foshan. Cheung Gung, the student of fellow
revolutionary "Hung Gan" Biu, kept the art in the family for several generations,
teaching his grand-nephew Wong Ting. Both Fok Bo-Chuen and Lok Lan-Gong
learned "Dai Fa Min" Kam's art in Foshan and passed it on to only a few
select students. Fung Siu-Ching, another disciple of Dai Fa Min Kam, taught
many students who expanded Wing Chun throughout Guangdong and into Thailand,
Malaysia, Vietnam, and other parts of South East Asia. Verbal accounts
mentioned that 14 Wing Chun masters came to Malaya over the decades. Only
two, Cao Desheng's student Cao Dean (Cho Dak-On) and Yip Kin were known
to have publicly opened schools.
Both Leung Jan and Fok Bo-Chuen were said to have learned,
in part, from Wong Wah-Bo. This may, along with other factors, account
for the great similarity in structures between what later became the smaller
framed, more compact Yuen Kay-San and Yip Man styles.
Differences in other branches, such as the larger framed
and more expansive Pao Fa Lien, Nanyang, Malaysian, and similar systems,
probably arise from their integration and preservation of "Always Spring"
and/or Hung ga kuen methods. Shared ancestral elements may have allowed
for the easy and effective integration of the differing elements, leading
to very well rounded systems.
A third category that developed during this period were
the systems composed entirely of separate techniques (no choreographed
long forms). Leung Jan, late in life, was said to have taught a "forty
points" system in his native Gu Lao village. Several of Fung Siu-Ching's
students also came away with sets of separate techniques such as the "twelve
forms" and "eight form single hitting". Since these styles bear some strong
similarities, and make use of olden type names such as "big taming tiger"
and "white crane catches the fox", it is possible they come from the same
ancestral set of separate techniques practiced on the Red Junks.
Stage 5- Developers of Wing Chun
Although Wing Chun made great strides forward and firmly
established itself in many places, it is still likely that the modern,
refined systems we see in Yip Man, Yuen Kay-San, and some other branches
were not yet fully developed. From whence did these versions come then?
Probably from Yuen Kay-San, Yip Man, and their peers.
Yuen Kay-San learned his forms from Fok Bo-Chuen and his
advanced application from Fung Siu-Ching. Following his lessons, Yuen
spent years combining his knowledge and refining his art. He was said
to have been the first to begin the systematic recording of Wing Chun's
modern principles in works such as the "twelve methods", the "important
rhymed formulae", etc.
It should be noted that there have been some conflicting
accounts over the years as to who taught Yuen Kay-San. Differing stories
have also named him as the student of Leung Jan, Chan Wah-Shun, and/or
Ng Jung-So. This was said to have arisen due to the fact that Yuen was
friendly with many of these Wing Chun practitioners, but also seldom,
if ever, mentioned his teachers' names to outsiders. Thus, when the authors
of the Wing Chun pulp novels that began to circulate from the 1930s attempted
to link him in, they did so in whatever manner they could. Lacking better
accounts, many simply came to consider the pulp novels as accurate. Since
then however, the matching accounts of Yuen's students, family, and some
of the authors themselves (such as Au Soy-Jee who attempted to correct
many inaccuracies in a later work was not published at Yuen's own request),
have helped clarify the history.
Yip Man received his initial training from Chan Wah-Shun,
Leung Jan's prized student. When the old moneychanger retired, Yip Man
continued his lessons with senior Ng Jung-So, on of Chan's most talented
disciple. He was also said to have spent much time practicing with his
seniors and friends, developing a great level of skill.
There are also a few conflicting accounts of Yip Man's
early years. Older versions have stated that Yip Man was born in the mid-
to late-1800s (from 1895 to 1898) and began learning from Chan Wah-Shun
at around the age of 13. In more recent years, it has been said that he
was born in 1893 and began learning at the age of 9, or even earlier.
Comparing these dates to those of Yip Man's immediate senior classmate,
Lai Hip-Chi, we find that Lai was said to have been born in 1898 and to
have begun studying under Chan at the age of 13. This may suggest that
the older dates are more accurate. Some accounts maintain Yip Man went
to Hong Kong as a teenager and learned advanced application from Leung
Bik, son of Leung Jan. Other sources suggest that this was merely a story
created by Lee Man of the Restaurant Workers Union to help increase interest
for the style in Hong Kong. It should be noted that Yip Man himself did
not mention Leung Bik in his own writings on Wing Chun history, and he
is not mentioned in lineages inside China or in some of the pulp fiction
novels (which would have loved such a dramatic story) written about Wing
Chun and Yip Man. It is thus impossible to say these stories are certain.
What is certain, however, is that Yip Man reached a very advanced level
of skill in Wing Chun.
Most of the high level practitioners of this period were
the sons of wealthy merchants, which meant they could both afford the
high tuition fees Wing Chun masters commanded and could also spend most
of their time practicing (since they didn't need to work for a living).
It was said that students of several branches met together in the smokehouses
to practice application and discuss ideas, Yip Man and Yuen Kay-San included.
Yip Man, initially, did not take any students in Foshan.
Yuen Kay-San, by contrast, adopted a young disciple named Sum Nung in
the 1930s. Sum had previously learned Wing Chun separate techniques from
a man named Cheung Bo. Under Yuen's guidance, Sum Nung continued to develop
the system.
Through their efforts, Wing Chun's forms were further refined,
and its concepts brought fully into the modern scientific period. During
that time, they reportedly practiced chi sao extensively, bringing a whole
new level of advancement to the drill. It is interesting to note that
both the Yuen Kay-San/Sum Nung and Yip Man styles make use of very similar
poon sao/luk sao (rolling arm) platforms for chi sao. Other lines do not
seem to utilize this, instead making use of methods closer to choreographed
two-man forms, Tai Gik's tui sao (tuishou or push hands), or entirely
different methods. It is not impossible to imagine that what is now considered
sticking arms comes from the refinements of Yuen Kay-San and his student
Sum Nung, Yip Man, and perhaps a few others in their circle.
Sum Nung moved to Guangzhou in the 1940s. There he integrated
the separate techniques of Cheung Bo into his training curriculum and
wooden dummy set. He continued his development of the style, refining
it over the years as he began to accept his own students.
While Yip Man did teach a few students in Foshan, his greatest
efforts were made when he moved to Hong Kong in 1949. There he further
refined his system, reorganizing and revising his forms (varying them
from time to time and student to student). Yip Man's very individualistic
teaching method lead to him producing very talented disciples, however,
it also lead to a system with different branches and varying opinions
of what Yip Man taught.
During the latter part of this period, as Wing Chun began
to be taught more publicly and to more students, it is likely that the
dummy, pole, and knife methods began to be set into routines. Since the
branches were already separated at this point, this probably accounts
for the similarity in general techniques but the differences in choreography.
Following Yip Man's death, petty politics, scandal, and
a scramble for power amongst the various students of Yip Man lead to strong
fragmentation. It is hoped that with the availability of more factual
information and the goodwill and sincere efforts of the individuals involved,
the art will be brought closer together again.
Final Thoughts
Although these are our current thoughts based on our shared
research and speculation, we will never really know the truth (short of
going back in time to the misty past of olden China). Even with the separation
of only a few short generations we are already facing vast holes in some
instances either through incomplete, inconsistent, fictionalized, or lost
accounts. Hopefully the publication of this work will inspire others to
come forward and share their information before more knowledge is lost
to the passage of time. It is sincerely hoped that this work will not
be misused to merely create more believable "ancient mythical marketing
slants" for newly formed "lost branches" of Wing Chun kuen
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