Wing Chun Kung Fu
The Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu Academies also offer a traditional Wing Chun program in the Laval branch. Wing Chun kung fu is a southern Chinese martial art that is characterized by rapid straight-line fist attacks, compact movements and low kicks. Since it is principally a close range self-defense system, Wing Chun (Ving Tsun, Yong Chun, Wing Tsun) is narrower in scope than some other Chinese martial art systems. For example, there are no high kicks, leaping maneuvres, ground rolling techniques or excessive use of very low stances in the art. This narrowness of scope combined with the kung fu style’s proven record in self-defense situations has contributed to Wing Chun’s reputation as being an effective and relatively easy to learn close-quarters self-defense system.
The principle tenets of Wing Chun are efficiency, practicality and economy of movement. In Wing Chun kung fu, emphasis is placed on various partner drills and on the domination of the area or line between two opponent’s.Trapping adversaries hands so that they are vulnerable to immediate counter-strikes is also an important skill in this system.Two-person drills are used extensively to help practitioners apply the art’s main techniques and principles.
Our program is geared to inividuals seeking to study an effective self-defense system whose main emphasis is on close-range empty-hand combat. As the art is not a physical system per se, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages from 10 to 75 years old. Class emphasis is the same as in all other courses offered at the Academy: namely, the apprenticeship of a traditional Chinese martial art done so in a serious yet pleasant atmosphere. The Wing Chun kung fu program is offered exclusively at the Laval academy.
Curriculum
Traditional Wing Chun kung fu has three empty hand forms, one wooden dummy form and two weapon sets. The first form is called “Siu Lim Tao” (little idea). It teaches proper breathing, stances, rooting and fundamental hand techniques. It is basically the foundation form of the system. The second form is called “Chum Kiu” (searching bridge). It is more mobile and emphasizes intercepting hands, side-stepping and body turning. The third form is called Biu Ji (Thrusting fingers). It is basically and advanced form with all the emergency movements. The 4th form is practiced with the aid of a “mook yan jeong” or wooden mannequin. This famous “wooden dummy” set helps students better grasp notions of distance and angles. It also contains many new movements including several low kicks. Finally, the long staff and Butterfly swords are also part of the curriculum.
Proficiency is mainly acquired through the practice of the empty-hand forms, two-person drills and the style's famous sticking hand exercises (Chi sau). The latter help student’s feel their opponent’s power through their forearms and react to their attacks.It is important for students to be able to “touch hands” and feel the techniques rather than blindly imitate instructor’s movements. For this reason, classes are kept purposely small so as to permit senior students and instructors to pass on their knowledge and abilities to junior students on a one to one basis. Wing chun training also includes work with various training tools such as sand bags, striking bags and kicking dummies. Free sparring is also actively practiced. It is, however, restricted to those students who have grasped the basics of the art.
History
Wing Chun Kung Fu is a southern Chinese martial arts style. It’s history is linked to the Fukien Shaolin temple in that a famous nun and martial artist named “Ng Mui” is said to have taught a young lady in distress named Yim Wing-Chun. The latter is credited as the founder of the art. More recent evidence may lay some doubt as to this version of events in that it seems that certain wanted revolutionaries simply hid their art’s true origin’s in order to escape close scrutiny by government officials.Today there are several different versions’s of the 300 year old art including the Yip man (Hong kong) , Ping san, Yuen kai san etc. Regardless, wing chun’s narrow bridges, narrow stances and emphasis upon hand techniques is typically southern chinese . It is clearly of similar origin to other systems from Fukien (Fujian) province despite the fact that it is very well established in Foshan, Guanddong province.
Shifu Lorne Bernard was introduced to Wing Chun by Shifu Augustine Ngu in 1988. Shifu Ngu was himself a student of Canadian Wing Chun Master Dunn Wah (also known as Sunny Tang). Shifu Dunn Wah is a disciple of Shifu Moy Yat himself a disciple of the famed Wing Chun grand-master Yip Man. In 2000, Shifu Bernard chose to further his understanding of the Wing Chun system by studying with Shifu Roy D. Anthony. The latter was one of Master Dunn Wah's top students. Shifu D. Anthony presently promotes his own interpretation of the art of Wing Chun, which he aptly calls "Centerline Martial Art Systems".
Over the years, Shifu Bernard has met and trained with several other Wing chun masters of different lineages and has come to conclude that “there are no secrets” amongst those who know and understand the martial arts. It is fair to say that his deep knowledge of other Southern Chinese systems may give him a different prespective and some particular insights into the self-defense art that is Wing Chun.
Teaching methodology
In order to acquire real proficiency in any art form, It is essential to fully master that art’s basics. For this reason, we let people progress at different paces according to their own abilities. Our teaching is one on one and “very hands on” as we feel it is the best way to learn this system. To learn more about our authentic traditional Chinese martial arts programs, please schedule an appointment to visit the Academy.
