Stourbridge is a large town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically a part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glassmaking, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Hagley, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley.
The Halesowen Wing Chun school is offering authentic Wing Chun Kuen from Sifu Alan through the Ip Man lineage
What is in a name?
The name Wing Chun is most commonly spelt Wing Chun in English it can also be spelt Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun. Wing Chun is a very unique and scientific form of martial art and a style of Kung Fu that originates from China, refined in Hong Kong by the late Grand Master Ip Man, and then through his sons Ip Chun and Ip Ching.
Wing Chun is recognised as one of the most practical and devastatingly effective, no-nonsense self-protection martial arts systems in the world.
The history of Wing Chun:
It is said to have been developed in Southern China by a Buddhist nun; Ng Mui, refined and later made famous in Hong Kong by Ip Man and then finally brought to the world’s attention by a film star by the name of Bruce Lee.
The earliest known mentions of Wing Chun date to the period of Red Boat Opera.
The common legend as told by Yip Man involves the young woman Yim Wing-chun, (Wing Chun literally means ‘forever springtime’ or ‘praising spring’,) at the time after the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple and its associated temples by the Qing government:
After Wing-Chun rebuffs the local warlord’s marriage offer, she says she’ll reconsider his proposal if he can beat her in a martial art match. She soon crosses paths with a Buddhist nun–Ng Mui, who was one of the Shaolin Sect survivors and asks the nun to teach her boxing.
The legend goes that Ng Mui taught Yim Wing-Chun a new system of martial art that had been inspired by Ng Mui’s observations of a confrontation between a Snake and a Crane; this then-still nameless style enabled Yim Wing Chun to beat the warlord in a one-on-one fight. Yim Wing-Chun there-after marries Leung Bac-Chou and teaches him the style, which is later named after her.
Since the system was developed during the Shaolin and Ming resistance to the Qing Dynasty, many legends about the creator of Wing Chun were spread to confuse enemies, including the story of Yim Wing Chun. This perhaps explains why no one has been able to accurately determine the creator or creators of Wing Chun
Wing Chun’s specialty is in close contact combat, using quick punches and kicks with a tight defence, coordinated through agile stances and footwork for a quick advance. The effectiveness of Wing Chun is achieved by well-coordinated attacks with simultaneous defence and vise versa. Due to its effectiveness, this martial art makes for an effective form of self defense.