Wing Chung Kung-Fu

Wing Chun Kung Fu Wing Chun is one of the world’s youngest styles of Kung Fu. It is also the only style that is founded by a woman. That woman was Ng Mui (or Ng Mei – pictured right). She was a Buddhist nun of China’s famous Shaolin Temple in the 1700’s. As the history of Wing Chun has been passed down through word of mouth over many generations there is no exact story of how it came about and there are conflicting opinions. For this reason the history of Wing Chun is not necessarily completely accurate. According to stories past down, Ng Mei watched a fight between a stork and large rodent. She was impressed by the way the stork used its wings and legs to deflect and counter-attack at the same time.
Upon this observation, she adapted the technique to formulate a unique new martial art. The art later took the name of one of her students, Yim Wing Chun. Wing Chun translates as ‘everlasting springtime’. In more detail the story goes that one day Ng Mui made her usual trip to the village at the bottom of the mountain to buy food and supplies. While at the market she noticed father and daughter who both seemed troubled. She soon found out that the girl, named Yim Wing Chun, was being pressured into marriage by a local bully who had threatened her father with physical harm if she refused.
Ng Mui offered help to the girl and told her who she was, having much experience in Martial Arts. This girl (Yim Wing Chun) soon became her student, training in Kung Fu and Ng Mui suggested that Wing Chun challenge the bully to a fight after one full year of training. If the bully won, the girl would marry him and if she won, the bully would have to leave her alone. Yim Wing Chun, her father and the bully (who was said to be a great fighter) agreed. Ng Mui trained the young girl with new techniques she had devised, in her own Kung Fu system.
As promised, she trained day and night for one year, learning the basic theories and techniques of the new system. After this one year of training, Yim Wing Chun returned to the village and faced the bully. The bully charged in at her but she would quickly drop him to the floor with a simple technique which made him become more frustrated and charged in harder. Each time he was knocked down by Wing Chun until he stayed down. Ng Mui, then decided to name this new fighting system after the young girl, and Wing Chun Kung Fu was born, booking its seat in history.