Wing Chun History: Wing Chun is a system of martial arts developed in South China around 300 years ago. A Buddhist nun named Ng Mui (a master of Shaolin Kung Fu) used this knowlege to create an art that takes advantage of the weakness inherent in the shaolin systems, and uses the power of an opponent against them. www.chinawingchun.com Myth has it that the Abbot of the temple had Ng Mui incharge of looking after the goats and other animals for the temple. Included in this was the sheering of the goats coats for which the goat would have to be held securely between the sheerers legs. Thus developing a strong and stable stance which she used in her system, named "Yee Jee Keem Yeung Ma" literally transalted as "Goat clamping stance" this is used in the first form of Wing Chun - "Si Lum Tao" meaning "little idea". The system is designed so that weaker fighters to defeat the strong. The more power an opponent puts into an attack, the more they will be harmed. She passed on her skills to only a few very dedicated students. Her first student was named Yim Wing Chun who further developed the art. In 1949 Yip Man who was considered the Grand Master  of modern Wing Chun, brought the style out of China and into Hong Kong. This is where Yip Man passed on his Skills to Bruce Lee, Yip Chun and other famous Wing Chun Masters who have spread this amazing martial art all over the globe. It is today considered the most effective and practical form of martial arts, and practiced by thousands of schools all over the world. Click Here for Bruce Lee interview! - www.chinawingchun.com (then click image of Bruce Lee) Techniques: Wing Chun uses a vast range of close combat techniques. They are designed to be short, fast, and devastating. The emphasis is on relaxation for speed, fluidity, and sensitivity to anticipate an oponants attack. There are many 'drills' practiced in Wing Chun to help develop techniques, feel energy, and also to help a practioner's 'automatic reflexes' allowing you to react to an attack as soon as it happens, thus borrowing an oponents energy and turning it into a simultaneous attack. One of the main drills used in Wing Chun is called "Chi Sao" (known as sticky hands - can be seen above, Yip Man with Bruce Lee), students practice upper and lower structured arm movements in the art of 'rolling' hands with each other. Between positions 'Bong sao', Tan Sao' and 'Fuk Sao',  students will attempt simultaneous attacks on each other and learn to feel the energy of an oponant. As soon as an oponant breaks contact, or gives energy in a particular direction, this is used to leek through the opponants guard with a combination of attacks. Wing Chun uses low kicks designed to take away an opponants stance or severly injure them, going for knees, hips, the lower abdomen and the groin. A very useful tool in Wing Chun is the 'Wooden Dummy' which is used for range practice, kicks, strikes, and most of all power development. (click here for Wing Chun Demo! www.chinawingchun.com - then click the same image as above). Wing Chun is also known as Chinese Boxing, and sometimes spelt Ving Tsung or Wing Tsung. But however it is referred to, it is an extremely effective form of self defence, and becoming one of the most studied forms of Kung Fu in the world. Tai Chi Tai Chi is the study of internal energy, known as 'Chi'. It focuses on the symbol of the Yin Yang. It can be related to water, which is the softest yet most powerful substance on this earth. In Tai Chi the focus is that softness = power. (Yin/Yang). Many people practice Tai Chi every day for health reasons (especially the Chinese). It is not unusual to walk through parts of China in the morning/evening and see people practicing in parks, their homes or wherever they can. The belief is that everything has Chi - and that you can live for a long time with out food, not so long without water, but you cant live 2 seconds without Chi. Besides having amazing uses for your mind, health, and long life... it is also a devastating and brutal martial art. (Again, Yin and Yang - it can be used to harm or heal), Using vital acupuncture points and energy channels in the body - Tai Chi can be a very applicable fighting art. But to use it in this way takes many years of practicing the steps and focusing on the applications, Many Masters have stated that after a long time of practicing Tai Chi, an unexplainable feeling is adopted when performing the movements, and attacks can be anticipated and dealt with in an extremely fast and efficient way.  Moves are performed slowly and fluidly, all of your body should move in one motion, and you should try and 'catch the feeling'. After developing internal energy, your power output for whatever art you practice will be immense!Learn Tai Chi in China! Mantis Mantis Fist has several hundred years of history. It is unique and excellent, absorbing the theory of Yin Yang, hard and soft .
Mantis Fist emphasises movements to resemble the physical form of Mantis, especially taking its brave spirit, the alternation between the upward and downward movements, and coordinating the internal and external movements.  It is useful for short-range and long-range attacks. Hand, step and leg techniques are often used together in order to create an effective offensive and defensive ability. The movements are stable, agile and fast, with abundant and abrupt changes, hard but not stiff, soft but with power, fast but without disorder. The movements keep complete positions for different situations. Mantis Fist uses power abruptly and fast, tense and loose, while flexible.
Mantis fist imitates the Mantis front claw, so it is simply named Mantis Claw. The main hand techniques include hook(gou), embrace (lou), grab (cai), defence with Mantis hook (gua), wind (chan), chop (pi), collapse(beng), cut(jie), etc  The main steps include empty step, four and six step, jade ring step. The main step techniques include slippery step, following step, triangle step, arrow step, etc. The body techniques mostly develop around the hand and arm, moving in an arc, a circle, winding inward or outward, and spinning, the waist coordinates with the body and limbs through continuously twisting, wrenching, winding, and turning. The available power is great, as hard and soft is able to move in four directions, including upward and downward spirals. Traditionally, it is seen as soft as a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water, and a butterfly flying across the flowers. It is brave and fierce like a tiger going down hill, like a dragon exploding out from water. It is fast like lightning in the nights sky; it is stable like a mountain when still. The movements employ Yin and Yang aspects, the power is trembling, with continuous movements. It combines both attack and defence, using fist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and foot, often leaving no way for the opponent.  Hung Gar Hung Gar (or Hung Kuen), is a southern style of Chinese Kung Fu. Many films like 'Once Upon on a time in China' - About the legendary Wong Fei Hung have been based on this style (literally meaning Hanging Fist). www.chinahungkuen.com Foshan (in Guangdong province - South China) is famous for this style and many films have been based here.  The Style was named after a Zen Master of the Shaolin temple Hung Hei Gun - a tea merchant by trade. He was born in Fujian but brought this style to Foshan, after the Shaolin temple was destroyed by Qing forces in that dynasty. Hung Gar is just as much an internal art as it is external. There is a big emphasis on the development of Qi, which is incorporated in different patterns and exercises. Click Here to watch Jet Li who played Wong Fei Hung in Once upon a Time in China! - www.chinahungkuen.com (then click image of Jet Li) External practises include the 5 animal styles:  1 - Dragon - which enhances flexibility and fluidity 2 - Tiger - for strengthening bones 3 - Snake - for pressure points and development of Qi 4 - Crane - to develop a strong foundation and faster movements 5 - Leopard - which is to develop power and speed Chiu Chi Ling  A famous actor who has been in many films, teaches Hung Gar. You can see him in the latest film Kung Fu Hustle. The rings you can see on his fists are a classic Hung Gar training technique Click Here for Chiu Chi Ling Hung Kuen Demo - www.chinahungkuen.com (then click Chiu Chi Image) "Hung Gar is an amazing art and helps to develop your mind, your body and your spirit". Choy Lee Fut Choy Lee Fut, (Choi Lei Fut) together with Hung Gar and Wing Chun, are nicked named "The Three Great Martial Arts of the South" because of their origin and popularity in South China. It is pronounced Cài Lǐ Fó in Mandarin. 
Choy Lee Fut features Five Animal styles much like Hung Gar, but is distinguished from other southern styles by long, swinging, circular movements and twisting body motions closey related to the Northern styles.
The stances of Choi Lei Fut are slightly higher than Hung Kuen, but the same width. However they are not as high as Wing Chun. It could be described as using the stability of Hung Gar with the Whipping power of Wing Chun! The crane techniques of Hung Kuen create 'whipping power' but with Choy Lee Fut - the hips, back and shoulders are often locked in the same angle, producing harder power. Choi Lei Fut is known as a "soft-hard", "external" style. It was designed so that anti-Qing rebels could quickly gain practical proficiency and also incorporates a wide range of weapons. 
Please Contact Us for more information on learning Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu in China!
Shaolin The Shaolin martial art is not a creation of one person, but an accumulation of works by millions of people. Shaolin martial art is the pearl of Chinese wisdom, which was handed down by numerous generations of China's top martial artists. Learn Shaolin Kung Fu in China- www.chinashaolin.co.uk 
Shaolin was divided into five major schools: Hen Na (Song Shan) shaolin, Fu Jian shaolin, Guang Dong shaolin, Si Chuan shaolin and Hu Bei shaolin. Shaolin began with many small schools and styles within the Shaolin art. It also can be divided respectively into northern and southern shaolin style as well.
Shaolin kungfu has a vast content and numerous forms. There are some important aspects of gong fu such as: internal kungfu, external kungfu, hard kungfu, light kungfu, qi gong, etc. The internal kungfu mainly focuses on practicing the strength of one's body; the light kungfu focuses on the jump especially; qi gong includes practise and maintenance of qi. Shaolin Gongfu includes hand-to-hand defense as well as the use of weapons. There are forms: staff, spear, broadsword, straight sword, various other weapons, combat, equipments, performance sparring, sparring with weapons, etc.
Sadly, in time, many forms and soft-hard combination kungfu have been lost. According to some statistics, 234 kinds of boxing and 137 kinds of equipments/weapons exist, having been passed down from early generations. Many other styles of kungfu have been passed down as well.
1. Shaolin Boxing
Boxing is the origin of martial arts. Shaolin fist has the following forms: luo han quan, xiao hong quan,da hong quan, shaolin wu quan, zhao yang quan, lian huan quan, gong li quan,tan tui, rou quan, liu he quan,nei gongquan, tai zu chang quan, pao quan, di tang quan, shaolin quan, mei hua quan, tong bei quan, jin gang quan, qi xing quan, xin yi quan, fu hu quan, drunken fist, monkey fist, fan zi quan, eagle fist, chicken fist, puma fist, crane fist, dragon fist, tiger fist, snake fist, duck fist, dog fist, mantis fist, toad fist and so forth.
The performance sparring has san he quan, yao shou liu he quan, ti da liu he quan, fifteen he li wai heng pao, twenty four pao, shaolin dui quan, a hundred and eight dui quan, hua quan settled sparring, jie tan tui etc.
Shaolin boxing is hard, strong, fast and according to the Chinese is "filled with softness inside." It also is plain and practical with every action, both attack and defense as well as in pose. As the old saying goes: practise in a place where only a cow can lie; such is shaolin boxing, you're not limited by the place and its size. The shaolin style embodies a word -- hard. It is practiced with both attack and defense, but mostly attack. The form is not only beautiful, but also practical. The stride is flexible. Shaolin teaches you actions forward, actions of retreat, reaction and to punch directly in front of you. On body and fist, it is required that the arm is not too straight and to keep all the forward and backward motion natural. The foot technique must be stable and flexible, the eye technique requires staring at the opponent's eyes and for the breathing, the Qi should be "down to your dan tian'" before the Qi is released. "The action is as fast as a flash, a spin- like a turning wheel, a stance like pine and jump like a fly." Shaolin boxing is divided into two schools, Southern, which emphasizes fists, and Northern, which emphasizes legs. There are many styles also within both Southern and Northern Shaolin.
2. Shaolin Staff
Shaolin staff has the following forms: drunken staff, monkey staff, feng huo gun, qi mei gun, da gan zi, qi mei gun, da ye cha gun, xiao ye cha gun, shaolin gun, xiao mei hua gun, yun yang gun, pi shan gun, yin shou gun, wu hu qin yang gun etc.
Performance staff sparring has pai gun,chuan suo gun, liu he gun, po yun shi er lu etc.
The staff is practical and forms and sparring can include several people. Staff practice has strong rhythm and an involved technique. It is fast, bold and swift; it can not only strengthen body, but also win the battle. It played an important role in fighting for generations.
3. Shaolin Spear
Spear was the king of the martial equipments in the old times. The shaolin spear school has shaolin qiang, wu hu qiang, ye zhan qiang, thirteen qiang, ti lu qiang, lan men qiang, jin hua shuang she qiang, twenty four ming qiang, twenty seven ming qiang, thirty one ming bao hua qiang, thirty six qiang, liu men qiang shi, shi qiang jia, six lu hua qiang, bao hua qiang, etc.
The settled spear sparring has spear vs spear, hand vs spear, double broad sword vs spear, zhan qiang, liu he qinag, thirty six spear po fa settled sparring, twenty one ming qiang poke each other etc.
There is a poem for shaolin spear: body technique like cat, poke like fighting with tiger and in a line, spear like an arrow from a bow, retract the spear like a tiger, jump for a step like climbing hills, one hand maneuvers the spear like a tiger, the other hand as a fulcrum, now spear like picking dragon." The eyes look up and body technique should be natural: block, capture, pick jerk, sweep etc. These actions all have important meaning in Gong Fu.
4. Shaolin Broadsword
For over a thousand years, the broad sword has been one of the most important martial art weapons. Thus every action in broadsword needs to be brave and generous.
Shaolin broadsword has the following forms: chun qiu da dao, meihua dao, shaolin single broadsword, shaolin double broadsword, fen yong dao, xue pian dao, bao yue dao, pi shan dao, shaolin road one broadsword, road two broadsword, liu he single broadsword, road six broadsword, road eight double broadsword, tai zu crouching dragon broadsword, ma men single broadsword, swallow tail broadsword, mei hua shuang fa dao, di tang double broadsword, yun tang dao, dan dao chang xing dao, wu hu shaolin zhui feng dao, etc.
The performance broadsword sparring has broadsword vs. broadsword, er he double broadsword, chop each other single broadsword, chop each other big broadsword, single broadsword vs. double broadsword etc. The characteristics of using broadsword are winding head, twisting body, chopping, sweeping, poking, slashing, bracing, picking and so on. And there are sayings like: watching hand when playing single broadsword, watching footwork when playing double broadsword, watch poking hand when playing big broadsword, chopping, slashing, cutting and poking are all like furious tiger.
5. Shaolin Straight Sword
Straight sword technique is ancient and prestigious, handed down from ancient times with characteristics: elegant, robust and strong.
Shaolin straight sword technique has the following forms: da mo jian, qian kun jian, lian hua jian, tai yi jian, drunken straight sword, dragon shape straight sword, flying dragon straight sword, white ape straight sword, ti pao jian, liu xuan de shuang jian, qing feng jian, walking dragon straight sword, martial double straight sword etc.
Performance straight sword sparring has er tang jian, wu tang jian dui ci, shaolin jian dui ci etc. The straight sword poem:"Straight sword is the blue dragon one, do it calmly when practicing and let the Qi follow the straight sword, eyes follow the tip, make the Qi down to the lower body and then it will be stable, body technique natural, move straight sword like flying swallow, land straight sword like wind stopping, retreat straight sword like flower and poke like steel staple."
6. Other Shaolin Martial Arts Equipment
Shaolin martial equipments are numerous and varying in long, short, hard, soft, with hook, with spine and with blade and difficult to count. Beside the spear, staff, broadsword, straight sword above, it still has fang bian chan, e mei ci, yue ya chan, double hammer, big axe, double axe, san jie gun, shao zi gun, qi jie bian, jie jie bian, double whip, dao li jia bian, sheng biao,tiger head double hook, ji tou gou, mei hua dan guai, liu he shuang guai, horse teeth spine, turtle ring, shuang jian, qian kun ring, chan zhang, feng mo zhang, bow and shield, and so on.
7. Weapons, Performance Sparring, and Weapons vs. Boxing
Forms of equipment settled sparring and equipment vs. boxing include snatch broadsword with empty hands, snatch spear with empty hands, single broadsword vs. spear, snatch dagger with empty hands, stuff vs. spear, hake vs. spear, shao zi gun vs. spear, broadsword vs. spear, double broadsword vs. spear, qi mei gun vs. spear, dan guai vs. spear, shuang guai vs. spear, guai zi vs. qi mei gun, tiger head hook vs. spear, horse teeth spine vs. spear, tao san huan vs. spear, fang bian chan vs. spear, yue ya chan vs. double spear, yue ya he jian, san gu cha vs. spear, fang tian hua ji vs. spear, san jie gun vs. spear, big broadsword vs. spear, san jie gun vs. double spear, e mei ci vs. spear, etc.
8. Shaolin Combat Technique
Shaolin combat technique is divided into ancient techniques, which means traditional combat and modern which is divided into San Da and actual combat. The ancient techniques include shan zhen yi shen ba, hu bu ba, you long fei bu, dan feng chao yang, shi zhi luan ba, ye di tou tao, hei hu tao xin, lao hou ban zhi, jin si cha fa, ying men tie shan zi, bo bu pao and so on.
Shaolin boxing nowadays features these kind of movements; boxing and Buddhism as a system, combination of spirit and movement, aggressive attack together with violent strikes and proceed or retreat with parts of the body. Generally speaking, Shaolin forms are short and the routine of the movements are mostly linear. The requirements of Shaolin actions and stances are as follows: straight head and follow the movements of the body (with extremities), eyes focused on a point, use great awareness, open chest and straighten back, and for the knees, hips and toes they are all pointed slightly inside to protect the groin. The shoulders should be relaxed, and the arms slightly curved when attacking. Make sure that when you are attacking you don't forget to defend yourself and use decisive, strong, swift defense in event of another's attack. Keep your balance at all times, be flexible when moving and stable when stationary. The footwork should be low when proceeding with attack, and high when retreating to coordinate the entire body. All movements should be fast!
9. Shaolin QiGong
Qi gong has a large influence on shaolin kungfu. Qi gong was taught in the Shaolin temple, and includes: yi jin jing, xiao wu gong, zhan zhuang gong, yi shou yin yang fa, hun yuan yi qi gong, da zuo, etc.
10. Combination of Soft and Hard GongFu
There are many Shaolin styles to practice the combination of soft and hard kung fu. For example, the martial aspects of xie gu fa, chin na fa, dian xue mi fa, duan da shou fa, all kinds of medicine methods, jiu zhi fa and so on.
Beside the Shaolin martial arts above, there are seventy-two other important kinds. They are distinguished by being either internal (i.e. xi ying gong) external (i.e. tie niu gong), soft (i.e. zhu sha zhang) or hard (i.e. tie bu shan).
All images used in this description are of actual Shaolin Masters who teach our students. For more information please visit: (More information on all the other Styles will be added shortly. Thank you) |