About the Art

Wing Chun Kuen is said to have evolved out of existing martial arts in South China during the 18th Century. According to traditional accounts, a Buddhist nun named Ng Mui is said to have shared her knowledge of martial arts with a female disciple, Yim Wing Chun.

From their efforts to adapt traditional skills to a woman's smaller, less muscular physique, there emerged a new system that came to bear the younger woman's name.

In contrast to fighting methods that rely upon superior size and strength in attack and defense, this new art emphasized relaxation, speed, sensitivity, and precise distancing and positioning in relation to one's opponent.

All Wing Chun techniques are intended for use at close range. Defense is concentrated on an imaginary centerline bisecting the body vertically, along which lie the body's most vulnerable areas. Counter-attacks are aimed at the opponent's centerline, and uniformly follow a straight path. As a rule, defense and counter-attack are executed simultaneously.

As a physical discipline, training in Wing Chun contributes to flexibility and muscle tone, and improves strength, balance and body coordination.