Our Program
Ironside’s Wing Chun Kuen program is California’s premier resource for authentic Southern Chinese Gung Fu. Designed for the serious and dedicated Martial Artist this program focuses on the principles of simplicity, economy of motion, and centerline theory as set forth by Grandmaster Ip Man of Hong Kong, China. The style of Wing Chun Kuen (translation: “Eternal Spring Fist”; Cantonese Dialect) seeks to overcome adversity through the use of body structure, alignment, and a direct approach toward conflict resolution. Through the understanding of body mechanics, students are encouraged to filter out movements that are in opposition to an economy of motion while maintaining the integral structure of Wing Chun in combat situations. This class is available to all levels and ages.
History
Wing Chun Kuen is a Southern Chinese style of Gung Fu, created by Buddhist Nun Master Ng Mui. Ng Mui which translates to “Five Plums” in the Cantonese dialect was a master of Southern White Crane Fist as well as Dragon Palm. She is created as being the creator of Five Pattern Hung Gar as well as Ng Mui Pai (Ng Mui Style), in addition to Wing Chun. Her creation of the Wing Chun style resulted from the oppression of the Ming Dynasty in an attempt to overthrow their regime. There was a rebel alliance consisting of volunteers, of which the rebel leaders were looking to recruit into an army. These recruits desperately needed combative training in order to stand a chance against the opposing Ming Forces. Ng Mui distilled many of her learned Gung Fu styles into a quick and efficient method, one that could be mastered within a mere three years as opposed to the conventional 10 plus years needed for most Gung Fu systems.
During Ng Mui’s travels she came across a young girl by the name of Yim Wing Chun who was being bullied into marriage by a local merchant. Seeing an opportunity to test the duration of time required to comprehend this new unnamed martial Art, Ng Mui offered to teach her Gung Fu and encouraged the girl to make a bet with the merchant. This bet stipulated that they would have a fight in one month’s time, and if Wing Chun lost she would marry the merchant. Yim Wing Chun learned the techniques necessary to beat the merchant a month later, and continued her study under Ng Mui. Inspired by her new student, Ng Mui named the style after her calling it “Wing Chun”. This style of Wing Chun was passed down throughout the generations, arriving at its most recent patriarch of the style, Grand Master Ip Man of Hong Kong China.