Wing Chun Kung Fu
Known as Ving Tsun, or 詠春 is a traditional Southern Chinese kung fu style built on quick arm movement, strong legs, and relaxed, economical technique.
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Origins
Shaolin Temple
The Sil Lum Temple destruction involves a Shaolin temple noted for its religious and military arts scholars. Many Ming dynasty generals and prominent Chinese families sent family members to study at the Sil Lum Temple. Ming generals and high officials often sought the rigorous military arts training for their sons from the warrior monks of this Shaolin Temple.
Tragically this high point was soon met by decline on the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, when the rebel leader Li Zicheng ransacked the temple and forced many of the resident monks to abandon their posts.
Popular media often tells the story of the five fugitive monks, who escaped from the temple when it was destroyed during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and spread Shaolin Kung Fu across the world. While this story is largely regarded as fictional, the temple was often destroyed in such fashion throughout its history and monks did frequently leave to start martial arts schools elsewhere. Consequently, many of the buildings had to be reconstructed numerous times, meaning that the structures you see today are a result of successive renovation.
The Great Shaolin Purge took 70 days as Qing forces hunted down the 18 survivors. The surviving warrior monks of Shaolin inflicted massive casualties on their Qing pursuers but, in the end, their numbers were too great. Soon only five remained.
The Founding Legend
The Legend of Ng Mui
After the destruction of Shaolin temple by the Qing dynasty, Ng Mui fled to the White Crane mountains where she befriended a teenage girl by the name of Yim Wing Chun.
As the rest of the story goes, Wing Chun was pressured into marriage by a local warlord, and within a year, with the help of Ng Mui, she was able to defeat the local bully.
Many variations of the legend of Ng Mui exist. Some propose it was developed from Ng Mui's observation of a snake and crane fighting each other. Others hold that Wing Chun was the merging of the best kung fu techniques of the Five Shaolin Masters prior to the burning of the temple by the Qing dynasty. As the art was developed by Ng Mui, it is also said that four of her Shaolin Monk Brothers ( also masters of various Shaolin systems) helped her refine and complete the style we now call Wing Chun.
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Today
Wing Chun
Wing Chun is gaining ground in the martial arts community. With the popularity of the Ip Man movie franchise, martial artists are taking note of the power and simplistic nature of this branch of kung fu. Thanks to Donnie Yen's dedication to the legend of Ip Man, Wing Chun continues to stake its claim as a well-known and formidable self-defense art form.
Here at Tampa Martial Arts & Self-Defense, we strive to become dedicated martial artists as well as preserving the hard work and commitment in Kung Fu that was established hundreds of years ago in China. If this is what you're looking for then come by for a 2-week trial and experience what we have to offer.