Springing a nice surprise
WingTsun (also known as Wing Chun or Ving Tsun) is a Chinese martial art whose specialty is aggressive close-range combat. The Chinese character "Wing" means "to praise or eulogize" while "Tsun" means "spring".
Though opinions on the origin of WingTsun differ, the most commonly accepted one revolves around the legend of a young woman named Yim Wing Chun who lived during the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
After Yim rebuffs a local warlord's marriage offer, he tells her he will back off if she can beat him in an open fight. Yim then turns to a Buddhist nun and Shaolin disciple to teach her boxing. Yim wins the contest and later teaches this style of fighting to her husband Leung Bok Chau.
Leung, in turn, names it after his beloved wife.
Wing Chun stresses the practicality, efficiency and economy of movement. Practitioners are encouraged to sense the movement of energy in their opponents.
Ip Man (1893-1972) is the ninth direct descendent of the WingTsun lineage. Born in Foshan, Guangdong province, he went to Hong Kong in 1949, where he opened the first WingTsun school. A film loosely based on his life was released in late 2008 and starred HK actor Donnie Yen in the lead role.
(China Daily 04/27/2009 page8)
