Danny Xuan: Wing Chun is not a Fighting Style

Posted by: John Little In: Articles 17 May 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: Danny Xuan, Interview

DANNY XUAN IS A RADICALLY DIFFERENT BREED OF INSTRUCTOR—A WING CHUN INDIANA JONES! LIKE THE FAMED CINEMATIC ARCHAEOLOGIST, XUAN TRAVELS TO EXOTIC LOCALES, ALL THE WHILE SEARCHING THROUGH THE PAST OF THE ART IN ORDER TO UNCOVER SECRETS THAT ENHANCE THE ART’S RELEVANCE AND VITALITY FOR MODERN DAY PRACTITIONERS.

While Xuan obviously respects tradition, he is equally wary of it. He champions Wing Chun as the child born of the understanding of natural laws and logic, with the science of physics and Chinese culture as its touchstones.

A devoted Wing Chun practitioner for over 40 years with a worldwide following of students, Danny Xuan downplays lineage and champions the cause of the individual practitioner. In Wing Chun circles he is a breath of fresh air, representing a truly new 21st-century approach to the art.

Chan Chee Man: A Link to the Past

Posted by: Kenton Sefcik In: Articles 26 Apr 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: Chan Chee Man, Interview

CHAN CHEE MAN IS ONE OF GRANDMASTER IP MAN’S SENIOR STUDENTS. CURRENTLY, 76 YEARS OLD, HE STARTED IN WING CHUN IN 1954 AND IS STILL ACTIVE AS AN INSTRUCTOR. CHAN CHEE MAN CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND TALKING PASSIONATELY ABOUT WING CHUN WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE—WHICH WE WILL SEE IS HIS SECRET TO MAKING HIS WING CHUN SO EFFECTIVE.

Please tell me how you came to start in Wing Chun.
When I was young, I started to learn Wing Chun from Ip Man and it was a precious time. Looking back, I chose Wing Chun because I had met many people who practised it, which piqued my interest. At the time, the Restaurant Union was in Shan Shui Po district on Wong Chuk Street, and my home was near there. I went up there to learn Wing Chun—sometimes four or five days per week, training early in the morning and every night until about 9:30pm.

The Cult of Sifuism

Posted by: Dr. Matthew Mills In: Articles 22 Apr 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: Sifuism

THE TERM SIFU IS COMMONLY HEARD OF WITHIN GUNG FU CIRCLES. THE CHINESE PICTOGRAM IS MADE UP OF TWO CHARACTERS, MEANING “TEACHER” AND “FATHER”, AND IS LOOSELY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AS “MASTER”.

At its most basic level, Sifu implies a superior level of skill and status within a hierarchy. Indeed, the title is often used as a form of deference or respect. Derived from the term for “Teacher”, the title Sifu also suggests the ability to translate personal attributes into the development of others. This infers a superior knowledge that is coupled to the complex range of interpersonal skills that are required to transmit ideas and concepts.

Wang Zhi Peng: Keeping it Real

Posted by: Jai Harman In: Articles 18 Apr 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Wang Zhi Peng

BEIJING VING TSUN’S MASTER WANG ZHI PENG IS KNOWN FOR HIS DIRECT, NO-NONSENSE APPROACH TO WING CHUN. AN EXPERT TECHNICIAN WHO KEEPS TRUE TO THE TRADITIONAL VALUES PASSED DOWN BY THE LATE WONG SHUN LEUNG. BUT HE IS BY NO MEANS A TRADITIONALIST STUCK IN THE PAST.

Touted as a “human weapon” wang keeps it real with free-fighting that both observes old techniques and brings them up to date to ensure that students can deal with a more modern, well-trained assailant or fighter. he lives by the saying: “Let the hands do all the talking”.

The Ving Tsun Forms: A Brief Overview

Posted by: David Peterson In: Articles 16 Apr 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: David Peterson, Forms, WSLVT

AS AN INSTRUCTOR AND COMMUNICATOR OF THE MARTIAL ARTS, SPECIFICALLY THE WONG SHUN LEUNG METHOD OF VING TSUN, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE ART AND PRESENT ITS CONCEPTS IN AS SUCCINCT A WAY AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS, OF COURSE, TO ENSURE THAT EACH AND EVERY STUDENT CAN GAIN A DEEP AND PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE SYSTEM OFFERS THEM, AND HOW BEST TO USE THIS “TOOL” FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND PERSONAL PROTECTION.

Clearly, one can get into very detailed discussions on all aspects of the system, but sometimes this can cause more confusion and lead to greater misunderstanding than clarification. Especially for the less experienced students, too much detail can inhibit, rather than enhance their development.

This being the case, in recent years I have tried to find ways of simplifying the presentation of information, and providing simple summaries of various aspects of the system so that students find it easier to assimilate the information.