IP CHUN
A Lifelong Devotion to Wing Chun
By Shaun Rawcliffe
At 91 years of age, Sifu Ip Chun is one of the oldest surviving Wing Chun teachers in Hong Kong and has spent the last 57 years teaching and spreading Wing Chun around the globe. He is the eldest son of the late Grandmaster Ip Man, was a friend of the late Bruce Lee, witnessed Wing Chun spread from small and humble roots to a global phenomenon, appeared in several Wing Chun films, coordinated the opening of the Ip Man Tong museum in Foshan and has written and featured in countless books and magazine articles. Despite these and many more achievements in his lifetime, he remains a humble and quiet man who lives a modest life and doesn’t like titles or the trappings of fame. He has retired from travelling the world to provide seminars, though he still attends, oversees and teaches at the Ving Tsun Athletic Association in Hong Kong. At an age where most would struggle to walk far, let alone exercise at all, and despite his small stature and frail appearance, he still teaches and can easily Chi Sau with much younger, bigger and fitter students.
SECOND NATURE
Pressing Forward
Applying Forward Intent
By Wayne Belonoha
Forward Physical Pressure, or Heavy Energy, and Forward Intent are not the same. Learn how they are different and see how a new understanding can dramatically improve your Gung Fu skill.
MOON POINTING FINGER
The Taan Sau/Bong Sau Connection
By David Peterson
If we take a closer look at the basic structure of the two actions of Bong Sau and Taan Sau, we begin to appreciate just how similar they actually are, but they operate on two very different planes or levels.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
What Makes Wing Chun Fast?
By Shaun Rawcliffe
One of the fundamental keys to successful Wing Chun is speed—the quicker you react and respond, the more likely you can launch a successful defence and counter attack. So what are the essential ingredients that make us fast?
THE INNER CIRCLE
Yiu Choi Wing Chun
Advanced Level Training
By Alex Danos
Sifu Danos discusses the Yiu Choi style Chum Kiu form and the differences of the form in comparison to Ip Man’s Hong Kong Wing Chun.
THE INTERCEPTING FIST
How We Learn
By Lamar M. Davis II
In our modern society, there are more ways to learn martial arts than ever before. If you aren’t taking maximum advantage of every means possible to learn about your art, you are missing out!
IN SEARCH OF THE BIG KING
Finding Mr. Tang Sang
By Alex Richter
Tang Sang is probably one of the most skilful and important Wing Chun figures you may have never heard about. Learn about Sifu Richter’s on-going research, which has already unearthed a treasure of never-before-told stories from Hong Kong.
DELLA O’SULLIVAN
Gracefully Dangerous
By Kleber Battaglia
Introduced to Wing Chun at a life-changing time; being a single mum in one of London’s rough suburbs; in a need to learn how to defend herself—Wing Chun was love at first sight for Sifu Della.
CHU SHONG TIN WING CHUN
Penetrating Punch & Floating Stance
By Eddie Chan
The Wing Chun of Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin is rarely known in the wider Wing Chun circle. The emphasis on Nim Tau and non-usage of muscular force makes it somewhat secretive and special. This article tries to exposit its operation by employing the jackscrew analogy onto its punch and stance.
FORM 2 FUNCTION
Traditional Values, Modern Methods
By Sam Tran
Coaches Dwight Hennings and Greg LeBlanc discuss attribute training and development in Wing Chun; developing ideas about what Wing Chun is, how it can be developed and its essence in a nutshell.
NOT A PUNCHING BAG
Training Explosive Energy on the Dummy
By Simone Sebastiani
It is not difficult to become proficient in the Wooden Dummy form, but you need to know where to focus your attention, and understand the application of the movements—only with this attitude will the Wooden Dummy remain an important element of Wing Chun heritage.
BODY STRUCTURE
The Five Minimums in Wing Chun
By Dr. Robert Chu & Hendrik Santo
In martial arts, the way and technology for strengthening the body and self-defence is the Five Minimums—the way to attain real Gung Fu. The Five Minimums include: Breathing, Force Path, Momentum with Techniques, Force Flow, and Staying in Awareness.
THE INQUISITIVE HAND
Sweet Spots
The Immoveable Elbow
By Alan Gibson
The Fixed Elbow theory is a very important idea in Wing Chun, and yet many practitioners seem to frequently use actions that do not adhere to this simple and effective concept.
DECODING WING CHUN
Force and Speed (Part 2)
By Danny Xuan
The laws of physics dictate the nature of force and speed; and the physiology of a person dictates how one will apply them. To maximise one’s physical potential, a person must first understand how things work, and then learn how to make them work.
IN PRINT
In this issue, Tony Massengill reviews the following books: The Book of Wing Chun: Vol. 1 by Chu Shong Tin and On the Warrior’s Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology by Daniele Bolelli.
SCREEN FIGHTING
In this issue, David Peterson reviews the following movies: The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom, Z Storm, and The Midnight After.
SCREEN EDUCATIONAL
In this issue, Dwight Hennings reviews the following educational DVDs: Samuel Kwok: Mastering Wing Chun, Vol. 6: Baat Cham Dao and Tony Massengill: Wing Chun Training Drills.
