Ip Man (1893-1972) possessed rare martial arts skills, developed across 5-decades of learning, built from the perspectives of his two masters. But whilst he taught many students in his latter years, their interpretations of his kung fu vary…
Today many martial artists seek to practice what they believe is a pure and therefore better style. But history tells us that masters of the 20th century had a far more flexible point of view. Three legends of…
Wing Chun’s unique forearm sensitivity-training exercise often devolves into soft rollover habits. However, in applied kung fu, Chi Sao practice has to be far more assertive. Given that real self-defence situations are high pressure, forceful encounters with wild…
Wing Chun’s Lap Sao is an important drill to develop the instinct to clear the path. However, many practitioners lack true intent, reducing the technique to a soft rollover routine. Sifu Barry Pang explains that in Lap Sao…
The first section of Chum Kil introduces the pivot and a rigid Bong Sau movement. The second takes it further, teaching kicks, stepping and sophisticated hand-feet coordination. Sifu Barry Pang explains that what comes first in Wing Chun…
Wing Chun’s most advanced form starts with a widely misunderstood grabbing technique. This underscores the importance of layered learning where it comes to developing skill in a sophisticated martial art. The Wooden Dummy Form (Muk Yan Jong 木人樁)…
Chum Kil is critical to Wing Chun practice as it introduces movement and coordination. It teaches mobility, after having learnt the basic hand techniques from the first form’s static position. A key Wing Chun principle is to contact,…
The centreline theory is a celebrated formula for gaining control of your opponent, but is it enough? Concepts of feeling and redirecting your opponent are not the exclusive domain of Wing Chun kung fu. Here are 4 ways…
Once the hands are in contact, Chi Sao provides the tools to react to an incoming attack without thinking. However, the specific drill that develops this reflex is not widely taught or understood. Sifu Barry Pang explains the…
In real self-defence situations, free exchanges of blows are common. This is low-percentage fighting. In Wing Chun, the principle that practitioners strive for is to intercept the hands and gain the best position for attack. Sifu Barry Pang…