History 歷史
The School Of Wing Chun Kuen - No Ego, No Bravado, No Politics.
I began studying Wing Chun Kungfu in 1998 at the age of 14. As soon as I was exposed to it I was hooked. Wing Chun is a system like no other. Not only is it a fighting system it is also a system that enables you to develop skill which is on going regardless of physical ability.
Wing Chun is a system that teaches spontaneity in attack and defence, no two things are ever the same; therefore Wing Chun teaches you to be prepared for everything but practice as if you're prepared for nothing, which is why sensitivity, intuition, reflex and response is so important.
It is a system that dates back over 300 years. Its origins are said to stem back to the Shaolin temple and the White Crane style. It has gone through an extensive evolution process over the centuries and has come to have many variations and lineages.
A Wing Chun practitioner attempts to learn every possible method of attacking and every method of being attacked and in every possible combination. Through Chi Sau a practitioner learns to 'expect the unexpected' which enables them to take the upper hand. Using touch and movement as information and reacting accordingly. Wing Chun is a practical system that does not look good to the eyes, it's not a style of gymnastics nor a dance, it enables a practitioner to find solutions to problems as they arise, doing everything that is necessary to make the aggressor realise that they made a huge mistake.
Wing Chun is direct, going from A-B in the quickest possible way. Grandmaster Ip Man once said the best martial arts are the arts that do not look good to the eye. I.e. for theatre or sport. Like a normal fight; it's quick, spontaneous and never looks like the movies because when it starts it finishes sooner than later. One of the beauties of Wing Chun is that it teaches a person to use arms and legs independently, simultaneously and spontaneously. This not only benefits fighting situations but also benefits health - internally and externally.
Wing Chun teaches precise footwork, moving diagonally and in quarter-circles to the preferred position in the preferred time whilst keeping the required distance to strike.
I believe that traditional Gungfu should remain authentic, I feel when a teacher or school claims to have improved a system they are only trying to increasing their credibility and tend their own ego. Many modern teachers add different styles or magical techniques to their Gungfu sometimes as clever marketing or to thicken the lessons like flour, this in turn causes digression and moves away from the true principles. GM Ip Man was the last to improve Wing Chun drastically by simplifying it yet keeping the core principles, this was the challenge set by his Sifu and Sifus' before him. I can proudly say there are still many humble and authentic sifus’ of every style but they always remain the un-sung heroes.
The School of Wing Chun Kuen teaches traditional Wing Chun, the class runs on a private basis, open only to selected people. This system enables the teachings and knowledge to remain pure and respected... in turn passed on correctly. The school is dedicated to its principles one of which highlights 'quality and not quantity'.
Sifu Ish Shah
* The School Of Wing Chun Kuen is a strictly independent school and has no association or affiliation with any other persons or schools, neither does it claim to represent them nor do they represent it. Any views expressed are solely of 'The School Of Wing Chun Kuen'.