Wing Chun origins

[JKDkid2]

I know that Wing Chun was created my a woman.

 

My friend says that his sensei(Kayo) of Chi-i-do goju ryu sed that

 

wing chun was created from goju ryu is this true because i have found nothing that says goju ryu is the origins of wing chun.

[manuelito]

okay this could be wrong but i will try...

 

group of monks develop a fighting system.

 

all die in an attack on the temple, one survivor.

 

survivor a woman finishes the system of fighting.

 

first student a woman of promonince, possibly a princess.

 

this woman does not want to marry the man she is promised to.

 

the teacher makes a deal with this man.

 

deal is if the princess can beat him in a fight she does not have to marry him.

 

he agrees.

 

princess trains for a year.

 

they fight, she wins.

[dippedappe]

I have read in a book by one of Ip Mans sons students. That that story maybe isnt true afterall.

[pvwingchun]

First and foremost the "legend" of Ng Mui and Wing Chun is just that a legend. Until the mid 1800's there is no hard of eveidence of the founders only myth and speculation. Most of the time lines don't make sense for starters. There are many stories out there as to who and how it developed. Chances are there were many players in the developement of WC accounting for the various lineages all having their own view of history. I just read a very interesting article last nite by Hendrick Santo, Rene Ritchie and Robert Chu that put a whole new spin on the origins that was much more historically based than anything I have seen to date. It tied the revolutionary activities of the mid 1800's and the Red Junk Period together quite well.

 

As for you sensei saying that WC comes from gojo ryu that is a new one on me. I would have to dispute that vigorously.

 

And yes there is some speculation that Ip Man either embellished or made up the history. Early in life he supposedly told a different story than later in life. It has even been suggested that the history is credited to someone he told to make up the story that he didn't feel like recounting what he knew?????????. All of this is pure speculation and adds to the lure and mystique of WC.

[Hudson]

I heard that Wing Chun was started by a Woman who took Pak Mei and needed (no offense here to both practicioners and women) a system that was more suited to a woman.

[Nick_UKWC]

I have read many versions of the history of Wing Chun, of course I have no idea what is right.

 

You can read a couple of takes here:

 

http://www.ukwingchun.com/history.htm

 

http://www.wingchunkwoon.com/history.asp

[MenteReligieuse]

I heard that Wing Chun was started by a Woman who took Pak Mei and needed (no offense here to both practicioners and women) a system that was more suited to a woman.

 

ooo, so that is where the slogan "Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman" comes from...

[Drunken Monkey]

"Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman"

 

never heard of that before.

[MenteReligieuse]

its the old Secret (name) deodorant slogan...

[Zhong Gau]

As up to speed as DM is on most origin mythos...

 

i was under the impression that the emei mountain temple was assaulted and the women killed except for one who was considered the weakest and fairest by the attackers, whom returned periodically for several months to 'visit' her. preceeding this, the bandits had been raiding the villages surrounding the temple and would not leave the peasants alone after several attempts to get them to, including copulating them into submission. one night the women of the temple raided the bandits and reduced thier numbers to about a third, leaving about fourty alive. the fourty raided the temple.

 

A famous Hung Gar Master, who only lived to be in his thirties, was escorted to the temple by an abbot and (based on the simple moves in Iron Thread) taught the survivor a Mok Gar style form which became known as Wing Chun. the two men stayed at the temple with the woman and helped put it back together. eventually the bandits came back and were beaten by the three. the hung gar master killed most of the bandits single handedly. the abbot stayed for some time to help emei get back on its feet with reguards to new recruits. the abbot left when the survivor woman was ready to become abbot and resume the emei woman's temple structure. he became a wandering monk.

 

this i got grom a chinese film called "Emei Mountain in the Time of Troubles" and was produced around '47 or '48. but for the thirty year old HG guy to be involved places it in 1837 at the latest. some accounts say he died in 1832, five years after the day of the battle he faught against the bandits.