| In order to learn Wing Chun, it is important to | | | | them. When you learn Wing Chun, you will gain better |
| understand the history behind it. There are many | | | | balance and speed, you will learn about how to |
| versions of how Wing Chun came into being. Some | | | | position your body and how to refine your |
| say it was started by Ng Mui, a Buddhist nun who | | | | movements to their best advantage, mostly getting |
| developed it over 300 years ago in southern China | | | | in close to your attacker. In Wing Chun the principal |
| and named it after her student, Yim Wing Chun. | | | | of the closest point between two points is a straight |
| While others believe it was started by a Shoalin | | | | line holds true. Wing Chun is generally used for |
| monk in the early to mid 1700s. | | | | defense rather than attack and when first developed |
| Wing Chun was almost unheard of anywhere else but | | | | strikes were meant to be fatal and pointed at areas |
| China until 1950 when Grandmaster Yip Man began | | | | such as the throat, eyes and stomach. Many |
| teaching in Hong Kong and his students grew in | | | | countries have their elite military personal learn Wing |
| number. One on these students was the late Bruce | | | | Chun, not only for self-defense but also for the quiet |
| Lee who became a master of the form and used | | | | execution of the movements in arm-to-arm combat. |
| Wing Chun as the basis for Jeet Kune Do or the | | | | It does not take long to learn Wing Chun, in fact it is |
| Way of the Intercepting Fist, the style of martial arts | | | | quicker than most other forms and you can learn to |
| he used in his ever-popular movies. I can still | | | | defend yourself in a fairly shot period of time, but |
| remember being enthralled by Fists of Fury and Enter | | | | true of all martial arts you can practice it for the rest |
| the Dragon with Bruce Lee using amazing skills of | | | | of your life. When you learn wing Chun you also gain |
| balance, graceful and agile movements and lightening | | | | health benefits as the meditative side of Wing Chun |
| fast strikes. His movies captivated a whole | | | | is a great stress reliever as Wing Chun is also about |
| generation and encouraged many to study a martial | | | | using your mind, learning to control impulses, relax |
| art in one form or another. | | | | into the movement and sense your balance, strength |
| I believe many women learn Wing Chun because of | | | | and power. As your fitness levels improve so to |
| its simple form, relying on position, the use of energy | | | | does your overall health. |
| and angles rather than size and power. With short | | | | Whether you learn Wing Chun for self-defense, sport |
| explosive blows by the hand and very low kicks, | | | | or simply as an exercise and meditation tool it will be |
| people of small stature find learning Wing Chun a | | | | a valuable asset for the rest of your life. |
| remarkable form of self-defense. You can be | | | | Yoshi E Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. He |
| effective without any massive strength at all. You | | | | covers themixed martial arts industry. For a free |
| actually learn to use your attackers strength against | | | | report on Shaolin Kung Fu Training visit his blog. |