Kung fu is a term that has been abused within the world of martial arts for years, both in the east and western worlds. Actually it refers to the skill or ability to achieve a high standard through a continuous effort over a long period. This is why it has been used within the martial world for so long, as those who practise martial arts are setting out on a life long journey through which they will use kung fu to attain mastery of their art. Wing chun kung fu is an effective martial art but it really requires kung fu to achieve the skill sets necessary to become proficient…

Wing Chun Movement in the First Form  Recently I received a comment on my Squidoo Lens on Wing Chun, now I apologise for the poor content of the page, rather it was a place to start for me and test out the water, however the comment got me thinking about the form and style and I thought that might be worthy of a blog on it’s own. The wing chun style itself is based around arm and hand movements, there is little kicking, but some small footwork, the speed and skill come from the grounding and ligament bonding to create solid power. The first form in wing chun, Siu Nim Tao, that you see…

The Beauty of Wing Chun Kung Fu I started practising the beauty of wing chun kung fu many years ago with an old school friend of mine. I had already been involved in martial arts for many years, but there was something that called to me in an advert I saw, not just because the instructor was an old friend of mine, but I don’t know, it just kind of called out to me. I had always been fascinated with kung fu, and had a basic idea of the system, but no real good information. I had been dabbling in many martial arts and just kept flitting. In hindsight, thats is probably because they didn’t suit me. So…

Striking in Wing Chun Kung Fu There are three principles to the martial art of wing chun kung fu: economy of motion, economy of time and economy of energy. When first learning how to apply striking in wing chun kung fu, students generally tend to have a hard time trying to apply these principles, as I did myself when I began. They would draw back their shoulders and try to generate a powerful punch. As a result, they would tire quickly and they are much slower. Wing chun kung fu teaches us that by using these three principles, we can keep attacking much longer than an opponent and much faster. Let me begin with…

A Few Thoughts on Fighting Strategy Or More Particularly Advice on Sparring for Beginners Sammy has recently taken up sparring, and as a beginner I was watching her whilst we were sparring at home. You should first understand Sammy loves her Muay Thai and wants to be the best there is, so she will get me up when Im tired and ask if it is OK for her to kick seven bells out of me. So there we were and I was watching her, bearing in mind I have done a fair bit of sparring at different levels over the years and the odd real encounter or two. What I saw in her eyes was complete confusion. She knew…

So this is the start of my blog on Martial Arts, Im beginning with my passion which is Wing Chun, it will evolve with plenty of other arts and grow where ever the directions blow me. The first things we learn in WIng Chun are the principles. These principles or theories of wing chun will guide your learning through the years and can apply to any art. The three theories of wing chun are: Centreline Theory Economy of Motion Simultaneous Attack and Defence The explanation of these are as follows: Centreline Theory You must attack and defend the centre of your’s and your opponents body. This is an important concept, since all of…