Roots of Wing Chun from its Inception - part 2

Sifu Garry’s Blog

Development of Wing Chun

Red Boats Opera

1800’s onwards

Prior to the formation of the Red Boat Opera Troupe, wing chun was only a concept…………

After the Shaolin Temples were destroyed by the Manchu’s, the surviving Monks fled south, mainly to Canton and Foshan, in southern China.
During this priod of revolution, many secret society rebel groups were formed. The most notoriuos being the "Red Boats"

The Red Boat Opera Troupe was a legendary rebel group attacking and fighting the Manchu’s, so they could rid the Qing and restore the Ming.

According to wing chun martial traditions, Red Boat duo, Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee-Ta were chosen by Yim Wing Chun and her husband, Leung Bok Chow to teach the pair concepts and principles of wing chun kung fu.

Leung Yee Tai and Wong Wah Bo had as many as 11 peers in Wing Chun among their colleagues at the Red Boat Opera Company. For example, "Dai Fa Min" Kam, who played the role of the martial painted face, is the ancestor of the Way Yan lineage. The Yuen Kay-San and Pan Nam branches descend from both Wong Wah-Bo and "Dai Fa Min" Kam. Gao Lo Chung ("Tall" Chung) and "Hung Gun" Biu, also of the Red Boat Opera Company, both passed the art on to relatives, respectively, his son-in-law Yin Lee-Chung and the Wang family. Outside the Red Boat Opera Company, a monk who had taken the name "Dai Dong Fung" is named as its ancestor by the Pao Fa Lien lineage of Wing Chun.

In this cohort of the Red Boat Opera Company, the role of the virtuous "female" was played by Leung Yee Tai and Yik Kam, better known as "Ching-Deng" Kam because of the role he played. Cho Shun, who played the "Little Martial" role, was a student of Yik Kam. By passing the art on to his son Cho Dak-Sang, Cho Shun established the Wing Chun lineage of the Cho family of Panyu village.

Leung Jan is as far back as the lineages that descend from him Yip Man, Yiu Kai, Pan Nam, Tam Yeung.

Fung Sing can reliably verify their genealogy. He was a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine in the city of Foshan in the 19th century. Leung Jan is said to have learned from Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee-Tai, respectively the male and "female" martial leads of the Red Boat Opera Troupe, each of whom is said to have been an expert on different aspects of Wing Chun.

According to legends from the Yip Man lineage, Leung Yee-Tai was a poler, that is, he used a pole to steer the Red Boat away from rocks and shoals, and was therefore chosen by the legendary Shaolin master Jee Shim himself to learn the six-and-a-half point pole.

Leung Jan's students included his sons Leung Chun and Leung Bik as well as "Wooden Man" Wah and Chan Wah-Shun nicknamed "Moneychanger Wah", from whom the Yip Man, Yiu Kai, and Pan Nam lineages descend. When Leung Jan was 70 years old, he moved back to his native village of Gulao, where he taught 3 people a synthesised version of his wing chun.

In my next Blog, I will discuss Leung Jan’s influence on wing chun and his direct descendants around China.

Sifu  Garry’s wing chun kung fu in melbourne

garry baniecki facebook wall

wing chun kung fu greensborough martial arts

linda baniecki’s wing chun manual

 sifu garry’s youtube channel

sifu linda’s youtube channel

sifu garry’s google+

sifu linda’s google+

Roots fo Wing Chun form its Inception - part 1

Sifu Garry’s Blog

“Roots of Wing Chun” China Trip

2006 - 2012

 Over the years, there has been much controversy about my wing chun lineage and whether the people referred to, ever existed. Being involved with wing chun for over 27 years, I found this quite intimidating. To think that all the stories and history of the martial art system that I have dedicated my life to, were false.

I decided to find out for myself.

In 2006, I started my quest to discover the “roots of wing chun” and since then I have compiled ample information about my lineage, the history of wing chun and its grass roots.

Firstly, where does wing chun originate from. Some say the Northern Shaolin Temple and others state categorically that wing chun comes from the Southern Shaolin Temple.

Me? I believe wing chun emanated from both Temples, at different times.

It is accepted today, wing chun found its way from the Temples to the southern province of Guangdong, in China.

In the south of China, a group of Opera performers, named the Red Boat Opera Troupe, were responsible for developing a structure of wing chun still being practised today.

After the destruction of the Northern Temple, the Temple Masters found their way south to avoid persecution from the Manchu Tyrants, whom were conquering China at that time.

The principle persons were Ng Mui and Jee Shin.

Jee shin eventually made his way south and joined the Red Boats.

Ng Mui fled south and hid in mountains near Foshan. She eventually met a lady whom she taught the concepts of wing chun to. In turn, Yim Wing Chun  and her Husband were instrumental in Teaching wing chun to several Red Boat members.

After the destruction of the Southern Temple, a kung fu Master named Cheung Ng, aka, Tan Sao Ng, fled to the southern province of Guangdong, and settled in Foshan. Records state that Cheung Ng also introduced the principles of wing chun, to the Red Boats, to rebel against the Manchu.

“Rid the Ching and return the Ming”

Through records and data, history suggests that certain members of the Red Boats were influenced by descendants from the Northern Temple and other factions of the Troupe were influenced by Southern Shaolin Temple Monks.

At this stage of wing chun’s development, remember, wing chun was only an idea about a new martial system. The Red Boats were responsible for creating a definitive structure.

In my next post, I will discuss Wing Chun’s direction after the Red Boats and its development.

sifu garrys facebook wall

 sifu lindas facebook wall

sifu garry wing chun kung fu

wing chun kung fu for children

medical qigong sifu garry sifu linda

sifu linda’s wing chun manual

martial arts sports coaching courses

Roots of Wing Chun China Trip - Sifu Garry 3rd leg

Sifu Garry’s Blog

“Roots of Wing Chun” China Trip – Guangzhou

3^rd Leg

Departing from the City of Zhengzhou was a blessing in disguise. The weather had been extremely cold; acceptable but gelid. Coming from Melbourne’s hot climate to Northern China’s winter climate was a bit of a contrast.

At last, we knew some warmer weather was around the corner.

Zhengzhou with a population of 13 million was an active City but very smoggy. Being in the “Country” one would expect a clearer, cleaner air, but not so.

The Shaolin Temple will be etched into my mind for ever. My spirit is there, now, forever.

We were all looking forward to arriving in Guangzhou, which was a 2.5 hour plane ride to Guangzhou Airport (formerly Canton), the capital of southern China, where the climate is much warmer.

Low and behold when we arrived at Guangzhou airport, it was raining, but still, much warmer!

Our Chartered Coach picked us up from the airport according to schedule. The Bus driver was waiting patiently for our group at the exit terminal. This was a huge weight of my mind. All these arrangements were made over the Net, so I did not see people personally to organize the trip.

We were scheduled to travel to Gulao Village to have dinner with GM Fung Chun, but due to his recent demise, I decided to cancel that leg of our trip. Instead, I organized a Ferry cruise along the infamous Pearl River of Canton.

The Pearl River was the water ways that the Red Boat Opera Troupe used to fight the Qing Soldiers, during the rebellions of the mid 1800’s.

What a trip to behold. The Ferries, the River walls, bridges and sky scrapers were all ornate with a magnificent array of coloured lights. This was an event I would recommend to anybody travelling to Guangzhou.

The next day we all visited Chimelong Safari Park. Wow!

The Chinese are so innovative. The open safari park is brilliant. The array of animals from all over the World, including Australia, did not leave anything to the imagination.

Then, there was the Jurassic Theme Park to walk through.

This was too magnificent to explain. Life like prehistoric full size monsters greeted us at every corner. The walk finished in a cavern with T Rex on one side and a Spineasaurus on the other. The Spineasaurus was the biggest Carnivore to ever exist, about 20 feet higher than the Rex.

The Pandas, white tigers, elephants, hippos, sam tucans, bears, lions, giraffes, apes, and so much more. You have to see it to believe it!

After visiting Chimelong Safari Park, our Coach driver – two cousins, which we nick named “Cheech and Chong”, drove us to Beijing Street in down town Canton for some Shopping. There were several Malls inundated with Shoppers, but I thought the priced were a bit inflated, so Linda and I saved ourselves for shopping in Shenzhen.

Our last day in Guangzhou led us to Sifu Wong Ni Yim’s anniversary party for his Father, Mei Gai Wong. There was plenty of food and entertainment while we were there. There were some wing chun students from Europe, plus the array of demonstrations were quite entertaining. There was a lot of pictures being taken over the day, also.

 We didn’t stay too long as half the group were suffering from food poisoning, so I thought it would be better to keep moving to our next destination, being the home of wing chun kung fu, Foshan.

The 4^th leg of the tour will cover out rips from Foshan, going to Shunde, home of legendary Bruce Lee and wing chun grand master Chan Wah Shun.

sifu garrys facebook wall

sifu lindas wing chun manaul

sifu lindas facebook wall

sifu garry wing chun kung fu

wing chun kung fu for children

medical qigong sifu garry sifu linda

wing chun kung fu greensborough

sifu garrys youtube

martial arts sports coaching courses

Wing Chun Sifu Garry's first trip to China

Sifu Garry's Blog

First trip to China

"Roots of Wing Chun"

In 2006 I decided to organise a “roots of wing chun” china trip with the students from Jee Shin wing chun academy.

In Australia, there is a lot of politics regarding wing chun kung fu.

My wing chun lineage was in question and one of my sifus credibility was also in question with innuendos being cast about his history and credibility. Over the years other wing chun masters around the World have publicly criticized his lineage and stories.

Once I branched out on my own, I deliberated for at least 10 years before I decided to do something about it.

I wanted to know the truth, first hand.

My own history and lineage were at stake, now.

How would I start this project? I decided to spend some time researching wing chun in china over the net and after a month or so I had accumulated a lot of information I deemed necessary for a successful trip.

Low and behold! My PC crashed and I lost all my data on China and wing chun, so I had to start again.

Would you believe; this time I found more pertinent information on wing chun in china and even came across some contacts in Hong Kong and China whom could assist me with an itinerary to travel around china and visit certain wing chun schools with notable lineages dating back to the Red Boats.

The Red Boat Opera Troupe were secretly known as "Ming Rebels". During the day they would act as Opera performers and at night would become "wing chun assassins".

Contemporary wing chun around the world can attribute their lineages back to the Red Boats.

Dr. Leung Jan was a 1st generation student of the Red Boats, taught by Leung Yi Tai and Wong Wah Bo.

WOW! How lucky was I?

Indeed, I felt comfortable that the trip was going to be even better than what I had envisaged.

I had established contacts in Hong Kong whom would take us into China, organise all the accommodation and transport, as well as take us to at least 6 wing chun kung fu schools around southern China, including visiting Chan Wah Shun’s ancestral graveyard in Shunde and the Yip Man Tong in Foshan.

I couldn’t wait!

The time had arrived to travel to China. I was so excited.

In Australia, I have read numerous stories and come across many rumours and innuendos regarding wing chun kung fu.

I needed to find out for myself, the real truth and history of wing chun kung fu.

What better way would there be? Just travel to the homeland of wing chun kung fu and martial arts.

I needed to know about the history of wing chun from the red boats to Leung Jan to contemporary times.

Unknown to me at the time, it would take another 6 trips to China to start to get the full picture and stories behind this magnificent martial art.

But, that is another Story!

Sifu Garrys Facebook

Jee shin wing chun kung fu

Wing chun for Children

Martial arts sports coaching

Greensborough Wing Chun Martial Arts

Sifu Lindas Wing Chun Manual

Qigong Breathing Therapy in melbourne

sifu lindas facebook