Want to fight like Michelle Yeoh in Yuen Woo-ping's classic kung fu movie Wing Chun? Here's your chance. Ip Chun, the son of legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man whose students included kung fu icon Bruce Lee, is teaching Wing Chun every weekend at the Sha Tin Town Hall's Music Studio.
Wing Chun is a form of traditional Chinese martial arts. It was originally a collection of kung fu techniques developed about 300 years ago and passed down to successive generations in southeast China. Because Wing Chun does not require a strong physique or use brute strength to fend off opponents, it was believed that the art was developed by women for self-defence.
This martial art is now very popular worldwide due to its simple movements and practical fighting style. It has three basic set patterns: siu nim tao, chum kiu and biu jee. Practitioners come to understand the ideology of Wing Chun through diligent practice.
'The ideology of Wing Chun is to counter hardness with softness and nullify brute force with a void,' Ip explained. 'To do so, one must learn how to borrow or shift the opponent's strength when fighting back.'
Unlike karate or taekwondo, there is no special dress code for practising Wing Chun under Ip. Practitioners show up in casual wear and begin doing basic movements as if they are taking a walk on the beach. But being relaxed is different from being lax. The tranquil expression on practitioners' faces tells you how immersed they are in their art.
'A sport will help your body only if you immerse yourself in it,' Ip said. 'But to do so is not easy, as the human mind is very active. When practising chi sao, practitioners enter a state of tranquility and become immersed in the art.'