WING CHUN KUNG FU BENDIGO

Wing Chun as a martial art, was  developed in southern China approximately 300 years ago during the time of the Qing Dynasty when the Manchu government attacked and destroyed the Shaolin Temple and scattered the monks.

 

During the 1900's during the rise of the Communist party in mainland China, many great Wing Chun masters left the mainland and migrated to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan.

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Yip Man (also known as  Ip Man) established himself in Hong Kong and has had his life immortalised by the 'Ip Man' movie series starring Donnie Yen. (see poster)

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Yip Man's most famous student was Bruce Lee who popularised Wing Chun Kung Fu through his action packed movies. Bruce Lee's 'elder brother' in Yip Man's school was William Cheung, who brought Wing Chun to Australia and introduced it to Paul McCarthy, our Bendigo Wing Chun instructor in 1975, along with Garry and Linda Baniecki who became Grandmaster William Cheung's full-time students. 

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Wing Chun, according to legend was developed by a female and does not rely on force or physical size, but specifically trains to enable a practitioner to take advantage of the opponents size and force, turning their force against them.

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Skilled in Wing Chun, one does not have to fear any size opponent.

 

Wing Chun is based on simple principles:

• Centre Line – attacking and defending

• Central Line

• Fighting on the Blind Side

• Independent use of limbs, hands and feet

• Simultaneous attack & defence

• Economy of movement               

• Facing the point of contact         

• Coordinating the mind and body                              

• Do not fight force with force                

• Forward Intention                          

• Qi Sao and contact reflexes                        

• The 5 stages of combat

 

Wing Chun places great emphasis on effective and fast footwork, on the premise that when the feet are positioned correctly, everything that follows is natural and devastatingly effective. 

Wing Chun favours the vertical straight punch as it comes from the centre and is pushed forward in a straight line with great force and explosive power, as the body is directly behind the punch with the feet firmly rooted on the ground. A straight punch is the most difficult to defend against and intercept, as the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

The centreline punch also guards our centre, making it difficult for the opponent to attack our body. Bruce Lee’s famous ‘one inch punch’ illustrated the power of a straight punch when the elbow and body are behind the fist, propelling forwards in a straight line.

 

Wing Chun Kung Fu in Bendigo is a branch of the Jee Shin Wing Chun Kung Fu Association. Jee Shin was one of the original five Shaolin monks who brought Shaolin Kung Fu to Southern China.

 

Sifu Garry and Sifu Linda Baniecki have strong links with the Shaolin tradition and teach both Shaolin Iron Shirt and Shaolin Iron Palm conditioning, as well as Tai Chi and Qi-gong.