History of Wing Chun Gung Fu

The elders met regularly and engaged in lengthy discussions during which each elder revealed his or her most secret fighting techniques. Soon the elders became so encouraged by the progress of these discussions that they renamed the martial arts training room in which they met Wing Chun Hall, or Forever Springtime Hall. The words "Wing Chun" expressed their hopes for a renaissance in Shaolin martial arts instruction, as well as for a more effective weapon in the struggle against the Manchu.

However, before the new fighting art could be completely developed, Manchu soldiers were sent to destroy the temple. Most of the temple residents were killed in the attack, and the few that survived quickly fled to clandestine locations throughout China. For the next two hundred years, Wing Chun remained a private kung fu system, taught only to family and friends, until in 1952 in Hong Kong when grandmaster Yip Man first offered commercial instruction. Over 90 percent of Wing Chun school in the world today can be traced to the efforts of Yip Man and his students.