Is It Wing Chun or Ving Tsun?

Which Style Did Bruce Lee Study?
by Mark V. Wiley

Coined "the science of infighting," ving tsun kung fu is the vehicle that propelled the late Bruce Lee to superstardom and later formed the nucleus of his Jun Fan kung fu.
Or was it?
Didn't Lee's first formal martial arts training come in wing chun kung fu, not ving tsun?
Actually, both answers are correct. Wing chun is ving tsun, and vice versa. Ving tsun is simply the Cantonese spelling of wing chun.

Many martial artists, however, have long been confused about the difference between wing chun and ving tsun. And while there are those who claim there are differences between the two, and that certain moves in ving tsun have been omitted from wing chun, no conclusive evidence of any differences has ever been presented.
That said, what is so special about ving tsun that Lee chose it as the foundation for his martial arts training?
Ving tsun's effectiveness rests in its concentration on infighting skills. While other martial arts dabble in close-quarter defense, ving tsun embraces it completely. Ving tsun was originally developed by Buddhist nun Ng Miu as a means of defeating larger and stronger opponents through control of the body's "centerline." The Chinese style has been so closely analyzed since then that its movements have become not only an art form and effective means of self-defense, but a science as well. To truly appreciate the "art" of ving tsun, one must also understand the style's scientific methods. Following are some of ving tsun's scientific principles.

Concepts

Clear concepts are a requisite of ving tsun's scientific methods. Concepts are mental images constructed from either generalizations or specific details. From ving tsun's conceptual foundation, facts were established through observation. Parallels were then drawn after the classification and scrutinization of these facts. When these parallels were assumed to be true (i.e., possessing within their structure the ability to overcome a stronger opponent in the confines of close quarters), they became principles. Following are six concepts that form the backbone of ving tsun's scientific methods.

• Distance. The understanding and ability to control distance is a crucial element in the implementation of ving tsun techniques. Since they are considered to be most effective at close range, ving tsun practitioners spend years developing the ability to interpret the proper distance necessary to defeat an opponent, and the proper method of "bridging the gap" between themselves and their opponent.
• Positioning. Proper positioning is a key element of ving tsun. The position of the ving tsun practitioner and his opponent must be realized, and a means of changing position through footwork and body shifting must be mastered if a positive result is to be achieved. Through the practice of ving tsun's three forms and wooden dummy training, the ving tsun stylist develops an acute awareness of proper body positioning and spatial relationships.
• Offense and defense. In ving tsun, the concepts of offense and defense are not mutually exclusive, but instead complementary. After a desired distance and position have been achieved, the ving tsun practitioner does not think in terms of offense and defense (since they are often the same), but rather in terms of occupying his own centerline.
• Movement. Movement skills are developed and utilized during the practice of ving tsun sensitivity drills called chi sao (sticking hands) and chi gerk (sticking feet). Chi sao develops sensitivity to an opponent's arm placement and body shifting. Chi gerk develops the ability to step into an opponent's center of gravity or "center point," which negates the opponent's position and unbalances his stance.
• Economy of motion. According to some martial artists, it is not how fast something travels, but how soon it gets there that counts. This maxim is representative of ving tsun techniques, in which directness is the key to superior results. Ving tsun techniques follow the principle that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Therefore all ving tsun tech- niques are aimed toward the centerline. Speed is rooted in the efficiency of ving tsun movements.
• Sensitivity. Because ving tsun stylists are expected to possess an acute aware- ness of pressure through touch, their infighting skills may be unequaled. The ability to interpret an opponent's intention, direction, and energy before he has had a chance to act on them gives ving tsun practitioners a great advantage in an altercation.

Theories

Ving tsun theories are methodical classifications of concepts which provide a structure for the grouping of various physical movements. The theories provide a means of categorizing pertinent infighting knowledge. The three theories which follow from the foundation from which ving tsun's principles are based are:

• Centerline. The centerline is an imaginary line that runs through the center of the body and perpendicular to it. It is used as a reference to determine the shortest distance between two points. The ving tsun practitioner is trained to control the centerline and negate his opponent's linear attacks by presenting them with a barrier, such as the hands. Circular attacks cause the ving tsun stylist some problems, slowing his reaction time and opening his centerline to counterattack.
• Facing. Ving tsun practitioners are trained to face all oncoming attacks, and to do so with "equal hands." One hand dictates where the other should go. This so-called "replacement of hands" can only be achieved by those who employ equal hands through facing. In contrast, opponents who have "unequal" hands possess an inherent weakness: if their lead hand is trapped, their rear hand must travel too far a distance to control the open line of attack. Ving tsun stylists, however, hold their hands at approximately the same distance away from the body, thereby making them "equal," and thus shortening the time necessary for the second hand to interact with the lead hand.
• Immovable elbow. When employing ving tsun techniques, the elbow must be kept one and one-half fist's distance from the body. This is the proper distance at which attack and defense can coexist, and also provides the greatest leverage. If the arms are held too far from the body, your techniques will be weaker and less effective, and you will be more susceptible to attack. If the arms are held too close to the body, your techniques can be easily jammed and your counterattacks restricted.

Abstractions

Ving tsun's fighting concepts are purposely abstract. The very process of or- ganizing a methodological approach to combat--a non-structured event-- involves abstracting from reality. Unfortunately, the abstractness of ving tsun's theories often prompt other stylists to view the art's principles as impractical and unrealistic. This could not be further from the truth. Ving tsun's concepts are practical for the simple reason that they are abstract. The reality of combat is too complex to be very meaningful. Ving tsun is based on theory in order to give meaning to an abundance of facts--which would otherwise be confusing and useless-and put them into a more usable and practical form.

Principles

Ving tsun's principles were developed from clear concepts and sound fighting strategies. Strict adherence to these principles dictates whether a ving tsun practitioner will be successful in employing the art's physical movements. If the principles are abandoned, ving tsun will be ineffective in both theory and practice. The primary principles are:

• Always keep your hands along the centerline.
• The opponent's nearest limb is the most dangerous.
• Don't fight with an opponent's force, flow with it.
• Never cross your hands.
• The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
• All techniques are aimed toward the opponent's centerline.
• What comes, stop; what goes, deliver.
• Attack and defense should be simultaneous.
• All principles are universal for the hands, feet, and weapons.

Training Methods

A constant struggle for perfection in postures and movements is the nucleus of ving tsun. Through its scientific methods, it was found that a frail person could indeed defeat a much stronger and larger opponent. After ving tsun's theories and principles were established, scientific training methods were devised. It is through the dedicated practice of ving tsun's three choreographed combat forms-sil lim tao, chum kil, and bil jee--that practitioners perfect the art's deflections, traps, strikes, kicks and footwork. These techniques are enhanced through the practice of two man sets called pak sao, lop sao, chi sao, and chi gerk. These sets help the ving tsun stylist develop acute sensitivity, balance, coordination, timing and relaxation. All of the practitioner's skills can be fine-tuned on the mook jong (wooden dummy) training apparatus.

Once the ving tsun practitioner has mastered the empty-hand system, he begins training with ving tsun's two weapons, the staff and butterfly knives. This is the final phase of ving tsun-and wing chun-training.
Perhaps now you understand why Bruce Lee was so impressed with ving tsun. Or was it wing chun? No matter which way it is spelled, ving tsun--or wing chun--is one of the most effective and scientifically advanced fighting methods in the world today, despite the fact it was created centuries ago, and by a Buddhist nun no less.

Taken from BlackBelt Magazine

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