The history of Hackneys Wing Chun Self Defence programme dates back over 300 years. Legend has it that Wing Chun begins in the Shaolin temple. The temple was known for taking refugees or a safe house from the military in that time who were hunting for revolutionaries.
The military decided to eradicate these revolutionaries who were in the Shaolin Temple by burring the temple down, however, it is said that five elders escaped from the temple, these five elders were Jee Shin, Bak Mi, Fun Do Tuk, Mi Hin and Ng Mi.
These five monks went into hiding however it is said that Ng Mi witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane which inspired her to combine these animal movements with her own Shaolin kung fu and created the principles of a new unarmed martial arts system.
It is said that she eventually took on a student disciple by the name of Yim Wing Chun and taught her this new alarm system martial arts system.
Yim Wing Chun was been harassed by a non-local and she offered to fight this individual for her freedom. Yim Wing Chun defeated this local in a fight using the martial art she had learnt from Ng Mi and drove this local person out of the village.
Yim Wing Chun later married Leung Bok Chau and taught him this new martial arts system. Her husband later named this new martial arts system Wing Chun boxing in honour of his wife.
Leung Bok Chau later taught his nephew Leung Lan Kwai who then taught Wong Wa Bo and Leung Yee Tai on the Red Boat.
It is said that while on the boat long Leung Lan Kwai befriended a man on the boat who was in hiding and disguised as a cook on the boat. This cook was Jee Shin from the Shaolin Temple. Jee Shin decided to teach the six-and-a-half-inch Pole from the Shaolin Temple as this was his speciality.
another account is said that Wong Wa Bo and Leung Yee Tai met up and they became good friends and discuss the principles of the martial arts and this is how the Pole became part of Wing Chun
Wong Wa Bo and Leung Yee Tai are known to have taught Dr Leung Jan of Foshan who is another key person in the history of the art of Wing Chun as he later started to teach Wing Chun and among his students were his two sons, Leung Chun, Leung Bik Ciao and Cha Wah Shan.
Cha Wah Shan later continued to teach Wing Chun and of his students was Ip Man
Ip Man is said to have had only 16 dedicated students of which Wong Shun Leung and a few others have pasted on their knowledge of Wing Chun to my teacher Andrew Sofos who has passed on these teachings to me.
Today the Wing Chun Self Defence programme is bases in Hackney, London teaching a course in a traditional and structured syllabus with regular gradings/tests where your Mind, Body and Spirit will be stimulated and challenged in a friendly and relaxed environment designed to bring the best out of you.
Our classes are suitable for adults and young children (age 5+); we are
We have a great team who are passionate about Wing Chun Self Defence and want to make a difference in the community.