Wing Chun Kung Fu Demonstrated at Tay Tung By: James U. Sy Jr.

Sports Coordinator/High School Health Teacher Pearl Marie A. Oh, Ng Yung-Wa Sifu, and High School PE Teacher Mia M. Balista (seated from left) with sophomore students pose for a group picture at the conclusion of the “Wing Chun Kung Fu Lecture and Demo” held last January 24-25, 2011 at the Po Hang Gym, Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS), Hernaes St., Bacolod City.

The Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS), one of the three Chinese schools in the city of Bacolod, hosted the “Wing Chun Kung Fu Lecture and Demo” last January 24-25, 2011 at the Po Hang Gym, BTTHS, Hernaes St., Bacolod City.

The Wing Chun lecture and exhibition was a milestone in the history of BTTHS because it was the first ever to be held within its premises since its founding many decades ago.

The “Wing Chun Kung Fu Lecture and Demo” was conducted by Ng Yung-Wa Sifu, a Hong Kong-born Cantonese who now resides in the Netherlands, and was facilitated by BTTHS Board of Trustee Mr. Victor Go, Principal Nilda Monge, Sports Coordinator/High School Health Teacher Pearl Marie A. Oh, and High School PE Teacher Mia M. Balista. Accompanying Ng Sifu was James U. Sy Jr., Founder of Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc., and Jeremy John Dy of Kimdo Martial Arts, who assisted him, and Chris Marie Dumasis, who documented the event. 80 freshmen and 45 sophomore students witnessed the lecture and demo on the first and second days respectively.

The purpose of the demo was to introduce students to one aspect of the Chinese culture that is often neglected by scholars, its martial heritage. In centuries past, Chine reigned as a superpower and it was the center of innovations and learning. Japan and Korea among others sent their scholars to study in China, most especially during the Tang Dynasty. These scholars studied the different sciences and arts perfected by the Chinese, among them medicine, mathematics, philosophy, calligraphy, and martial arts. Testament to this is the use of the Japanese and the Koreans of the Chinese ideographs, locally known as kanji and hanja in Japan and Korea respectively. The cultural influences of China are also seen in Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam among others.

The Chinese Martial Arts (CMA), more commonly referred to as Kung Fu “Skill, Hard Work (Mandarin 功夫 , Pinyin: Gōngfu)” or more properly, Wushu “Martial Art (Mandarin 武術),” were developed by the different sectors of Chinese society to protect life, property, and freedom. All throughout China there are hundreds, if not thousands, of styles of Kung Fu. One of these styles is Wing Chun.

Wing Chun Kuen (詠春拳“Sing Praise Spring/Spring Chant Fist” or 永春拳 “Eternal/Forever Springtime Fist”) is a style of Kung Fu founded by the nun Ng Mui (五枚大師 Wǔ Méi), one of the Five Elders who escaped when the Shaolin Temple was burned down by the Ching Dynasty. Since Ng Mui was a woman she had to rely on technique rather than brute strength. Her Kung Fu was inspired by the movements of the snake and crane fighting each other, which she had observed. She taught the art to her student, Yim Wing-Chun (嚴詠春 Pinyin: Yán Yǒng Chūn / Jyutping: Jim Wing-Ceon), from whom the then nameless art got its name from.

Ng Yung-Wa Sifu is a 12th Generation exponent of Wing Chun. He studied under Nils Sifu and then Dick Wachtberger Sifu, a student of Wang Kiu Sifu, who was in turn a student of Wing Chun 9th Generation Grandmaster Ip Man of Hong Kong. GM Ip Man is best known as the teacher of the legendary martial arts star Bruce Lee Siu-Long (1941-1973).

Ng Sifu has a total of 12 years experience, both studying and teaching, Wing Chun Kung Fu. He started assisting in instructing on his third year and became a Full instructor on his sixth year. Ng Sifu had a third teacher he could not name because he was made to promise not to.

Ng Sifu explained the code of ethics (9 Rules of Conduct) of Wing Chun and how to apply them, the origins of Wing Chun Kuen and its characteristics that make it unique from other systems of Kung Fu. He demonstrated several self defense techniques using regulated force as well as the hand speed which made the art popular.

Ng Sifu, who arrived in Bacolod on September 15, 2010, had previously introduced Wing Chun Kuen at the Yuan Thong Temple, demonstrated it to criminology students at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), and taught the first seminar on Wing Chun Kuen in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental on January 16, 2010 at the Avenue Gym (“An Introduction to Wing Chun Basics”).

For more info, please contact song4springtime@gmail.com or sophiahecate@gmail.com.