Wing Tsun

Welcome to the Hong Kong Wing Tsun Association UK. When you join us, you will become a member of the Hong Kong Wing Tsun Association. Sifu Chris Collins founded the HKWTA to serve as a reminder and homage to his lineage and to offer this incredible martial art to his students. The roots of HKWTA stem from Great Grand Master Leung Ting, founder of the International Wing Tsun Association (IWTA), located in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong and Grand Master Cheng Chuen Fun of the Cheng Chuen Fun Wing Tsun Association (CCFWTA), located in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.

“I have my own idea, my own experiences and my own interpretation of the Wing Tsun system and combat in general, combined with the knowledge passed on from my teachers and brothers. I only wish to pass it on in order to preserve this system and ultimately help it to evolve.” (Sifu Chris Collins)

Sifu Chris believes passionately in his WingTsun and the methods in which he uses to teach it. These methods/curriculum are a culmination of his time spent learning from GGM Leung Ting and GM Cheng Chuen Fun, as well as his WingTsun brothers Tam Yiu MIng and Ngan Tak Yee. It is important to treasure the teachings of our mentors and to remain loyal to those we vowed to honor and respect.

Origins of Wing Tsun

WingTsun is a Chinese Kung Fu system which began over 400 years ago. In short, legend has it that a former nun from a Shaolin temple by the name of Ng Mui, developed a kungfu system based on her mastery of other arts in the shaolin temple and on her observation of a fight between a crane and a snake. She began with an idea, this idea turned into a theory. Her theory was that of a smaller, weaker person defeating a larger, stronger attacker. Of course, being a woman this was a very logical approach. She started by narrowing the stance, making it more mobile then she began simplifying the actions or movements, to make them more efficient. She chose the shortest distance between two points in order to stay within the eye of the storm attacking the root or torso and simplified the principles of fighting.

Fighting Principles

  • Go forward offensively with simultaneous striking while defending

  • Stick to your opponent without allowing him the room to use his strength

  • Yield to his greater strength or force by controlling his force on an axis

  • Follow through with your force creating an elastic power generated from the centreline.

 

Then she simplified the energy principles and the use of energy between two combatants.

Energy Principles

  • Give up your own force; learn to release it in order to understand how to control it.

  • Get rid of your opponents force by being centralised and allowing his force to pass.

  • Use your opponents force to give you force; cause and effect

  • Add your own force to his force created through returned momentum

   

  

Wing Tsun Development

This marked the beginning of WingTsun. It was further developed in Fatshan, China, a southern province known for its Wild West atmosphere of martial arts showdowns. The testing ground for many would be or wanna be recognised masters.

Eventually, WingTsun found its way to Hong Kong. This is where Yip Man, achieved fame for his determined effort in teaching WingTsun to the masses. In China, it was limited to a select few. Some of which became quite well known for their kung fu abilities. Yip Man spent many years further developing the system as we know it today. Currently there are many branches of the Wing Chun system, mostly due to his passing without formally naming a successor. Perhaps, Yip Man’s most well known student is Bruce Lee. Bruce studied under Yip Man for many years while living in Hong Kong and abroad. Another famed disciple was Wong Shun Leung, also became one of Bruce Lees teachers. Perhaps another dozen or so Yip Man disciples currently teaching or have students teaching around the world.

 

Prof. Leung Ting

Most notably, Prof. Leung Ting nicknamed “The father of WingTsun”. Grandmaster Leung Ting has dedicated nearly 50 years to the learning, teaching and spreading of the WingTsun system around the world. He has established schools in 64 countries many of which have instructors for military and law enforcement. Leung Ting was able to build such a large following because of his clear understanding of the WingTsun system and most importantly how to express his understanding to his students. Leung Ting developed a teaching structure that enabled his students to truly grasp the concept of what he was teaching in order for them to develop themselves and to further develop the WingTsun system, giving it unlimited boundaries, allowing it to evolve as long as the Principles and Theory is maintained, the parameters of the system.

WingTsun, since its conception has always been known as the “street fighting system.” An offensive system of fighting that incorporates the entire body as a weapon. See the video below.