Complete Wing Chun: The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun's History and Traditions

by L. Robert Chu, Rene Ritchie, Y. Wu

Master the many styles of Wing Chun Kung Fu with this expert martial arts guide.

With the fame of Bruce Lee, the conditions in Hong Kong, and the hard work and effort of many of his classmates, the Wing Chun of the late master Yip Man became one of the most well-known and popular Chinese martial arts in the world. Although this gave Wing Chun international recognition, it also led to a lot of misconceptions. Due to a lack of authentic information, many mistakenly came to assume that the renowned Yip Man was the sole inheritor of the style and that his Wing Chun was the lone version of the art.

In fact, there are several different and distinct systems of Wing Chun. Unfortunately, over the years most of these systems have remained unseen or unreported to all but a few—until now.

Profusely illustrated with over 300 historical photographs, Complete Wing The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun's History and Traditions presents seldom seen information on a dozen branches of the Wing Chun art. It offers the reader side-by-side comparison of these arts by outlining each system in terms of Wing Chun history, principles, basics, and training

Genres: Martial Arts

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1998

Reviews

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR The history does get repetitive after a while but it's quite comprehensive on the styles I didn't know existed beyond the IP line.

While I'm slowly getting into history and non fiction, this book caught my attention because it didn't claim to be anything else. It is a definitive history about Wing Chun, most of the traditions and their lineages. This book is a blazing fast read because of how well it's structured. Given the topic, that makes sense too. The author's voice does well to translate the experiences of the practitioners, the parts which need to be highlighted as differences, similarities and yet maintaining authority on the subject matter.

So, is this book super interesting because of the subject? Partially. It's more so a great read into the way one tradition of martial arts can create branches and splinter into various forms and schools. Definitely a must read for those who are interested in martial arts history and things like that.

[John Seetoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have known Robert since we were both in high school learning our respective martial arts and sparring at times, as teenagers are prone to do. I first saw the depth of his historical knowledge about Chinese martial arts when he helped me with certain historical points for an article I was writing for Inside Kung Fu magazine, which the editor subsequently got wrong when they altered my submitted draft. He is probably one the best English speaking Chinese kung fu historians in the USA, and from what others in CA have told me, he has become an excellent sifu. Mucho props to an old friend!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

more than a primer on the subject, the book gives a fair look at the history of the many styles/ families of WCKF. Yip Man movies have driven renewed interest in the art; it is critical to view all mythologies with skepticism and to understand that egos, money and politics are as much a part of the wing chun history and community as they are anywhere else. There are some schools which have, like with karate clubs, built ever larger thrones/levels/pyramids for their particular kings to rest upon. That sort of conduct is not respected in the wing chun community at large, though it has made a few people very wealthy and powerful.
Many practitioners deserve credit for their excellent contributions and skills. The styles have more commonalities than differences and there have been rifts and adaptations throughout the years, and there are different theories as to when the system was developed, by whom, and where. Some believe the systems should remain static and grounded in tradition. Others recognize that systems should evolve over time, and that evolution is beneficial to life.
I would recommend this book be read in the following order:
1. Foreword
2. Acknowledgements
3. Introduction
4. Conclusion
from there, you can browse the many chapters dedicated to the different styles at your leisure.

As a student of a system that has moved from the Yip Man tradition toward Yuen-Kay San, both have a lot to offer. I enjoyed both of those sections of the book immensely. I will review the others in time.

Regarding the "Ip" movies, his descendants have had to make formal apologies to other families in China for blatantly ripping off tales from the lives of other practitioners to develop the movies, and for the deification of a flawed master.

[Dezinfectant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini diterbitkan jauh sebelum film Ip Man dibuat. Hipster? Tidak juga. Kenyataannya, pada tahun 90-an, banyak sekali buku Wing Chun yang beredar di pasaran. Buku ini menarik karena bukan mengulas step-by-step wing chun, melainkan studi mendalam mengenai berbagai lineage dan aliran Wing Chun, termasuk di Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, dan Fushan.

Buku ini menjadi rujukan wajib hampir semua literatur dan artikel wing chun. Bertahun-tahun kemudian, dengan bantuan youtube dan google translate, anda bahkan dapat menjadikan buku ini panduan untuk melakukan riset lebih dalam.

Oh ya, di buku ini juga dibahas sedikit mengenai sepupu Wing Chun: Jee Sim Weng Chun dan Baihe Yongchun Quan (yang berdiri independen, bukan bagian dari Wuzu Quan)

[Serge Pierro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the history of Wing Chun and many of its forms. It gives the reader a decent overview of what could be expected in each style, so that one can make a decision as to which one they would like to pursue.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, but finished wanting more. Perhaps a new expanded edition?

[Kat Falla · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent!

this book really opens ones eyes to the many variations of the wing chun art and it's history. an excellent book for all wing chun practitioners! highly recommended.