Kung Fu Fighting
A few years back, there was a sudden wave of movies about Ip Man -- the Wing Chun master of the famous student, Bruce Lee. Many people flocked to take up Wing Chun, hoping to look cool and become a ferocious fighter like it was portrayed by Donnie Yen and others on the silver screen.
[Watch some fight scenes from movie "Ip Man"]
Because of the fad, even Ip Chun, the elderly son of Ip Man has become a celebrity. His interviews and demos are all over the internet. He even starred in one of the movies about the legend of his father, playing one of his father's teachers.
There are many similarities between the movements and fundamental concept of Wing Chun and Aikido, although the mentalities may be very, very different.
Wing Chun does not have showy moves. The system was created by a lady, Fong Wing Chun. To suit her stature and strength, Wing Chun moves tend to be short but fast. Swiftness and efficiency is key. Ip Chun commented, "If it is good looking, it is probably not practical. If it is good to use, it is not going to be showy. Wing Chun moves are extremely good to use, and thus, they are not pretty."
In one of the interviews, Ip Chun was asked about his outlook for the art of Wing Chun. Does he look forward to promoting the art further by having even more tournaments? Is he looking forward to training up another prodigy to revolutionize the art and make it an even more deadly fighting system?
"I only hope people continue to practice Wing Chun as an exercise regime. Just that." It was a shocking answer out of the mouth of a Wing Chun master.
"Yes, back in the days, Kung Fu people challenged each other. It was important to be able to fight. Everybody strived to be the last man standing. Civilization has evolved. It is not the Wild West anymore. In this day and age, I hope people do not have to turn to physical force to resolve our differences. If this is all we know to do, humanity is doomed." Ip Chun sighed.
[Watch some fight scenes from movie "Ip Man"]
Because of the fad, even Ip Chun, the elderly son of Ip Man has become a celebrity. His interviews and demos are all over the internet. He even starred in one of the movies about the legend of his father, playing one of his father's teachers.
There are many similarities between the movements and fundamental concept of Wing Chun and Aikido, although the mentalities may be very, very different.
Wing Chun does not have showy moves. The system was created by a lady, Fong Wing Chun. To suit her stature and strength, Wing Chun moves tend to be short but fast. Swiftness and efficiency is key. Ip Chun commented, "If it is good looking, it is probably not practical. If it is good to use, it is not going to be showy. Wing Chun moves are extremely good to use, and thus, they are not pretty."
In one of the interviews, Ip Chun was asked about his outlook for the art of Wing Chun. Does he look forward to promoting the art further by having even more tournaments? Is he looking forward to training up another prodigy to revolutionize the art and make it an even more deadly fighting system?
"I only hope people continue to practice Wing Chun as an exercise regime. Just that." It was a shocking answer out of the mouth of a Wing Chun master.
"Yes, back in the days, Kung Fu people challenged each other. It was important to be able to fight. Everybody strived to be the last man standing. Civilization has evolved. It is not the Wild West anymore. In this day and age, I hope people do not have to turn to physical force to resolve our differences. If this is all we know to do, humanity is doomed." Ip Chun sighed.
Comments
Post a Comment