First, one could say that almost every "traditional" martial art started out as a hybrid art. I doubt any of them were truly created completely from "scratch." Most are a combination of 2 or more pre-existing arts, or at least were influenced significantly by more than one pre-existing art. Wing Chun is said to be "snake" and "crane." Many think that it started out as a crane off-shoot that was then combined with a snake system. That would make Wing Chun a "hybrid art" at its origins. Weng Chun claims a direct link to Shaolin and to be a distillation of several of the Shaolin animal styles. That would make it a "hybrid art" at its origins as well. Both Judo and Aikido were created from several pre-existing Ju Jitsu systems. But any art like that becomes an established thing unto itself when it has been taught for a couple of generations. Then it is no longer considered a "hybrid."
Another great example are the southeast Asian "Kuntao" systems. These were Chinese arts taken to Malaysia and Indonesia generations ago. Over time that were combined with or at least heavily influenced by the native Silat systems. They became "hybridized."
I have been experimenting with a combination of my Wing Chun with Silat Serak. I am not the first to recognize that this makes a great hybrid system. Joseph Simonet did this 20 years ago. What I have discovered is that the basic body mechanics of Serak may be different from Wing Chun, but they are actually quite similar to Weng Chun. Thus my studies of Weng Chun have provided an excellent bridge and increased understanding of how this could work. The basic fighting stance is a forward-weighted shallow "bow stance" with vertical alignment of "toes, knee, and nose." It provides lots of forward pressure/intent and strong structural alignment. It really puts an emphasis on moving through the opponent, taking his space, and disrupting his balance and structure. This is also something emphasized in Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun. The one step further that comes from the Silat are all the various throws and sweeps once you have entered and disrupted the opponent's balance as well as finishing moves on the ground. Silat also has a wide range of joint locks and controls that are very useful in modern times when significantly injuring someone could land you in jail. Serak works in close, so when they are in close range and punching, they often use centerline punches just like Wing Chun.
My experience has been that Wing Chun is a better punching method, while Silat Serak is a better body manipulation/control and stand-up grappling method. So a hybrid art of the two becomes very interesting and workable! Is it still Wing Chun? We could argue that back and forth all day....it depends upon how you define "Wing Chun." Maybe it is "Wing Chun Kuntao."
But again, I certainly wasn't the first to come up with this idea and work along these lines. Here is some footage of Joseph Simonet:
Another great example are the southeast Asian "Kuntao" systems. These were Chinese arts taken to Malaysia and Indonesia generations ago. Over time that were combined with or at least heavily influenced by the native Silat systems. They became "hybridized."
I have been experimenting with a combination of my Wing Chun with Silat Serak. I am not the first to recognize that this makes a great hybrid system. Joseph Simonet did this 20 years ago. What I have discovered is that the basic body mechanics of Serak may be different from Wing Chun, but they are actually quite similar to Weng Chun. Thus my studies of Weng Chun have provided an excellent bridge and increased understanding of how this could work. The basic fighting stance is a forward-weighted shallow "bow stance" with vertical alignment of "toes, knee, and nose." It provides lots of forward pressure/intent and strong structural alignment. It really puts an emphasis on moving through the opponent, taking his space, and disrupting his balance and structure. This is also something emphasized in Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun. The one step further that comes from the Silat are all the various throws and sweeps once you have entered and disrupted the opponent's balance as well as finishing moves on the ground. Silat also has a wide range of joint locks and controls that are very useful in modern times when significantly injuring someone could land you in jail. Serak works in close, so when they are in close range and punching, they often use centerline punches just like Wing Chun.
My experience has been that Wing Chun is a better punching method, while Silat Serak is a better body manipulation/control and stand-up grappling method. So a hybrid art of the two becomes very interesting and workable! Is it still Wing Chun? We could argue that back and forth all day....it depends upon how you define "Wing Chun." Maybe it is "Wing Chun Kuntao."
But again, I certainly wasn't the first to come up with this idea and work along these lines. Here is some footage of Joseph Simonet:
