Question posed by Leung Bik.. What is authentic wing chun???

[StormShadow]

I took this from the movie Yip Man the legend is born. In a scene where yip man first meets leung bik and yip man is beaten by an old man and says to him, I don't know what that is, that is not wing chun, I began thinking. If all the different lineages adhere to the principles of wing chun yip man linage or not, what is real wing chun? It would appear they all are just with personal variation. Even with forms, I've heard they've been adapted to a particular person's body type to fit them so that they then may adhere to the principles of wing chun. Just wondering what in your eyes makes a specific style of wing chun "authentic" from the next?

 

[mysurvive]

What my sifu told me, and what Yip Man understood when teaching his students, is that Wing chun varies greatly by the person that is using it. Like so many people write on here, it's more about the "engine" than anything else. Of course, I am brand new to WC, so I'm just writing what I've been told/read so far.

 

[poulperadieux]

Authentic and original wing chu is what the nun did, the rest is transformation, errancies or evolutions.

 

[HammockRider]

I like Leung Bik's answer to his own question in that movie. " If it comes from my fist it's Wing Chun". Ip Man couldn't really dispute it.

 

[Argus]

Eh, I think you're getting too caught up in movies.

Leung Bik never posed that question. An actor inserting modern political messages into a completely fictional movie for modern-day entertainment did.

I also do not agree with the popular notion that "however I practice and whatever I practice is right." There are plenty of people who practice martial arts poorly and pass on misinformation, or neglect to pass on important information. And there is always room for improvement in anyone's art; not even Yip Man was perfect, and even he continued to refine (which is in stark contrast to flat out "changing" or heavily "modifying") his art. Some people change things when they don't have the understanding of how to make them work in the first place, and other people refine things in light of understanding the system and its principles. The distinction is important.

 

[poulperadieux]

Eh, I think you're getting too caught up in movies.

Leung Bik never posed that question. An actor inserting modern political messages into a completely fictional movie for modern-day entertainment did.

I also do not agree with the popular notion that "however I practice and whatever I practice is right." There are plenty of people who practice martial arts poorly and pass on misinformation, or neglect to pass on important information. And there is always room for improvement in anyone's art; not even Yip Man was perfect, and even he continued to refine (which is in stark contrast to flat out "changing" or heavily "modifying") his art. Some people change things when they don't have the understanding of how to make them work in the first place, and other people refine things in light of understanding the system and its principles. The distinction is important.

A political message sent by... The son of Yip Man, see his interview about the movie "a legend is born".

I like the message though, even if I don't really like his Wing Chun.


And I thought his yoda move fight in the movie really cool and fun !

 

[Argus]

Yeah, I know that was Yip Chun. Still, I'm not really a big fan of him, or his message. I didn't even really like the movie.

Even if it was fiction, it was at least believable the way they made the Japanese and the British into the "bad guys" in the first two movies. But they really stretched my suspension of disbelief and went out of their way to make the Japanese the bad guys again in the third one. It was all just too much fantasy - kind of like how some people practice their martial arts!

 

[poulperadieux]

Yeah, I know that was Yip Chun. Still, I'm not really a big fan of him, or his message. I didn't even really like the movie.

Even if it was fiction, it was at least believable the way they made the Japanese and the British into the "bad guys" in the first two movies. But they really stretched my suspension of disbelief and went out of their way to make the Japanese the bad guys again in the third one. It was all just too much fantasy - kind of like how some people practice their martial arts!

Difficult to say : He left because of the Communists in HK.

And British were bad guys in many countries, just like French were...

 

[StormShadow]

Yeah, I know that was Yip Chun. Still, I'm not really a big fan of him, or his message. I didn't even really like the movie.

Even if it was fiction, it was at least believable the way they made the Japanese and the British into the "bad guys" in the first two movies. But they really stretched my suspension of disbelief and went out of their way to make the Japanese the bad guys again in the third one. It was all just too much fantasy - kind of like how some people practice their martial arts!

I would read a little more history. The British invaded many countries and belittled people. I don't believe it's so far fetched.

 

[StormShadow]

Eh, I think you're getting too caught up in movies.

Leung Bik never posed that question. An actor inserting modern political messages into a completely fictional movie for modern-day entertainment did.

I also do not agree with the popular notion that "however I practice and whatever I practice is right." There are plenty of people who practice martial arts poorly and pass on misinformation, or neglect to pass on important information. And there is always room for improvement in anyone's art; not even Yip Man was perfect, and even he continued to refine (which is in stark contrast to flat out "changing" or heavily "modifying") his art. Some people change things when they don't have the understanding of how to make them work in the first place, and other people refine things in light of understanding the system and its principles. The distinction is important.

No not really getting to caught up in movies but rather posing a philosophical question to the wing chun/martial arts community as it not only applies to the wing chun lineages but also other arts. The names I used gave referenced to the movie and character it came from in the movie so other would know what I am talking about.

 

[Argus]

I happen to be a History major.

Anyway, I don't think I'm communicating my points very well, so I'll stop while I'm behind.

 

[poulperadieux]

So, if you don't communicate well, you are not teaching history I guess.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Eh, I think you're getting too caught up in movies.

Leung Bik never posed that question. An actor inserting modern political messages into a completely fictional movie for modern-day entertainment did.

I also do not agree with the popular notion that "however I practice and whatever I practice is right." There are plenty of people who practice martial arts poorly and pass on misinformation, or neglect to pass on important information. And there is always room for improvement in anyone's art; not even Yip Man was perfect, and even he continued to refine (which is in stark contrast to flat out "changing" or heavily "modifying") his art. Some people change things when they don't have the understanding of how to make them work in the first place, and other people refine things in light of understanding the system and its principles. The distinction is important.

I disagree. Call me crazy, but I think he was referencing his own understanding of the art, and Ip was kind of up in the clouds, so to speak. It was a being hated for being awesome thing and I saw no political message, but I'm slow like that.

 

[Eric_H]

Authentic and original wing chu is what the nun did, the rest is transformation, errancies or evolutions.

Ah yes, the nun who never existed. Clearly, she was very authentic

Just wondering what in your eyes makes a specific style of wing chun "authentic" from the next?

It's pretty simple, start with the understanding that people can do Wing Chun "techniques" and not really do wing chun.
Then move on to what makes WC what it is - obedience to center line and center of gravity along with the ability to draw and measure distance and leverage consistently in respect to center.

 

[HammockRider]

I just liked seeing a spunky, little old man do his thing. SureIi know they used some stunt performers in some parts, but I'd still be pretty happy to be able to move around like he did when I'm in my 80s.