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The History of Shaolin Wing-Chun

In the northern Chinese province of Honan lies the legendary Shaolin Temple, the birthplace

of kung fu. It was here that the sect of Buddhism known as Zen in Japan and Cha'n in China

began. Over 400 years ago, the Ching emperor's army sacked the Shaolin and burned the

Temple to the ground. There were only five survivors of this disaster, who were later referredto as the Venerable Five. They were:

Ng Mui Pak Mee (Pak Mei) Fung Do Tak (Fung To Tak) Miao Hin (Mui Hin) Gee Sin (Gee Shin)

There is a legend which tells that the Venerable Five were the ancestors to the modern day

Triad secret societies, but that is another story altogether..

The survivors fled across the Yellow River and went into hiding. Ng Mui found shelter in a

temple at Tai Leung Shan. While there she met a young girl named Yim Wing Chun, who was

very poor. Her father had a bean curd shop in which Yim Wing Chun worked. Monks and the

nun ate bean curd because it was inexpensive and had no animal fat; so Ng Mui was a regular

customer.

Yim Wing Chun was a beautiful young girl, and a local gangster by the name of Tiger Wong

wanted to take her as his concubine. When she and her father refused this, Wong proceeded to

make their lives very difficult for them.

One day when Ng Mui came to the bean curd shop, she found Wing Chun crying. After

hearing the story about the trouble that the local gangster was causing, she advised Wing

Chun to tell Tiger Wong to wait for six months before finally submitting herself to be his

concubine, to which Tiger Wong agreed.

During the six month period, Ng Mui taught Wing Chun the kung fu style called 'mui fa

chuan', or 'plum flower fist', which Ng Mui had mastered while in the Shaolin temple. Yim

Wing Chun was an outstanding student, and learned very quickly.

But being of slight build, Yim Wing Chun thought that the plum flower fist style was too

complex, and placed too much emphasis on power techniques and strong horse stances whichwere more befitting a man than a woman. Eventually she modified the style to be less

complicated and more efficient.

At the end of the six months, Wing Chun told Tiger Wong that he would have to fight her so

that she could see what kind of man he was - only then would she agree to become his

concubine. Although his initial reaction was one of strong laughter, he quickly changed his

attitude and felt great intimidation when she began fighting him. After a very short time she

defeated him, and her new fighting style became known as Wing Chun, after her name

(*Wing Chun in Chinese means 'beautiful springtime').


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Yim Wing Chun eventually went on to marry the man whom she truly loved, by the name of

Leung Bok Cho (Leung Bok Chau) and passed on to him the boxing art which bears her

name.

News of a new kung fu system being developed by a woman travelled and one day a girl by

the name of Miao Tsui Hua came to learn this new system from Wing Chun herself. In return,she taught Yim Wing Chun and her husband Leung Bok Cho the butterfly techniques which

she had learnt from her father (she was the daughter of Miao Hin, an original member of the

Venerable Five). Thus the 108 butterfly techniques became part of the Wing Chun fighting

system.

Then Leung Bok Cho taught Leung Lan Kwai, whose successor in turn was Wong Wah Bo, a

member of an opera troupe on board a sailing Junk, known as the Red Junk.

The Red Junk carried members of a travelling opera troupe but was also used as a secret

meeting place for many Kung Fu masters.

In this travelling troupe there was an actor by the name of Leung Yee Tye. He had learned the

Long Pole Technique from Gee Shin in the Shaolin Temple just before the Manchus burnt it

down and was now hiding on board the Red Junk.

Wong Wah Bo had a meeting with Leung Yee Tye where they agreed to exchange their skills

and knowledge. This resulted in the Wing Chun Pole which became part of the Wing Chun

system.

Leung Yee Tye's successor was Leung Tsan (Leung Jan), a gifted physician of the town of

Fatshan, in Kwangtun Province. His skill as a fighter was legendary in that area of China. He

was challenged many times but never defeated. He also practised medicine, ran a herbal shop,

and taught Kung Fu.

Leung Tsan passed his knowledge on to Chan Wah Soon (Chan Wah), known as "Wah the

Money Changer" who taught Wing Chun for some thirty-six years, but had only sixteen

selected students, including Yip Man and Lee Shing

A Butterfly That StingsKung Fu's Champion Sword

by William Cheung

The following is an excerpt from Ohara Publications' bookKung Fu

Butterfly Swords, by William Cheung.

-EdIn ancient China, there were two basic types of broadsword - one

used by mounted men and the other by soldiers on foot. Belonging to

the first category are: ma dao (saber), tai cham dao (big chopper) and moon dao (broadsword).

The other types are: goosefeather broadsword, big ring broadsword, hand broadsword andbutterfly sword, etc.


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As a matter of fact there are no less than 40 kinds of broadsword. However, the butterfly swords

are the most effective of all.

The butterfly sword is a weapon used primarily by martial artists of southern China. The blade

length of the weapon is equal to the fist and the forearm, and a guard is fixed to its hilt to protect

the hand. The special length of the blade is designed to allow for better maneuvering. For

instance, if the blade is longer than the length of the fist and the arm, it could not be rotated insidethe arms. However, the shape of the butterfly sword and the way it's used differ in northern

China. With the norther n Chinese butterfly sword, the footwork of the user in kicking is stressed,

but the butterfly swords in southern China are used chiefly in close-quarter fighting because of

their short length, with emphasis placed on precision and the coordination of both swords at the

same time.

One type of butterfly sword is also called wing chun bart jarm dao (eight-slash sword). The name

bart jarm dao was derived from the initial intention of the originator who designed the striking

technique mainly aiming for the wrist, elbow, knee and ankle. The purpose was to maim the

opponent rather than to kill since the bart jarm dao originated from the Shaolin Temple and was

used by the monks and nuns of the temple in their travels. They frequently carried sums of money

donated by their worshippers and often would be met by bandits who intended to rob them. Themonks were equipped with butterfly swords hidden in the side of their boots. When they were

confronted by the bandits, they would pull out the swords to defend themselves. Since their

religion di d not allow them to slaughter anyone, their initial target was to maim their opponents

on the wrists, knees and ankles.

In the Ching Dynasty (A.D. 1644-1911), China was ruled by the Manchu invaders. It was a time

when 90 percent of the Chinese, the Hons, were ruled by the ten-percent minority, the Manchus.

When all weapons were outlawed by the Manchu government, the Manchus gained full control of

China. They enforced many unjust laws on the Hons. For instance, all the female Hon infants

were made to bind their feet so when they grew up they would be restric ted in their movement

and would be dependent upon their parents or their husband. The Hons were unable to hold office

in government higher than a certain level and were restricted in other jobs. They placed heavy tax

burdens on the country so that they co uld have complete economic control of the Hon people.

Kung fu training was also banned for the Hon people.

Anatomy of the Butterfly Sword

The blade of the butterfly sword

should be equal in length to

your forearm and fist. Swordsvary quite a bit in length, and

you should select weapons

according to how they measure

up relative to your arms and

fists. Proper length is vitally

important. But terfly sword

techniques involve moves

within the arms. If the swords

are too long, you may be injured

by your own weapon. If they are

too short, you needlessly

sacrifice reach.

Many weapons techniques,

including those of the butterfly

swords, involve the strategy of

sliding your weapon down the

opposing weapon to strike theopponent's hand, thus disarming

him. The guard and the hook are


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However, the Manchu government adopted the Hon culture. They

respected the Shaolin Temple as a Buddhist sanctuary. The Hons

began training a revolutionary army in the art of kung fu, using the

temple as the secret training place. In the traditional shaoli n system,

it would take 15 to 20 years to train a kung fu master. The need todevelop a new and more effective style of kung fu became critical

when some of the existing kung fu masters surrendered to work for

the Manchu government. Five of the shaolin gr andmasters planned to

develop a new form, one which would have a shorter training time

and would be more effective than all the other systems developed

before. The five teachers met to discuss the merits of each of their

particular systems of kung fu and chose the most efficient training

method from each system. They developed a training program that

would take only five years to master. They called this system wing

chun (hope for the future). However, before this new system could be

put into practice, th e Shaolin Temple was raided and burned by theManchus. Ng Mui, a nun, was the only survivor of the original group

of five. She passed her knowledge on to a young orphan girl she

named Wing Chun.

Along with the development of the wing chun system, the butterfly

sword was chosen as the only weapon in the wing chun system

because the length of the bart jarm dao made it easy to conceal. It

could be used as an extension of the arms, and soon became th e most

deadly and effective weapon of all. The bart jarm dao system

emphasized coordinating the two swords, the training of the eyes,

wrist and footwork. The principle was based on the fact that every

defense was accompanied by a counterattack, and every attack was

accompanied by a trapping, parrying or immobilizing move of the

other sword. Plus, it was designed to use the ingenuity of the wing

chun footwork to its fullest extent, making it the champion of all

weapons.

The reason bart jarm dao are such efficient and deadly weapons is that the defense techniques are

always accompanied with counterattack and attacking techniques in preparation for unexpected

retaliation. It emphasizes guarding the central line; using both arms at the same time; and using

efficient footwork as the best method in training coordination, reflexes, timing and accuracy.

Since the general principle of weapons insists that the initial attack should be directed at the handor the arm that holds th e weapon, bart jarm dao training is aimed at using both arms for defense

and attack at the same time. The practitioner of the butterfly sword will have vast advantage over

practitioners of other styles using other weapons or the same.

The wing chun butterfly sword was designed as a practical means of self-defense, and its uses,

based on the wing chun system of kung fu, were intended to disable one's attacker. Therefore, in

training with the weapon, one must always bear in mind its orig inal purpose and uses. To keep

the traditional standards of skill, one must train just as if the stakes are as high as they could be in

actual combat.

In fighting with any weapon, one cannot afford to be too casual because one slip could mean

death. The practitioner must seize the initiative at every opportunity to disable his opponent. In

order to do that, he must learn the target or vulnerable areas o f the body.The defense techniques of the bart jarm dao are based on circular movement, linear movement,

designed to protect your hand

from such co ntact. In addition,

the hook may be used to catch

and to some extent, control the

opposing weapon.

Being relatively fight, and of a

short length, the butterflyswords can be maneuvered

quickly and precisely. Used

defensively, the swords arecapable of blocking and

deflecting extremely powerful

blows received on the edge of

the back, perpendicular to th e

wide breadth of the blade.

Offensively, the butterflyswords are formidable. Any part

of the weapon can be used to

strike. The edge, of course, is

for cutting, slashing andchopping; and the point, forstabbing. But, the guard also can

be used to deliver stunning

blows in close sit uations, and

so can the hook. The back of the

blade, though unsharpened, is

capable of inflicting crushing

blows because of its bluntness.

All these various parts are

readily available options in

fighting situations. With the

butterfly swords, a simple turn

of the wrist can turn a defensiveblock , into an offensive strike

in an instant.

- William Cheung


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pivoting movement, lifting movement, lowering movement and the combination of all these

movements. The striking techniques of the bart jarm dao are based on thrus ting, chopping,

hacking and slashing, and combinations of all these movements.

The footwork in weapon fighting is of the utmost importance. That is why bart jarm dao training

involves so much work in dealing with mobility. To have good mobility, one must obtain good

balance by distributing the weight on both feet equally and lowerin g the center of gravity to thefirst point at which the center of gravity reaches the middle point of the body. When moving, one

must avoid bobbing up and down with the body, and giving too much away to the opponent.

Vision and contact reflexes are also important in weapon fighting. To be able to use the eyes

efficiently and knowing where to focus in different circumstances is essential in the precontact

stage. The contact reflexes enable one to deal with the situatio n at the contact stage of the fight.

The wing chun bart jarm dao has the best method of training the eyes and contact reflexes.

Practicing the wing chun butterfly swords requires the full use of all your physical abilities. To

dedicate less than this would be of little benefit to you, since the purpose of training in any

martial art is to extend your abilities. You must first of a ll reach your limits before you will be

able to extend them.

About the Author: William Cheung is head of the World Wing Chun Association and author of

two other Ohara Publications' books. He last wrote "Nunchaku I: Basic History and Techniques,"

(M.A. WEAPONS. October. 1987)

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