Theory

Wing Chun Kuen - or martial arts in general - is about being in control of oneself and therefore the situation (e.g. the attacker), that means a martial art needs to be logical and efficient in order for it to have any practical value. This is guaranteed by the fact that Wing Chun Kuen's theory is built around essential martial principles and physiokinetics which take human anatomy into account.

Some of the system's strong points are:

• It can be learnt and used by the average person because the system's techniques are straightforward
• It does not rely on brute muscular strength

• Attack is the best form of defense
• Pre-emptive striking
• Explosive techniques going in a straight line to the intended target
• Strike the nearest target with the closest available weapon

• Minimum of movement required for maximum effect with the least expenditure of energy to achieve the objective
• In-fighting: close range combat, doesn't allow the opponent to retaliate because we close in on the adversary
• Once Wing Chun is set in motion, it attacks; or at least simultaneously defends and attacks, but never just goes onto defense alone!
• Launch the attack explosively
• Overwhelm the opponent

The Wing Chun masters of past generations created a quintessential self-defense system, a no-nonsense martial tool, bare of all unnecessary movements and thus providing its adept with an empty-handed weapon.

There are a number of principles and theories which are crucial for a martial art to be most effective in any given circumstance. The founder and subsequent grandmasters of Wing Chun Kuen put these key principles at the very heart of this new system to be. Just to state a select few:

• Economy of motion
• Simultaneous defense and attack
• Using attacker's own energy to overcome and defeat him
• Not opposing an opponent but blending with his force

Even if some of the Wing Chun principles and theories may seem contradictory at first, in essence they are complementary as can be observed in the following Wing Chun proverbs:

• ‘Circular and straight accompany each other’
• ‘Bent and straight complement one another’
• ‘A hand used for attack serves also to parry’
• ‘Glass-like head, cotton-like belly and iron-like arm bridge’
• ‘Strive to remain calm in the midst of motion’

Next, based on their own extensive martial background they integrated techniques from already existing martial arts which were in accordance with the key principles for unarmed combat (but also applicable against armed combatants) and improved or refined them. Techniques which they found lacking were added and over the span of several generations this new and devastatingly effective martial tool evolved from a set of a few very basic techniques in the beginning into this compact yet complex and sophisticated weapon as we know it today