Here is a detailed article about the history of Wing Chun, its origins, and its development in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to the Lee Shing lineage, Joseph Lee, and his student Sifu Paul Finn:
The Origins of Wing Chun Kung Fu
Wing Chun is a conceptual style of Kung Fu that originated in Southern China, likely in the area around the Shaolin Temple in Fujian province during the late 17th century. The popular legend credits the Buddhist nun Ng Mui as the creator of Wing Chun after observing a confrontation between a Snake and a Crane. She took the deflecting/attacking movements and footwork from this encounter to develop the art.
Ng Mui passed down her teachings to her student Yim Wing Chun, after whom the style is named. Yim Wing Chun is said to have used her skills to defeat a bullying marriage prospect, hence the system's focus on permitting a smaller person to overcome a larger, more powerful opponent.
From Yim Wing Chun, the art was passed down through several generations in Guangdong province before reaching the 20th century master Ip Man, who is credited with popularizing Wing Chun around the world.
The Lee Shing Lineage -
One of Ip Man's closed door students was Lee Shing who was certified as the president of the Yip Man Athletic Association and who founded his own Wing Chun association in London in the 1950s called Lee Shing Wing Chun Association.
Lee Shing had several skilled disciples who spread Wing Chun, including Joseph Lee.
Joseph Lee learned directly from Lee in the 1970s after moving to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong He is considered one of the first authentic Wing Chun instructors to teach the complete system in the UK.
Lee established his first Wing Chun school, called the in London's Chinatown in 1976. He attracted a dedicated group of students and is credited with introducing Wing Chun to the wider UK martial arts community.
Paul Finn and the Spread of Wing Chun in the UK
Among Joseph Lee's most senior students in the UK is Sifu Paul Finn, who began training under him over twenty years ago Finn proved to be an exceptional student and represented Lee being a certified instructor by Lee and opened his closed door 108 Wing Chun school in South London. Over the subsequent decades, Finn has produced numerous talented students.
Finn is widely regarded as a senior and knowledgeable Wing Chun disciple of the Lee Shing system in Europe.
He has been instrumental in spreading authentic Lee Shing Wing Chun
Under the tutelage of Joseph Lee and now Paul Finn, Wing Chun is gaining widespread recognition in the UK martial arts scene. The efficient, scientific nature of the system has appealed to practitioners from various backgrounds.
While starting as a closely-guarded Chinese martial art, Wing Chun is now firmly rooted in British culture through the efforts of pioneers like Sifu Joseph Lee and his students like Sifu Paul Finn.
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Who is the white guy in the photos and the Chinese guy with Lee Shing
Ah Paul brilliant a couple of those are new to me so thanks again for sharing
For a brief time in the early 1970s I studied Wing Chun under sifu Joseph Cheng. Originally his school was in the basement of a Catholic church hall a street or two away from London's "Chinatown," but he moved to a Methodist Hall in Lambeth, South London. Eventually I was one of the students to be tested for our knowledge of siu lim tao, and I had the honour of doing the routine in front of sifu Cheng's teacher, sigung Lee Shing. The attached photo was taken on that occasion - I'm the student with the beard. Unfortunately I left London and never had the opportunity to find another teacher like sifu Cheng. I heard of sigung Lee's passing and was saddened. Sifu Cheng, last I heard, had opened a Wing Chun school in Fujian.
Amazing that wing chun still remains so secretive and the amount of disinformation around the Art
A great concise & educational peice.