When you start wing chun, many are hindered by a allegiance to a particular organisation or group, and as part of that culture, simply accept everything that they are informed about the history and teachings, particularly techniques of wing chun.
I was involved in wing chun for many years in the United Kingdom, and had even travelled to Hong Kong and trained but it was not until much later, when I met Sifu Joseph, Lee and Sifu Francis Fong. Although I understood there was a much deeper level of technical knowledge and understanding available.
It's a shame, so many new to the martial arts and particularly wing chun. Have no concept of the difference between lineages and knowledge, and simply accept what they are told by sometimes second, third and fourth generation practitioners, especially in Europe.
Each time the generation moves one step the art becomes watered down from the original source.
This can be seen in many of the forms and applications which to most have lost all meaning and understanding in any practical sense.
In the circumstances, I would encourage anybody to keep an open mind and enquire and apply logic to your training.
As an example., if you are told that there is only one type of wing chun then this is completely inaccurate and as a starting point we see the popularised Yip Man wing chun from Foshan and the Gulau wing chun which is much rarer even worldwide.
One doesn't have to goto China it's here and very much alive in Bromley and Sidcup.
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