Introduction

WingChun Wing Chun

From Evolution to Revolution

linguistic reply to the question What is WingChun? is at best an approximation. However, enough insight may be articulated to motivate the reader towards engaged action, which is the real answer. Over the last few years, Sifu Klaus Brand and I myself via my blog SihingPaul.com has defined and refined the primary attributes of the IAW system through specific writings that supplement live teachings. This helps training members to more fully apprehend what they learn. And it prompts practitioners of other styles to assess their own practice relative to our distinctive approach.

Sifu Klaus Brand

Commentary by Sihing Paul Wang

Thus, I collected these essential expositions of Sifu Brand into one publication. As the IAW Founder and WingChun Grandmaster, both his conceptual logic and physical movements are the premier standard of our methodology. Ive taken the liberty to append a few comments from my own experience as his long-time private student and literary translator. Hopefully, the value of my words enhances his. Train Well, Sihing Paul Wang

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International Academy of WingChun

am pleased for this opportunity to present to you the International Academy of WingChun (IAW). Approximately 25 years ago, the combat art "wing chun" came for the first time from China to Europe. Soon thereafter, the first wing chun schools opened in Germany. However, this "new" martial art had its difficulties establishing itself against the different kinds of martial arts that had long existed for years in the West. Perhaps this was simply because of its opposition to popular concepts. Up to this time, a scientific combat method dependent upon neither strength nor athleticism, and leaving nothing to chance, was completely unknown. To this day, the attitude exists that you must be strong and in top physical conditioning to pursue a martial art. We are so influenced in such a manner by these portrayals, that we have total
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belief in what the media suggests. It even goes as far to seem that men and women consider themselves ailing if they do not match up to this "norm". Unfortunately, the fact is that this attitude manifests itself more and more. The differences between advertising, movies and reality become increasingly difficult for society to recognize. We should finally wake up and accept that we are as we are: large or small, brawny or gracile, masculine or feminine. We can anyway change nothing in these facts, because these are our individual characteristics. Every one of us is unique. And it is not only the imposing, huge and muscular man, who is, coincidentally, the ultimate martial artist. I never actually experienced this in my 33-year martial arts career. The truth of life teaches us otherwise. We should stop fighting against the future. Not with the ever-newer anti-aging ideas, which everyday become more paradoxical. Nor with a trivial group stuck exactly in the other direction of things, having decided upon resignation to the excuse: "I am too old". Most interestingly, I hear this excuse for the most part from young people who haven't even reached their 50th year. It has taken years to establish WingChun as a martial art. One reason probably lay in the fact that there are no tournaments with WingChun. The concern here is that as a combat art developed for emergencies, to set up rules would estrange it from its purpose. It must be mentioned here that WingChun is not only an effective Self-Defense art, but by the development of one's abilities and improvement of coordination, it confidently strengthens the entire human body in a healthy and natural way. Already for hundreds of years the forms of WingChun have been used for therapeutic purposes. In an actual defense scenario there can be neither fixed attacks, nor sporting techniques. In such a situation, the singular concern is surviving as soon as possible in order to minimize risk. WingChun is conceived in such a way that a defense situation takes only seconds. "Fighting" is not the training priority, but instead a technical reaction and a rapid victory. Fights have nothing to do, therefore, with the true sense of triumph or not. Anyone can fight! Since my youth, I was surprised by the fact that in the martial arts there
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were so many fighters, but at the tournaments only one winner. Also to those who had lost a sporting fight, one said, "You fought well, however". And by the end all had fought. Why then must one (our Ego) measure oneself against others? Are such comparisons at all possible? In my opinion, they are a fantasy. If two fighters wanted to really measure up against each other, there would be no distraction of spectators or judges, and obviously no time limits or regulations at all. Moreover, one may not separate according to weight class nor gender, nor according to constitution, which would hold as little consideration as your age or the physical methods which you employ. Such a fight would look totally different than that which we commonly expect. Which human would want to voluntarily fight (for their life) under these conditions? Imagine, how it would have been if Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso encountered each other in a contest. How should one assess who the "winner"
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is and who the "loser" is? How should one compare, for example, Surrealism and Dadaism with one another? Would you count the colors? Maybe by which one finishes first? Do you recognize the senselessness of such contesting? With WingChun instruction we do not fight against each other, but practice for the situation of defense, in which we do not fight, but want to unconditionally win. The training program is prepared in such a way that the student learns a fascinating movement art, which is effective, enjoyable and healthy at the same time.

The sum of realizations that the Way offers us is the only one that has true worth in our life.

The study of WingChun is not to be compared with a course that can be completed in a short time. With WingChun one remains a student, always constantly searching forward to discover new developments and possibilities. Such learning is like swimming up a river. So as long as we live, we do not stop learning. And this is precisely the attraction of our extraordinary Self-Defense art.

The Way is (already) the Goal. The sum of realizations that the Way offers us is the only one that has true worth in our life. From mistakes we can truly learn and develop. These newly attained insights form our character and further our intellect. The past has made us what we are today. The future is a fiction, which solely delivers us an abstract picture of the path in front of us. We all create our future through our thoughts and the acts that result from them in this exact instant. Each of us is responsible for his or her own future. Welcome the uniqueness of each instant, the consciousness of eternity with every new breath. Welcome life.
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After 17 years delving into WingChun, I created the "International Academy of WingChun". We are presently represented in Germany and the United States. My desire is to produce professional instructors, enthusiasts who continue their education and teach with love. The quality of instruction has the highest priority. In our Academies you decide to learn as much as you would like. The goal of the IAW is to pass on the principles of the art in order to safe-keep a uniform and complete system. The IAW is mindful of teaching WingChun in its traditional way. You have the possibility to learn the complete and unique WingChun. Even after one year you acquire a strengthened self-confidence and new abilities. When you train diligently, you can conclude the Student Levels in three to five years, and therefore strive for the first stage of teaching. With the 1st Technician Grade you are able to lead your own Academy. For this, the International Academy of WingChun assigns worldwide licenses. Maybe you are a future IAW instructor? In this this link you will find our Graduation System. For the WingChun student we have 11 graduation stages. After the "11th Student Level" one trains to reach the "Pre-Primary Level". After concluding this stage, there are four graduation stages, the 1st to 4th Technician Grades. The last graduation of our WingChun system is the 5th Master Degree. With this graduation one learns the complete art of the WingChun system with all its movements, forms and applications.

ifu chose to designate his unique approach WingChun, written as a single word of eight letters with the W and C capitalized. The abbreviation we use is simply W, as in IAW. When we write wing chun, it indicates the generic art in all its stylistic variations. Since the writing of this article, in addition to Germany and the United States, the IAW has now spread to the United Kingdom, France and Malaysia. Locations within those countries have also expanded. Our growth has been gradual, while adhering to the priority of quality. What I love about learning and teaching WingChun, besides the technical sophistication of the system and raw physicality of the movements, is the authentic passion of the people. Our international community is a diverse family of multicultural individuals. For years, I thought WingChun was appropriate for anyone. But this has unfortunately proven somewhat false. Its true that physical attributes are inconsequential. However, by travelling
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Sifu Klaus Brand

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and meeting many members worldwide, there appears to be a particular IAW type. Despite a breadth of personal backgrounds, our shared attitude is pragmatic and diligent, our collective disposition is amiable and welcoming. Evidently, cerebral fantasists and lazy complainers dont seem to stay around very long! Were left with happy, hard-working folk. Im so grateful for that.

Sihing Paul Wang

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Questions and Answers

often answer the same questions regarding WingChun via email. Therefore, I have decided to answer the six most common questions in a few words:

Question 1: Do you teach WT? Answer: No, in fact the opposite. Question 2: Do you have chain punches? Answer: No, we do not. Question 3: Do you teach passivity in your school? Answer: No, absolutely not. Question 4: Do you have rules such as stick? Answer: No, definitely not. Question 5: Is there a rule such as get rid of your own power? Answer: No, of course not. Question 6: Do you teach about a centerline in your school? Answer: No, what for?

A Self-Defense art must provide the individual with a clear overview and a good amount of safety. Rules such as more is better, borrow power, seek contact (perhaps, paradoxically, with the arms of the opponent), do not apply your own power or stick to a specific line while attacking or defending not only impose limitations, but also make an abstruse game out of a combat art. And these rules work, of course, only when the opponent (partner) plays along. In such a case, the Self-Defense art would produce more questions than answers. An art such as that of Self-Defense must be clearly structured and provide answers and it must do this from the very first day!

Sifu Klaus Brand

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imilar emails appear in my inbox. Another forum where I get to directly hear from and interact with the curious, critical and sometimes antagonistic is via our YouTube videos. As I stated in the Introduction, its difficult to accurately, let alone fully, present a living art in print or digital media. In this brief piece, Sifu opts for conciseness. It is effective by blunt retort and abrupt negation quite like applied WingChun in action. This may not be what the listener hopes to hear, but can provoke a curiosity to train that protracted conversations often dull.

We offer neither mystical secrets nor ultimate techniques, neither fanciful theories nor futile doctrines. From outset to outcome, straightforward and sound Self-Defense is foremost and utmost. Regrettably or otherwise, that keen objective frequently renders wing chun the inverse of WingChun.

Sihing Paul Wang

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Statement of Styles

The number of both masters and interpretations rose. The two Chinese characters and were commonly transliterated into English as wing and chun, respectively. With the spread of the art in the seventies came variations of the spelling based on different dialects and pronunciations. In a real sense, the way of its writing is insignificant. The actual difference lies in the art itself. I have heard that in the meantime, some of the existing styles of wing chun have been reduced to such a level that one can learn them completely in 3-5 years and may then even call oneself a Sifu or Master. This reflects how meager the offerings there must be. Others call themselves original because the instructors go once or twice a year to a training course with an authentic grandmaster. However, even after many years, these instructors remain totally unknown to him. Is that not rather original?

ue to the fact that there are wing chun styles nearly or completely indistinguishable in name from my spelling WingChun, I feel obligated to record a few words on the matter. The martial art wing chun was developed in China around 360 years ago, after (and due to) the fall of the Ming Dynasty. From then on, each master reformed and shaped the art in accordance with his abilities, experience and philosophical upbringing, as well as his personal characteristics and traits.

Up until around 30 years ago, one could hardly speak of any wide proliferation of this art. Despite this fact, we may assume that in earlier times there likely were a handful of exemplary masters who taught wing chun according to their own understanding in various parts of the world.

In the end, what connects us is unfortunately nothing more than a common root name.

It was in the 1970s that the first Europeans and Americans began to pay attention to this effective art of combat. From then on, one could observe an enormous propagation worldwide.
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Furthermore, graduations are doled out by a representative, also admirable from a distance, once or twice a year at a training course. Then there are those styles in which testing is based not on ability, but rather on the length of time one has been in an organization. It is thus evident how a once perfect art has degenerated into dream styles. I was informed that there is an even further, but less serious, fringe group out there: they meet in so-called chat rooms, where they swap their virtual wing chun
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fantasies. I never thought the time would ever come for such a dilemma. The differences in styles are thus so great that there is often hardly a discernable trace of similarity between them. In the end, what connects us is unfortunately nothing more than a common root name. I therefore entreat you to choose your style only according to your personal aspirations. Although I cannot give recommendations here, it is certain that with a portion of persistence, you can find a good WingChun teacher. For these stated reasons, I necessarily cannot take into consideration levels from the grading systems of other wing chun styles. There would have to be similarities in this regard which regrettably is all too often not the case.

Words are for meaning. When you've got the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find someone who's forgotten words so I can have a word with him? Zhuangzi, Chapter 26 The prime point is meaningful Self-Defense in movement, rather than its variable label in language. Even catchy monikers or mere cosmetic tweaks cant ultimately ameliorate dysfunctional strategies or obsolete methods. Just because someone is named Brian Smyth doesnt imply his behavior or goals are anything like those of Bryan Smith. Nor will abbreviating his name as BS fundamentally alter his values or personality. Sifu began radically reformulating WingChun in the 90s. We share a joint ancestry with wing chun no later than 2003, when the IAW was founded. Thus, I consider myself a firstgeneration student in this newfound lineage. Evolutionists assert a common ancestor among extant contemporary primate species. But a lot can happen in several million years hence! The pace of technological advancements is even faster, rendering current gadgets obsolete in a matter of months.

Sifu Klaus Brand

llow me to share one of my favorite Daoist quotes that is germane to the discussion:

A trap is for fish. When you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits. When you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare.
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In our profession, you cant avoid two names. One is Bruce Lee, the other is Yip Man. From age 13, Bruce Lee was an occasional pupil under Yip Man during 1954-1959, over half a century ago. They died just one year apart, Lee in 1972 and Yip in 1973. Nearly four decades have elapsed! With all due respect to the worthy lessons and renown personages of bygone generations, we live in the present moment. I respect them for popularizing a past, older version of wing chun in the 70s. Alas, they are long deceased. I respect Martin Cooper for popularizing the first (barely) handheld cellular phone in 1973. Looking backwards although I prefer examining further into the Paleolithic era is informative and inspiring, but the IAW concentrates on people here and relationships now. I respect Steve Jobs for creating the sleek, trendsetting iPhone in 2007. I respect Sifu Klaus Brand for creating this modern, revolutionary WingChun in 2003. Luckily, they are still alive. Moving ahead with updated upgrades and radical innovation is as profound as, and can be more relevant than, mere invention. WingChun is a rose by any other name. And Id claim its a novel genus at that!

Sihing Paul Wang

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The Part and the Whole

Every movement in the Sections imparts security, control and offense. Chi Sao Sections are the basis of WingChun and run through all stages and phases, up to that of Master. And now comes the punch line. These young men claimed, in all seriousness, that the Sections had actually been abolished in their style, and that they concentrate solely on simple things and efficacy. At this point, I was almost speechless. Now, it took hundreds of years to create a training methodology that picks up from the point where the so-called simple things cease to work. (Are the simple things not those with which one is familiar and the difficult ones not those with which one is not?) And it is precisely that which constitutes an advanced WingChun practitioner, who is as a matter of course trained to go the simplest of all ways, yet always knows the next course of action in case the intended way is obstructed. To not let anything be left to chance requires that everything be practiced thoroughly, without any holes or gaps. There are no preferred techniques. There is only the right technique at the right instant, free from interfering thoughts and emotions.
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very so often, at seminars, I come across fascinating approaches to WingChun. Only recently, I stood before a puzzle: During the break at one of my seminars I had a discussion with representatives of another style of wing chun. At first the questions that the young men posed were actually quite interesting. And since answering questions has meanwhile become one of my favorite activities, we came to a point where it just should not go any further. It was about the logical construction of a system, which I like to explain on the basis of the meaning and purpose of each specific Program and Chi Sao Section.

There is only the right technique at the right instant, free from interfering thoughts and emotions.

Chi Sao Sections are practice series that are only trainable with a partner. The object is to control the attack of the opponent so that one may land an attack oneself, and vice versa. Sections have an exact flow and sequence whereby it is ensured that no single movement is lost. As such, nothing is left to coincidence, since we rehearse both favored and unfavored techniques to completely exclude partiality and valuations.
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Now I asked the young men how well they could perform the Sections which they had gotten rid of and found myself staring into surprised faces. I said that they could only do away with that which they possess, and then added: I cannot, after all, assert that I have gotten rid of my Ferrari because it was too slow for me, and then later it is revealed that in fact I never had one in the first place. I am of the opinion that if one is to do away with something, one has to have mastered it. Only in such a circumstance could I conceivably accept this statement. I am now waiting for the day when someone tells me that he has decided to do away with the Forms. Forms constitute the foundation of the system. They expound the movement mechanics of each individual technique, which, in the Sections, we later piece together into various constellations based on tactile stimuli. In order to handle such a statement I would surely need to grant myself a few days of vacation. The bottom line seems simple to me. A few people cannot do anything other than smash and clobber, and they now so easily assert that they have done away with that which they do not know nor comprehend. What remains is the question: For what reason does one still call such a style wing chun or something similar? Couldnt they just please do away with this name? That would at least be honest and more pleasing to all professional teachers of the various branches of the Self-Defense art of WingChun.
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My regards to all of my colleagues!

Sifu Klaus Brand

odern life imbues us with enough complication as it is. To reduce overwhelming burdens, Im entirely for simplification with a caveat: It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience. Albert Einstein, On the Method of Theoretical Physics In other words, optimally simple is good, overly simplistic is not. A cognitive blunder is mistaking the part for the whole. Or it is fatally resecting a vital component essential to the functioning whole. Like a body trying to live without its brain. WingChun without Chi Sao is dead. I must state that IAW Chi Sao has a purpose which is the exact opposite of most wing chun. The latter tries to stick with an opponent, whereas we train to rid ourselves of him. Better to leave sticky situations!
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Our Chi Sao is about impact, freedom and sovereignty, not contact, restriction and dependency. Over the years, Ive encountered a recurring kind of visitor to my classes. Former devotees of other wing chun styles often search for a clone of what they left behind. Due to this impossible expectation, they doom themselves to eternal discontent like a deserted dog pining for its previous master. Why not find a better one? Unwilling to open their body to WingChun, they close their mind to wing chun. And then theres the superficial obsession over my lineage and the late, great grandmaster so and so, preferably and presumably Chinese. By the way, I usually just reply, IAW. If I proudly proclaimed my father was a Yale graduate does that mean I automatically inherit his higher education? Will I become a president if he was one too? Superior academic pedigree, elite familial connection or authentic traditional lineage is at most nominally pertinent. The quality of my direct relationships with the dynamic art through its living artists is paramount. To assess that involves suspending mental projections and emotional hesitations long enough to attempt physical participation. I recommend novices to WingChun invest this effort for at least one month. That is not a guarantee of skill but a sufficient interval of interaction to inform an initial opinion.

Sihing Paul Wang

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WingChun
Self-Defense has a Name.

the beloved cultural and economic glory days of China. The time of the Ming is considered the Renaissance of China. The existing kung fu styles could not meet the demanding requirements of the resistance movement because they contained only partially combative aspects. Something innovative and functional had to develop. Therefore I regard the style, WingChun, not as a style of kung fu, because the primary idea is applicability, which is not the main concern with kung fu. At the time, the name wing chun meant eternal springtime and referred to the period of cultural flourishing in China, which they tried to conquer back in vain. At the beginning of the 80's, a widespread interest in wing chun developed in Germany. Suitably for that decade, came an abstruse development of this style. Many of us were drawn to this new martial art for various reasons. You must know that in the 80's many Asian martial arts films captured the world of the cinema, which contributed to an extremely naive view of the Chinese combat arts. Film and reality merged into a fanciful perception. Many of us dreamed about the ultimate style with which one learns to fight without effort, just like the actors in the films, with yielding and soft movements. And this clich was pursued until the bitter end. An incompletely taught and, in my judgment, degenerate wing chun was subjected to a destructive renovation. After they had changed the name (to just two consonants), a rather vague history of a combat nun (in China?) was invented. They called her simply Ng Mui , which translated means five
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he development of WingChun marked the creation of a unique Self-Defense art. Since 2003 we have offered this highly developed system through the International Academy of WingChun (IAW). Self-Defense is our primary concern. The origin of the WingChun was the result of extensive and complex research and began with my experience of one of the more inventive styles of wing chun. Incidentally, when I write wing chun, I mean those styles which have developed away from the original 17th century combat art. To this day, there are indeed several styles which have developed and have affiliated themselves to the same root words (wing chun), with various spellings, but the similar sounding name is actually the only connection between these martial arts. Choosing a different name actually denotes an autonomous and distinctive style. The grandmaster of each style is responsible for its character and development. In a book I will deal with the historical developments in much detail. Here I would like to offer an edited version, in order to bring a little clarity into the world of wing chun. After the fall of the Ming dynasty (1644), resistance fighters developed a new style with the ultimate purpose of winning back
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classifications and actually refers to the development of the style; i.e. the five masters who created it. For the purposes of advertising, even more interesting histories continued to develop around the whole subject. One absurd fairytale was that the style was developed by a woman. They gave her, quite simply, the name of the style, with the addition of the Chinese character yim (for strict) which served as a reference to the verbal way in which wing chun was taught, person to person, with nothing written down. At the time nobody knew any better and therefore they could completely and freely create things. From this starting point they began to refer to it as a soft style. So the basis for a quite inventive concept was created. Now it rapidly progressed. As crazy as it sounds, they taught passivity in movement. Drawing back to prepare a strike and long, dynamic movements as well as the use of muscular force were smirked at and scorned. They invented a wedge principle contrary to any physical logic and thought that with this principle they could use their arms to displace attacks from the outside. The only straight line that they thought existed was in front of one's own body and only on this line were they allowed to move. Anything else simply could not be. They even believed that an opponents energy can be used. A martial arts version of the geocentric model (from the Middle Ages) of the world was created. Eventually, they produced a game with
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childish principles. The idea of waiting until physical contact before reacting with a tactile response was a crowning nonsense. The king of senses, vision, to a large extent they did without. This led to fundamentally late reactions, but nobody cared about this at the time. They even published books with pseudoscientific explanations on the market, in which the art of Self-Defense was almost turned on its head. Yes, you read correctly. Exactly the opposite of that which functions in defense was taught and in addition a suitable history was invented. Naturally, we suspected that we could not defend ourselves with these principles, but the dream was too beautiful. By the time we admitted this to ourselves, years had passed. This dreamy sort of a martial art continued up to the mid-90's.

I took WingChun on a journey through time to arrive once again in the 21st century and, above all, reality.

Then a few of us gradually returned to reason. The way back was certainly not easy. After some years of trials and hopes, we needed even more years to finally give them up. Astonishingly, this selfdependent style still exists to this very day. Meanwhile, there are numerous derivatives, with their only act of creativity being a new name. In the end, they offered the same castle in the sky with the same legend of the woman and the nun. To this very day, many thousands still try to defend themselves with softness, passivity and relaxation. The statement, you have to become softer,
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which would lead a genuine fighter into depression, is regarded as praise in these circles. Today I can look back with a smile because I witnessed it myself, and therefore I know what I am talking about. Many times I have asked myself how I put up with it at that time, but on the other hand it's probable that today's WingChun could only have resulted from this journey. I have rediscovered the actuality through the bizarre; a realism which had to play the leading role in the emergence of the art, because there was only one goal at that time effectiveness. So, I set myself to this task and through painstaking and considerable work crafted a completely original system, making use of my detailed research and a 40-year experience in martial arts. I took WingChun on a journey through time to arrive once again in the 21st century and, above all, reality. Thus, WingChun developed. The enhancement of precise coordination is an important element of our system. Strengthening the musculature, the ligaments and even the bones are an indispensable result of the training concept. Powerful and strong defense and attack movements distinguish WingChun. To be successful in a Self-Defense situation one needs first and foremost a sophisticated technical ability put into action by functional power. In Self-Defense it is the same whether you are a woman or a man, large or small, heavy or light. There are neither differences nor pros and cons. Everyone learns and trains the same educational programs and achieves the same goal in the end.

I hope with my remarks I can bring some light into the world of the Self-Defense arts. As the leader of the International Academy of WingChun, this clearing up is my obligation, particularly regarding wing chun. Again and again I receive emails with many questions concerning the styles of wing chun. Unfortunately, marketing ploys are very often accepted as fact. Therefore my personal hint: Go and look at as much as you can, take time before you decide and above all ask questions. Only you can decide which martial art and which teacher you place your confidence in. If you are interested in the Self-Defense system WingChun, you can directly contact the Academy or Group Leader (found in the Academies and Groups) in your area. Our WingChun instructors look forward to meeting you and will take time to plan your goals with you. Whether you would like to learn or teach SelfDefense, regardless of if you possess previous knowledge from other styles or not, you are welcome at any time. Vivere militare est!

Sifu Klaus Brand

WingChun
Learn to Defend Yourself.

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ost of us enjoy a good story, even if it has no fidelity to history. Such narratives are fine for entertainment. However, when applied to Self-Defense, a quandary arises. The way you think affects the way you train. Arbitrary premises can get you killed! Expecting the opponent to attack you in a predictable way is foolish. Confusing physical softness with mental flexibility is dangerous. Substituting dogmatic conventions for natural biomechanics is awkward. Ignoring reality is hopeful ignorance. Yes, in the IAW, we deliberately make assumptions too. We believe an attacker attacks in whatever way he will. We believe WingChun is for actual Self-Defense. We believe anyone can develop technique, power and speed. I realized a crucial communication strategy. It saves time and preempts debate. You cant tell if any martial art or wing chun style is better or worse as a universal assertion. But you may evaluate it relative to a given parameter. For instance, are you looking for what is most fun, healthy, traditional, spiritual, cheap or popular? Or maybe the one with the coolest uniforms, closest location, nicest facility, most women or cutest teacher? Who knows what you want but you! My insight is that some wing chun practitioners dont give pure precedence to Self-Defense. To them, it is more about theory or money, orthodoxy or culture. That is absolutely acceptable.
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But is comparing apples to oranges, wing chun to WingChun, martial art to Self-Defense possible? Perhaps contrasting is more apt.

Sihing Paul Wang

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WingChun Principles and Mottoes

displaced and can only be stopped with trained skill. You can attack straight only when the opponent displays no credible threat. 6. Never maintain contact with the arms of your opponent. Maintaining contact in combat is equivalent to stopping and is due to a technical misunderstanding. 7. Always use all of your available power to defend and to attack. 8. Never defend and attack at the same time. The defense and attack each require your full attention. If you are attacked you must put your energy into the defense and only when this succeeds can you start the attack. WingChun Mottoes 1. If you think you are too weak, you are. 2. Learn to believe in yourself and trust your teacher. 3. Always improve your technical knowledge and therefore your physical and mental flexibility. 4. Work on the power of your technique because only technical power is usable power and is decisive in combat.

WingChun Principles 1. WingChun has two types of attack: the attack to the body of the opponent (primary objective) or, first of all, to his arm position. 2. Defense is an attack against the attacking arms or legs of the opponent. 3. In combat there is always an Attacker and a Defender. The Defender must first repel the attack. A trained WingChun practitioner determines whether he can attack directly or must defend first and then attack. Directly responding to an attack (to the body) with a counterattack (to the body) can be described as combative disaster. 4. Engage in Self-Defense without hesitation as soon as the Main Distance is reached. If the opponent initiates the attack you must first attack his attack (to defend) and then his body (to attack). 5. Attack from the outside or at an angle if possible and avoid attacking straight from your body midline because this is too easy to defend. Attacks from the outside cannot be ignored or
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5. Work on your speed without sacrificing power. Technique, power and speed are the cornerstones of WingChun. 6. Work on toughening your arms with steady and dynamic training. 7. Never let yourself be influenced by the movements of your opponent and never yield. 8. The exchange between defense and attack, as well as an understanding of the two combat distances of WingChun, is the basis of Self-Defense and all of our training programs. 9. To fight you must have continual tension. Relaxed muscles are useless in combat. 10. Combat is not harmony. Do not fight if you do not have to. If you have to defend yourself, harmony returns only after the quick and successful end of combat. 11. The purpose of Self-Defense is to protect yourself, so do not spare your attacker while defending yourself. 12. Learn to defend yourself, to protect yourself from attacks that could endanger your health.

n one of his biannual visits, I recall picking up Sifu at the San Francisco airport. During the drive to our customary first stop, Caf Gratitude in San Francisco, he was eager to tell me what he had been working on en route. It was a rough sketch of the very Principles and Mottoes you see finalized above. Most styles of martial art have their own prescriptive schema. The WingChun system founded by Sifu Klaus Brand and transmitted by the IAW bears certain concepts based on our own research into functional SelfDefense. These guidelines coordinate the performance and optimize the efficacy of our technical movements. Many of them are in stark contrast to, and even conflict with, the ideas of more conventional lineages. Yet we are not seeming iconoclasts for mere sake of uniqueness. The evolution, or perhaps revolution, of IAW WingChun is towards a theory and practice of Self19

Sifu Klaus Brand

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Defense unlimited by past doctrine and delimited by present applicability alone. To paraphrase an old adage: Theory without practice is fake art, Practice without theory is dumb art, Theory with practice is true art. The practice (Forms and Applications) and theory (Principles and Mottoes) of IAW WingChun are mutually consistent and collectively integrate a simple and expedient mode of Self-Defense that is accessible to all via our natural teaching methodology and clear learning curriculum. The intention of Sifu Klaus Brand in defining our WingChun Principles and Mottoes is to succinctly identify the core attributes of our unique approach.

Obviously, each of these short statements is the condensation of extensive experience. They must be analyzed in the live context of actual application. Hence, I encourage IAW students to ask their instructor for clarifying explanations and illustrative examples.

Sihing Paul Wang

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Sapere Aude

Fantasies have no place in a martial art like WingChun. It is necessary to understand what a system was created for, so that it may grow and progress healthily. At present it must be quite distressing for a professional teacher who has, for the last 20 years, had to bear the derailed world of wing chun. The direction of most styles have never left the dream world and since the 80s have been bombarding us with trite poetic slogans like defend yourself without power, learn to fight without fighting or even use your opponent's strength" and other mindless statements. I still remember very clearly when it was advertised that one could defend oneself passively (just try to imagine that). Even now, in the 21st century, those sayings from the 80s still grow in an esoteric world in which catchphrases can make things look a lot better than they are. So it comes as no surprise that some Self-Defense styles have been established that have forgotten how an ordinary attack works and instead one spends time on how to touch and bend the other's arms. In those clubs, these compliant distortions are quite aptly called sensitivity training and are occasionally demonstrated, to emphasize entire mental stultification regarding Self-Defense, with blindfolded eyes. Even a child understands that you cannot defend yourself if you are unable to see anything. SelfDefense is already difficult enough with both eyes wide open. What kind of dupe would put his trust in his tactile sense as an attack escalates? Some styles foolishly call this touchy training chi sao, whereby the original Chi Sao had nothing to do with sensitivity, but initially focused on the assimilation of collisions (with real hits and attacks). The focus of Chi Sao is reducing reaction speed with the indispensible training of seeing or fast recognition. WingChun Chi Sao, an exercise to toughen bones and strengthen muscles and ligaments and thus the entire body was, in many styles, degraded to a form of feeling training in which mostly adults meet one other to stroke and bend arms. Nothing more is involved, which can be verified on the internet at any time.

or the last 13 years I have been offering a unique and newly designed WingChun system. In 2003, I established the International Academy of WingChun (IAW) in order to offer this style internationally along with my first professional WingChun teachers. To date, no other style can remotely be compared with ours. We, the IAW, are the only ones that practice an extremely powerful, strengthening and, at the same time, flexible style of WingChun. It is our wish to teach our WingChun students the ability to defend themselves. This is why the Basic Level Programs (1st 4th Student Level) contain some of the most important techniques of the entire system. Of course old, time-honored values should not be lost. The responsibility lies with every grandmaster to create a style which, as originally intended, is suitable for an emergency.

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Sadly, a little bit of shoving and patting is then supposed to indicate a dangerous counterattack. Check out chi sao on the internet and have a look at the result of these mistakes. Have a friend or your parents interpret what they see there. This could get very interesting, as a participant may not be able to consider the whole thing objectively and only sees what he or she wants to see. The observer does not need to have any knowledge of martial arts. Most of those portrayed in these little video clips do not have a clue either. That this has absolutely nothing to do with Self-Defense is clear, even for an amateur without any basic knowledge. The internet is full of these funny video clips by comedy specialists. My favorites include one of an old man in a black bathrobe showing a very strange cuddly defense or four students standing in a circle senselessly groping at each other. One can barely believe one's eyes. Take a look. The bad thing is that the uninformed in search of Self-Defense training give credibility to those calling themselves experts. And you cannot blame anyone for this error.

After all, it's all about the precise combination of technique, power and speed.

other attacks the non-attacking attacker with a sort of speed petting as if there are no principles in a fight. It's so comical that you should definitely take a look. The main points (facts) of SelfDefense, like collision, stability and powerful movements don't seem to interest anyone anymore. On the contrary, everyone seems to be delighted although nobody seems to know why. You need to have seen it: not a single strong attack, audacious SelfDefense games, fidgety movements. And even though it's complete nonsense, there are content and applauding students in the background. This might be unthinkable, but this mass suggestion resulted in these followers believing they could feel an attack. This insult to human intellect is currently making its rounds through many systems. In the 90s when this dreamy touch art reached its peak, it was copied but seldom questioned.

I would love to show you some of the best examples of this mass suggestion. But you should find your own personal favorites. You will find indescribable wing chun styles where you first contact and then paw at each other. This is as far away from Self-Defense as a hawk from the moon. I have no idea what the followers of this abnormal art once looked for. Was it really Self-Defense? Try to recognize which movement is supposed to simulate the attack. In most cases you will see two people. One pretends to be the attacker, but does not really attack. The
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Of course, it is a challenge to practice realistic Self-Defense without hurting the partner and to have fun while doing some serious training. Brutality, on the other hand, has no place in WingChun. After all, it's all about the precise combination of technique, power and speed. However, dealing with a collision, namely the first contact, remains the most important aspect of Self-Defense. The counterattack can only begin when the defender is able to cope with the powerful impact of attack and defense. The ability to resist a strong attack is critical to build up self-confidence. This is why practicing a stable defense is the most important experience in the initial training days. Never lose sight of the essence. Without using eyes, Self-Defense is not possible. Lastly, it is necessary to commit earnestly to maintaining the realism of the art of combat. The 8 WingChun principles are there as your tutor on your path through the art of SelfDefense. They will quickly help you to recognize what is right and wrong.

We cannot live without paradigms, frameworks and constructs. They are mental tools. Yet we have it in our agency to select the most suitable ones. That may oblige us to let go of what we knew well, invested in and cherished deeply. A conscious warrior cultivates courage to give up the old and pick up the new when appropriate. Waking up from a cozy delusion to the unsettling nightmare of truth takes guts. If the shock is too great, we prefer to quickly pull the covers over our eyes, even if this is only a false sense of security. Dare to be wise! It is alright to press the snooze button and awaken incrementally. That can mean heeding Sifus advice to check out a few videos online and survey whats out there. A caterpillar can indefinitely suspend itself in the protective cocoon of unimaginable potential and die having never wandered the infinite skies. Or, the freedom and beauty of its true butterfly nature can be actualized. Metamorphosis is terrifying and painful but essential for maturation and transformation. Change is chance!
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Sifu Klaus Brand

here are widespread and persistent myths about wing chun, which are meaningful and compelling to their advocates. Never mind that they are typically more fictional than factual, although we cannot dismiss their persuasive effect. Every myth is psychologically symbolic. Its narratives and images are to be read, therefore, not literally, but as metaphors. Joseph Campbell, The Inner Reaches of Outer Space

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WingChun is a challenging path leading you towards your sovereign self the same one we cultivate in Self-Defense.

Sihing Paul Wang

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Lets Collide
The Way to Become Skilled

functional Self-Defense art strengthens the ligaments, the bones and, of course, the musculature of the whole body. It is a fact that one has to toughen and harden specific parts of the body to resist the initial collision of a real attack. There is no doubt that if you do not fortify your arms adequately you will never be able to defend yourself. Because we use our arms for both attacking and defending, the forearm bones (ulna and radius) and surrounding musculature should be especially conditioned. A few bruises in the beginning are entirely normal. This is no different if you are a man or a woman. Everyone has to go through it. True ability is the reward. For IAW non-members I should, at this point, explain that we do not teach "wing chun" but WingChun. Our WingChun is the opposite of wing chun. I myself learned the complete wing chun system as a second generation student of Yip Man from his Master student. Thereafter, it became clear that wing chun was an illogical, non-functional and un-structured method by which no-one can defend themselves with, so I could no longer teach it. I came to realize that it was all just a mixture of rubbish and fantasies. At that time there were no alternatives and only I had doubts about this style.

Now I am grateful that I began that way for only in doing so would I realize how senseless it was. The further I progressed, the more grotesque that wing chun became. With every new technique came ever more discord. As a traditionalist, the developments of that time became unbearable for me. There was no other option for me but to immediately begin creating a system which worked with the fundamental concepts of the combat arts. I searched for the original intentions in the development of this martial art. For more than 10 years, I worked tirelessly to complete my WingChun system. Today, I offer an alternative to those people who are looking for real Self-Defense with traditional values. Our style is called "WingChun". I have explained my standpoint regarding the degeneration of wing chun in previous articles. This atrophy has resulted in students becoming weak and compliant. For Self-Defense these are fatal conditions. Weakness and compliance are the precursors to failure and mark the end of any possible progress. Back to WingChun. Most of our students need several months to strengthen themselves and acclimatise their forearm bones to collisions. Whoever perseveres with this and, perhaps after approximately one year, reaches the 4th Student Level (SL) is already successful. With the beginning of Chi Sao (Adhering Arms) training (in the 5 SL) that follows this core Self-Defense training, the next step of conditioning begins.

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Sections contain a vast array of strong collisions. The First Section, besides teaching you superior technical functionality, is for integrating the entire body with the goal of using it as the basis of a coordinated unit. The forearm bones have to sustain many powerful impacts. Thus, they become extremely stable and desensitized. As a result, after a solid defense, you are capable of performing a decisive counterattack. With the completion of the First Section, students reach the Upper Level (9-11 SL). Their awareness of a collision is now utterly distinct. Their body is more resilient, with forearm bones that can withstand forces which could never have been imagined at the outset. During this phase, the students repeat strikes hundreds of times and become steadily stronger, harder and, ultimately, faster. It is at this stage that they begin to miss such training if they do not attend classes regularly. Strengthening and conditioning is enjoyable and changes the experience of your physical totality. Authentic Self-Defense competence is a very particular perception. Speed, power and advanced technical ability combine to give a sense of real freedom and confidence. The student begins to become one with every muscle in their body and feels capable and liberated. You can never fool your subconscious. A combat art has to be trained correctly. Only in that way can you develop the correct attitude and a natural conviction of security and confidence.

I and my Academy Leaders tire of hearing about sensitivity, yielding and softness in connection with Self-Defense training. This is simply absurd. If you do not want to train seriously, it would be better to look for a new hobby rather than ignore the logic and tradition of combat whilst pretending you are learning Self-Defense. To my students, an important piece of advice: Dont let anyone who plays martial art games in certain clubs tell you how SelfDefense works because you are too well trained. After a few months of the education described above, it should not be a problem to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Remember the bruises on your arms in the early stages and recall the effort it took to acquire every single technique. Not everyone can achieve that. You can be proud. Fighting is a conflict or war (and not a sport) that has nothing to do with yielding and softness. Even the effort to master adversity in life can be called fighting. Therefore fighting is part of living, of being human. Living means fighting. Those who live, fight those who fight, live.

You can never fool your subconscious.

Sifu Klaus Brand

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In Self-Defense, situations are simulated in which running away is untenable. Selfdistraction is not an option, you must focus. Avoidance is impossible, you need to act. Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. Ernest Shackleton Peering directly into the unblinking gaze of reality is paralyzing, especially if it is about to hit you in the face! Occasionally, you can escape into your headspace allayed by thoughts of safety and hope for the best. But sometimes hiding out is riskier than stepping up. So WingChun empowers you with embodied skills, but only when you are finally willing to proceed despite fear. As a warrior, go forth and slay your demons. Hunt those that haunt the abyss of your subconscious and convince them of your supremacy. Doubts evaporate with the heat of action. Unlike fickle mental chatter, the solid body does not lie. Thus, train in a highimpact way to physically prove yourself via each and every musculoskeletal collision. Dont cease until all your questions are answered. This voyage of Student to Technician to Master as led by Sifu Klaus Brand is a grand adventure, one of the toughest and finest in my life.

ingChun confronts truth. Its core value is moving to directly address, rather than persistently ignore, problems. We can use our conscious mind to rationalize putting things off because we dont feel good, smart, rich, sexy or ready enough. This results in the procrastination of a perfectionist or the passivity of a sloth.

Sihing Paul Wang

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The 8 Most Dangerous Mistakes of Wing Chun Systems

2. Stance (Zi Ng Ma) The weight must never be shifted to the back leg in a combat stance. When the body is not tensed and pushed anteriorly, there is no potential to advance quickly. One who stands completely on the rear leg pushes his body upwards physically and therefore cannot defend himself from the front because his own power, or that of his opponent, would throw him backwards. This tension and urge to go forward are fundamental not only for the physical, but even for the mental preparation. The stance is a preparation to step. One who knows which step leads to which stance and which stance follows which step has recognized the function of his legs. One who comprehends what stance fits a suitable step in combination with a proper arm technique has understood the meaning of stances. 3. Waiting for contact The greatest flaw in the evolution of the art of war is the heresy that one could respond appropriately after contact with the opponents arms during an attack. Evolution will ensure that this absurd thesis will soon perish. This error defies all logic and is typical of the myriad of dreamers and fantasists of the scene. Anyone ensnared in that faith cannot possibly know what an attack or a defense situation looks like and especially not how it feels. It is imperative to survive the first collision. The start is the most violent moment of confrontation.

1. The Arms (Man/Wu) too low Every able and intelligent attacker would initiate a fight by attacking an opponents upper body. He would use his arms to strike and never give up the flexibility provided by his stance for a kick. The skill and knowledge of an experienced fighter would indeed never permit such a vulnerable attack. One who uses his leg to attack hopes for a sporty defense and has thus long bid farewell to Self-Defense capability. For the protection position, which is actually the preparation position, the wrists should start at the same height as the upper sternum bone. A reasonable defense from a lower position is just as impossible as an attack from such a height. Good positioning saves time. And time is truly one of the most significant factors in the art of war. Anyone who wants to achieve his objective should utilize, and not conceal, his arms (weapons) at the outset while using his legs for standing and stepping. I will not assert that one cannot also deploy his legs for fighting. However, to instigate a fight as such is a farce.

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4. Too many punches (Tsong Kuen) In a Self-Defense situation, you can only execute one powerful punch in one second. There can only be one useful punch per second. If your first punch hits you do not need a second. One who needs two punches in Self-Defense should practice until he masters the first and no longer needs a second. A functional punch is the basis and target of every martial art. One should be careful in training to perform a maximum of no more than one single punch in one second and never seek to hit again in the same second as the first strike. The highest priority has to be given to this in Self-Defense instruction. One who trains exercises with two punches per second is interested in quantity and therefore guaranteed incompetence in SelfDefense. With two punches a second one can certainly not scare or stop someone. A Self-Defense instructor who teaches drills with more than one punch per second cannot be taken seriously. More is not necessarily better. One who does more than two punches per second cannot possibly be interested in Self-Defense and would rather be an asset to any massage studio. 5. Hitting from the center of the body Since the esoteric cuddly-wave of the 80s, hitting from the middle of the body has been touted as a universal solution. And since that time, there has been no sensible justification for it. Strikes from the center of the body are the weakest of all and applicable only in a few situations. Of course, they must also be trained, even if their applications are extremely rare. It was simply forgotten or ignored that outside strikes are not only the strongest but also very easily displace strikes which come from the center of the body. Outside strikes cannot be displaced and require an extremely strong defense. Thus, in Self-Defense, avoid striking from the center of the body as much as possible. One of the most important aspects of our system is learning to repel straight and curved strikes from the outside. Therefore, not even one Section contains a punch from the center. As far as I can remember, hitting from the middle of the body came from the same jesters who tried to defend themselves by training blindfolded (see my essay Sapere Aude above). For this group it is okay. They can stay nice and soft so that nothing happens in order to maintain their comradely feel-good sessions.

If you want to learn to defend yourself, you should be prepared to delve deeply into the art of war.

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6. Maintaining contact A worse mistake is to maintain contact with the opponents arms after an attack or defense. This error is caused by incompetence in the implementation of techniques, but can be quickly corrected with even the simplest of exercises and some dedication. Our first 5 Programs of the Basic Levels already contain the most important applications of all the Forms, including the Wooden Dummy (Mok Yan Jang). We therefore like to call these Basic Level Programs The Best Of. They are a cross-section of the most essential and connectable techniques in the system. One who masters understanding of the Basic Levels has committed to the path. 7. Yielding An adept combatant never gives up. Due to physical or technical weakness, the inexperienced tend to destroy their positions by yielding. Yielding results in the loss of control. In fact, many of these people advocate voluntary loss of control and have subsequently invented
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an effective exercise for a passive touch art. Of course, this saves one from the tough and realistic version of training. But in order to spare yourself you could also stay at home. The effect would be the same. You should never confuse flexibility with yielding. One who yields definitely gives up his flexibility because he only allows for one option. Yielding is a synonym for resignation and capitulation and is the opposite of flexibility. Flexibility is the freedom to remain open to all possibilities. 8. Not using power Not using your full power in a dangerous situation is not only reckless but also rather idiotic. Via the release of adrenaline in a stressful situation (in the first phase) heart rate and breathing are stimulated. Adrenaline, among other things, releases glucose from energy stores in the muscles. Even if one trains for years to not use this energy, the training will never work. Anyone who does not develop his muscles to exert their full power cannot defend themselves against strong opponents. One needs to strengthen oneself. Good Self-Defense training not only fortifies the muscles, ligaments and bones but also, ultimately, the technique and spirit. Anyone who feels strong, feels well and healthy. To be weak, soft and passive is not the goal. That was in the beginning when we drank milk from a feeding bottle and our mother wiped our posteriors. Conclusion The mistakes described above might confuse a stranger to the scene. My essays serve as general elucidation and to help people avoid worthless training offers. In my time from instructor to master to grandmaster, I met many teachers of other styles who began with
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these very errors and finished in a deadend of helplessness. Some of them commenced under my direction straight away, others unfortunately resigned after numerous years of training in the wrong direction. Actually, resignation in other words, yielding was precisely what they had learned. In our scene, almost everyone in his younger years failed because of the misconception that he could defend himself without power. In retrospect Im not quite sure why it happened, but we searched for softness, yielding and other nonsense that the world did not need. Today I can heartily laugh about those years. Nothing works without power. Power is the foundation of our existence. But these silly sins of ones youth are forgiven. The healthy human mind sees very quickly if something is incorrect, but sometimes does not allow us to admit it. Especially when one has devoted oneself to a cause for many years, it is hard to throw ones convictions overboard immediately even if the specified (specious) target is absolutely unattainable. Such a mistake costs us our most valuable years.

However, those who realize it do not lose these years. If you want to learn to defend yourself, you should be prepared to delve deeply into the art of war. You must be ready to discern all facets of combat and study their consequent risks. In order to master others, you have to master yourself. You will need to acquire particular and even extraordinary skills, then learn to apply them in the right moment. To accomplish this requires a strong will. A qualified instructor leads you step by step on your path through the Programs of our system. Will, attitude, technique, power and speed are the foundation of success in the art of Self-Defense. All you need to bring is will. Will is the ability of self-determination, the responsibility for ones own actions and the conscious decision to want something. It is the engine that propels you.

Sifu Klaus Brand

e were on the TGV from Strasbourg to Bordeaux for Sifus first IAW seminar in France. I took advantage of the seven hours en route to start translating this article. Sifu identifies common traits of many wing chun styles and explains why they are liabilities. Due to progressive research on Self-Defense efficacy, our WingChun system has adopted an adapted approach. Actually, it is a return to our origins in primal corporeal combat. This makes us different in many ways to status quo wing chun interpretations that have strayed into excessive rationalization and idealistic fancy.

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In short, WingChun serves Self-Defense, and not vice versa. If youve read my YouTube video commentary, youve noticed the often emotional, and occasionally adverse, response to our presentation. Consequently, our ratings are rather mediocre! Our technical expression of power and violation of occupation on the centerline is scrutinized and likened to boxing or karate. In their view, the strength of WingChun is far from the softness of wing chun. Such cognitive incongruence and rose-colored bias is more than understandable and prompted me to produce the document before you. Stepping outside of the orthodox box, however fragile or limiting it is, exposes us to the snap judgment or uncouth ridicule of conformists. When a foolish man hears of the Dao, he laughs out loud. If he didnt laugh, it wouldnt be the Dao. Daode Jing, Chapter 41 The eight points above differentiate our unconventional perhaps heretical or even renegade application of WingChun from wing chun. Inevitably, words and images are inadequate conduits of reality. If you arent already an actively training member of the IAW, Id encourage you to maintain an open mind while reading and rereading.

Better yet, if you have the opportunity, I heartily invite you to attend one of our classes or events. Furthermore, our certified instructors are personally available to groups worldwide for seminars in your area. Please feel free to contact us for details, especially if youve been intrigued or even a bit upset by this book. Long evolution is punctuated by sudden revolution. You may find the resolution to join ours. I do look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sihing Paul Wang

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Contact Information

International Headquarters Sifu Klaus Brand www.IAW-HQ.com United States Headquarters Sihing Paul Wang www.IAW-US.com United Kingdom Headquarters Sifu Ed Pettit, Sifu Tony Hollander www.IAW-UK.com France Vincent Mercier www.IAW-Bordeaux.com Malaysia Nathan Heissler www.IAW-Malaysia.com

WingChun
Learn to Defend Yourself.

Second Edition, Revised 6/22/12

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