The founder of the Wing Chun system - Yim Wing Chun was a native of Canton (Kwangtuang Province) in China. She was a bright and tough young girl, uncorrupted and open-hearted. Her mother unfortunately perished shortly after Yim had promised her to marry her fiancée Leung Bok Chau, a salt merchant of Fukien. Her father, Yim Yee, was mistakenly accused of a crime he did not commit and to avoid imprisonment, they all fled and eventually settled down at the footing of Tai Leung Mountain close to the perimeter between Yunan and Szechuan provinces. There they earned a modest living by selling bean curd.

During the reign of Emperor K'anghshi of the Ching Dynasty (1662-1722) the standard of Kung Fu had become outstanding within the Siu Lam "Shaolin" Monastery of Mt. Sung in Honan Province. Its reputation spread and with it also the fear of the Manchu government - "non-Chinese" people from Manchuria in the north, who ruled China in that period. Alarmed by this, they ordered their armed forces to go and attack the Monastery. Initially they were unsuccessful. Thereafter a man of the name Chan Man Waey, who had  recently been appointed as a civil servant suggested a plan with the intend of seeking favours from the government.

He conspired with Siu Lam's monk Ma Ning Yee and several others who were enticed to betray their people by setting fire inside the monastery while others attacked it from the outside. Siu Lam (Shaolin Temple) was burned down, all the monks and disciples where dispersed. Buddhist nun Ng Mui, monks Chi Shin and Pak Mei together with Master Fung To Tak and Master Miu Hin evaded to different parts of the country.

It is thought that Ng Mui took shelter in another Temple called White Crane on Mt. Tai Leung (also known as Mt. Chai Har). It was there that she met Yim Yee and his daughter Wing Chun from whom she often bought bean curd when she passed the market on the way to her refuge.. At fifteen, with her hair held up in the custom of those days, conveying that she was of an age ready to marry, Wing Chun's gracefulness caught the attention of a local thug who forcefully told Wing Chun to marry him. His continuous intimidation had become a cause for concern both to her and the father.

Nun Ng Mui became aware of the situation and decided to help. She offered to teach Wing Chun her fighting techniques to enable her to protect herself. Wing Chun followed Ng Mui teachings and trained diligently until she became proficient. Eventually Ng Mui went about her travels. However before living, she advised Wing Chun to strictly honour the Kung Fu traditions and to continue to develop her skills after her marriage to allow her to help all those allied to overthrow the Manchu government and restore the Ming Dynasty.

Once married Wing Chun passed her Kung Fu to her husband Leung Bok Chau. He in turn passed these techniques on to Leung Lan Kwai. Leung Lan Kwai then passed them on to Wong Wah Bo. Wong Wah Bo was a member of an opera group on board of a junk, then known as (the Red Junk). Wong collaborated on the Red Junk with Leung Yee Teai. Coincidentally monk Szhi Chin, who fled from Siu Lam, had disguised himself as a cook and was also working on the boat. Szhi Chin taught the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole techniques to Leung Yee Teai. Wong Wah Bo was close to Leung Yee Teai, and they shared what they both knew about Kung Fu. Together they explored and perfected their techniques. This is how the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole was incorporated within the system.

Leung Yee Teai passed his skills on to Leung Jan, a notorious herbalist in Foshan. Leung Jan absorbed all his teachings reaching a high level of proficiency. Many Kung Fu masters tried to defeat him, but to no avail! Leung Jan became  famous. He in turn passed his skills on to Chan Wah Soun, who took me and my elder Kung Fu brothers, such as Ng Siu Lo, Ng Chung So, Chan Yu Min and Lui Yu Jai, as his students many decades ago.

Finally it can be established that the Wing Chun Kung Fu martial art system was passed directly from generation to generation. I write this history of the Wing Chun System in respectful memory of my predecessors. I am perpetually grateful to them for my inheriting of the skills that I now retain. A person should always think of the source of the water as he drinks it. It is this collective feeling that unites each and everyone of us together. ©