Wing Chun terms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
These are terms used in the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Note that Wing Chun terms are originally colloquial Cantonese (or even slang spoken in Foshan). The meaning might therefore be difficult to trace.
Some of those terms are used in Jeet Kune Do, sometimes with a different meaning.
Lineage terms or titles:
| As normally seen in English (from Cantonese) |
Simp. char. |
Trad. char. |
Cantonese (Yale transcription) |
Mandarin (Pinyin transcription) |
Meaning(s) (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidai | 师弟 | 師弟 | si1 di4 (ti4) | shǐ??? | younger brother, used to refer to a male student of the same generation who has been studying for a shorter time than the person speaking. Seniority here is determined by the time spent in the school, not by the technical ability or level achieved – so, a student who has started after the speaker, but has surpassed him, would still be a sidai to the speaker. |
| Simui | 师妹 | 師妹 | si1 mei4 | shǐ??? | younger sister, used to refer to a female student of the same generation who has been studying for a shorter time than the person speaking. |
| Sihing | 师兄 | 師兄 | si1 xiong1 (xiong5) | shǐ???? | older brother, used to refer to a male student of the same generation who has been studying for a longer time than the person speaking. |
| Sije | 师姐 | 師姐 (or should this be 姊?) | si1 jie3 (ju1 or ju4) | shǐ?? | older sister, used to refer to a female student of the same generation who has been studying for a longer time than the person speaking. |
| Sifu | 师父 | 師父 | si1 fu6 | shǐfù | teacher/father, used to refer to the teacher of the speaker's generation, or to the head of the school. |
| Sisuk | 师叔 | 師叔 | si1 shu1 {shu5} | shǐ??? | teacher/younger uncle, used to refer to the sidai of sifu, a student of the same generation as your sifu, but who has started later than your sifu has. |
| Sibak | 师伯 | 師伯 | si1 bo2 (bai3, mo4, {bo5}, {ba4}) | shǐ??? | teacher/older uncle, used to refer to the sihing of sifu, a student of the same generation as your sifu, but who has started earlier than your sifu has. |
| Sigung | 师公 | 師公 | si1 gong1 zhong1 | shǐ???? | teacher/grandfather, used to refer to your teacher's teacher. |
| Sijo | 师祖 | 師祖 | si1 jo4 | shǐzu | teacher/great-grandfather, used to refer to your teacher's teacher's teacher. |
Limb names:
| As normally seen in English (from Cantonese) |
Simp. char. |
Trad. char. |
Cantonese (Yale transcription) |
Mandarin (Pinyin transcription) |
Meaning(s) (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sao | 手 | (as simp.) | sau2 | shǒu | hand/arm |
| kuen | 拳 | (as simp.) | kyun4 | quán | fist; boxing |
| gerk | 脚 | 腳 | geuk3 | jiǎo | leg |
Limb position names:
| As normally seen in English (from Cantonese) |
Simp. char. |
Trad. char. |
Cantonese (Yale transcription) |
Mandarin (Pinyin transcription) |
Meaning(s) (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bong sao | 膀手 | (as simp.) | bong2 sau2 | bǎngshǒu | wing arm |
| fook sao | 伏手 | (as simp.) | fuk6 sau2 | fúshǒu | controlling arm |
| man sao | 问手 | 問手 | man6 sau2 | wènshǒu | seeking hand |
| wu sao | 护手 | 護手 | wu6 sau2 | hùshǒu | protecting hand |
| tan sao | 滩手 | 攤手 | taan1 sau2 | tānshǒu | dispersing hand |
| kau sao | 扣手 | 扣手 | kau1 sau2 | koushǒu | detaining hand |
Limb movement names:
| As normally seen in English (from Cantonese) |
Simp. char. |
Trad. char. |
Cantonese (Yale transcription) |
Mandarin (Pinyin transcription) |
Meaning(s) (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cham/jam sao | 沈手 | 沉手 | cham4 sau2 | chénshǒu | sinking hand |
| gaun sao | 耕手 | (as simp.) | gang1 sau2 | gēngshǒu | cultivating arm |
| jut sao | 窒手 | (as simp.) | jat6 sau2 | zhìshǒu | choking hand |
| huen sao | 圈手 | 圈手 | huen4 sau2 | quánshǒu | circling hand |
| lap sao | 拉手 | (as simp.) | laap6 sau2 | lāshǒu | pulling hand |
| pak sao | 拍手 | (as simp.) | paak3 sau2 | pāishǒu | slapping hand |
Drill names:
| As normally seen in English (from Cantonese) |
Simp. char. |
Trad. char. |
Cantonese (Yale transcription) |
Mandarin (Pinyin transcription) |
Meaning(s) (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chi sao | 黐手 | (as simp.) | chi1 sau2 | chǐshǒu | sticky hands. |
| chi gerk | 脚 | ?? | chi1 geuk3 | chǐjiǎo | sticky feet. |
