Yim Wing-chun | |
---|---|
Born | China |
Died | China |
Style | Wing Chun |
Teacher(s) | Ng Mui |
Years active | fl. c. 1700 |
Spouse | Leung Bok-chau |
Notable students | Leung Bok-chau |
Yim Wing-chun (simplified Chinese: 严咏春; traditional Chinese: 嚴詠春; pinyin: Yányǒngchūn) is a Chinese legendary character, often cited in Wing Chun legends as the first master of the martial art bearing her name. Wing-chun, though a person's name in Chinese language, literally means "spring chant" or "forever spring", or may be substituted with the character for "eternal springtime".[1]
Different accounts of Yim's story exist, but the central sequence of events remains largely the same, beginning with Yim's teacher. During the Qing Dynasty, a Shaolin Buddhist nun and abbess, Ng Mui (五枚師太), reportedly fled the destruction of the Siu Lam Temple at the hands of the government; the temple was believed to be harbouring revolutionaries.[2] According to one legend, Ng saw a crane and a snake fighting, and incorporated their movements into her style of Chinese boxing to form a new, unnamed martial art system.[2]
Ng later took on a disciple, Yim Wing-chun, and passed the art on to her.[2] Yim was well known for her beauty, and sold tofu for a living.[3] A local bully tried to force her to marry him, but she used the art to defeat him.[2] Some accounts claim that Ng taught Yim the art specifically for the purpose of defending herself against the unwanted advances.[4]
Yim later married Leung Bok-chau, a salt merchant, and he named the art Wing Chun Kuen (Wing Chun's boxing) after her.[2][4] Lee (1972) attributes significant development of the art to Yim, crediting her with the invention of the chi sao (sticking hands) exercise.[5] From there, the art passed through several men's hands before coming to Yip Man.[3]
The movie Wing Chun (1994) loosely portrays Yim's life within the action film genre, with Michelle Yeoh portraying the central character. A more recent movie, Kung Fu Wing Chun (2010), Yim Wing-chun was portrayed by Bai Jing and Leung Bok-chau was portrayed by Yu Shaoqun. Meng and Rudnicki (2006) have written a critical analysis of the legend surrounding Yim.[6]
Lineage in Wing Chun | |
Sifu | Ng Mui; creator of Wing Chun |
Yim Wing-chun (嚴詠春) |
|
Only student | Leung Bok-chau (梁博儔); her husband |