Branches of Wing Chun


The different branches of the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun can be thought of as describing both the differing traditions and interpretations of Wing Chun, and the teacher-student relationships which perpetuate them.
There is no universally recognized sanctioning body for Wing Chun that governs certification of lineage, nor an unambiguous way of defining lineage. This branch listing relies on existing published, and notable family trees. Listings of notable students within a branch are in no particular order, and not intended to state seniority or rank.

Ip Man branch

, also known as Yip Kai-Man was well respected by other martial arts instructors in southern China and Hong Kong. He was the first person to teach Wing Chun to a wider public. After his death, many of his students formed separate schools. Yip Man's teachers included Chan Wah Shun, Chan Wah Shun's student Ng Chung So, and Leung Bik, son of Chan Wah Shun's teacher Leung Jan.
Ip Man was well known for having a very quick wit and an acid tongue. His teaching style, along with the very direct nature of the art and its despising of superfluous talk, infuses it with a certain edginess. This is probably why Wing Chun is well known for being split into many factions.
Notable students of Ip Man include: Leung Sheung, Lok Yiu, Chu Shong-tin, Lo Man Kam, Wong Shun Leung, Bruce Lee, Victor Kan Wah Chit, Duncan Leung, Allan Lee, Chow Tze Chuen, Ip Chun, Moy Yat and Leung Ting.

Yiu Choi branch

Yiu Choi first began learning Wing Chun Kuen from Yuen Chai Wan, the elder brother of Yuen Kay San, in roughly 1920 and studied with him until Yuen moved to Vietnam in 1936, just after the death of his Sifu Fung Siu Ching. Just before he left, Yuen introduced Yiu Choi to his friend and fellow Wing Chun Kuen practitioner, Chan Wah Shun, to continue his studies. At the same time, he also learned from Chan Wah Shun's student Ng Chung So.
Yiu Choi and his elder brother owned and operated an opium smoke and gambling house and later opened one on Shilutou. They offered Ng Chung So to hold his nightly classes in the back room of the house. Ng taught from the club for roughly a decade until he retired, and Yiu Choi moved him into his home and cared for him for roughly a decade in exchange for further training for himself and his son Yiu Kay. Ng Chung So lived and was cared for until he died.
Known as “Dai Lik” because of his natural power, Yiu Choi taught Wing Chun Kuen to his son, Yiu Kay, as well as to students such as Go Bing and Fok Joy.
According to Wai-Po Tang, Grandmaster Yiu Kay stated that his father, Yiu Choi, was one of Ip Man’s teachers. During different stages of life, there was also a time when both Yiu Choi and Yip Man had the same teacher. This makes Grandmaster Yiu Choi both Yip Man’s Sifu and also elder Sihing. Yiu Choi is the 5th generation of Wing Chun -- bestowed upon him by Ng Chun So, the title ‘Descendant of Wing Chun.’
The Yiu Choi Style was succeeded by his son, Yiu Kay, who is succeeded by his three sons.

Jiu Wan branch

Jiu Wan first taught Wing Chun at Jing Mo Gwun, a school in Foshan, China. When the Communists took over China, he moved to Hong Kong where he continued to teach.
Jiu Wan's relationship with Yip Man is controversial among students of both branches. Some students of Jiu Wan maintain he studied under his cousin and later under Yip Man. Yip Man students claim that as well. Jason Lau's branch of Jiu Wan claim they were kung fu brothers directly under Chan Wah Shun.
Notable students of Jiu Wan include Jason Lau, and Ti Lung.

Gulao (Koo Lo) Village branch

Gulao Wing Chun Kuen was taught by Dr. Leung Jan when he retired back to his native village of Gulao in Heshan County, Guangdong province and is typically referred to by the village name to distinguish it from the doctor’s Foshan teachings. The Fung family variations found in Kulo Village have also come to be called Pin Sun Wing Chun.

Pan Nam branch

Pan Nam studied Hung Gar from 1934 to 1947 until he met Jiu Chow, and officially began his Wing Chun Kuen training. His classmates included Leung Lam, Jiu Wan, Lee Shing, Wong Jing and other semi famous Wing Chun masters. Jiu Chow had to relocate to Chungshan, and Pan followed him to continue training. According to Sum Nung, prior to learning from Jiu Chow, Pan briefly studied from Cheung Bo, but soon opted to train with Jiu.
In 1949 Pan Nam moved back to Fatshan and started teaching at the “Union of cake industry workers of Fatshan”. In 1956 he was introduced to Lai Hip Chai a classmate of Ng Chun So, Yip Man and Chan Yiu Men, who was the second to last student accepted by Chan Wah Shun. Lai Hip Chai had not only learned from Chan, but also from Lok Lan Goon's nephew.
Notable students include Eddie Chong and Felix Leong is a direct student of Pan Nam who taught Wing Chun in Adelaide, Australia at the same location for 30 years; in September 2015, the Academy was nearly closed down due to a large fire.

Yuen Kay Shan branch

was a master in the martial art of Wing Chun, who lived from 1889 to 1956. The fifth of five brothers, he became known as "Foshan Yuen Lo Jia". Yuen Kay Shan combined the Wing Chun of both of his teachers, constable Fok Bo Chuen, and body guard and bounty hunter Fung Siu Ching.
Notable students: Sum Nung

Nguyen Te-Cong/Yuen Chai Wan branch

Nguyễn Tế-Công/Yuen Chai Wan Older brother of Yuen Kay-San, Yuen first learned Wing Chun Kuen under Fok Bo-Chuen and later continued his studies with Fung Siu-Ching. In 1936 he was invited to teach Wing Chun in Vietnam at the Nanhai and Shunde Expatriates Associations and moved to Hanoi, where he was known by the Vietnamese pronunciation of his name, Nguyen Te-Cong. In 1954 he relocated to Saigon where he established a second school.

Cho family branch

The Cho family of Poon Yu Village have been practitioners of southern fist systems, such as Choy Lai Fut, Hung Gar, Mok Gar, and White Crane, for many years. Cho Shun joined the King Fa Wui Goon and became an Operatic performer/actor. He became the first known disciple of Wing Chun practitioner Yik Kam.

Hung Fa Yi (Hung Suen Wing Chun Kuen)

Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen, previously referred to as Hung Suen Wing Chun Kuen, was introduced by Garrett Gee of San Francisco

Pao Fa Lien branch

Founded by Dai Dong Fung and his students Tze Gwok Leung and Tze Gwok Cheung, the branch received its name via Lao Dat Sang, who had the nickname Pao Fa Lien, or "Wood Planer Lien".

Fut Sao (Buddha Hand) branch

Fut Sao Wing Chun Kuen, was introduced by Henry Leung "Chi-Man" in New York City back in the early 1960s. The Chinese martial art system was named after GM Leung's Teacher the renowned Chán Buddhist master Hsu Yun aka "Ghao Ji Fut Sao". Different students of Leung Chi-Man report different origins for the system, including it descended from Fung Siu Ching, Leung Bik, Chan Wah Shun, Miáo Xiǎn, Xu Yun Hsu Yun, and Leung Chan Sang aka Dr Leung Jan. The Buddhist Wing Chun system can be traced back to the provinces of Kwang Chow Guangzhou, and or Canton Foshan well over 200 years ago.
The Style specializes in close quarters combat techniques that derive from theories, concepts, principles, and methods taught with in its training regime. Fut Sao has seven forms, and various other drills, or exercises. The forms consist of siu lum dao, chum kiu, biu gee, siu baat qua, mook yun jong, bat cham dao, and luk dim boon kwun. The ideas of root, power, structure, flow, time, space, energy, and many other skills are learned by its practitioners.
Notable students: James Cama.