Where to find Wing Chun Class in Malaysia!

Recently I read a forum in PJNet titled "Looking for Wing Chun class". A group advertised themselves as "The only Ip Man Ving Chun in Malaysia" and that started a big argument on the net which later became a big game of I accuse you of this and that. Even my organization was accused! Hahaha...

First things first. You are ALL giving martial artist a bad name. Everybody accusing everybody else and no one listening to each other. That's not the martial artist way!

For those wanting to find Wing Chun classes, my dear friends Chow Wai Yip (www.pendekars.com) and Jon Dep (A student of Ken Lau. Ken Lau is a certified instructor of Grandmaster Ip Chun's Wing Chun in Singapore. Check out http://www.geocities.com/wingchun_sg/) conducts a Wing Chun meetup session in either Taman Rimba Kiara in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, PJ. or in Jalan Klang Lama almost every Saturday. There, wing chun practitioners of almost every school in Kuala Lumpur goes to practice with each other without prejudice. No politics (nobody saying theirs is the best) and no animosity.

Currently, among others, we have students from Grandmasters Stephen Chan, Wong Shun Leong, Leung Shung, Ip Chun lineages come by. All these grandmasters are respected Ip Man students. This is why, I try to join as much as my time and resources allow. The students are great, friendly and very good at what they do.

However, there have not been students from "The only Ip Man Ving Chun" group come yet. My only hope is they come soon to practice, share and if there are people who come to look for wing chun classes, they can market themselves there.

For information, checkout the following sites: Both groups are on facebook.

The Malaysia Wing Chun/Ving Tsun Kuen Study Group／大馬,馬來西亞詠春网络

Fellowship Of Malaysia Wing Chun 马来西亚永春拳术研究会

So Malaysians don't despair! There are many Yip Man students practicing and teaching here in Malaysia! Join the groups and come to the meet ups! You won't regret it!

P/S: I'm not doing myself much good here promoting other wing chun. Hope sifu don't mind. But, I love my friends and I love ALL martial arts (wing chun especially! and among wing chun, Yip Kin wing chun especially! hehe).

Be Water My Friend!

My good friend and fellow Yip Kin Wing Chun Practitioner Danson Phang recently gave a video of Bruce Lee. The quote was somewhat like this;

"Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless. Like water. When you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. When you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, or it can crash. Be water my friend" Bruce Lee

The big question is "How do we "be water"?". I believe the answer is by understanding and applying the principles of the art we learn. I say this because, water reacts and becomes what it is because of the interaction between its molecules in relation to the stress and pressure put forth by outside forces. So in martial arts, what are the laws that govern it? The answer is, its principles!

For Wing Chun, the principle lies in the interaction of Yin and Yang. For Yip Kin Wing Chun the students are taught of this interaction by learning the forms. The changes within the forms follow the principles of Yin and Yang (i.e. A"Yang" type technique will come after a "Yin" type technique which consequently came from a "Yang" type technique"). After the students understand the relationship and the changes, the continuous change is further drilled using weapons' forms, mok yan jong and a two man form we call "Chi Sau". Students will come to a natural state of change and it comes without thinking.

Taijiquan (especially Chen style Taijiquan) uses the same methods as Yip Kin Wing Chun but their principles and laws are different (well, they are a different martial art and is slightly older than us anyway!). But the basic training principles are the same (empty hand, weapons and later Tui Shou). I see the same principles applied in other Tradional Chinese Martial Arts.

For Hong Kong Wing Chun, the principles are introduced in the form but drilled separately with a partner/(s). The teacher will guide the students through the drills to make sure the students "remember" the principles at muscular level and is able to change at will without thinking.

So understand the basic principles and the LAW that govern or apllied when your martial art was created. Then, YOU CAN BE WATER MY FRIEND!

p/s: If you want to understand more about the basics of becoming water (Wing Chun way), join our 3 days 2 nights training on the 11th to the 13th of September 2009. For details, log on to,

http://yipkinwingchun.blogspot.com