The Forms of Wing Chun Kuen

The Wing Chun Kuen system includes three empty-hand boxing forms and two weapon forms. Many of the kung fu systems have weapons. Wing Chun Kuen has the Long Pole and the Butterfly Knives.

Siu Lim Tao

Siu Lim Tao is the first empty hands boxing form and the most important form of the Wing Chun system. It covers almost the entire system of Wing Chun and is divided into three sections. The entire form is usually practised in slow continuous forward hand movements and should take no less than 20 minutes and no more than 40-45 minutes, to complete the entire form. Novice students usually find difficulty in performing the form for that length of time; however they do achieve this after a short period of time. Encouragement from the student is required!

Chum Kiu

Chum Kiu is the second empty hands boxing form of the Wing Chun system and it continues the development of the Siu Lim Tao form. The concept of Chum Kiu is to close the gap between yourself and your opponent. During the Siu Lim Tao boxing 1st form, proper structures and principles are learned and subsequently carried over into the Chum Kiu form. As a result, when the positioning of the manoeuvres from the Chum Kiu and strategy are applied, the practitioner will discover the efficient results of being able to distort and manipulate the other person’s body structure.

Biu Gee

Biu Gee is the third and last empty hands boxing form of the Wing Chun Kung Fu system. Biu Gee can mean "thrusting fingers", it is also known as "first aid hand", and is the last empty hand form taught in the Wing Chun system. There are various interpretations of this form but we should forget about some of Wing Chun's exaggerated myths...and fairytale stories.

Long Pole (Luk Dim Boon Gwan)

Wing Chun's Long Pole or in Cantonese Luk Dim Boon Gwan, which means "six-and-a-half point pole" and refers to the six-and-a-half techniques within the form. The Pole itself is about eight feet long and thus complements the Wing Chun short-sword method. Long Pole includes basic horse and bow stances as well as backward "bracing" and even cat stances. Hence, the Long Pole retains much of its original Shaolin essence. Pole fighting has become somewhat impractical with the modern warfare. However, strength improvement and greater coordination remain ideal goals' making the Wing Chun Long Pole a valuable training method even today.

Butterfly Knives (Baat Jaam Do)

Wing Chun is an unarmed system of combat, even though it includes the Long Pole (Luk Dim Boon Gwan) and the Butterfly Knives (Baat Jaam Do). Baat Jaam Do means "Eight Chopping/Slashing Knives". The Butterfly Knives are a pair of large knives, slightly smaller than short swords. Historically the knives were also referred to as Dit Ming Do ("Life-Taking Knives"). They are also known as Yee Jee Seung Do ("Parallel Shape Double Knives").