Wing Chun
Kung Fu has become one of the most widely practiced martial arts of the
20th century, yet its history remained aloof and shrouded amidst myths
until a courageous and unselfish teacher recently stepped forward and
shared serious historical knowledge with the Ving Tsun Museum and,
ultimately, the Wing Chun world. Since 1993, the Ving Tsun Museum in
Dayton, Ohio has aggressively pursued leads around the globe in an
all-out effort to help the Wing Chun community identify its true roots
and origins. Recent publications and press releases from the Museum have
revealed one of the most promising links to date to the actual origins
of the art -- Master Garret Gee and other members of the Hung Gun Bui
family practicing Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen.
Fabled stories of a
woman named Yim Ving Tsun exist in virtually every Wing Chun family.
Books and even movies have popularized the myth that the art originated
with her defeat of a local bully in Fatshan, China. In truth, Wing
Chun’s history is much more complex and far reaching than this simple
myth can convey. This article will reveal the developmental history of
Wing Chun's unique swords as taught by one of its original founders,
Cheung Ng (Tan Sao Ng), and remove some of the myths that have
previously pervaded any study of their origin. In Wing Chun, learning
the Butterfly Swords is considered to be a highly advanced stage of
learning that represents completing the system. In many cases, only a
few students are ever taught the sword level of Wing Chun because it
requires advanced comprehension of the nature of the art itself and how
the sword is woven into every aspect of the system. Consequently,
knowledge of the sword is considered very sacred and oftentimes
protected secretively.
Although there are
those who perform and practice the Wing Chun Swords today, very few
people are familiar with the history and background of their
origination. Before examining these origins, it is essential to validate
the background and credentials of our information source -- Master
Garret Gee (Chu King-Hun). Master Gee comes from a family line renowned
for intellectual leadership, statesmanship, and excellence in martial
arts and military matters. One prominent ancestor was Zhu Xi, a
political leader and teacher in the Song Dynasty. Zhu Xi is credited as
being one of the key figures in the revival of Confucianism through the
establishment of academic institutions, active correspondence with
fellow scholars, publication of over 90 books, and extensive instruction
of personal disciples. An imperial decree issued decades after his death
designated several of his published commentaries as required reading for
all government students. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Xi was officially
elevated to the stature of Confucius and his birth was celebrated twice
yearly.
In more recent history,
Master Gee’s grandfather, Chu Jun-Bak, achieved prominence as a military
leader and master instructor at the prestigious Wong Bo Military
Academy. The Wong Bo Academy is the foremost military school in China
with a reputation and distinction that makes it China’s equivalent to
the West Point Military Academy in the United States. China’s greatest
generals have traditionally been schooled at Wong Bo Academy.
Master Gee, himself,
displayed significant martial arts talent at a very early age. He began
training under the tutelage of his father at the age of 5. He quickly
demonstrated a profound affinity and talent for swordsmanship, as well
as other Kung Fu weapons. By the time he was 13 years old he so
impressed Dr. Wang Ming (one of the descendents of Cheung Ng and a
teacher of Wing Chun from the Hung Fa Yi Secret Society) that he became
the last of Dr. Ming’s four disciples.
The evolution of the
Wing Chun Butterfly Sword we use today progressed through three primary
stages of development. The first stage was its creation as a defensive,
non-killing weapon created by the Shaolin monks.
Originally, the
butterfly sword was very different from the Wing Chun sword we see
today. The butterfly sword was designed to meet the training and defense
needs of Shaolin monks. In harmony with Buddhist philosophy and
teachings, the monks designed the weapon for parrying, disarming, and
cutting -- not for killing. Consequently, the blade was structured with
dull edges on top and bottom to be used for interception of an
opponent’s weapons. As indicated in the attached drawing, only the first
3 inches (the curved part) of the blade were sharpened. The remainder of
the blade, top and bottom, was solid and dull for parrying and
non-lethal striking purposes. The monks created the dull blade on the
butterfly sword not only because it was a weapon of self-defense, but
also because the dull blade added thickness for extra support to the
structure of the sword. Having a sharpened blade on the butterfly sword
was useful for chopping but because of the thin edge of the sword, the
blade could easily be damaged or broken when defending against a longer,
heavier weapon in combat. For this reason, the Shaolin monks preferred
the sturdier blade. Today's Wing Chun sword techniques still emphasize
parrying, obstructing, or intercepting an opponent's weapon. These
remain highly consistent with the original design and intent of the
blade itself.
In the Shaolin Temple,
the butterfly sword was not mass-produced to a specific length. Rather,
the length of each butterfly sword was customized to the practitioner.
Specifically, the blade measured from the practitioner’s wrist to his or
her elbow. The monks heavily stressed the need to tailor the butterfly
sword to its intended practitioner. An unfitted blade, used as intended,
could easily harm the user and limit the mobility of his arms and body.
In contrast, the width of the blade did not vary. It remained 3 inches
from top to bottom starting at the hilt and extending to the start of
the blade curvature near the tip. The 3-inch width was selected because
it approximates the width of a developed male wrist. The thickness of
the blade varied, dependent upon the sword maker, but was usually about
1/8th of an inch throughout. The handle of the sword sported a guard in
the shape of a hook with an open end. The monks used this guard to trap
an opponent’s weapon and quickly disarm them. Again, this was consistent
with Buddhist philosophy -- disarm an enemy rather than kill him. All in
all, the Shaolin Butterfly Sword was considered a small weapon in
contrast to its counterparts. This was intentional as the monks wished
to conceal the sword beneath their robes while traveling. They could
move about in public without being questioned or creating an improper
image in respect to their Buddhist teachings. As noted above, the
original Shaolin usage of the blades was deeply rooted in Buddhist
beliefs. Killing was not an option. Both the blade and the training
methods for using it centered around parrying, disarming, and cutting.
It was considered far more humane to surgically cut tendons at the
joints, thereby maiming an opponent rather than killing him.
The change in shape and
intended function of the swords was a direct result of the creation of
the Wing Chun fighting system with the specific intent of training
revolutionaries to engage the imperial troops of the Ching Dynasty.
According to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen, the Double Butterfly Swords form
seen in Shaolin Kung Fu was first created by the Fut Pai Hung Mun
(Buddhist Hung Mun). The Fut Pai Hung Mun was a secret society existing
within the Southern Shaolin Temple itself. This society’s primary goal
was to oppose the Ching Dynasty that arose from the Manchurian conquest
of China in the 17th century, and to restore the Ming family to the
throne. They needed an art that was efficient to train and employ. They
needed an art that was complete in that it consistently developed empty
hand skills along with both long and short, as well as single to double,
weaponry.
Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun
tradition further instructs that two Shaolin Wing Chun masters survived
the Manchurian massacre at the Southern Shaolin Temple. They are
credited with keeping the Wing Chun system alive. The senior of the two
masters was Yat Chum Dai Si, a 22nd generation Shaolin Grand Master. The
second was Cheung Ng (Tan Sao Ng). Very little information remains today
of the ensuing history of Yat Chum Dai Si. Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun
tradition holds that he was originally trained in and belonged to the
Northern Shaolin Temple at Shong Shon. He later moved to the Southern
Temple as part of the joint effort to secretly develop the Wing Chun
style of fighting during the effort to train rebels for restoring the
Ming Dynasty to power. It was there that he met Cheung Ng.
Cheung Ng was reported
to be a highly educated man with an extensive background in both
literary and military skills. He often performed in dramatic opera. It
is believed that he was originally a native of Hanbuck and that his
family had served the Ming regime for generations as military tacticians
and warriors. The Manchurians destroyed his family and Cheung Ng fled to
the Northern Shaolin Temple seeking refuge. He was accepted as a Shaolin
disciple and trained at the temple. It was there that he learned of Yat
Chum Dai Si’s activities at the Southern Temple and the gatherings in a
place called Hung Fa Ting where training and planning for the
restoration of the Ming Dynasty took place. He then left the Northern
Temple to join the rebels in the Southern Temple. Under Yat Chum Dai Si
he began his studies of the art that was to become Wing Chun.
Following the
destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple in the mid-seventeenth
century, Cheung Ng is believed to have fled to Guangdong Province. The
city of Fatshan is widely accredited with being the birthplace of Wing
Chun. Historically, it is important to note that Fatshan is in Guangdong
Province. It is also historically interesting to note that Fatshan is
also credited to be the birthplace of the Red Boat Opera Company. Hung
Fa Yi Wing Chun tradition holds that Cheung Ng formed the Red Boat Opera
Company as a means of disguising rebel activity and supporting his
teaching of Wing Chun Kung Fu to rebel leaders. The Red Boat Company was
noted for its discipline and rules of conduct. With its talented
performers and tight discipline, coupled with the logistic advantages of
traveling up and down China’s rivers at will, it is logical to assert
that the Red Boat Opera Company was capable of promoting covert training
and instruction of rebel warriors throughout Southern China in the art
of Wing Chun.
These historical events
lead us to the second stage of evolution of the traditional Shaolin
butterfly sword into today’s Bot Jom Doa. This stage was greatly
influenced by the fighting needs of the Secret Society of Hung Fa Wui
(the Red Flower Society) and the Hung Gun Bui family. With the passing
of time, revolutionary fighting against the Manchurians and the Ching
Dynasty increased in intensity and the blade began its transition from a
defensive oriented parrying weapon to an offensive weapon designed to
kill. To make the blade more suitable to warfare, the revolutionary
secret society members of the Hung Fa Wui sought to make it more lethal.
According to Hung Fa Yi
Wing Chun Kuen tradition, Cheung Ng, himself, modified the traditional
butterfly sword to create a practical battlefield weapon. Although the
changes he made initially were subtle, when combined with the latest,
foremost fighting system of Wing Chun as the foundation, the results
were very lethal. This new version of the butterfly sword represented a
new stage of development for the weapon and its use, but the knowledge
of the modifications and training to use them were never disclosed by
Grand Master Tan Sao Ng or the Secret Society to the general public. The
modified swords were known to the Secret Society as the Hung Fa Yi Wing
Chun Double Butterfly Swords.
The Hung Fa Yi Wing
Chun Swords were very similar to the traditional version. Most of the
top and bottom of the blade remained straight. But, the design was
altered at the tip to accommodate thrusting and stabbing motions. To
this end, they trimmed the front of the blade, adding a curvature and
sharpened point that gave the sword the appearance of a large dagger.
The notched area was then sharpened and blood grooves were added to the
sides of the blade. This enabled blood to drain more easily when the
point of the sword pierced the stomach or other organs.
Although the Hung Fa Yi
Wing Chun Swords are not generally known to the public, the Hung Fa Yi
Wing Chun Kuen still practice with them according to the original form
and routines taught by Grand Master Tan Sao Ng. Their intent is to
preserve the knowledge of the swords’ use and the methods employed by
the revolutionaries to train them.
With centuries of
interaction among the different styles of Southern China, the Wing Chun
Sword continued to evolve. The third phase of evolution of the Shaolin
Butterfly Swords into the Wing Chun Sword and Bot Jom Doa training form
we know today took place in the 19th century. This modern version of the
Butterfly Sword has many variations in shape, but the biggest difference
is that all have sharpened the entire length of the blade. Another type
of blade also evolved during this modern period. It is called the
Tiger's Head Blade. It shares the same characteristic of sharpness
throughout its entire length, but it also incorporates a significant
curvature or bow toward the front half of the blade.
In summary, there are
three primary eras of development of the Butterfly Swords. Out of these
eras have come four distinct types of blades heavily influenced by
applications relevant to that period. The first blade originated from
Shaolin. It consisted of a 3-inch wide blade with only the first 3
inches of the blade sharpened. The next blade originated with the Secret
Societies. It consisted of the same 3 inch wide blade with a modified
tip to make it more lethal when used for stabbing. The third blade
originated in the modern era and is distinguished by sharpening the
entire blade. The final blade is the Tiger's Blade with its bowed front.
Oftentimes, advanced
practitioners will focus on weapons training by examining technical
details of current uses and applications. In contrast, an approach that
focuses on the evolution of a weapon can give the practitioner a whole
new perspective on use and application. Such is the case with the Wing
Chun Butterfly Swords.
