Glossary of Wing Chun terms

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These are terms used in the Chinese martial art, Wing Chun. They are originally colloquial Cantonese (or Foshan spoken slang). Thus, their meanings might be difficult to trace. Some of those terms are used in Jeet Kune Do, sometimes with a different meaning.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Forms

Butterfly knives for close combat Bark Cham Dou1.jpg
Butterfly knives for close combat

Family Lineage Titles or Terms

As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
Sidai师弟師弟si1 dai6shī dìjunior male classmate
Simui师妹師妹si1 mui6shī mèijunior female classmate
Sihing师兄師兄si1 hing1shī xiōngsenior male classmate
Sije师姐師姐si1 je2shī jiěsenior female classmate
Gowlin教练教練gaau3 lin6jiào liàninstructor or coach
Sifu 师父師父si1 fu2shī fùmaster
Sisuk师叔師叔si1 suk1shī shūmaster's junior male classmate ("叔" = junior uncle)
Sibak师伯師伯si1 baak3shī bómaster's senior male classmate ("伯" = senior uncle)
Sigu (Rare)师姑 師姑 si1 gu1shī gūmaster's female classmate ("姑" = aunt)
Sigung师公師公si1 gung1shī gōngmaster's master
Sitaigung师太公師太公si1 taai3 gung1shī tài gōngmaster's master's master
Sijo师祖師祖si1 jou2shī zǔ Yim Wing-chun ("師祖" literally means "ancestral master")

Limb names

As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
sao(as simp.)sau2shǒuhand
kuen(as simp.)kyun4quánfist
gerkgeuk3jiǎofoot; leg

18 hand technique names

Limb position names

Wing-arc hand Wing-chun-bong-wu-outline.jpg
Wing-arc hand
Protecting hand by Wan Kam Leung Sifu Wan Kam Leung.jpg
Protecting hand by Wan Kam Leung
As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
bong sao膀手(as simp.)bong2 sau2bǎng shǒuwing-arc hand [2]
fook sao伏手(as simp.)fuk6 sau2fú shǒutame-force hand [2]
man sao问手問手man6 sau2wèn shǒuasking hand
wu sao; woo sau [2] 护手護手wu6 sau2hù shǒuprotecting hand; guarding hand [2]
tan sao摊手攤手taan1 sau2tān shǒudispersing hand; lay-flat hand [2]
kau sao扣手扣手kau3 sau2kòu shǒudetaining hand [ citation needed ]

Limb movement names

As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
jam sao沉手(as simp.)jam2 sau2chén shǒusinking hand [ citation needed ]
gang sao; garn sau [2] 耕手(as simp.)gaang1 sau2gēng shǒucultivating arm; ploughing hand [2]
jut sao窒手(as simp.)jat6 sau2zhì shǒuchoking hand [ citation needed ]
huen sao圈手(as simp.)hyun1 sau2quán shǒucircling hand
lap sao拉手(as simp.)laai1 sau2lā shǒupulling hand; seizing hand [2]
pak sao 拍手(as simp.)paak3 sau2pāi shǒuslapping hand; slapping strike [2]
tok sao托手(as simp.)tok3 sau2tuō shǒulifting hand [ citation needed ]
laan sao拦手攔手laan4 sau2lán shǒubarring arm [ citation needed ]
tai sao提手(as simp.)tai4 sau2tí shǒuuplifting hand [ citation needed ]
jip sao接手(as simp.)jip3 sau2jiē shǒureceiving hand [ citation needed ]
gam sao揿手撳手gam6 sau2qìn shǒupressing hand [ citation needed ]
biu sao镖手鏢手biu1 sau2biāo shǒudarting hand

Drills

Double sticky hands by Ip Chun Wing Chun Sifu Sean Mann playing Chi Sau With Grand Master Ip Chun - Copy.png
Double sticky hands by Ip Chun
Sticky feet Wing-chun-chi-gerk-low-kick.jpg
Sticky feet
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
Daan Chi Sau单黐手單黐手daan1 chi1 sau2dān chī shǒusingle sticky hands [4]
Luk Sau碌手(as simp.)luk1 sau2lù shǒurolling arms
Seung Chi Sau双黐手雙黐手seung1 chi1 sau2shuāng chī shǒudouble sticky hands
Chi Geuk黐脚黐腳chi1 geuk3chī jiǎosticky feet

Other techniques:

  1. Lin wan kuen - chain punch
  2. One-inch punch
  3. Double punch
  4. Zao gek - hacking elbow strike
  5. Pai jarn - horizontal
  6. Kwan sau - rotating hand
  7. Gaun sau – splitting hand
  8. Yee jee kim yueng ma – horse stance, small adduction goat stance, or figure 2 stance
  9. Centerline training
  10. Iron palm training

See also

Notes

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    References

    1. "Butterfly Swords". Wing Chun News. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CHU, Shong Tin; CHAN, Eddie (May 2011). The Book of Wing Chun. The Hong Kong Social Sciences Press. p. 54. ISBN   9780823414741 . Retrieved 13 July 2019.
    3. "Nim Lik (念力)" is literally translated as "Idea Power" in CHU's 2011 book [2]
    4. Spence, Mark. "Training with Sigung Chu Shong Tin". Chi Sau Club. Retrieved 27 April 2022.