WingTsun™, often shortened to WT, is a particular school of the "Wing Chun" style of Kung Fu developed by a student of Grandmaster Yip Man named Leung Ting. Grandmaster Leung Ting's organization, the International WingTsun Association™ (IWTA), is headquartered in Hong Kong and has branches in over 64 countries worldwide. Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春; pinyin: ; Jyutping: wing4 ceon1), also spelled Ving Tsun, is a Chinese martial arts system with an emphasis on unarmed close-range fighting, although it includes weapon techniques and techniques suitable for various ranges. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... Yip Man (葉問 in pinyin: ye4 wen4; in Jyutping: jip6 man6 aka 葉繼問 1893-1972) was the first master (sifu) to teach the martial art of Wing Chun openly. ... Leung Ting (梁挻 1947 - ) was a student of Yip Man and is founder of the Wing Tsun school of Kung Fu. ...

In practising WingTsun, rather than drilling pre-determined sequences of movements or emphasizing specific techniques as found in many martial arts (such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do), students learn to apply WingTsun's concepts in fighting. The fundamentals emphasized include bridging the distance between an opponent and oneself, attacking without muscular tension nor reliance on muscular strength, and responding immediately to tactile stimuli provided by contact pressures from an opponent. Using superior concepts, angles, and biodynamics, a smaller WingTsun practictioner can defeat a much larger opponent. Karate or karate-do (空手道) is a martial art of Okinawan origin. ... Taekwondo is the Korean national sport and martial art, and is also one of the worlds most commonly practiced sports. ...

One characteristic of WingTsun is Grandmaster Leung Ting's development of a systematic teaching system for transmitting the art. The WingTsun curriculum contains 12 student grades which cover the first two forms, Siu Nim Tau and Chum Kiu, as well as their Chi-Sau ("clinging" or "sticky" arms) reflex training and applications. Following the student grades are 12 instructor grades, beginning with the 1st - 4th 'Technician' levels (the 1st Technician Grade is sometimes considered the equivalent of the WT black-belt), the 5th - 8th 'Practician' (or Master) levels, and finally the 9th - 12th philosophical levels. At the instructor levels, the student begins his training in the more advanced programs of WingTsun, beginning with the Biu Tze form and chi-sau, and later the Mook Yan Chong Fa (Wooden Dummy), Luk Dim Boon Kwun Fa (Long Pole), and Bart Cham Dao (Eight Cutting Broadsword) techniques. Siu Nim Tao (Traditional Chinese: 小念頭; Simplified Chinese: 小念头; pinyin: xiăo niàn tóu; Jyutping: siu2 nim6 tau4; Yale: siú nihm taùh; literally means little thought/idea) is a practice routine of Wing Chun, its first form. It is practiced following five major principles: kim sut (knees in) lok ma (lower... In martial arts, Chum Kiu (Traditional Chinese: 尋橋; Simplified Chinese: 寻桥; pinyin: xún qiáo; Jyutping: cam4 kiu4; Yale: chàhm kiùh; literally means bridge seeking) is the second form of Wing Chun. ... Biu Tze (鏢指 lit. ...

WingTsun has gained a following in the western world, where most teachers descend from Grandmaster Leung Ting's German headstudent, Grandmaster Keith Kernspecht. GM Kernspecht organized the European branch of the IWTA, called EWTO, which has its headquarters at Langenzell Castle near Heidelberg, Germany. He also developed a simplified but effective sub-art of WT designed to be learned quickly called 'Blitz Defence'. Due to an unfortunate split, one of GM Kernspecht's most skilled students, the Turk Emin Boztepe, has now formed his own organisation , EBMAS, which teaches widely in the USA. In 1997, another highly skilled student of GM Kernspecht, Sifu Salih Avci, created his own organisation the WTEO. The headquarters of the WTEO are at Eschweiler, Germany. Avci Wing Tsun and Avci Eskrima have schools only in Europe (as of 2004). Map of Germany showing Heidelberg Heidelberg (halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Emin Boztepe is a Turkish-born martial artist (born in Eskisehir, Turkey, 1962). ... This article is about Eschweiler in Germany. ...

External links

• International WingTsun Association (IWTA)
• IWTA - North American Section
• European WingTsun Organization (EWTO) Online Magazine - German/English
• Blitz Defence - German/English
• UK Wing Tsun site
• Emin Boztepe Martial Arts (EBMAS)
• Extensive collection of Wing Chun links