Snake Crane Wing Chun Yung Kwok Wing Athletic Association

(SCWCYKWAA)

Update: 2012-06-25, by Wayne K.W. Yung

http://scwc.com.hk/SCWC

e-mail: ccwayne@yahoo.com

History of Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun

A promise cannot be broken and

Loyalty should always be borne in mind

Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun

One branch of Wing Chun (Snake Crane Wing Chun) has been hidden for over a century.
Compared to the other branches, it has a very low profile and is largely unknown. There are
different rules governing the followers of this branch; no demonstrations; no fighting with
others; and no relations with the rest of the martial art community. This is a strictly familyoriented branch.

Mun Rules:
A promise cannot be broken and
Loyalty should always be borne in mind

1854

History
Accordingly, Snake Crane Wing Chun was developed in the Wing Chun House, one of the
houses in the Shaolin Temple. It was used to train the guardian monks the Shaolin martial art.
In the house, there are two statements : . The name
Wing Chun () is derived from the last word of each statement.
Wing Chun was developed by the monk "Master Chi Sin" and the nun "Master Ng Mui", as
well as numerous experienced guardian monks of the Shaolin Temple. Master Chi Sin was
good at the "Snake form" and Master Ng Mui was good at the Crane form, and they
observed the daily activities of the life of the Snake and the Crane. Because a lot of the
Snake's hands and the Crane's hands can be found in Wing Chun Kuen, it is called Snake
Crane Wing Chun Kuen. Later, these two statements became the discipline of Snake Crane
Wing Chun Mun and have governed the followers of this branch.
During the Qing dynasty, in order to reduce the influence of the Saholin temple in the martial
arts community and among the anti-Manchurian collaborators, the Qing government
encouraged one of the Shaolin traitors, Ma Ling Yee, to rebel against Shaolin. He was very
familiar with the Shaolin martial art, and a lot of Shaolin monks and related people were
killed. Master Chi Sin and Master Ng Mui then gave up the traditional big motion style of
the Shaolin martial art and evolved a new concept of the fighting technique that Ma Ling Yee
did not know; it was characterized by reflex and quick attacks within a short distance to cope
with this traitor.
After the fire of the Shaolin Temple, Master Chi Sin and Master Ng Mui escaped to the
Southern part of the China from the persecutions of the Qing government and developed
Wing Chun very quickly in the area. The Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun branch is descended
from Master Chi Sin. After the fire of the King Fa Wui Goon (), related to the
TaiPing Heavenly Kingdom, in order to avoid the persecutions of the Qing government,
Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun was concealed in the GuongDong area.
There are two interrelated names in Snake Crane Wing Chun Kuen: one is called Blind
Kuen. Eyes can be covered during practice to develop quick reflexes. The other is called
Home Kuen because training is always done at home, never in the open.


Qing dynasty Red Boat drawing

Qing dynasty Red Boat Model

Governing Rules
The mastery of Snake Crane Wing Chun was bequeathed to Master Sun Kam, a member of
Red Boat Opera. In his late age, Master Law Tiu Wen was one of his students. The
governing rules of the Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun had already become very strict; open
demonstrates were forbidden to avoid persecution from the Qing government; the teaching of
foreigners was prohibited, as in the late Qing dynasty, Chinese were often bullied by
foreigners; and no relationship with other martial art organizations was allowed. In order to
continue the skills and not practise openly, it has kept a very low profile until today.


Grandmaster Law Tiu Wen

The written notes from Grandmaster Law Tiu

Wen in Qing Dynasty Guandxu
16 years (1890).


(Front right the first) Grandmaster Law Ting Chau was in police in 1941

--------


The picture on wall shows Grandmaster Law Tiu Wen , the 3rd generation of Snake Crane
Wing Chun
Successors Chart
The Great grandmaster, Law Tiu Wen, was a qualified student during the late Qing dynasty,
and loved Chinese martial arts. During the Revolution of 1911, the Chinese democratic
revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who overthrew the Qing Dynasty., Law Tiu Wen worked
as the secretary of General Mr. Li Fok Lam. In the beginning of the Republic of China, he
quit his government official job and returned to his birth place, Fu Shan Sai Chiu, as a
practitioner of Chinese medicine. Afterwards, he taught his son, Law Ting Chau, the skill.
Law Ting Chau came to Hong Kong in the 1940s, before liberation, when the Peoples
Republic of China formed. He worked as a police officer and then worked in cultural-related
jobs. He passed the skill to his son, Law Chiu Wing. All successors since Master Sun Kam
are in the lineage of the same family. They have kept the Snake Crane Wing Chun in a very
low profile during each generation.

The relationship with the other branches of Wing Chun is very difficult to examine because,
in the past, verbal teaching was usual and there was no formal documentation. After the
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864) and the fire of King Fa Wui Goon, Snake Crane
Wing Chun hid itself to avoid trouble from the Qing government, and Master Sun Kam, the
ancestor, in the Red Boat Opera did not mention much about the ancestor chart to the Great
grandmaster Law Tiu Wen, again to avoid any trouble from the Qing government. The only
thing Law knew about the source of this lineage is from Master Chi Sin. Also, it is not been
allowed to teach, join any martial arts organizations, or have relations with the other branches.
That is why some parts of its history are missing during this period. Admittance to this
branch is attained via a very old traditional ceremony. Perspective members must kneel
down, displaying red and yellow papers in front of the master, offer a cup of tea and name all
the ancestors woods. In addition to the woods , a glassed picture of the Chinese word "",
the Buddha, should be related to the Shaolin Temple.
-- -- -- -Chart of successors
Source Grandmaster ChiSin(1st generation)

|
Ancestor Grandmaster Sun Kam(2nd generation)

|
Ancestor Grandmaster Law Tai Wen(3rd generation)

|
Ancestor Grandmaster Law Ting Chau(4th generation)

|
Grandaster Law Chiu Wing(5th generation)

Hong Kong
Snake Crane Wing Chun appeared in Hong Kong in the 1940s, after Master Law Ting Chau
and his family moved to Hong Kong. His descendant is his son, Law Chiu Wing. Up to now,
there are only a handful of students in this branch.

Content
The content of Snake Crane Wing Chun includes "Siu Lim Tau", "Chum Kiu", Biu Chi,
Luk hands, sticky hands, dummy techniques, long pole and double knives. There are also
many associated training poems complied with the practices.

Colleagues Chan Wing Chan and Li Yuen practiced Long pole, twin
knives and chopstick skills in 1960s

The 21st Century

In the late Qing Dynasty, as the Snake Crane Wing Chun came from Shaolin, it was one of
the targets to be removed by the Qing government. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and
the fire of King Fa Wui Goon, it kept a very low profile in order to survive. The governing
rules of this branch were defined very strictly in order to retain the skill over succeeding
generations. Today, in the 21st century, long after the passing away of the Qing dynasty,
after the Republic of China moved to Taiwan, and after the Peoples the Republic of China
became the governing party in the mainland, the situation of Snake Crane Wing Chun has
totally changed since its beginning 150 years ago. The Qing dynasty disappeared a century
ago and now a Chinese satellite is orbiting the moon. In addition, the daughters of Master
Law Chiu Wing are not interested in inheriting this skill. In order to retain the skill, Master
Law has modified the rules of this branch, and made it public. Now, Snake Crane Wing
Chun is open to all. We hope that our descendants will maintain it and pass it on to future
generations.

Snake Crane Wing Chun demonstrates to the foreign MBA students at the
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology every year.

Noam Elharar, Israelite, demonstrated

SiuLimTau at Victoria Harbour
in Hong Kong International Kung Fu
Festival 2009

Good results in the New Martial Hero World Kung Fu Event in 2010, three
golden medals.