Wing Chun 101

The Essentials

- David Peterson

A COMMON QUESTION asked about Wing Chun is, “What are the essential elements?” Similar to a university course, people want to know what is Wing Chun 101. In this article, I will look at the answer to that question, pointing out what these essential elements are and why.

Naturally, with my background in the WSLVT method, I will be tackling this debate from that perspective; however, I am confident that you, irrespective of lineage, will tend to concur.

After many years of teaching and finding more efficient means of bringing out the best in my students, it has become quite clear that no matter how “advanced” one becomes in Wing Chun, or no matter what circumstances we may face, how we deal with such stresses hinges upon just five elements that most people are taught in their first lesson. Far from being “beginners” techniques, or so-called “basics”, these five elements should be referred to as the “Black Belt-level skills,” as they are the core of the Wing Chun system.

Without these five elements, without being able to make full use of what they provide, no Wing Chun practitioner can expect to develop effective skills, let alone master the system. These are the foundations to everything to come and everything that will be needed to engage in combat, so no matter how “basic” they may appear, they must never be overlooked, underestimated, or ignored in favour of more “advanced” methods. You wouldn’t build a house without the best foundations, yet how often does one consider those foundations when admiring the house?