Glossary of Wing Chun terms

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]

Forms

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Butterfly knives for close combat[1]

Family Lineage Titles or Terms

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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 dai6*2 shī dì junior male classmate
Simui 师妹 師妹 si1 mui6*2 shī mèi junior female classmate
Sihing 师兄 師兄 si1 hing1 shī xiōng senior male classmate
Sije 师姐 師姐 si1 je2 shī jiě senior female classmate
Gowlin 教练 教練 gaau3 lin6 jiào liàn instructor or coach
Sifu 师父 師父 si1 fu2 shī fù master
Sisuk 师叔 師叔 si1 suk1 shī shū master's junior male classmate ("叔" = junior uncle)
Sibak 师伯 師伯 si1 baak3 shī bó master's senior male classmate ("伯" = senior uncle)
Sigu (Rare) 师姑 師姑 si1 gu1 shī gū master's female classmate ("姑" = aunt)
Sigung 师公 師公 si1 gung1 shī gōng master's master
Sitaigung 师太公 師太公 si1 taai3 gung1 shī tài gōng master's master's master
Sijo 师祖 師祖 si1 jou2 shī zǔ Yim Wing-chun ("師祖" literally means "ancestral master")

Limb names

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As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
sao (as simp.) sau2 shǒu hand
kuen (as simp.) kyun4 quán fist
gerk geuk3 jiǎo foot; leg

18 hand technique names

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Limb position names

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Wing-arc hand
 
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 sau2 bǎng shǒu wing-arc hand[2]
fook sao 伏手 (as simp.) fuk6 sau2 fú shǒu tame-force hand [2]
man sao 问手 問手 man6 sau2 wèn shǒu asking hand
wu sao; woo sau[2] 护手 護手 wu6 sau2 hù shǒu protecting hand; guarding hand[2]
tan sao 摊手 攤手 taan1 sau2 tān shǒu dispersing hand; lay-flat hand[2]
kau sao 扣手 扣手 kau3 sau2 kòu shǒu detaining hand [citation needed]

Limb movement names

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As normally
seen in English
(from Cantonese)
Simp.
char.
Trad.
char.
Cantonese
(Yale
transcription)
Mandarin
(Pinyin
transcription)
Meaning(s)
(in English)
jam sao 枕手 (as simp.) jam2 sau2 chén shǒu sinking hand [citation needed]
gang sao; garn sau[2] 耕手 (as simp.) gaang1 sau2 gēng shǒu cultivating arm; ploughing hand[2]
jut sao 窒手 (as simp.) jat6 sau2 zhì shǒu choking hand [citation needed]
huen sao 圈手 (as simp.) hyun1 sau2 quán shǒu circling hand
lap sao 擸手 (as simp.) laap3 sau2 lā shǒu pulling hand; seizing hand[2]
pak sao 拍手 (as simp.) paak3 sau2 pāi shǒu slapping hand; slapping strike[2]
tok sao 托手 (as simp.) tok3 sau2 tuō shǒu lifting hand [citation needed]
laan sao 拦手 攔手 laan4 sau2 lán shǒu barring arm [citation needed]
tai sao 提手 (as simp.) tai4 sau2 tí shǒu uplifting hand [citation needed]
jip sao 接手 (as simp.) jip3 sau2 jiē shǒu receiving hand [citation needed]
gam sao 揿手 撳手 gam6 sau2 qìn shǒu pressing hand [citation needed]
biu sao 镖手 鏢手 biu1 sau2 biāo shǒu darting hand

Drills

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Double sticky hands by Ip Chun
 
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 sau2 dān chī shǒu single sticky hands[4]
Luk Sau 碌手 (as simp.) luk1 sau2 lù shǒu rolling arms
Seung Chi Sau 双黐手 雙黐手 seung1 chi1 sau2 shuāng chī shǒu double sticky hands
Chi Geuk 黐脚 黐腳 chi1 geuk3 chī jiǎo sticky 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

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Butterfly Swords". Wing Chun News. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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.