Wing Chun Lineage
It is interesting to note the short lineage from the originators of Wing Chun to each of you learning in our classes every day. As students of Sifu Bill Stewart, you benefit from his 25 years in martial arts, including 17 years of experience in Wing Chun. That also makes you one step from Sigung Lewadny and only a few more steps removed from the legendary figures such as Ip Man, Bruce Lee, and Leung Jan (see the chart below). We have the greatest respect for those who developed and created the path for each of us to learn the art of Wing Chun. However, history and legend don't make you better at kung fu. Knowing and doing are one. 

The doing of Wing Chun is where you find truth. The practice is where you develop the art, not in books about history. Still, the lineage is interesting and detailed below.

Dynamic Defense is celebrating 10 years of Excellence!  Click here for pictures of some of our students through the years.

The Essence of Wing Chun
Wing Chun was devised by Shaolin masters to be the most efficient fighting style, not to express a certain aesthetic or cultural sense. Wing Chun was created in the Sil Lum Temple so it would work for anyone. It is about dissolving attacks on a human body, nothing else. Wing Chun is what works efficiently for you. It is a style with principles but also allows room for your own creativity. Your body is unique. As you develop in Wing Chun, you will find what works most efficiently for you, your own style within the style. That's why it's called "martial arts", not "martial wrote learning". 

Here's some history. About 300 years ago, the Manchus invaded and took over China. At this time, they wished to know the secrets of Shaolin kung fu. The northern temple capitulated and taught the Manchu while the southern Shaolin Temple (the Sil Lum temple) resisted. They set out to devise a system better than previous Shaolin Kung Fu by synthesizing previous systems into one superior style. The goal was to take what they knew and refine it into the ultimate fighting system by being scientific, removing unnecessary movements, inefficiency and any vulnerabilities. Wing Chun can be taught and mastered quickly, is effective without being a superior athlete to the opponent, works with distancing, but has unique effectiveness at close distance. The Manchus felt threatened by this development so they burned the temple to the ground, killing most of the monks, but some escaped and kept Wing Chun alive as a secret society. This is why our bow is left fist, right palm whereas the normal Chinese bow is right fist, left palm. It's a sign of the secret society. We are a living part of the legacy from the founders. 

What Was Before Wing Chun? 18 Hands of Lohan to the Shaolin  On right:  Bodhidharma's cave.
Wing Chun is a highly evolved and scientific martial art, which traces its roots back to earlier forms. Shaolin kung fu was the root of many other martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo, but kung fu itself originated elsewhere. Bodhidharma (also known as Pu Tai Ta Mo in Sanskrit) was a Buddhist Master in India around 482 AD.  In his travels, Bodhidharma came to China & climbed Bear's Ear Mountain near the Shaolin Temple. He meditated in a cave there for nine years and took pity on the Shaolin monks who were in terrible physical condition, similar to the extreme asceticism Siddhartha Buddha endured before finding the Middle Way. Bodhidharma not only brought Zen Buddhism to China, he created an exercise and meditation program for the monks which strengthened the body and could be used for practical self-defense.

His goal was to make the monks stronger for better meditation, but this was the origin of a fighting system known as the 18 Hands of the Lohan or Yi Gin Ching (Changing Muscle/Tendon Classic). Bodhidharma taught that martial arts could be used only in self defense. One of the oldest axioms being "One who initiates combat has already lost the battle".

5 Animal Styles of Kung Fu
After Bodhidharma died, the Shaolin monks gradually evolved their own martial arts style by observing fighting moves used by animals, creating the 5 Animal Styles of Kung Fu. Each animal style related to the style of movement inherent to each animal, creating flowing and beautiful techniques that express the Chinese aesthetic. The Kung Fu (or Gung Fu) was excellent training and effective defense for monks after decades of training.

Origin of Wing Chun at Sil Lum Temple
The Wing Chun style originated 300 years ago. Wing Chun was created in the Sil Lum Shaolin Buddhist Temple of Mt. Sung, in Honan Province in China as a reaction to the repressive Manchu government during the Ching Dynasty.

Opinions differ on some details in the lineage, but according to late Grand Master Ip Man, Wing Chun was created by 5 Shaolin Grand Masters at Sil Lum as a new fighting style that would dominate other fighting arts and require much less training time to master. The problem with the Animal Styles of Kung Fu was that they required great speed, dexterity and decades of training to attain proficiency. The 5 masters were Abbot Chi Shin, Abbot Pak Mei, Master Fung To Tak, Master Miu Hin & aged nun Ng Mui. The new system took only the best from the Animal Styles, carefully cutting out all inefficiencies in movement and form, it's moves based on scientific efficiency and effectiveness in real combat, not on aesthetic or cultural appeal. The Sil Lum Kung Fu became very strong, arousing fear in the Manchus [a non-Chinese people from Manchuria in the North, who ruled China at that time], who attacked the Temple. The Sil Lum temple was burned to the ground.

Our Lineage
The chart below shows the lineage of Wing Chun from origination around 1700AD in Sil Lum Temple right to each of you in our classes today. Of course, this tree only shows the branches of Wing Chun that are relevant to our direct lineage. There are many other branches.

Yim Wing Chun -> Ip Man (aka Yip Man)
After Sil Lum was destroyed, the monks and disciples scattered, forming a secret society of Wing Chun. The masters escaped and went their separate ways. Ng Mui took refuge in the White Crane Temple on Mt. Tai Leung. Ng Mui met Yim Yee and his daughter Yim Wing Chun from whom she often bought bean curd. Miss Yim Wing Chun was a native of Canton Province in China. She was an intelligent and athletic young girl, upstanding and forthright. At fifteen, Wing Chun's beauty attracted the attention of a local warlord who tried to force Wing Chun to marry him (on threat of killing her father). Ng Mui learned of this and agreed to teach Wing Chun fighting techniques for self defense. Wing Chun trained night and day until she mastered the techniques. Then she challenged the bully to a fight and beat him soundly. Ng Mui charged Wing Chun to develop and honor the kung fu after she later married.


Wing Chun translates as "hope for the future" or "beautiful spring". She taught her husband Leung Bok Chau who taught Leung Lan Kwai. Leung Lan Kwai passed it on to Wong Wah Bo, a member of an opera troupe on board a junk, known as the Red Junk. Wong worked on the Red Junk with Leung Yee Tei. Abbot Chi Shin, who fled from Sil Lum, was in hiding as a cook working on the Red Junk. Chi Shin taught the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole to Leung Yee Tei. Wong Wah Bo & Leung Yee Tei shared & improved their techniques. Thus the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole was incorporated into Wing Chun Kung Fu. Leung Yee Tei taught Leung Jan, an herbal Doctor in Fat Shan who attained the highest level of proficiency (as in comedy movie The Prodigal Son). Leung Jan became very famous. Later he passed his Kung Fu on to Chan Wah Soon, who took Ip Man as his last student before passing away. Ip Man received additional instruction from Leung Bik, Leung Jan's son. On right: Bruce Lee and Yip Man practice Wing Chun Sticking Hands (Chi Sao) drill.

It can thus be said that the Wing Chun System was passed on to Ip Man in a direct line of succession from its origin. Regardless of any debate about how it came to the Red Boat Opera troupe, the direct lineage is unquestionable.

Canadian Wing Chun Kung Fu Association
The Canadian Wing Chun Kung Fu Association headed by Grand Master Lewadny has been successfully training students across Canada since 1987. Sigung Brian Lewadny has 37 years of Kung-fu training and has traveled the world to learn only the most effective techniques to teach to his students here in Canada. He mastered two different styles of Wing Chun, first, a more common modified Wing Chun system as well as the different Traditional Wing Chun system. He teaches a complete version we simply call Wing Chun which encompasses the best of both. The Canadian Wing Chun Association has academies in Calgary, Kelowna, Penticton, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Victoria, as well as other satellite locations. Click here for more information. Association web site is www.wingchun-canada.com

  Dynamic Defense Wing Chun Academy (Victoria)
Instruction at the Victoria Wing Chun Academy is lead by Sifu Bill Stewart. We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced Wing Chun and Women's Self Defense classes. Adult classes include chi sao, weapons, grappling and multiple attacker training. Grandmaster Brian Lewadny is the head of our system, a complete version of Wing Chun that embraces the best in all Wing Chun styles, including weapons, chi sao, straight combat and grappling applications, chair, ground, kneeling and wall defenses.  Dynamic Defense Wing Chun is part of the Canadian Wing Chun Kung Fu Association.

Coming Full Circle - Teaching Wing Chun
When I became an instructor in Wing Chun 15 years ago, teaching was as important to me as being a master practitioner. While It is truly empowering for me to be a master able to maintain control while handling multiple larger, violent attackers with any type of weapon or open handed attack, it is even more important for me to help others to achieve mastery for themselves. I wanted to share this powerfully effective martial art and positive experience with others. After many years with the Grand Master, I came to Victoria and opened the Dynamic Defense Wing Chun Academy. I particularly enjoy the moment when a student suddenly realizes that being bigger and stronger is of no help whatsoever against a skilled Wing Chun defender. When students truly understand that Wing Chun defense is easier than any attack we face, their skill and enjoyment in the art leap forward. The memory of spending years as a child fumbling around developing a way to overcome larger attackers makes me eager to be the finest instructor possible, helping men, women and teens gain true confidence and power over their own lives. Teaching my wife and 4 kids has also motivated me to constantly improve my teaching methods over the last 15 years I have taught Wing Chun, particularly the last 10+ years at my kung fu school, the Dynamic Defense Wing Chun Academy.

Students gain more than knowledge and skills at Dynamic Defense. They join a community where they are important members and helping them progress is personally important to me. As it was for me as a student, when students don't feel good but drag themselves to class, they come out feeling great.  The best students are often not the most naturally talented. They are the ones who stick with it and commit to themselves. Developed talent is earned. It makes you a stronger, more capable person. Learning to handle things you couldn't do before develops confidence that can last a lifetime. 

Improve Yourself and You Improve Everything
People often buy things to try to make their lives better, but it's beating around the bush. If you want your life to be better, improve the center of your world, yourself. The stronger and more confident you are, the better you can manage everything in life. A better house, car, outfit or gadgets won't make you a better person, but a little time committed regularly to our kung fu classes can do just that. It's the purest way to work on yourself, making yourself strong on the inside, while improving fitness, mood and balance on the outside. Our classes teach skills that could save your life, but we also raise students' energy and confidence, the two most important factors to success in life. I've had students who could barely do the warmup and were afraid of combat when they started and after a few months, they've lost weight, they sleep better, and take their enhanced physical and mental energy into the rest of their life. When students commit to what they're doing, positive change is unmistakable.

Kung fu is simply the most direct path to self improvement. More energy and confidence improves everything (work, play, family, relationships).

Now is the Time
When people think they don't have time, they're really saying "My well-being, confidence and personal safety aren't important now." The other crazy thing I hear is people who say "I won't be attacked if I never think about it." Actually, it's the exact opposite. Attackers ALWAYS look for oblivious targets who don't see it coming. When you read about people attacked or killed in the news, it's almost always someone who wasn't prepared, didn't see it coming and didn't have a clue what to do. Being prepared isn't being nervous all the time, it gives you a quiet confidence so you don't need to be fearful. Gaining confidence, energy and life saving skills should not be put off until you aren't busy. You'll always be busy. People always make time for what is important to them. When you become better from the inside out, you have more energy and confidence for yourself and everything you do for others. The most important thing I impart to students is to commit to improving themselves, and do activities in line with that goal. Find the power lurking within each of us and become your best self.