Yim Wing-chun () is a Chinese legendary character, often cited in Wing Chun legends as the first master of the martial art bearing her name. Wing-chun, though a person's name in Chinese language, translates literally to "spring chant", or may be substituted with the character for "eternal spring".Ritchie, R. (c. 2007): What's in a name? Retrieved on 9 May 2010.
Background
Different accounts of Yim's legend exist, but the central sequence of events remains largely the same, beginning with the origin of her teacher. During the Qing dynasty, a Shaolin Buddhist nun and abbess, Ng Mui (), reportedly fled the destruction of the Shaolin temple at the hands of the government; the temple was believed to be harbouring revolutionaries.Chu, R., Ritchie, R., & Wu, Y. (1998): Complete Wing Chun: The definitive guide to Wing Chun's history and traditions. Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing. () According to one legend, after being inspired by witnessing a crane and a snake fighting, Ng Mui incorporated their movements into her style of Chinese kung fu to form a new, yet-unnamed martial art system.
Ng Mui later took on a disciple, Yim Wing-chun, and passed the art on to her. Yim Wing-chun was well known for her beauty and sold tofu for a living.Ing, K. (2008): Wing Chun warrior: The true tales of Wing Chun Kung Fu Master Duncan Leung, Bruce Lee's fighting companion. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books. () A local bully tried to force her to marry him, but she used the art to defeat him. Some accounts claim that Ng Mui taught Yim the art specifically for the purpose of defending herself against the man's unwanted advances.Stanford Wing Chun: History and principles of Wing Chun Kung Fu (c. 2001). Retrieved on 9 May 2010.
Yim later married Leung Bok-chau, a salt merchant, who named the art "Wing Chun Kuen" (Wing Chun Fist) after her. James Yimm Lee (1972) attributes significant development of the art to Yim Wing-chun, crediting her with the invention of the Chi Sao (sticking hands) exercise.Lee, J. Y. (1972): Wing Chun Kung-Fu: Chinese art of self-defense (p. 13). Santa Clarita, CA: Ohara Publications. () From there, the art passed through several men's hands before coming to Ip Man.
Lineage Lineage in Wing ChunSifuNg Mui; creator of Wing Chun Yim Wing-chun (嚴詠春) Only studentLeung Bok-chau (梁博儔); her husband
In popular culture Stranger from Shaolin (1977) uses the character of Yim Wing-chun in an action film genre starring Cecilia Wong Hang-Sau.
The movie Wing Chun (1994) loosely portrays Yim Wing-chun's life within the action film genre, with Michelle Yeoh portraying the central character and Donnie Yen (now famous for playing Ip Man in four films) playing Leung Pok-to, Yim Wing-chun's childhood friend and fiancé.
Erica Choi portrays Yim Wing-chun in the 1994 Hong Kong martial arts television series The Kung Fu Master.
In the 2010 film Kung Fu Wing Chun, Yim Wing-chun was portrayed by Bai Jing and Leung Bok-chau was portrayed by Yu Shaoqun.
Meng and Rudnicki (2006) have written a critical analysis of the legend surrounding Yim Wing-chun.Meng, B., & Rudnicki, S. (2006): Misconceptions of Wing Chun (13 October 2006). Retrieved on 28 December 2013 (Internet Archive Wayback Machine).
References