"singing spring")[7] is a concept-based martial art, a form of Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense.

The martial art was brought to Hong Kong and then the rest of the world by Ip Man, with Bruce Lee being his most famous student.

The Ving Tsun Athletic Association, founded in 1967 by Ip Man and his students, helped spread Wing Chun globally.

Though it is written in an almost identical way in traditional and simplified, it is not pronounced and transcribed in the same way according to the regions and their dialects: Yǒngchūn quán in Mandarin pinyin, Wing-Chun keen in Cantonese Wade–Giles.

Common legend is that the name is derived from Yim Wing-chun, the mythical progenator of the martial art, who was a student of the legendary Abbess Ng Mui.

[19] Complications in the history and documentation of Wing Chun are attributed to the art being passed from teacher to student orally, rather than in writing.

In the West, Wing Chun's history has become a mix of fact and fiction due to the impacts of early secrecy and modern marketing.

[40][41][42][43][44] In 1949, Ip Man, considered the most important grandmaster of modern Wing Chun, brought the style from China to Hong Kong and eventually to the rest of the world.

Leung Ting, a student of Ip Man, invited his master and some well-known representatives of the martial arts scene of the time to the college and conducted the exhibition fights in front of a specialist audience.

[54][55] There is no uniform umbrella organization in Europe under which Wing Chun practitioners are grouped, but rather numerous, sometimes competing and divided associations, schools, and individual teachers.

[60][61] In some associations, based on the family system that was used in the past, obedience and obligations towards the master and his teacher are emphasized, although these are rarely directly related to their training students.

[citation needed] Wing Chun puts emphasis on economic movement and encourages its practitioners to "feel" through their opponents' defenses and to utilize the incoming attacks with parrying, deflection, rapid punches, and finger pokes.

[62] This puts the practitioner in a position to make readily placed blocks and fast-moving blows to vital striking points down the center of the body, i.e. the neck, chest, belly, and groin.

[66] In ancient China, Wing Chun, like all other martial arts or craft guilds, was traditionally passed on in a familiar way, from master to student.

Selected long-term students are accepted into the inner circle of the Wing Chun family by the Sifu in the traditional way, through a master-student tea ceremony.

In Ip Man's Wing Chun, the first section of the form is done by training the basic power for the hand techniques by tensing and relaxing the arms.

[75] In Moy Yat's Wing Chun, the first section of the form is done without muscle tension and slowly in a meditative, calm, and being "in the moment" way.

For branches that use the "sinking bridge" interpretation, the form has more emphasis on "uprooting", adding multi-dimensional movement and spiraling to the already developed engine.

'darting fingers', is composed of extreme short-range and extreme long-range techniques, low kicks and sweeps, and "emergency techniques" to counter-attack when structure and centerline have been seriously compromised, such as when the practitioner is seriously injured.,[79] As well as the pivoting and stepping developed in Chum Kiu, a third degree of freedom, involves more upper body, and stretching is developed for more power.

[84][85][86][87][88][89] For the 2008 American action thriller film Bangkok Dangerous, actor Nicolas Cage trained in Wing Chun extensively.

A particular scene in the film shows Cage’s skills whilst drilling moves with another Wing Chun practitioner (played by Thai actor Shahkrit Yamnam).

[90] In December 2019, a new Wing Chun fighter named Leroy Smith was introduced to the fighting game Tekken 7 roster as downloadable content.

[91][92][93] When creating characters to represent real-world martial arts, the developers wanted to introduce a new fighter utilizing Wing Chun.