Originally posted by shihantae
I have a number of Chinese history books that cover the different Wing Chun systems, but they all said the same thing.
Gee, what difference does it make? It's like people who think all TKD is WTF when it isn't. No matter what the Assoc..the TKD has the same roots.
So it is with different styles. Check the history of the originator, the nun who founded it in the 1800's. Also, look into a book Called the "history of Chinese arts." I will find the other one tommorrow.
There are three execellent books on the Japanese arts.
"Classical Bu-jutsu"
"Classical Ken-jutsu"
"Modern Budo"
These are excellent history books.
Peace,
tae
If you are referring to the Draeger books, then the titles are:
Classical Bujutsu
Classical Budo
Modern Bujutsu and Budo
And I agree, these are excellent sources for the traditional Japanese arts. Regarding the terms 'jutsu' and 'jitsu', the books prove diddly-squat either way. However, as I've already said, they are excellent reference material for the Japanese arts. For that matter, pretty much anything Draeger has ever written (with or without Robert Smith) should be required reading for any martial arts bibliophile.
As to the history of Wing Chun, they don't all share a common history. Yip Man Wing Chun is by far the most popular and well known system of Wing Chun in existence. Some of the other systems have fewer practitioners worldwide than your average Yip Man-lineage Wing Chun school. When a system is that popular, and when there is precious little source material on other systems, then of course most people will only be familiar with the one system.
It's probably incorrect of me to keep using the phrase 'Yip Man Wing Chun', since his main instructors (Chan Wah-Shun, Ng Jung-So, and according to some accounts, Leung Bik) had other students who went on to teach all over China. However, since by all accounts (save one) that these people pretty much practiced the same 'brand' of Wing Chun, and Yip Man's name is now fairly well-connected to Wing Chun, I use his name, since most will understand what 'flavor' of Wing Chun I'm talking about ("Beautiful Spring Time" translation, forms: SLT, CK, BJ, BJD, 6.5pt pole, 108-dummy 'form', etc.).
The other systems exist. The book is there to describe them and their histories. While there are many similarities to the histories of the different systems, there are just as many glaring inconsistencies. Some say it was the nun (Ng Mui) who created the system. Others say it was the woman Ng Mui taught (Wing Chun). Still others say it was Wing Chun's husband who refined the art and named it for her after she died. And I think there is one system that doesn't have a woman named Wing Chun in its history at all.
The book goes into more detail, which I won't cover here. If you want to learn more, then read the book. If you're content with your previously knowledge, that's just as well.
Cthulhu
