Wing Chun vs. Hung Gar
Quick answer
Wing Chun and Hung Gar are both southern Chinese styles from Guangdong with a legend of the southern Shaolin, and the sources do not describe a direct relationship between them. Wing Chun rests on a high narrow stance, the centreline and chi sau, Hung Gar on the low horse stance, the tiger and the crane and four routines. Neither is Olympic, Wing Chun has competitions at individual federations, and we have not found competitions for Hung Gar.
At a glance
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | China | China |
| Origin | 19th century (present form) | 19th century (present form) |
| Founder | Ng Mui (by tradition) | Hong Xiguan (by tradition) |
| Contact | Light contact · Full contact (depending on style) | Light contact |
| Sparring | Light contact · Full contact (depending on style) | Partner drills only |
| Competition format | Mixed | – |
| Olympic status | Not Olympic | Not Olympic |
| Ranks | Yes (certificates) | – |
| Rank recognition | fragmented | fragmented |
| Attire | No specific attire | – |
| Weapons | Weapons optional | Weapons optional |
| Forms | Forms at the core | Forms at the core |
| Relative cost | low | low |
| Katas and forms in the encyclopedia | 6 | 2 |
| Techniques in the encyclopedia | 13 | 1 |
Scales 1–5
Rated for the typical training of an adult beginner in an ordinary club, calibrated across all arts.
What each art is built from
Editorial rating 0–3: how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
History and relationship
Wing Chun and Hung Gar are southern Chinese styles from Guangdong. Wing Chun has its origin in Foshan, and Hung Gar is linked with Foshan through Wong Fei-hung from the Nanhai district. Both arts tell a legend of the southern Shaolin, and we have not found a direct relationship between them in the sources.
- The Hung Gar legend: the monk Jee Sin taught the tea merchant Hung Hei-gun (Hong Xiguan) in Fujian, in the 17th or 18th century. Another version attributes the founding to Luk Ah-choi.
- The Wing Chun legend: Ng Mui and Yim Wing-chun.
- 19th century: Leung Jan in Foshan (Wing Chun), Wong Kei-ying and his son Wong Fei-hung, 1847–1925 (Hung Gar).
- Hong Kong: Lam Sai-wing teaches Hung Gar from 1928, Ip Man Wing Chun from the early fifties.
Technique
- A relatively high and narrow stance with the elbows close to the body.
- Holding the centreline, simultaneous attack and defence.
- Fast strikes, finger jabs, elbows and knees.
- Low kicks and sweeps.
- Low stable stances, mainly the horse stance.
- The hand techniques bridge hand and tiger claw.
- A block can be a counterstrike at the same time.
- Tiger and crane, hence the name Tiger-Crane Boxing (Fu Hok Kuen).
Both styles combine defence with attack. According to Vincent Liu, who practised both arts, both also know the yi ji kim yeung ma stance, lower and wider in Hung Gar. Prohibited techniques are described only by the competition rules of Wing Chun (FFAEMC), and for Hung Gar we have not found them.
Training
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Start of teaching | the form siu nim tau | several months to three years of stances |
| Pillars of teaching | forms, chi sau, wooden dummy | stances, routines one by one, weapons at the end |
| Work in pairs | chi sau, which is not sparring | kiu sau and prearranged deui chaak routines |
| Breath and tension | relaxation, tension only at impact | Iron Wire: hei gung breathing with isometrics |
| Sparring | we documented free fighting only in FFAEMC competitions | we have not found it |
In Hung Gar one traditionally sits in the horse stance for half an hour up to several hours. Work in pairs and the difference between relaxation and tension are described by Vincent Liu, who practised both arts. We have not found the structure of a lesson for either of them.
Progression and ranks
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | by lineage, IWTA / WingTsun technician and practician grades | we have not found belts or other grades |
| Progress in content | siu nim tau, chum kiu, biu jee, dummy, weapons | stances, four routines one by one, weapons at the end |
| Pace | we have not been able to document it | roughly a year per routine |
| Age categories | FFAEMC: juniors 15–18, seniors 19–39, veterans from 40 years | we have not found them |
The order of the forms in Wing Chun shows what is learned earlier, but it does not form binding grades. The choice of weapons in Hung Gar differs markedly by branch.
Physical load and risks
- Questionnaire of 24 Ving Tsun practitioners (Adler et al., 2010): 79.2% reported an injury, mostly mild, most often the knees (50%).
- The examination found no permanent damage, the authors recommend head protectors.
- We have not found a study of injuries in Hung Gar.
- Nor have we found a study of the risks of breathing work and isometrics in Iron Wire.
Who it suits
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Youth | FFAEMC: juniors 15–18 years, with parental consent | we have not found it |
| Adults | FFAEMC: seniors 19–39 years | we have not found it |
| Older age | FFAEMC: veterans from 40 years, a study with a mean of 51.8 years | we have not found it |
| Women | we have not found programmes for women only, Yim Wing-chun is a figure of legend | Mok Kwai-lan, the wife of Wong Fei-hung, taught Hung Gar as an assistant to Dang Fong in 1944–1969 |
| Known practitioners | Bruce Lee, a student of Ip Man | Chi Kuan-chun from 1961 under Chiu Wai, Gordon Liu in the school of Lau Cham |
Children
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Age of programmes | a school in Sydney: Little Dragons 4–9 years | we have not found it |
| Children’s competition | Canadian CWCT: category under 8 years, forms and rehearsed self-defence without sparring | we have not found it |
| Studies in children | we have not been able to document it | we have not been able to document it |
| Statements of doctors | we have not been able to document it | we have not been able to document it |
Self-defence
- Close distance: strikes, grappling and trapping standing up.
- Chi sau develops sensitivity and should not be confused with sparring.
- We documented free fighting only in FFAEMC competitions.
- Techniques with the intent to injure seriously or cause severe pain.
- Work in pairs according to Vincent Liu in prearranged routines.
- We have not found training against full resistance.
The degree of resistance depends in both on the school. We have not found training in ground fighting or in defence against a weapon for either of them.
Practical use
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Study | 18 practitioners, mean 51.8 years (Medicine 2017): 56.4% higher knee extensor strength than active controls | we have not found a study with numbers |
| Seniors, balance | we have not been able to document it | we have not been able to document it |
| Professional use | we have not been able to document it | we have not been able to document it |
The study of Wing Chun is small and cross-sectional, and for Hung Gar we have not found any. A review of nine studies of Kung Fu (Journal of Sports Sciences 2008) found no evidence of disease prevention. No general conclusion about suitability can be drawn from this.
Competition
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Competitions | only at individual federations, there are no uniform rules | we have not found rules with an organisation and a year of version |
| Free fighting | FFAEMC: 2 rounds of 2 minutes, strike 1 point, throw 2, lock 3 | not applicable |
| Forms and chi sau | FFAEMC and the Canadian CWCT, the latter under the traditional wushu rules of IWUF 2019 | we have not found it |
| Olympic programme | no | no |
Gear and costs
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | by school, FFAEMC in competition black trousers and a T-shirt | we have not found prescribed clothing |
| Aids | wooden dummy | in Iron Wire sometimes iron rings on the wrists |
| Weapons | butterfly knives bart cham dao, pole luk dim boon kwan | the pole Fifth Brother Eight Trigram Pole, butterfly swords, Flying Hook, guandao, forks |
| Protectors | FFAEMC full contact: helmet, mouthguard, shin guards | we have not found it |
| Relative costs | low | low |
Availability and organisations
| Wing Chun | Hung Gar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | at least eight lineages, e.g. VTAA, IWTA / WingTsun, Traditional Wing Chun | branches Tang Fung, Lam, Chiu and Lau, all from Wong Fei-hung |
| Institutions | VTAA (1967 or 1968), IWTA (around 1973) | Chan Hon Chung Gymnasium (1938), Hung Kuen Academy (1996) |
| Recognition of grades | we have not been able to document it | we have not found grades |
Wing Chun has no single umbrella organisation, and the lineages dispute the status of their masters. For Hung Gar the sources do not mention a common scale of grades for all branches.
Switching and combining
- Simultaneous defence and attack remains.
- Lower and widen the stance, get used to long holds in the horse stance.
- Four routines instead of three forms, roughly a year for each.
- Instead of relaxation, dynamic tension and the breathing of Iron Wire.
- Simultaneous defence and attack remains.
- A higher narrow stance and work on the centreline.
- Learn chi sau and the form on the wooden dummy.
- Relax the arms, tension only at impact.
On the left the transition from Wing Chun to Hung Gar, on the right from Hung Gar to Wing Chun. The difference between relaxation and dynamic tension, and the fact that both arts practise the pole luk dim bun gwan, are described by Vincent Liu, who practised both styles.
Philosophy
- Economy of movement and use of the incoming attack.
- Ip Man compared chi sau to the flexibility of bamboo.
- Siu nim tau, the little idea, is practised throughout life.
- Tiger and crane as two components of the style, the tiger according to the legend from Jee Sin, the crane from Hung Hei-gun’s wife Fong Wing-chun.
- Lam Sai-wing extended the Five Animal routine by five elements: earth, water, fire, metal and wood.
- According to one version the name of the style refers to the anti-Qing brotherhood Hung-mun.
Forms and terminology
Forms are the foundation of both arts. Wing Chun has three empty-hand forms siu nim tau, chum kiu and biu jee, a form on the wooden dummy and two weapon forms. Hung Gar in the branch of Wong Fei-hung has four pillars in this order: Taming the Tiger, Tiger Crane Paired Form, Five Animal (Five Element) Fist and Iron Wire Fist.
Outside Wong’s branch the Tiger Crane Paired Form has 108 movements, and the same number is given for the form on the Wing Chun dummy. Iron Wire Fist is attributed to Leung Kwan.
Training culture
- Lineages by teacher: Ip Man, Yip Chun, Leung Ting, William Cheung.
- The Ip Man series since 2008 with Donnie Yen revived interest in the style, Ip Man 2 deals with the Hong Kong years.
- Bruce Lee was a student of Ip Man, but it was mainly Wong Shun Leung who taught him.
- Family branches Tang Fung, Lam, Chiu and Lau.
- Over 100 films and series about Wong Fei-hung have been made since 1949, and Kwan Tak-hing played him in more than 70 films.
- Once Upon a Time in China (1991) with Jet Li began a series of six films.
Common misconceptions
- Wong Fei-hung was not one of the Ten Tigers of Canton, his father was. The story of defeating 30 gangsters with a staff may be invented.
- The story of the destruction of Shaolin by the Qing dynasty, to which the legend of Jee Sin is linked, is regarded by researchers as fiction.
- Neither Ng Mui nor Yim Wing-chun are documented persons.
- Chi sau is not sparring, it is an exercise in sensitivity and reflexes.
Which to choose
Frequently asked questions
Do Wing Chun and Hung Gar have a common origin?
Both come from Guangdong and have a legend of the southern Shaolin. The true origin of Wing Chun is unknown, we have not found a documented founder of Hung Gar, and nor have we found a direct relationship between the two styles.
Is there sparring in Hung Gar?
We have not found sparring or its rules, and Vincent Liu describes work in pairs as prearranged routines. In Wing Chun chi sau is not sparring, and we documented free fighting only in FFAEMC competitions.
Is Wong Fei-hung the founder of Hung Gar?
No. He is the central figure of a documented lineage and four family branches derive from him. The legend attributes the founding to Hung Hei-gun, another version to Luk Ah-choi.