Written In stone
Grandmaster Moy Yat was a man of many talents. In addition to being a master of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) Kung Fu, he was also a highly skilled painter, calligrapher, acupuncturist and sealmaker. In 1967, Grandmaster Yip Man commissioned Moy Yat to carve the Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit, a collection of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) Kung Fu history and idioms, into stone. Moy Yat and his student, Chi Nam Kwong, completed this daunting task and the result has been a true gift, not only to Ving Tsun practitioners but to the entire martial arts community. Here, you'll find excerpts of some of these idioms. Schedule an Introductory Class with us and experience Ving Tsun and all it has to offer for yourself.
Some of the Kuen Kuit chops/seals carved by Grandmaster Moy Yat and Chi Nam Kwong. Source: vingtsunkuenkuit.com
Ving Tsun Idioms
Others walk the bow
I walk the string.
The hand that hits
also blocks.
The punch comes
from the heart.
Face your opponent
with your centerline.
Hand against hand,
foot against foot,
there is no
unstoppable technique.
Grandmaster Moy Yat at work. Source: vingtsunkuenkuit.com
When you should hit, hit
When you shouldn't, don't
Don't when you can't
Don't when you mustn't.
When facing your opponent
with your side,
your shoulder becomes
the centerline.
Whenever kicking, the heels
face each other.
Beginners must not
use strength.
Kuen Kuit chop/seal. Source: vingtsunkuenkuit.com
Pak Sau (slapping hand),
avoid the inner gate.
If you don't train hard
when you're young,
you will have nothing
when you're old.
When using the fist,
don't stand on ceremony.
When using the Kwan (pole),
don't expect two sounds.
“Learning the usual ways will allow later variations.”