Cho Shun's Wing Chun Kuen System

Cho Ancestral Wing Chun Kuen Curriculum:

  • Sup Sam Sau - (13 Hands) - it is unknown if the "13 hands" - is ancestral or a later distilation of ideas found within the Cho Family four section Siu Lien Tao form.
  • Siu Lien Tao (Little Detail Training)-The Cho Gar SLT is from Opera boat Cheng Tan (Male playing female role)actor Yik Kam. The form is comprised of either three or four long sections and is the core of the system.

Additional Cho Family Wing Chun Curriculum (Its unknown what forms if any, were passed down by Cho Shun. Most of the supplimental forms are considered creations of later Cho Family members):

Cho Shun was a Choy Lay Fut boxer, and a native of Poon Yu Village, that apprentised, on the Ban Chung Hung Suen Opera Boats, from actor Yik Kam. What he and his son Cho Chuen passed down in Poon Yu Village, consited of at least 64 forms. Material ranged from Wing Chun Kuen, Mok Gar, Choy Lay Fut, Hung Gar, White Crane and Pai Mei. Many of the forms found within Cho Family, in modern times, are actually forms created by the Cho Family to showcase certain ideas, or to focus on certain applications from the Siu Lien Tau set. As SY Liu was found of saying "Siu Lien Tao is the root".

In modern times (2007), disputes within Cho Gar have surfaced, on if the fourth section is ancestral or not. Several branchs of Cho Gar, suggest that the Cho Gar Siu Lien Tao form, should consist of only three core sections, and than the Hoi Sik (Closing Form), which is a small sequence of movements, and shouldnt be considered an actual fourth section. They also suggest it was Cho Hong Choi, in the 1960's that actually expanded the Hoi Sik into a fuller "Fourth section". While several other branchs of Cho Gar suggest the Cho Gar Siu Lien Tao form, should be and always has been four sections, and that it was others who removed the fouth section.

Cho Hong Choi's branch maintains to this day its authentisity is ancestral, as well as their belief that Cho Hong Choi actualy practised a very pure form of Cho Gar Wing Chun since according to Cho Hong Choi's student Hendrik Santo?, he not only learned from Cho On, but also from Cho Chuen, and Sam Chan. Making him the only Cho Gar master to learn and unite all three branchs of knowledge.Parts of this information have been disputed by Cho Hong Choi's son, who denies his father learned from Cho Chuen, when he went to Poon Yu Village, instead he insists his father, traveled to Poon Yu to take a wife.

Sources:

  • AWCKRI
  • Oral and written tradition Cho family
  • Oral and written tradition Hendrik Santo
  • Oral and written tradition Singapore Cho Family
  • Oral and written tradition Sam Chan Family
  • Leungs Publishing
  • Wulin Magazine
  • New Martial Hero