Hei Ban System
Wing Chun Kuen Curriculum:
- Siu Lien Tao (Romanized Siu Nim/Lim Tao) (Little Idea)
- Chum Kiu (Sinking Bridge)
- Biu Jee (Darting fingers)
- Muk Yan Jong (Wooden Man Post)
- Mui Fah Wu Dip Dao? (Plum Flower Butterfly Swords)
- Mahng Loong Goh Gong? (“Fierce Dragon Crosses the River” Pole)
Other Kung Fu Forms Curriculum:
- Chut Lun? (Seven Wheels)
- Cheung Lung Tan Yue (Long Dragon Explores the Moon)
- Bak Hok Tan Sui? (White Crane Explores water)
Hei Ban Wing Chun Kuen (Xi Ban Yongchunquan) translates as ‘Opera Wing Chun Kuen.’ It is the name of the Wing Chun Kuen system that Leung Kwok-Keung (Liang Guo-Qiang), brought to the United Kingdom in 1993, from the Guangdong Province Opera troupe. Leung was born in 1926 and became a member on board the travelling opera boats at an early age. According to Leung, Hei Ban Wing Chun was a splinter branch, mostly practised by people within the travelling Opera boats.
Leung Kwok-Keung Sifu, traveled and worked with the opera house until 1983, following which he retired. He continued to teach people in a training hall at Cao Chang Road in Chao Ching City, west of Canton, often teaching young street urchins and vagabonds for free.
Leung Sifu moved to London, England to be close to his family. Although aged 69 he continued teaching Hei Ban Wing Chun privately in London for the remainder of his life. He taught a small but dedicated group of Wing Chun people, many of whom had studied under other Wing Chun teachers before coming across Leung Sifu's system.
The forms in Hei Ban Wing Chun Kuen are lengthy, with 10 sections per form. Like Fook Yeung’s system, this system also contains some elements from Chow Gar (mantis) and makes heavy use of the Phoenix eye striking method. Siu Lien Tau form contains a stepping and kicking section, which underlies the importance of footwork in this branch of Wing Chun. Whilst additional sets were tacked on to Leung Sifu's Wing Chun system curriculum, to provide longer range options for attack, it was acknowledged by Lwung that the main forms were those that are commonly accepted Wing Chun forms.
Leung Sifu passed away in December 2004, aged 78 and efforts are being made by his student’s such as Suki Gosal to preserve the teaching of this unique branch of Wing Chun
Sources:
- AWCKRI
- Oral and written tradition Leung Kwok Keung
- Oral and written tradition Suki Gosal - truthhasnopath@hotmail.com
- Complete Wing Chun by Chu, Ritchie and Wu
- Wing Chun Kuen.com archives