The 5 Grandmasters

[CrazyDan]

What styles were the 5 grandmasters that made Wing Chun? One of em was Mantis right? What style of Mantis was he?

[reneritchie]

There is no indication there were any five grandmasters who created Wing Chun Kuen. The most popular legend is that the nun, Ng Mui, modified plum blossom or white crane boxing and taught Yim Wing-Chun (in some stories it went through Miu Shun who mixed it with Sichuan boxing first). Another recent theory traces it back to Cheung Ng of the Red Junk Opera. Neither are historically verifiable, however, and there are many variations (even in other systems).

By 5 grandmasters you may mean Ng Jo (Wuzu) or Five Elders, the legendary martial monks and nun who escaped the fabled fire of Shaolin, namely Bak Mei, Ng Mui, Fung Do-Tak, Miu Hin, and Jee Shim. Dozens and dozens of systems claim each one or combinations of them as founders, and cite them as doing different systems from 1 animal (snake, crane, leopard, dragon, tiger) or combinations up to all 5, plum blossom, short fist, long fist, etc.

Rgds,

RR

[Roy D. Anthony]

According to Ip Man's Written essay of the History, there were 5 elders. There was Ng Mui
(the boxing specialist), Jee Shim (the staff Specialist), Meu Hing ( the butterfly Sword specialist) Bak Mai ( white eyebrow founder)as well as the traitor to the Shaolin System, Fong Dok Dao, Some say the teacher of the other 4 elders.
It is also suggested by another experst that 2 were Buddhists, and 2 were Taoists while on was a layman, I believe Mew Hing was the Layman.
Hope this helps.

[reneritchie]

Hi Roy,

There are all sorts of variations on their origins. I think in Yip Man sifu's account, I don't believe they were religiously or martially attributed. Others have referred to all as Buddhist except Bak Mei (Bak Mei Do Yan = White Eyebrow Taoist). In others, Ng Mui was also Taoist, and both she and Bak Mei learned Ngok Ga Kuen (Yue Fei's boxing) together in the Emei mountain temples. In another Ng Mui was from Wudang. Fung Do-Dak is sometimes said to have taught the man who founded Wudang which eventually led to Taijiquan (though history does not support this ;) )

Wing Chun legends are almost identical to Hung Ga and White Crane, and close to some Southern Mantis, Dragon, 5 Animal, etc.

Rgds,

RR

[Roy D. Anthony]

Any account is viable therefore as it was all passed down by word of Mouth.
Ip Man's account was what was mentioned in the post. As well as, information from a well qualified history buff on the Five Elders who relayed some information about which religions each of them belonged to.