Glossary of Wing Chun terms

These are terms used in the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Wing Chun terms are originally colloquial Cantonese (or even slang spoken in Foshan). The meaning might therefore be difficult to trace.

Some of those terms are used in Jeet Kune Do, sometimes with a different meaning.

Wing Chun

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
Wing	咏	詠	Wing6	yǒng	song; poem
Chun	春	(as simp.)	Cheun1	chūn	spring (time); joyful; youthful; love; lust; life
Kuen	拳	(as simp.)	kyun4	quán	fist

Forms

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
Siu Lim Tao	小念头	小念頭	siu2 lim6 tau4	xiǎo niàn tou	little idea
Chum Kiu	寻桥	尋橋	cham4 kiu4	xún qiáo	seeking the bridge
Biu Jee	镖指	鏢指	biu1 ji2	biāo zhǐ	darting fingers
Muk Yan Jong	木人桩	木人樁	muk6 yan4 jong1	mù rén zhuāng	wooden dummy
Luk Dim Boon Gwun	六点半棍	六點半棍	luk6 dim2 bun3 gwan3	liù diǎn bàn gùn	six and a half point pole
Bat Jam Dou	八斩刀	八斬刀	baat3 jaam2 dou1	bā zhǎn dāo	eight slashing knives

Family Lineage Titles or Terms

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
Sidai	师弟	師弟	si1 dai6	shī dì	junior male classmate
Simui	师妹	師妹	si1 mui6	shī mèi	junior female classmate
Sihing	师兄	師兄	si1 hing1	shī xiōng	senior male classmate
Sije	师姐	師姐	si1 je2	shī jiě	senior female classmate
Sifu	师父	師父	si1 fu2	shī fù	master
Sisuk	师叔	師叔	si1 suk1	shī shū	master's junior male or female classmate
Sibak	师伯	師伯	si1 baak3	shī bó	master's senior male or female classmate
Sigung	师公	師公	si1 gung1	shī gōng	master's master
Sitaigung	师太公	師太公	si1 taai3 gung1	shī tài gōng	master's master's master
Sijo	师祖	師祖	si1 jou2	shī zǔ	master's master's master's master

Limb names

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
sao	手	(as simp.)	sau2	shǒu	hand
kuen	拳	(as simp.)	kyun4	quán	fist
gerk	脚	腳	geuk3	jiǎo	foot; leg

18 hand technique names

Limb position names

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
bong sau	膀手	(as simp.)	bong2 sau2	bǎng shǒu	wing arm
fook sau	伏手	(as simp.)	fuk6 sau2	fú shǒu	prostrating hand
man sau	问手	問手	man6 sau2	wèn shǒu	seeking hand
wu sau	护手	護手	wu6 sau2	hù shǒu	protecting hand
tan sau	摊手	攤手	taan1 sau2	tān shǒu	dispersing hand
kau sau	扣手	扣手	kau3 sau2	kòu shǒu	detaining hand

Limb movement names

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
jam sau	枕手	(as simp.)	cham4 sau2	chén shǒu	sinking hand
gaun sau	耕手	(as simp.)	gang1 sau2	gēng shǒu	cultivating arm
jut sau	窒手	(as simp.)	jat6 sau2	zhì shǒu	choking hand
huen sau	圈手	(as simp.)	huen1 sau2	quán shǒu	circling hand
lap sau	拉手	(as simp.)	laap6 sau2	lā shǒu	pulling hand
pak sau	拍手	(as simp.)	paak3 sau2	pāi shǒu	slapping hand
tok sau	托手	(as simp.)	tok3 sau2	tuō shǒu	lifting hand
lan sau	拦手	攔手	laan4 sau2	lán shǒu	barring arm
tie sau	提手	(as simp.)	tai4 sau2	tí shǒu	uplifting hand
jip sau	接手	(as simp.)	jip3 sau2	jiē shǒu	receiving hand
gum sau	揿手	撳手	gam6 sau2	qìn shǒu	pressing hand
biu sau	镖手	鏢手	biu1 sau2	biāo shǒu	darting hand

Drills

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
dan chi sau	单黐手	單黐手	daan1 chi1 sau2	dān chī shǒu	single sticky hands
luk sau	碌手	(as simp.)	luk1 sau2	lù shǒu	rolling arms
seung chi sau	双黐手	雙黐手	seung1 chi1 sau2	shuāng chī shǒu	double sticky hands
chi gerk	黐脚	(as simp.)	chi1 geuk3	chī jiǎo	sticky feet

External links

• Chinese Character Dictionary