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Wing Chun terminology (glossary)
Ever heard a Wing Chun instructor calling out a variety of Chinese phrases and wondered what the heck they were talking about? Wonder no more, here is a list of the most common Wing Chun terms..
As Wing Chun is a chinese martial art it's terminology comes from colloquial Cantonese and sometimes slang spoken Foshan. We have put together a list of the most common Wing Chun terms below. If you are a long-term Wing Chun practitioner you should know the majority of them! Have a read through and see how many of the terms you already know!
Many Wing Chun instructors choose to use English spoken terminology only as they believe that performing the martial art is more important. Either way, it's good to understand the history and cultural side of any martial art.
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| Wing | song; poem |
| Chun | spring (time); gay; joyful; youthful; love; lust; life |
| Kuen | fist |
Numbers
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| Yut | One |
| Yee | Two |
| Sahm | Three |
| Say | Four |
| Mm | Five |
| Luk | Six |
| Chut | Seven |
| Bak | Eight |
| Gow | Nine |
| Sup | Ten |
| Sup yut | Eleven |
| Sup yee | Tweleve |
| Sup sahm | Thirteen |
| Yee sup | Twenty |
| Sahm sup | Thirty |
Wing Chun Forms
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| Siu Lim Tao | little idea |
| Chum Kiu | seeking the bridge |
| Biu Jee | darting fingers |
| Muk Yan Jong | wooden dummy |
| Luk Dim Boon Gwun | six and a half point pole |
| Bat Jam Dao | eight slashing knives |
Instructor and student terms
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| Sidai | junior male classmate |
| Simui | junior female classmate |
| Sihing | senior male classmate |
| Sije | senior female classmate |
| Sifu | master |
| Sisuk | master's junior male or female classmate |
| Sibak | master's senior male or female classmate |
| Sigung | master's master |
| Sijo | master's master's master |
Limb names
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| sao | hand |
| kuen | fist |
| gerk | foot; leg |
Limb position names
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| bong sau | wing arm |
| fook sau | controlling hand |
| man sau | seeking hand |
| wu sau | protecting hand |
| tan sau | dispersing hand |
| kau sau | detaining hand |
Limb position names
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| jam sau | sinking hand |
| gaun sau | cultivating arm |
| jut sau | choking hand |
| huen sau | circling hand |
| lap sau | pulling hand |
| pak sau | slapping hand |
| tok sau | lifting hand |
| lan sau | barring arm |
| tie sau | uplifting hand |
| jip sau | receiving hand |
| gum sau | pressing hand |
| biu sau | darting hand |
Dreill terms
| Cantonese | English meaning(s) |
| dan chi sau | single sticky hand |
| luk sau | double sticky hands |
| chi gerk | sticky feet |
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