History says that one of the five elders of the Shaolin Temple, a nun called Ng Mui invented the system when she saw a snake and a crane fighting each other one day.

Ng Mui then taught Yim Wing Chun, a young girl who was bullied at her own village at the time. Yim Wing Chun then further developed the art, emphasizing on energy deflection, centre line control, and the Wing Chun motto of “Retain what comes in, send off what retreats, when hands are free of resistance, rush in and attack”. The art was said to be used to fight traitors of the Shaolin Temple. It was subsequently named Wing Chun, after Miss Yim.

Yim Wing Chun then taught her husband the deadly art, Leung Bok Chau. Leung Bok Chau trained Leung Lan Gwai, and Leung Lan Gwai in turn taught Wong Wa Bo. Wong Wa Bo and Leung Yi Tai exchanged skills at the Red Boat Opera Company, where Wong taught Leung the art of Wing Chun, Leung in exchange taught Wong the Six and a Half Pole Form.

Wong Wa Bo subsequently taught Leung Jan. Leung Jan was a Chinese Herbal Doctor who expressed the art exceptionally well by winning various challenges and matches in Foshan, China. Leung Jan was nicknamed “Mr. Jan of Foshan” because of his fighting skills.

Leung Jan later started teaching Wing Chun and taught Chan Wah Shun. Chan worked at a Money Changing Business and hence nicknamed “Money Changer Wah”.

Ip Man was one of the last of Chan Wah Shun's students, because of Chan's old age, Ip learnt most of his skills and techniques from Chan's eldest student, Ng Chung So. When Ip Man went to study in Hong Kong, Ip Man met Leung Bik by chance, second son of Leung Jan.Ip then learnt from Leung Jan for three years, before returning back to Foshan.

​

After the liberation of Mainland China, Ip Man moved to Hong Kong. He lived in the Restaurant Workers’ Association on Tai Nam Street in Sham Shui Po, and that was where he started teaching Wing Chun. The first student was Leung Sheung. Ip Man eventually took on Bruce Lee as a student in his late years, and Wong Shun Leung was Lee’s mentor. Lee and Wong emphasized on combat practicality, and were nicknamed “The Double Dragon” (雙龍出海). 

In 1970 Lee wrote a letter in Chinese to Wong,("Translation") “Since I started to practice realistically, I feel that I had many prejudices before, and they are wrong… … . I thank you (Wong Shun Leung) and Master (Ip Man) for teaching me the ways of Wing Chun in Hong Kong. Actually, I have to thank you for leading me to walk on a practical road……” From the letter we can see how Bruce Lee was deeply influenced by the Wing Chun.

Bruce Lee subsequently became a master of combat himself and a famous action movie star. Whilst Ip Man was hailed as a Grandmaster of Wing Chun.