Glossary of Wing Chun terms

These are terms used in the Chinese martial art, Wing Chun. They are originally colloquial Cantonese (or Foshan spoken slang). Thus, their meanings might be difficult to trace. Some of those terms are used in Jeet Kune Do, sometimes with a different meaning.^{[citation needed]}

Forms

Butterfly knives for close combat^[1]

Siu nim tau (simplified Chinese: 小念头; traditional Chinese: 小念頭; pinyin: xiǎo niàn tou; Jyutping: siu2 nim6 tau4; lit. 'little idea'^[3])
Chum kiu (simplified Chinese: 寻桥; traditional Chinese: 尋橋; pinyin: xún qiáo; Jyutping: cam4 kiu4; lit. 'seeking the bridge')
Biu jee (simplified Chinese: 标指; traditional Chinese: 標指; pinyin: biāo zhǐ; Jyutping: biu1 zi2; lit. 'darting fingers')
Mu ren zhuang (simplified Chinese: 木人桩; traditional Chinese: 木人樁; pinyin: mù rén zhuāng; Jyutping: muk6 jan4 zong1; lit. 'wooden dummy'
Luk dim bun gwan, or staff (simplified Chinese: 六点半棍; traditional Chinese: 六點半棍; pinyin: liù diǎn bàn gùn; Jyutping: luk6 dim2 bun3 gwan3; lit. 'six and a half point staff')
Butterfly sword (simplified Chinese: 八斩刀; traditional Chinese: 八斬刀; pinyin: bā zhǎn dāo; Jyutping: baat3 zaam2 dou1; lit. 'eight slashing knives')

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 dai^6*2	shī dì	junior male classmate
Simui	师妹	師妹	si¹ mui^6*2	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
Gowlin	教练	教練	gaau³ lin⁶	jiào liàn	instructor or coach
Sifu	师父	師父	si¹ fu²	shī fù	master
Sisuk	师叔	師叔	si¹ suk¹	shī shū	master's junior male classmate ("叔" = junior uncle)
Sibak	师伯	師伯	si¹ baak³	shī bó	master's senior male classmate ("伯" = senior uncle)
Sigu (Rare)	师姑	師姑	si¹ gu¹	shī gū	master's female classmate ("姑" = aunt)
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	Yim Wing-chun ("師祖" literally means "ancestral master")

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

Wing-arc hand

Protecting hand by Wan Kam Leung

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
bong sao	膀手	(as simp.)	bong² sau²	bǎng shǒu	wing-arc hand^[2]
fook sao	伏手	(as simp.)	fuk⁶ sau²	fú shǒu	tame-force hand ^[2]
man sao	问手	問手	man⁶ sau²	wèn shǒu	asking hand
wu sao; woo sau^[2]	护手	護手	wu⁶ sau²	hù shǒu	protecting hand; guarding hand^[2]
tan sao	摊手	攤手	taan¹ sau²	tān shǒu	dispersing hand; lay-flat hand^[2]
kau sao	扣手	扣手	kau³ sau²	kòu shǒu	detaining hand ^{[citation needed]}

As normally seen in English (from Cantonese)	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
jam sao	枕手	(as simp.)	jam² sau²	chén shǒu	sinking hand ^{[citation needed]}
gang sao; garn sau^[2]	耕手	(as simp.)	gaang¹ sau²	gēng shǒu	cultivating arm; ploughing hand^[2]
jut sao	窒手	(as simp.)	jat⁶ sau²	zhì shǒu	choking hand ^{[citation needed]}
huen sao	圈手	(as simp.)	hyun¹ sau²	quán shǒu	circling hand
lap sao	擸手	(as simp.)	laap³ sau²	lā shǒu	pulling hand; seizing hand^[2]
pak sao	拍手	(as simp.)	paak³ sau²	pāi shǒu	slapping hand; slapping strike^[2]
tok sao	托手	(as simp.)	tok³ sau²	tuō shǒu	lifting hand ^{[citation needed]}
laan sao	拦手	攔手	laan⁴ sau²	lán shǒu	barring arm ^{[citation needed]}
tai sao	提手	(as simp.)	tai⁴ sau²	tí shǒu	uplifting hand ^{[citation needed]}
jip sao	接手	(as simp.)	jip³ sau²	jiē shǒu	receiving hand ^{[citation needed]}
gam sao	揿手	撳手	gam⁶ sau²	qìn shǒu	pressing hand ^{[citation needed]}
biu sao	镖手	鏢手	biu¹ sau²	biāo shǒu	darting hand

Double sticky hands by Ip Chun

Sticky feet

	Simp. char.	Trad. char.	Cantonese (Yale transcription)	Mandarin (Pinyin transcription)	Meaning(s) (in English)
Daan Chi Sau	单黐手	單黐手	daan¹ chi¹ sau²	dān chī shǒu	single sticky hands^[4]
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 Geuk	黐脚	黐腳	chi¹ geuk³	chī jiǎo	sticky feet

Other techniques:

Lin wan kuen - chain punch
One-inch punch
Double punch
Zao gek - hacking elbow strike
Pai jarn - horizontal
Kwan sau - rotating hand
Gaun sau – splitting hand
Yee jee kim yueng ma – horse stance, small adduction goat stance, or figure 2 stance
Centerline training
Iron palm training

^ "Butterfly Swords". Wing Chun News. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j CHU, Shong Tin; CHAN, Eddie (May 2011). The Book of Wing Chun. The Hong Kong Social Sciences Press. p. 54. ISBN 9780823414741. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
^ "Nim Lik (念力)" is literally translated as "Idea Power" in CHU's 2011 book^[2]
^ Spence, Mark. "Training with Sigung Chu Shong Tin". Chi Sau Club. Retrieved 27 April 2022.