South Coast Wing Chun prides itself on being a unique martial art to study. Why is it unique? Simply put, it fuses solid traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu with more modern concepts of streetfighting. We spar, we simulate, we pressure test our techniques, we study, and we keep ourselves open to that what works.
We integrate boxing, grappling, kickboxing and more into the art, but in a way that is comfortable to those with mobility issues.
We always look for the most efficient route to achieve what we want.
Wing Chun itself has a vast and interesting history. There is a lot of debate about who actually created the art, and it is one of those things that we will never be 100% sure about. However, the story that seems the most popular, is that Wing Chun was created in the Shaolin Temple after a female monk named Ng Mui found herself continually frustrated by her stronger and bigger male counterparts. Realising that in the animal kingdom bigger animals do not necessarily win the fight (inspired by the snake vs crane), she began to formulate the basis of a new art. Upon her travels, she happened upon a young woman named Yim Wing Chun who was being harassed by a local warlord who wished to marry her. Being in love with another man, she begged Ng Mui to help teach her how to defend herself. After challenging the warlord to a fight and soundly beating him, her lover named the style after her – Wing Chun
After years of the art being passed down from one master to another, a young man named Ip Man happened upon the style. Ip Man was seen as the grandfather of Wing Chun, as he taught several students who began to defeat rivals in the infamous ‘rooftop battles’ in Hong Kong
One of Ip Man’s students, Bruce Lee (who only studied WC for around two years), introduced wing chun kung fu to the western world in dramatic fashion. Whereas before, wing chun had been a very secretive art, Bruce Lee brought the explosive and fast style to the big screen with movies such as Enter The Dragon, Way of The Dragon and Game of Death.
Enter the modern era, and Wing Chun Kung Fu has become extremely popular. It is used by celebrities as a way of unwinding and learning something extra
Sifu Steve Truman founded South Coast Wing Chun in 2025, having trained under various masters, including Kevin Chan, Wan Kam Leung, Patrick Leung, Ip Chun and Ho Kay. Training with these great men (whether briefly or for decades), provided great inspiration for the direction of classical Wing Chun on the South Coast of the UK.
Sifu Steve also spent several decades training in a multitude of styles, including Kyokushinkai (knockdown) Karate, Judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Boxing, Choi Kwang Do, Escrima (Arnis), and Catch Wrestling. Whilst Sifu Steve enjoys training in all martial arts, he believes that Wing Chun is one of the more sustainable styles, and that it can be trained effectively well into the latter years
