Why I strongly dislike "Wing Chun Do" Gung-Fu

I personally don’t like the name…what I’ve learned from James DeMile is NOT Wing Chun, but I can understand the reason for its inception.

How can I put this…let’s first start with why I do understand the name.

Hear me out…

I am full-blooded (at least as far back as my relatives were able to trace our geneology) Filipino. However, I was born and raised my entire life in America. Thus, in this “world” I can be categorized as a Filipino American. Here’s the interesting thing; if I was to visit the Philippines (an honor I’ve not yet be able to experience), I have been told I would be immediately pegged as “American”. Why? I look like other Filipinos, but the way I talk, speak, or how I interact or carry myself makes me American. That’s something all Filipinos from my parents’ generation who migrated here say to all their kids born and raised in America. Yet here in America, I’m seen as a Filipino. It is my right to call myself an American; I was born and raised here. I am a citizen. But to some, of my fellow Filipino Americans, if I just called myself American, I would be “betraying” my ancestry. But to me, if I call myself, only Filipino, I’m encouraging the segregation that even my “Filipino brethren” always say they unfairly experience here in America because, to me, I’m denying what I truly am…American.

Without getting deeper, my main point is this, not everyone agrees with my views, so to help people categorize me without having to get into some deep conversation, I just say I’m “Filipino American” – showing respect to my ancestry, and to my Home; where I was born and raised.

What does this have to do with the name “Wing Chun Do”? It’s the same thing basically. “Wing Chun Do” has its ancestry coming from Wing Chun, but it’s not Wing Chun. Certain things are the same; a lot of things are different. But like the term “Filipino American”, “Wing Chun Do” pays respects to it’s ancestry, but also respects that it’s from it’s own mold. That’s why DeMile called it that. He wanted to pay respects to where he knew the things he learned from Bruce “came from” – had it’s  ancestry from. He couldn’t call it Jun Fan Gung-Fu that was Bruce’s thing that he explicitly said the guys from that era could not call what they taught. He couldn’t call it Non-Classical Gung-Fu that is what Jesse Glover called his thing. So he called it “Wing Chun Do” Gung-Fu.

Now why do I reeeaaally NOT like the name?

Observer: “What do you teach?”

Me: “Wing Chun Do”

Observer: “Oh I know what that is”

Me (in my head): “no you don’t” 

#1 reason: It gets confused with Wing Chun ALL the time.

#2 because of the “Wing Chun” part of the name, it allows people to categorize it to what they know Wing Chun to be, therefore think they know what it is we do, but yet, when you watch it, and especially when you experience it…it’s NOT Wing Chun.

#3 People think we’re trying to “cash in” on the Wing Chun’s popularity.

I have always been honest with Sijo DeMile. I wish he had never called it “Wing Chun Do”. It takes away from what he’s brought in terms of contribution to the martial arts community based off his own experiences, and his experiences with his teacher, Bruce Lee.

Contributions like: his teaching style, particularly the coaching cues & breakdown of technique to help people understand what it is they’re trying to do, so they can train better; train efficiently. Plus his unique different Closing the Gap techniques to help a student find a way to engage the opponent that works to promote their strengths or physical capabilities/inefficiencies. And the unique sticking/sensitivity drills of Slap Sparring and Wrist Slap Sparring.

Personally, I would’ve preferred he called his stuff DeMile Defensive Tactics from the beginning, or something that didn’t include “Wing Chun” in it. But it’s what it’s been called since the 70’s. It’s really hard to reverse something about 40-years-old. This is why, I now prefer calling what I’ve learned from him “DeMile Gung-Fu Lineage”. It’s pretty straight forward; it’s difficult to confuse. Give credit where it’s due, and prevent it from being categorized.

It’s like Jesse Glover once told me, no one knows what Non-Classical Gung-Fu is if they’ve never trained with him. People have told him that they do, but they don’t. Same for DeMile’s Gung-fu. Generally, people have never really seen it, or know what it is unless they’ve trained in it, and especially trained in it seeing it for what it is, and appreciating its uniqueness rather than trying to constantly find connections to Wing Chun.

Ultimately even if you train in DeMile lineage Gung-Fu, Non-Classical Gung-Fu, or any Gung-Fu; the end result is your interpretation. Or as DeMile would say, “Your Tool Pouch is what matters”.

I know…It’s just a name, and I’m fussing over it. But hopefully by doing so, you and others won't. As Bruce said regarding his Jeet Kune Do, the same can be said of Wing Chun Do – “…[it’s] just a name. Please don’t fuss over it”. Plus the name has got nothing to do with you, or your Tool Pouch.

What matters is Your confidence, your abilities, your growth, your skills – your Gung-Fu...Basically...YOU