Ian Protheroe
Encyclopedia
Ian Protheroe (born 1954) is a well-known Australia
n Wing Chun
Kung Fu practitioner, teacher, and author. Protheroe learnt the Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
system from Grandmaster William Cheung
in the 1980s in Melbourne
, Australia
. Protheroe broke with Cheung in the late 1980s and has been pursuing the development of his own branches of Wing Chun which he calls Classical Wing Chun
and Chung Chi Wing Chun
after the Chinese name he was given by Grandmaster William Cheung. These are separate styles of Wing Chun. The Traditional Wing Chun system was passed on to Protheroe from William Cheung, whereas the Chung Chi system has been developed by Protheroe and is taught only to students to whom he extends invitations.
in his mid teens. From the mid to late 70s, he began exploring the oriental martial arts, before being introduced to Wing Chun Kung Fu under Grandmaster William Cheung in the early 1980s. Protheroe studied with Cheung throughout the mid-1980s before attaining instructor status and operating a school under Cheung in Melbourne, Australia.
were the result of Protheroe's frequent trips to Hong Kong throughout the late 1980s and 1990s and his insights gained after a decade of teaching the art. Protheroe was particularly impressed and influenced by the teachings of Grandmaster Chu Shong-tin
thanking him in at least one of his books and visiting on many occasions. These visits, and Protheroe's own research, have led him to develop what he now calls his "Classical" Wing Chun system and this is taught to the public.
Protheroe points out that although the name may have changed, the forms and grading syllabus he uses are essentially the same as those passed on to him by William Cheung in the 1980s. The main differences lie in the principles and methods Protheroe employs in his Classical system.
and soft chi sao inspired by the teachings of Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin to which Protheroe was exposed during his frequent training trips to Hong Kong. Chung Chi Wing Chun does not incorporate a formal and explicit grading system. Instead, the "traditional Chinese system of dedication, time spent training and advanced skill level is the only basis for seniority". In addition, training is by invitation only. Those who are taught the system are at least reasonably fluent in the Classical Wing Chun system before they begin in Chung Chi Wing Chun.
system, Protheroe's books are notable for their focus on previously "secret" aspects of the art. Notably among these, the traditional weapons of the Wing Chun system and the Wing Chun wooden dummy (Muk Yan Jong
). Protheroe has not followed the lead of his teacher and written articles about meditation, chi, healing, or alternative medicines.
(locking and controlling) techniques and extensive traditional weapons training into the syllabus structure. In many martial arts systems, weapons training is reserved for practitioners which have become senior students (usually black belt equivalent or higher). However, in the classical system, traditional weapons are taught to students from the very beginning of their training. In addition, Chin Na techniques are introduced at a relatively early stage in students' training. A natural follow-on from the usage of Chin Na is a heavy focus on controlling an opponent's balance and/or breaking their stance. Neither Chin Na nor advanced weapons training are a feature of the Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu system (nor many other Wing Chun systems for that matter). Although Cheung's Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu promotes a holistic development of Wing Chun practitioners, particularly when compared to many other systems, the Protheroe's Classical system incorporates advanced weapons training and control techniques traditional to the majority of Chinese martial arts but seldom seen in Wing Chun.
The Classical system is a combination of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong weapons systems as well as a great deal of trial and error on the behalf of Protheroe. He makes much reference to this in his work on the subject and this is evident in the training he espouses. Cheung's Traditional system, on the other hand, employs a primarily Hong Kong derived weapons syllabus which is comparable to many of the weapons forms and systems prevalent in Hong Kong Wing Chun.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
Kung Fu practitioner, teacher, and author. Protheroe learnt the Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a style of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. It is claimed to be the authentic, more effective version of Wing Chun taught exclusively to William Cheung by Yip Man...
system from Grandmaster William Cheung
William Cheung
William Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing , born ? October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun kung fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun...
in the 1980s in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Protheroe broke with Cheung in the late 1980s and has been pursuing the development of his own branches of Wing Chun which he calls Classical Wing Chun
Classical Wing Chun
Classical Wing Chun Kung Fu is the style of Wing Chun Kung Fu taught by Sifu Ian Protheroe and his students. Protheroe was a direct student of Grandmaster William Cheung in the 1980s in Melbourne, Australia, before moving north to Queensland where he opened his own school and began the development...
and Chung Chi Wing Chun
Chung Chi Wing Chun
Chung Chi Wing Chun is a style of Wing Chun created by Sifu Ian Protheroe and taught only to his private students and disciples. Chung Chi was the name given to Sifu Ian Protheroe by Grandmaster William Cheung at a formal ceremony in 1986 and the system's name is also taken from this.- History and...
after the Chinese name he was given by Grandmaster William Cheung. These are separate styles of Wing Chun. The Traditional Wing Chun system was passed on to Protheroe from William Cheung, whereas the Chung Chi system has been developed by Protheroe and is taught only to students to whom he extends invitations.
Early years
Protheroe was born in England and migrated to Australia in 1960. The son of a British Police officer, Protheroe showed an interest in fighting arts at an early age when he started Western BoxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in his mid teens. From the mid to late 70s, he began exploring the oriental martial arts, before being introduced to Wing Chun Kung Fu under Grandmaster William Cheung in the early 1980s. Protheroe studied with Cheung throughout the mid-1980s before attaining instructor status and operating a school under Cheung in Melbourne, Australia.
Development of Classical Wing Chun
In 1986, Protheroe was invited to attend a ceremony with a select group of William Cheung's senior students. At this ceremony, Cheung made the participants formal members of the Traditional Wing Chun family by giving each of them a Chinese name and entrusting them with continuing the teaching of Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu. Sifu Ian Protheroe pledged to teach the Traditional system for 20 years from 1986. Over the years, Protheroe has continued teaching Cheung's Traditional Wing Chun system to students at his various schools in Eastern Australia and New Zealand. In 1996, Protheroe began to use the term "classical" to describe his own version of William Cheung's Traditional Wing Chun system. The defining ideas and principles of Classical Wing ChunClassical Wing Chun
Classical Wing Chun Kung Fu is the style of Wing Chun Kung Fu taught by Sifu Ian Protheroe and his students. Protheroe was a direct student of Grandmaster William Cheung in the 1980s in Melbourne, Australia, before moving north to Queensland where he opened his own school and began the development...
were the result of Protheroe's frequent trips to Hong Kong throughout the late 1980s and 1990s and his insights gained after a decade of teaching the art. Protheroe was particularly impressed and influenced by the teachings of Grandmaster Chu Shong-tin
Chu Shong-tin
Chu Shong-tin was the third student of martial arts teacher Yip Man in the discipline of Wing Chun, and remained at Yip Man's school to become his senior instructor....
thanking him in at least one of his books and visiting on many occasions. These visits, and Protheroe's own research, have led him to develop what he now calls his "Classical" Wing Chun system and this is taught to the public.
Protheroe points out that although the name may have changed, the forms and grading syllabus he uses are essentially the same as those passed on to him by William Cheung in the 1980s. The main differences lie in the principles and methods Protheroe employs in his Classical system.
Development of Chung Chi Wing Chun
During the course of his twenty year pledge to teach Cheung's Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu, Protheroe developed his own unique approach to Wing Chun. Chung Chi was the name given to Protheroe by his teacher, William Cheung, at a formal ceremony in 1986. Protheroe decided to use this as the name of his personal style of Wing Chun. The system incorporates sword drills, chin naChin Na
Chin Na or Qinna is a Chinese term describing techniques used in the Chinese martial arts that control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so he cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability...
and soft chi sao inspired by the teachings of Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin to which Protheroe was exposed during his frequent training trips to Hong Kong. Chung Chi Wing Chun does not incorporate a formal and explicit grading system. Instead, the "traditional Chinese system of dedication, time spent training and advanced skill level is the only basis for seniority". In addition, training is by invitation only. Those who are taught the system are at least reasonably fluent in the Classical Wing Chun system before they begin in Chung Chi Wing Chun.
Studies and writings
Protheroe has studied martial arts history and particularly Wing Chun history and development intensively. This has led him to write a broad range of books about various aspects of Wing Chun. Although focussed mainly on the Traditional Wing Chun Kung FuTraditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a style of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. It is claimed to be the authentic, more effective version of Wing Chun taught exclusively to William Cheung by Yip Man...
system, Protheroe's books are notable for their focus on previously "secret" aspects of the art. Notably among these, the traditional weapons of the Wing Chun system and the Wing Chun wooden dummy (Muk Yan Jong
Muk Yan Jong
Mu ren zhuang is a wooden dummy used in Chinese martial arts training. It is associated with the martial art of Wing Chun and other kung fu styles of Southern China...
). Protheroe has not followed the lead of his teacher and written articles about meditation, chi, healing, or alternative medicines.
Classical Wing Chun Kung Fu vs Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Classical Wing Chun Kung Fu incorporates Chin NaChin Na
Chin Na or Qinna is a Chinese term describing techniques used in the Chinese martial arts that control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so he cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability...
(locking and controlling) techniques and extensive traditional weapons training into the syllabus structure. In many martial arts systems, weapons training is reserved for practitioners which have become senior students (usually black belt equivalent or higher). However, in the classical system, traditional weapons are taught to students from the very beginning of their training. In addition, Chin Na techniques are introduced at a relatively early stage in students' training. A natural follow-on from the usage of Chin Na is a heavy focus on controlling an opponent's balance and/or breaking their stance. Neither Chin Na nor advanced weapons training are a feature of the Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu system (nor many other Wing Chun systems for that matter). Although Cheung's Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu promotes a holistic development of Wing Chun practitioners, particularly when compared to many other systems, the Protheroe's Classical system incorporates advanced weapons training and control techniques traditional to the majority of Chinese martial arts but seldom seen in Wing Chun.
The Classical system is a combination of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong weapons systems as well as a great deal of trial and error on the behalf of Protheroe. He makes much reference to this in his work on the subject and this is evident in the training he espouses. Cheung's Traditional system, on the other hand, employs a primarily Hong Kong derived weapons syllabus which is comparable to many of the weapons forms and systems prevalent in Hong Kong Wing Chun.
Support for Cheung's traditional system
Protheroe generally supports the assertions of William Cheung that Wing Chun consisted of two main branches, the "traditional" family system and the "modified" system taught to non-family members. He states this quite clearly in several of his publications and on his website. This has caused some controversy however, in Protheroe's own words, many of the claims made by Cheung amount to just "another story in the history of Wing Chun" that cannot be either confirmed or denied by any party.Current activities
Protheroe now operates several schools on the East Coast of Australia. He is also the head instructor for an affiliated school based in New Zealand and his student, Ray Solomon. Protheroe teaches full time, mostly with private students. He also conducts classes open to the public several times per week and is a well known martial arts author in the Australasian martial arts community.See also
- Branches of Wing ChunBranches of Wing ChunThe different branches of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun can be thought of as describing both the differing traditions and interpretations of Wing Chun, and the teacher-student relationships which perpetuate them....
- Classical Wing ChunClassical Wing ChunClassical Wing Chun Kung Fu is the style of Wing Chun Kung Fu taught by Sifu Ian Protheroe and his students. Protheroe was a direct student of Grandmaster William Cheung in the 1980s in Melbourne, Australia, before moving north to Queensland where he opened his own school and began the development...
- Chung Chi Wing ChunChung Chi Wing ChunChung Chi Wing Chun is a style of Wing Chun created by Sifu Ian Protheroe and taught only to his private students and disciples. Chung Chi was the name given to Sifu Ian Protheroe by Grandmaster William Cheung at a formal ceremony in 1986 and the system's name is also taken from this.- History and...
- Traditional Wing Chun Kung FuTraditional Wing Chun Kung FuTraditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a style of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. It is claimed to be the authentic, more effective version of Wing Chun taught exclusively to William Cheung by Yip Man...
- William CheungWilliam CheungWilliam Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing , born ? October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun kung fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun...