First Wing Chun World Championships

A Summary Of The Event

- Wayne Belonoha

THE 2018 World Wing Chun Competition unfolded with great excitement in Foshan, China, over the weekend of December 1-2, 2018. With competitors from countries and regions all over the world, the event focused exclusively on the Wing Chun system and its different lineages.

This was not only a success for the International Wushu Federation but also a positive step toward a future where all practitioners of Wing Chun can test their skills in the competition judged by Wing Chun judges.

This inaugural event was conducted under the guidance of the International Wushu Federation and organised by the Chinese Wushu Association, the Guangdong Wushu Association, and the Foshan High-tech Zone Management Committee.

The competition attracted over 1000 athletes (with more than 200 international participants) from over 100 training schools in countries and regions including Ukraine, China, United States, Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Algeria, Cyprus, Canada, India, Hong Kong, China and more. Competition events for two groups (Group A and Group B)—foreign teams and domestic participants—included individual forms events, choreographed sparring events, skill demonstration events, free combat events, and all-around combined competition.

Competition Day 1

Excitement grew as Day 1 began in Shishan, the centre of the Foshan High-tech Zone, with Wing Chun free fighting. Wushu enthusiasts might recognise this as being somewhat influenced by the sport of Sanda regarding the competitors’ equipment and raised platform on which the bouts were held. However, this event distinctly belongs to Wing Chun, with fighters receiving specific scores for performing recognised Wing Chun techniques.