Rating: 
Summary: History - not training or how to...
Review: I give this book a 4, only because I think that most people who will be looking for Wing Chun books will be looking for something more along the 'how to' line. However, this book is written quite well, and from a very objective point of view (IMO). As with any martial arts, Wing Chun has been around for awhile (not as long as most)and has obviously branched off in different directions. This doesn't make any of those branches incorrect, just different. I think this book explains this nicely, and shows that there is a common thread to them all. So if you're looking for more info on Wing Chun background, this book is 5 STARS!!!
Rating:
Summary: A very good work on a hard subject to investigate.
Review: I really liked this book and I enjoyed reading it. Obviously this book is not a "How to" book since the title says it's about history and tradition. It's hard to go back in time and see the past in focus without good documentation on the Chinese part due to secrecy. Nonetheless this book was very well written and it gives a more clear view of Wing Chun's roots. Perhaps this book will help to silence some of the traditional hog wash I've heard and read from so called masters. One thing I'd like to know more about is the European influence on the art. Surely when the Westerners came over to China in the 19th century and before, some fights must have taken place. From my studies I know they faired well and I think this probably influenced Wing Chun through the great Leung Jan. Have you noticed that Wing Chun doesn't look like most other Kung Fu styles?
Rating:
Summary: A very good work on a hard subject to investigate.
Review: I really liked this book and I enjoyed reading it. Obviously this book is not a "How to" book since the title says it's about history and tradition. It's hard to go back in time and see the past in focus without good documentation on the Chinese part due to secrecy. Nonetheless this book was very well written and it gives a more clear view of Wing Chun's roots. Perhaps this book will help to silence some of the traditional hog wash I've heard and read from so called masters. One thing I'd like to know more about is the European influence on the art. Surely when the Westerners came over to China in the 19th century and before, some fights must have taken place. From my studies I know they faired well and I think this probably influenced Wing Chun through the great Leung Jan. Have you noticed that Wing Chun doesn't look like most other Kung Fu styles?
Rating:
Summary: We need more books like this
Review: I remember seeing an article, I think by Jane Hallander, in a martial arts magazine more than a dozen years ago, with an intriguing account of a Wing Chun type style called pao fa lien. I thought it an exceptionally interesting article, and it certainly made me wonder what other forms of Wing Chun were still alive in China and its neighbouring countries. To most Westerners, Yip Man's style has become the standard when it comes to Wing Chun, and so it was fascinating to learn of the existence of other branches.
Not only is this a groundbreaking book, but it could be the start of a new genre in martial arts books. What we have here is a fine compilation of information about no less than eight styles of Wing Chun and briefer mention of half a dozen others. The authors themselves are from diverse backgrounds and styles of wing chun, and I can only applaud their vision and maturity in working together to present such a wide range of information to the martial arts public. Very briefly, they are Robert Chu, resident in California, a practitioner of Yip Man, Gu Lao, and Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun styles; Rene Ritchie, of Eastern Canada, a student of the Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun style; and Y. Wu who resides in Singapore and practices the Nanyang and Yip Man Wing Chun styles.
Since most readers are probably more familiar with the Yip Man style, I'd like to focus on the lesser known styles in this review. You'll be glad to know that pao fa lien is one of the eight styles featured in this fascinating volume, and it was the first one that I turned to when I inspected the book. We are told that the art is composed of 10 empty-hand sets, four wooden dummy sets, and over a half dozen weapon sets. The three trademark empty-hand sets of wing chun, siu nim tao (little idea), chum kiu (seeking bridge), and bui jee (darting fingers), make up the basic level of forms training. While the weapons sets focus on the familiar (at least to wing chun practitioners) long pole and double knives, there are also other weapons such as the 13 section whip, the scholar's sword, the trident, and the Kwan dao. It seems that there are two varieties of sticky hands practice within the various wing chun systems, one resembling more the pushing hands of tai chi rather than the "rolling" sticky hands that are more familiar to most of us, and the pao fa lien system uses the "tai chi" variety.
Among the other little known styles is Nanyang Wing Chun, which, we are told, includes the three typical sets of wing chun, the wooden dummy training, and the typical weapons: the pole and the double knives. In addition, it has a number of other empty hand sets, one of which seems to indicate some kind of relationship between Wing Chun and white eyebrow boxing (Pak Mei). A fascinating insight was the mention of the so-called "separate techniques." In the Gu Lao style, no use is made of forms.
The founder, Leung Jan, passed his style on in the form of a 40 point system. We are told on page 47, that "One should not simply look at the 40 points as techniques, but as to teach the fighting skills of wing chun. When the basics are mastered, a student can then do combinations and permutations of the techniques while moving left and right, with high or low stances, at high, middle, or low levels, to the front and back, and/or while advancing or adjusting the steps. Advanced practitioners can reach the level of being able to change and vary their movements with empty hands or the double knives."
I find this emphasis on perfecting single techniques absolutely fascinating, and it fits in with what Adam Hsu has to say about the importance of perfecting single techniques in his new book, The Sword Polisher's Record, where he asks: "Is it necessary to learn forms?" We are also told in the section on Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun, that some previously "separate" techniques have been formalized into training sets. It makes me think that this movement of techniques from single, separate techniques into sets is the norm, at least in Chinese boxing styles, and would seem to indicate that most styles start with a group of separate techniques which then gradually coalesce into a set or sets.
While this book is probably of most value to wing chun and jkd practitioners, I hope it will serve as a model of more comparative studies of the often amazing variety within a single system. Two related styles from Fukien, Emperor Fist, aka Grand Ancestor Fist, and Five Ancestors Fist, and on the Okinawan side, Uechi-ryu and Goju-ryu, are prime candidates for this kind of study. We need more books like this.
Rating: 
Summary: An exciting book for all Wing Chun practitioners
Review: I was excited to receive this book. I think all Wing Chun practitioners should appreciate it. Excellent information and research. There are still many questions to be answered. But this book is a positive step in that regard. I did not know there were that many Wing Chun styles though I knew of some. The information concerning GuLao Wing Chun was of most interest to me along with that of Garrett Gee (Red Boat). Where in particular in the U.S. can you find these schools? These styles are very familiar with William Chenng's, with 50/50 weight distribution, blind-side fighting, stepping not sliding foot-work and maybe more. It seems that Grand Master Yip-Man did indeed know more than one version of the art, or at least learned from more than one source. As the Authors suggest Yip-Man taught various methods of stepping while either dragging or picking up the feet. Also that he strove to refine and improve his art throughout his teaching career. One particular draw back is that I would like to know why only "recently" , "some" of Yip Man students say the Yip Man / Lenng Bik version is only a story created up by Lee Man when Yip Mans' son along with William Chenng often heard Yip Man himself tell of his relationship with Dr. Lenng Jan's eldest son. Also of particular interest was the internal aspects of Wing Chun portrayed in some of these older styles. This has been denied existence by many Wing Chun enthusiasts. William Chenng has gotten a bad rap for stating that Wing Chun has Chi-Gong, Dim-mak and grappling. I hope we can become open minded enough to share and learn from one another. I congratulate the authors Robert Chu, Rene Ritchie and Y. Wu for a great contribution to the Wing Chun family of styles.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring to read.
Review: I was so excited to received my copy of Complete Wing Chun. After reading through a couple of chapters, I was dissapointed. Most of the materials are already in the internet. I expected more materials, more pictures, etc. Example What is unique in Yuen Kay San's Wing Chun? In Pan Nam's, etc. A comparison between the various types of Wing Chun will be very helpfull. Differences in stances, footworks, techniques, and drills. I expected more in the format of GM William Cheung's book "Comparison of JKD and Wing Chun".
Rating: 
Summary: This book lacks depth and understanding
Review: I was very disappointed after buying this book, although well presented it lacked any real technical understanding and concentrated mostly on history, it was not the real wing chun.
Rating:
Summary: a waste of space on your shelf
Review: If you have lots of spare change and a lot of space to waste on your shelf then you might buy this book. There is little "complete" about the book, the title is very misleading.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for any serious martial artist!!!!
Review: In the day of superficiality and charlatanism, it is refreshing to find a book containing both historical and analytical content. The authors present for the first time, branches of wing chun rarely seen or even heard of in the west. No branches of this southern style, made famous by Bruce Lee have been neglected in this most comprehensive text. If you were to read just ONE book on Wing Chun Kung fu, this is the ONE!!!
Rating:
Summary: Yet another book by self-styled experts
Review: In the world of chinese martial art every one is an expert even though we have never heard of them. Though the authors are no doubt enthusiastic about the topic, not every student is a scholar, and not everyone should write a book. While interesting to anyone who cares about the subject such opinions and histories must be taken with a grain of salt.
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