Customer Reviews

The Wing Chun Compendium

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mr. Belonoha's book 'The Wing Chun Compendium" is outstanding. The writing is concise and very informative.
It is the most well thought out martial arts book I've ever seen. Mr. Belonoha starts exceedingly clearly, defining the core principles of the Wing Chun system within the first page and 1/2.
The next 100 pages or so then go into the expanded theory and technical aspects of the Wing Chun system. The
book is layed out in a fashion that it can be read cover to cover or, it can be opened randomly at any page throughout and the content makes sense. Nothing is left out. (Note: this book does not cover Wing Chun's wooden man dummy form or the weapons
forms - hopefully a subsequent book will follow shortly).
The next 300 pages deal in great detail with the first three (non weapon) Wing Chun forms: Siu Nim Tau, Cham Kiu and Biu Ji. Pictures of Mr. Belonoha, a previous gold medallist at multiple national and international level competitions show every detail of each form. Each photo is accompanied by equally detailed descriptions of proper technique and points to emphasize and, common mistakes to watch out for. His web site has live video of the forms. It is important to note that the videos are the exact same instances that the still photos were derived from so no gaps are left for a reader to figure out.
The final 100+ pages cover pressure points, health and fitness, and Wing Chun terminology (Chinese terms define into
English terms). The finale is a deeply revealing article called "Reflections of Siu Nim Tau After 30 Years by Grandmaster Sunny Tang". Grandmaster Sunny Tang has been Mr. Belonoha's Sifu since 1992 and, Mr. Belonoha is the Senior Instructor at the Sunny Tang Martial Arts Centre Headquarters School in Toronto. (All of this is in the book too).
I also like the sayings on the bottom of each page in addition to everything else. Again from the first page: "Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable", Mr. Belonoha has exhibited a phenomenal understanding of clarity and order. Each page has a similar relevant saying that applies to all of one's life, not just their martial art.
This is not a read it once and you know all it type book. It will give you all the information that you need and is very easy to understand. However, as your Wing Chun improves, the information within will have deeper and deeper meaning to you. Because Mr. Belonoha fully understands Wing Chun, the simplicity of the writing is also somewhat of an illusion - there is no limit to the lessons that can be learned. The book is meaningful to Wing Chun enthusiasts of every level. Anyone reading this book will get a lot out of it. Mine is already on the way to being well worn from the constant references that I am making to it either before or after most training sessions. In short, "The Wing Chun Compendium" is an excellent book from both a 'detailed reference manual' for training and a 'cover to cover reading book' to fully understand what genuine Wing Chun is all about. If you are training in Wing Chun and want to know the non-modified methods, this book is a 'must have'. I know that my copy will always be in use. If I ever happen to loose my copy, I will be replacing it right away.

Gord Oliphant,
Victoria, B.C., Canada

Most people who know Wing Chun are aware of its foundation and modern day disciples. If you are a follower of Wing Chun, you will find this to be an excellent companion for your journey.

After studying various martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do, traditional Kung Fu and Kick Boxing, I discovered Wing Chun, which managed to make me a more effective Marital Arts practitioner in one year that all the other arts could not do in many years (physical conditioning benefits aside).

If you are not a Wing Chun practitioner but practice other MA, you may be curious and find this book very different. Take it and compare the reasoning behind each 'move'. You will find the art extremely scientific compared to many other arts. My great Tae Kwon Do instructor once told me that eventually, the highest practitioners of most MA reach the same level...possibly true but Wing Chun is more efficient in getting you there, efficiency being one of its key tenets.

This book has other great tidbits which make it an excellent coffee table read whereas my other MA books don't have the same level of class...except of course Sun Tsu's - The Art of War.

I thought this book was very well done. It included the Kuen Kuet or Ving Tsun Idioms, the 3 Fist Forms, some Basic Dim Mak information and a buch of fun Chinese sayings on the bottom of each page. The pictures were very good, except when it came to application, the pictures seemed a bit confusing. But that could be the case of many Martial Arts books. It lists most of the major principles and the basic concepts which was very well laid out.

I just hope that the last part of the system - the Wooden Dummy, The Pole Form, and the Knife form will be represented in another part. This is the main reason I gave it one less star. It cannot be THE Wing Chun Compendium if it does not have the WHOLE System.

First let me state that you cannot learn wing chun from a book, you really need a qualified instructor and you must test ideas continually. That being said, this book is fabulous as reference material which seems to be exactly what it was supposed to be. It has the common terms listed in English, Cantonese and Mandarin as well as key to pronunciation.

It is laid out very simply and concise, much like the art itself. It covers the core principles of the system and it does a good job of explaining chinese ideas in english. It has a pretty in-depth explaination of meridians (channels of chi) that would appeal to anyone trying to understand the difference between chinese and western thinking on the human body.

It does about as good as is possible in a book at describing the art itself, which means it beats anything I've seen previous. Little philosophy quotes/ideas are listed throughout the book along each page...a very nice touch. It allows a mix of the philosophy into the work without making the direct content become too flowery. It stays on topic and is very efficient at describing the system.

I'm sure various wing chun students will have minor changes in the forms and such, but overall the work is invaluable to students of the system. This means it doesn't try to be a learning manual for the untrained but more a reference book for those that do. Instead of listing the specifics of one lineage it sticks to the core ideas which is a challenge that most books seem to fail on. A lot of MA books focus on trying to sell as the new and best "secret" system to overcome all other fighting arts...this one does not. The author achieved his goal of providing a thorough, accurate reference text on Wing Chun. The tone is rather neutral in that it avoids politics and presents the material without trying to over-prove it's validity. It's very "here is the theory, this is what backs it up, these are some examples of theory in practice, here is reference material for further study".

It may literally be the best martial arts book I've ever seen.

what set this book apart from the rest is it in depth research into the mindset and phrases of the wing chum system. It is a direct reflection of Sifu Wayne Belanoha's love for Wing Chun. For all those of have trained in another discipline and is thinking of looking into another system to experience. this book is a must, it has showed AND explained to me openings and counters to attacks, so simple I laugh at myself for not realizing them before. This book will truly open your mind and hearts to Wing chun.

As a new practitioner of Ving Tsun, I have found this book to be incredibly helpful. It covers many aspects of the art, from functional and instructional guides to theoretical aspects of its motivations. In this way, I found it to be a very well-balanced source of information. It can be used as a reference (it has been by me!) and it can also be read cover-to-cover (which I have also done). Whatever you wish to know about Ving Tsun, you can find it in this book. There is even a section of how your diet can affect your growh as a martial artist, which was something I did not expect to see in the book!

This is the definitive work, bar none. Brilliant, and painstakingly written. Profoundly thorough. I have canvassed the literature, and this is the best work on Wing Chun/Tsun, by far.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in starting to learn Wing Chun or as a reference for veteran Wing Chun practitioners. The Wing Chun Compendium covers the core of the Wing Chun system, the theories, philosophies, three empty hand forms (Sil Lim Tao, Chum Kil, and Bil Jee) complete with applications and more.

Having, seen, read and owned other martial arts books, this book is a step above the rest. If you want a book that will help you understand the Wing Chun system, and provide you with an excellent foundation of knowledge and technique, and ultimately good Wing Chun, look no further.

For anyone interested in Wing Chun Kung Fu, this book seems to have it all. The book takes an uniquely scientific and analytical approach to explain the theory and techniques, while also covering the history, culture and even the language. Finally a martial arts book that has everything.

Absolutely amazing in terms of the materials covered. The author could have easily charged at least double the price for such a book. I've found the instructions intelligently explained thus deepening my appreciation for Wing Chun. Well done Wayne! Looking forward to more books from you.