On July 13th, 2024, the Guangdong Wing Chun Elite Competition and the International Wing Chun Warm-up Competition kicked off at the Citizen Square in Shishan Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City. The event spanned two days and drew participation from 55 teams within the Guangdong province, totaling 669 athletes, including 189 female competitors.
Notably, before the opening ceremony, a special event aimed at challenging the Guinness World Record for "Most people performing a single leg squat simultaneously" became one of the highlights of the competition. On the opening day, 300 participants dressed in yellow T-shirts performed a single-leg squat for 30 seconds under the guidance of staff members. Among the challengers, the youngest was six years old, and the oldest was 59 years old.
Yang Chunfan, a 59-year-old martial arts teacher from Foshan Lanshi Middle School, has been studying Wing Chun for nearly twenty years. In this event, he not only participated in the record-breaking challenge but also competed in the "Siu Nim Tao" competition. He expressed, "I participate in anything related to Wing Chun. I hope it can flourish and spread its influence."
In the end, the challenge was successful. It is understood that this marks another Guinness World Record related to Wing Chun for Shishan, following the demonstration by 3,167 Wing Chun enthusiasts in 2010.
It is reported that Shishan, the hometown of the legendary martial artist Yip Man, has always emphasized the inheritance and promotion of Wing Chun culture. In addition to establishing facilities such as the Yip Man Memorial Hall and the Wing Chun Sports Park, Shishan has also hosted prestigious events including the Foshan Wing Chun Traditional Chi Sao (Sticking Arms) Competition, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Wing Chun Elite Exchange Tournament, and the World Wing Chun Championship. These efforts have established Shishan as a major hub for Wing Chun enthusiasts worldwide.
In recent years, Shishan has been steadfastly promoting the "Three Advances of Wing Chun," bringing Wing Chun to villages, enterprises, and schools, thereby deepening its influence. Today, in Shishan, Wing Chun is active in every corner, practiced by people from elderly people to young children, becoming increasingly popular. Each year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts from around the world travel to Shishan to learn and pay homage to their roots in Wing Chun.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
