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Once upon a time, a Shaolin nun called Ng Mui was driven into the wild when her temple was lost in the turmoil of a rising dynasty. While hiding, she witnessed a feud between a snake and a crane, neither gaining advantage, for where the snake used precision the crane used deflection. Ng Mui merged these techniques to birth a martial art that did not rely on muscle to win but mastery.

Wing Tsun Kung Fu teaches the power of redirection, turning an opponent’s might against them and ending a fight in seconds. It is relentless, never revealing its next move yet forever in motion. Like the animals that inspired it, Wing Tsun wastes no energy. It does not resist strength but transforms it: striking, yielding, flowing.

Over time, Wing Tsun has become a paradox: formed by a woman yet mostly inherited by men. However, lineage cuts two ways: it can confine or it can realign. I have experienced the latter. In October of last year, I became the first woman in my London school to achieve a rank of 2nd Master. This felt like less of a destination and more of a duty: to uphold the integrity of the system, refine my knowledge, and continue Wing Tsun’s legacy with the same forward force that drives it. In the words of our Grandmaster: “Wing Tsun does not change your character, it shows it.”

I began Kung Fu by chance, quite literally a coin toss between piano or martial arts. On my first day of training I glimpsed a world: a 400-year-old journey from a Shaolin nun to now. Soon after, I met my teacher: head instructor Si-Fu Ferenc Kovacs, who embodied both Wing Tsun’s fighting spirit and its heart. Rarely does a teacher burn with so much passion that his students illuminate themselves. Because of him, I did not learn Wing Tsun. I discovered it.

My rise has been fast, advancing swiftly to 2nd Master, during which I dedicated myself to intense mental and physical focus. This has proved inspiring for the community, especially women starting their own self-defence journey who want to feel safer on the streets or at home. It is heartening to hear how happy they are to have a female example, encouragement that propels me to persevere not just through my actions but my voice. Resilience is more than endurance of hardship; it’s about blooming despite it. After all, Wing Tsun itself means Eternal Spring.