The “Kuen To”, “Nuk Sau”, & Other Western Inventions

When I first dipped my toes into the world of YouTube with my Kung Fu Genius channel, I had no intention of starting a podcast. I just wanted to share my thoughts on Wing Tsun (WT) topics. But as fate would have it, I would start podcasting and forget my lowly roots as a debunker of nonsense from my own lineage. It’s been a while since I went to some silly stuff lik the "Kuen To." So, grab your favorite tea, settle in, and let’s dive into the wild world of misconstrued Wing Tsun terminology!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUhrl_iiSUY

The Curious Case of “Kuen To”

Let’s start with the so-called Kuen To form. Back in my early days in Germany, I was introduced to a sequence on the wall-bag that was supposedly named “Kuen To.” This term even graced the pages of Sifu Leung Ting’s classic book, Wing Tsun Kuen. There it was, clear as day: “Kuen To” defined as “boxing form.” I thought I was learning how to “box” the wall-bag – up, down, double, and secret criss cross applesauce punches. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of my journey down the rabbit hole of misinterpretations of the Chinese source material.

Imagine my surprise when, years later, I had a chance to ask Sifu Leung Ting about this mystical form. He looked at me as if I had just asked him to dance the cha-cha. “A FORM for the wall-bag? That is idiotic!” He chuckled and clarified that “boxing form” referred to the standard forms of Wing Tsun like Siu Nim Tau and Chum Kiu—not some secret sequence for the wall-bag!

In hindsight, I’m grateful for that “dumb question.” It opened the door for Sifu Leung Ting to share invaluable insights on how to properly train on the wall-bag, release force, and condition my hands. But let’s be real: the origin of the Kuen To form is not some ancient practice. It’s the brainchild of a German Wing Tsun instructor who seems to have a flair for creating all sorts of forms, training methods, and folklore.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m all for innovation in martial arts. But when someone misrepresents their creation as traditional, that’s where I draw the line. Why not take credit for your unique drills? Maybe it’s a cultural thing; in Chinese martial arts, there seems to be a premium placed on the perception of authenticity and ancient roots. If you created it, then stand behind your creation!

Oh, and let’s clear up a little linguistic confusion: “Kuen To” isn’t even commonly used in Cantonese. Most martial artists say “to kuen” (or properly spelled, tou kuen) when referring to forms in a Chinese style. So, if someone tells you Kuen To came straight from Hong Kong, well, tell them it probably came from Buxtehude!

My late Si-Fu, Keith R. Kernspecht even reposted by "Kuen To" debunk video on his Facebook page back in 2020. He was also concerned about some of this fake stuff getting around!

The Mystery of Nuk Sau

Now, onto the next head-scratcher: Nuk Sau. Back in the day, I was taught an exercise called “Nuk Sau,” which involved a sequence of taan sau, gaan sau, and paak sau with a partner—often part of the “swing defense” training. Sure, I trained this exercise intensely and can still do it, despite not having taught it in nearly two decades.

But here’s the kicker: there is no “Nuk Sau” exercise in Hong Kong Wing Tsun. It’s a term that has been appropriated to give it some street cred, but it doesn’t mean “simultaneous action” as some have claimed. In fact, Nuk Sau is mentioned in Wing Tsun Kuen, but it’s a classic case of miscommunication.

In that book, Nuk Sau is translated as “free hand fighting practice,” which sounds suspiciously close to the definition of “Lat Sau.” Oddly enough, if you look at the glossary, you’ll notice “Lat Sau” is missing entirely. Why? Because the term “Nuk Sau” is actually a misprint—the characters refer to “Lat Sau.” So, we have a term that was a typo, which got turned into a sequence, and all of a sudden, we’re off the rails!

The Knife Fighting Myth

Lastly, let’s tackle another piece of Western Wing Tsun lore: the belief that Wing Tsun was originally a knife-fighting art that later transformed into an unarmed combat style. Sure, Wing Tsun’s aggressive defense does have some parallels to weapon fighting, especially with bladed weapons. But here’s the easiest way to debunk this myth: in an interview with Grandmaster Yip Man in New Martial Hero Magazine, he stated plainly, “the knives are derived from the fist fighting techniques.”

So, there you have it! Next time someone tries to tell you about the legendary Kuen To or the mystical Nuk Sau, you can confidently school them on the truth.

What topics would you like me to debunk next?

Comment below, and let’s keep the conversation going!