Pan Nam style considers itself to originate with the Tian Di Hui, an anti-Manchu organization of the late 1600s. Wing Chun is thought to be a style with mixed influences from Shaolin and WuDang including Praying Mantis, Chin Nah, Jin Gang Shaolin and other styles. In Henan province, at Heng Mounting, a certain woman teacher passed the style on to a student named Tan who was associated with HeNan opera. Tan , a Henan opera prop manager, who had to leave the province and wound up in Fu Shan with an association to the Hung Chuan or Red Junks which also had what were known as “floating operas.”

Southern China, and the floating junks, were both associated with revolutionary, antigovernment activity. Tan taught his followers all of whom were actors playing classic opera parts. The style “Wing Chun” was formed. The first character was from the name of the Tian Di Hui Society’s founder. The second character “Chun” or “Spring” was a pun combining the characters for “Sun”, “Great” and “Heaven” and referred obliquely to the Ming Dynasty, the one the revolutionaries wanted to restore.

The government eventually acted against the rebels and smashed the Heaven Earth Society. The aspect of the popular movement died away until 1860’s when the Eight Trigrams Society began gathering strength.

Eventually the style sifted down to Pan Nam who was born in 1911 and began studying in 1924. Learning, practicing and teaching throughout his life in Fu Shan Pan Nam died in 1995. In the early 1990s his student Add Chong brought this branch of the art to the United States.

ASPECTS OF THE STYLE
Pan Nam branch of Wing Chun utilizes the normal Wing Chun stances as well as the Horse stance but the feet are often a little farther apart. It punches from the side rather than centerline. It also emphasizes a strong bridge (forearm) which is demonstrated by its raking and clawing actions.

Pan Nam style practices the three core hand sets of Wing Chun. Certain elements are underscored such as the Circling Hand with extra emphasis on the used of claws and raking hand strength. Their Mook Chong set, for example, has some rarely seen variations with finger pokes on the dummy. Pan Nam branch also practices the two great Wing Chun weapons: staff and double knives.

In addition it has a set known as the Five Petal Plum Flower a classic five part exercise set for tendon strength. In addition to Sticky Hands, Pan Nam style has a partner practice known as Waist Pressing, a Push Hands like exercise where opponent’s try to off balance one another.

This style more clearly than most emphasizes the lesser refined sources of Wing Chun and one can still see in it the ripping, clawing and other fingers actions of a tight self defense style.

For more on this lineage see below.

Pan Nam style VCDS
Pan Nam style DVDs

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