The history of Wing Chun is not recorded in writing before our generation. It is only past down to us verbally. That's why there are two versions of the history of Wing Chun. The only difference between these two versions is the founder of Wing Chun, Ng Mui. The version that was passed down to us through Late Grand Master Yip Man. He stated that Ng Mui was a nun. The version through the research of our new generation believed that Ng Mui was a Monk. It was believed that the old time monks and nuns couldn't work and stay in the same temple. Below is the original history passed down to the Late Grand Master Yip Man.

Ng Mui is generally credited as the founder of Wing Chun. Ng Mui was one of the five elders of the Sil Lum temple but she wasn't always a nun. Her father was one of the eight generals that helped Yeung Jung Wang to ascend to the throne. Yeung Jung Wang was the first emperor of the Ching Dynasty. After he became emperor, Yeung Jung Wang had his own father and his eight generals killed. This was to reduce the threat to his own power. Ng Mui was known as Loi Sai Leung at the time. To avenge her father's death, she killed the emperor and went into hiding at the Sil Lum Temple where she took the name of Ng Mui.

Already an accomplished martial artist, Ng Mui became the number one skilled elder at the temple. She had studied at the Mo Dong Mountain under si-fu Wan Ho Lo Yan. And advanced her martial art skill with Dook Bay Sunn Lai. The other elders at the temple, in order of rank, were Gee Sip, Fong Do Duk, Bak Mei and Miao Hin. Only Gee Sin was a Sil Lum monk. Ng Mui, disguising herself as a Sil Lum nun, was actually a Taoist practitioner. At the temple, Ng Mui developed a style of martial arts, after observing a mouse walking, called Siu Bo Mui Fa Kuen (Little Mouse Foot Work, Plum Flower Fist). After further research, development, and the observing of a snake and crane, Ng Mui improved the style which became known as Sei Ho Bak Bo (Snake and Crane Eight Step).