Wing chun training proverbs

by leung yee tai on , under principles

There are not many sets of training exercises in Wing Chun. They are easy to learn but to master them
requires determination.

Learning the usual ways will allow later variations.

Short arm bridges and fast steps requires practicing the stance first.

Siu Lim Tau mainly trains internal power.

Lon Sau in Chum Kiu is a forceful technique.

Bui Jee contains life saving emergency techniques.

The Wooden Man develops use of power.

Fancy techniques should not be used in sticky hand practice.

Sticky leg practice is inseparable from the single leg stance.

The steps follow turning of the body like a cat.

The posture complements the hands to eject the opponent.

The Six and a Half Point Staff does not make more than one sound.

The Eight Cut Sword techniques have no match.

The thrusting and fast attacks are well suited for closing in.

Eyes beaming with courage can neutralize the situation.

Unknown techniques are not suitable for training practice.

Those who completely master the system are among the very few.

Maxims of Wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

Retain what comes in, send off what retreats. Rush in on loss of hand contact.

Do not be lax when your opponent is not advancing.

Once your opponent moves, his center of gravity changes.

Make the first move to have control. Attack according to timing.

Timing is achieved through practice.

A strong attitude and posture gives an advantage over your opponent.

Being alert and adapting to the situation allows maximum results for minimum effort.

The body follows the movement of the hands. The waist and the stance move together.

Complement the hands with posture to make good use of the centerline.

The eyes and the mind travel together, paying attention to leading edge of attack.

Charge into the opponent. Execute three moves together.

Strike any presented posture if it is there. Otherwise strike where you see motion. Beware of sneak
attacks, leakage attacks and invisible centerline attacks.

Soft and relaxed strength will put your opponent in jeopardy.

Coordinate the hands and feet. Movement is together.

Do not take risks and you will always connect to the target.

Have confidence and your calmness will dominate the situation.

Occupy the inner gate to strike deep into the defense.

To win in an instant is a superior achievement.

The Yin Yang principle should be thoroughly understood.

The theory of Wing Chun has no limit in it applications.

Be humble to request your teacher for guidance.

Understand the principles for your training.

Upon achieving the highest level of proficiency, the application of techniques will vary according to the
opponent.

Training notes
by leung yee tai on , under principles

The Centerline Theory of Wing Chun

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

If you are face to face with an opponent, the shortest distance to the opponent is a straight-line path from
your center to the opponents center.

If you put your palm toward your opponents vertical axis you occupy the center line. Two physical
objects cant occupy the center at the same space at the same time. So if one person occupies the centerline the
other person doesnt. If a straight-line punch comes toward your face and you stick your hand in the center then
that punch will be deflected away from the centerline.

There is a vertical centerline which runs parallel to the vertical central axis of the body. There is also a
horizontal centerline which runs from your vertical centerline to the opponents vertical centerline (if you are facing
your opponent).

In Wing Chun we try to always face our opponents central axis. We dont let the opponent get to our
side. This is called proper facing. In a fight we cant always maintain this facing, so then we are in recovery mode
to get back to that way of facing.

When face to face with arms in contact, we have a saying that noone takes our arms off the centerline. If
you point towards the opponents central axis and they push or deflect your hand (arm) away from the centerline,
then you are in recovery mode and return back to the centerline just like when pushing on a springy twig or
pushing on a ball floating in water.

When an opponents arms drift off the centerline, they have a structural weakness in their defense. A
hole is created and theyll be hit because a straight-line attack will come in so fast there wont be enough time to
recover from such a mistake. If the opponents arm disengages, we hit straight forward, along the shortest
distance path, since that would be our best chance against an opponent with a slight timing advantage from
moving first.

When you have a perfect center position, as taught in sticking hands, its difficult for an opponent to
penetrate this position with any kind of attack.

If an opponent disengages to do a circular hit, hell be hit first with a straight-line hit.

If an opponent tries to grab, hell cross himself and be trapped.

If an opponent uses brute strength to break down the center, hell be stiff and can be pushed, pulled,
jerked or easily unbalanced. The other option is that the opponents strength will encounter emptiness from your
relaxed, soft feeling. Or when their hard force comes we pivot or shift so the hard force is redirected. The
opponent will face the wrong way and we will point at their central axis.

If an opponent attempts to kick, this attempt can be felt in the hands and a pushing/pulling force or
stepping in will unbalance them. (Note: however, Kenneth Chung showed how he can kick with no signals given.)

If an opponent retreats we chase in such a way that arm contact is maintained. Once in contact its
difficult to shake off a person with good sticking skills without destroying your own good center position.

In sticking hands/rolling hands we try to detect when the opponent has deviated from the centerline
position. As soon as this deviation occurs we hit. When an opponents centerline position is good, we may try to
destroy that good position with a variety of pushing, pulling, jerking tactics, but these create defects in our own
defense which can be taken advantage of. A beginner is too slow to react and cant accurately sense centerline
mistakes, so anything works against them.

Some Wing Chun people try to blast their way through the center, which works well against an inferior
opponent. Against an advanced opponent he will either be counter-blasted, if the opponent is stronger, or more
ideally will encounter sudden emptiness and be hit.

Since we are human, mistakes are made, so we lose because of thousands of kinds of mistakes.
Mistakes include:

unstable stance

off center to the left

off center to the right

hands too high

hands too low

hands too stiff

hands too soft

not sensitive

slow reactions

contact between the arms too loose

These mistakes and hundreds more are studied so they can be countered instantly.

When two people are in double-arm contact, nearly everything can be defended by maintaining a good
stance and smothering the opponents attacks by sticking to their arms. However, when the opponent goes off the
centerline we dont stick, but attack in a straight line or else well be open to attack. The idea is not to stick with
and chase arms wherever they may go.

The first form of Wing Chun teaches ideal positioning. The positions taught in the first form are
mathematical ideal positions or structures, when you are face to face with an opponent. Since we are all built
differently, we can only approach these ideal concepts and have to compensate in other ways if we cant
physically apply the math concept. E.g. if you arent flexible enough to keep the elbows on the centers you can
compensate by being more sensitive with the hands or forearms, or by shifting more.

When our force limits have been exceeded then body shifting is used to redirect the force. So ideally, we
either stay put, shift (turn) or step forward. In reality we sometimes have to back up or even duck. The second
form of Wing Chun teaches the mechanics required to coordinate the hands with the feet. This means we learn
when to turn or advance depending on what we feel.

In real fighting nothing is ideal. Our good mathematical centerline positions may be totally destroyed. An
opponent may have our elbow pushed off to the side, or grabbed us or have us bent over, or pinned us to a wall,
or theres not one opponent to face but several. In this case your perfect center-facing position against a single
opponent has been lost and you are therefore in recovery mode to regain a good position. The third form of Wing
Chun teaches how to regain the centerline or how to get back into a good position as taught in the first and
second forms or dummy forms. Because of this it makes no sense to learn the third form of Wing Chun before
having mastered the others. How will you know what position to recover to if you dont understand the subject of
positions and structures?

The wooden dummy is a device which forces you to have correct position because the arms of the
dummy are in fixed locations. So the wooden dummy is like a teacher who forces you to have correct angles. The
wooden dummy is used for secondary reasons to enhance speed, power and to condition the arms. It also
doesnt make much sense to study the dummy before having learned the first form, because you wont
understand what a correct position is. And the wooden dummy movements cant be applied without an
understanding and adeptness in sticking hands skills.

In Wing Chun we try to gain a correct position based on centerline concepts. From hundreds of hours of
rolling hands (Poon sau) practice we can detect when an opponents position is off. We must be relaxed and
sensitive to detect these things, then we must have the timing to attack with speed and power.

When close range skills are mastered there is no fear of arm contact with an opponent. After that, total
concentration can be given to how to make contact with the opponent. This involves the study of structure and
entry methods, and most of all, timing. The second form of Wing Chun, the wooden dummy and free style
sparring teach how to enter properly so the sticking hands skills of Wing Chun can be applied.

From a few simple concepts, such as the shortest distance between two points is a straight-line and the
concept of economy, quite an elaborate art has evolved.

Someone knowing the ideas behind Wing Chun can create counter-concepts just as in Chess, where
some players occupy the center and others try to destroy it from the flanks. This is part of the fun, to outwit each
other. However, once in contact there is not much room for error, not much time to change from this move to that
move.

Many if not all of the center control theories of chess also apply to Wing Chun. Fencing does not use the
concept of placing something in the center or they will get beat fast (another discussion). Some other Chinese
styles think like fencing people and tend to sweep attacks aside from one corner of the four quadrants instead of
from the center position. Using two arms instead of having one fencing foil changes the rules of the game.
These are just a few quick thoughts which are in no way a complete or hole-proof theory. Another topic not
discussed is the location of hitting targets along the vertical center line. Also, in fact, there are many lines of
balance which are used, as explained above, even during sweeping, off balancing and while ground fighting.
Different Wing Chun lines may have different viewpoints on this subject. Tai Chi is also a center searching art, but
the mechanics are not the same and probably conflict with Wing Chun theories.
We would view Tai Chi as violating some of our principles but we say that the Tai Chi system probably has ways
to compensate for what we consider a weakness. From the Tai Chi point of view the elbows in the center do not
seem like a good idea, but we have ways to compensate for this weakness perceived by the Tai Chi practitioner.

5 wing chun ideas

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1.

PositionGet into an advantageous position.

If someone is behind you with a hand wrapped around your neck, they have the advantage. If your opponent
occupies the center, they have the advantage. The first step to fighting is to get into a better position than your
opponent. This applies whether you are standing up or on the ground. On the ground, try to relax and squirm your
way into a better position. In standup mode, take control of the center.

2.

Sensitivity/FeelingDont use crude barbaric brute force methods to smash your way through an
opponents defenses. Dont think you can just rely on speed. Relax and feel what is happening first.
Brute methods wont work against larger, stronger opponents. This is why people talk about being soft, relaxing
and going with the flow. Its why Wing Chun people spend thousands of hours trying to master sticking hands. It is
why they say Wing Chun is a womans art. Wing Chun is gentle enough for a woman, yet strong enough for a
man!

3.

TimingWithout proper timing you will not succeed. Timing depends on the ability to recognize subtle
fighting signals. Proper timing can only be attained from much practice.
Real combat has the important element called timing. In fighting there are windows of opportunity that you detect
using your senses. When you detect such a window you must attack quickly or else the opportunity is lost.

Sometimes you only have one split second chance. Sometimes you have to wait patiently before an opportunity
occurs. Sometimes you have to set up the attack.
4.

SpeedYou can defeat strength but not speed.

Speed and strength are always important factors in fighting. Soft neutralization methods were designed to handle
the factor of strength. Even then, there are limits to how much strength you can handle. If your positioning is
incorrect, you will always lose to strength. If an attack is as fast as a bullet, of course you cant deflect it. By
sticking, you can neutralize the speed factor. If you are close, but not touching the opponent, then whoever
attacks first will win. If you are touching, or if the distance is greater, then the reverse is often true.

5.

StrengthWhen skills are equal, the stronger opponent will have the advantage.
The stronger opponent has the advantage, but sometimes skill can compensate.

About techniques
by leung yee tai on , under principles

A common question that arises in Wing Chun is whether the Wing Chun system has this move or that move. We
call this technique oriented thinking. What is meant by techniques oriented thinking is a thought process like: If
the opponent does this movement, then I counter with this movement. Another example of such thinking are
questions like: How do I handle a boxer, a Karate expert, an Aikido man? What about Thai boxing or the deadly
Indonesian fighting arts? Such questions are endless. In technique oriented thinking, you try to think which
technique will counter the other technique. Although this kind of thinking is necessary for the beginner, it should
eventually be discarded in favor of more abstract thinking. Think of an opponent as a force coming at you. You
have basic tools like mobility, timing, dis- tancing, and shifting for dealing with forces. Take the example of a dog.
A dog like a Pit Bull does not care what opponent he is facing. It just clamps onto anything it can get a hold of. A
dog uses general built-in fighting principles. Likewise, Wing Chun uses general principles and concepts to deal
with an opponent from any style or background. The underlying principle is to hit the opponent as fast as you can.
If what you are doing is economical, then that is good. If it is not, then you will find out fast. Technique oriented
thinking limits your art too much; it is only our imagination and not the art which restricts us. There is a
misconception that Wing Chun has a limited number of movements and that it cant grapple. As soon as you
make Wing Chun a style, you will be beaten because of that style. Therefore, as Bruce Lee said, Have no way as
your way, and Have no style as your style. This doesnt mean to mix 10 styles together, but within your style do
not be robotic.

principles
Why we need principles?
by leung yee tai on , under principles

by Yvette Wong
When I first studied Wing Chun, I had no idea what principles meant or how they related to fighting. My fighting
was very instinctive. I won mostly by out-speeding my opponent, not recognizing that I had many holes in my
defense. Once I understood principles, my Wing Chun fighting improved dramatically. I now fight with principles in
mind, which makes my fighting more economical in movement and also requires less energy.

The idea of using principles first dawned on me while I was designing a womans self defense course based on
Wing Chun. These principles helped the women in the course to have a fighting chance. From my own
experience, these principles also helped me in my Wing Chun fights. Before, when I fought with very stiff males, I
used to struggle against that hardness. I realized how ridiculous that was. Because of my understanding of the
idea of soft against hard, I now just let that hardness be hard, and I just crawl on top. I visualized the situation like
a cat walking on top of a wall; me being the cat and the hardness being the wall. So instead of pounding, trying to
break the wall, just walk over the wall.
When some of my students encounter stiff controlling arms, they immediately struggle to break loose. They want
to break away from that force. Instead of trying that, I advise them to think of other ways. For example, go over
the hand, go under it, sneak through it. Act like as if you were a slippery snake. These are all principles of Wing
Chun.
With strong people, I have to change quickly so that the opponent cant grab me. In sticking hands, strong
opponents often try to grab. To realistically stop a grab, I have no alternative but to hit my opponent hard with my
elbow or anything else that I have free.
Principles can definitely improve anyones fighting. Even just thinking about the principles can make a significant
difference to your Wing Chun. Physical training alone, without the brainwork, is just not enough!

Why we need principles?

by leung yee tai on , under principles

by Yvette Wong
When I first studied Wing Chun, I had no idea what principles meant or how they related to fighting. My fighting
was very instinctive. I won mostly by out-speeding my opponent, not recognizing that I had many holes in my
defense. Once I understood principles, my Wing Chun fighting improved dramatically. I now fight with principles in
mind, which makes my fighting more economical in movement and also requires less energy.
The idea of using principles first dawned on me while I was designing a womans self defense course based on
Wing Chun. These principles helped the women in the course to have a fighting chance. From my own
experience, these principles also helped me in my Wing Chun fights. Before, when I fought with very stiff males, I
used to struggle against that hardness. I realized how ridiculous that was. Because of my understanding of the
idea of soft against hard, I now just let that hardness be hard, and I just crawl on top. I visualized the situation like
a cat walking on top of a wall; me being the cat and the hardness being the wall. So instead of pounding, trying to
break the wall, just walk over the wall.
When some of my students encounter stiff controlling arms, they immediately struggle to break loose. They want
to break away from that force. Instead of trying that, I advise them to think of other ways. For example, go over
the hand, go under it, sneak through it. Act like as if you were a slippery snake. These are all principles of Wing
Chun.
With strong people, I have to change quickly so that the opponent cant grab me. In sticking hands, strong
opponents often try to grab. To realistically stop a grab, I have no alternative but to hit my opponent hard with my
elbow or anything else that I have free.
Principles can definitely improve anyones fighting. Even just thinking about the principles can make a significant
difference to your Wing Chun. Physical training alone, without the brainwork, is just not enough!

5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1.

2.

Attack and Defend Wing Chun is based on the theory of economy of motion. The idea is to move as
little as possible when defending, so that your energy is conserved and your actions are quicker.A principle
in Wing Chun is to attack and defend at the same time. Try not to employ two or more steps to handle an attack.
The more complex an action, the more chance that the opponent will counter your action before you complete it.
The sooner you can counter-attack your opponent, the safer it is for you. It is much easier for the opponent to
keep attacking you than it is for him to also defend.
Hit Continuously In movie style fighting the opponent throws a punch, the defender blocks the punch,
hits back and then stops to await the opponents next move.In realistic fighting this two step stop and start action
is too slow. Wing Chun employs continuous non-stop hitting. Once you hesitate, even for an instant, you are
bound to get hit.
Continuous fighting is developed in the sticking hands training. First you learn simple techniques; then you learn
to string them together into sentences or continuous sequences; next you learn to apply these sentences in
accordance with the opponents movements.
Whenever you are stuck, dont hesitate, change immediately to another movement. A useful drill is to have your
partner hold out two arms while you continuously apply slapping, grabbing, and hitting actions. This is difficult at
first, but comes with practice.

3.

Four Quadrant Theory An attack can be defined as any kind of force coming your way. Your opponent
is unpredictable, meaning that an attacking force can be directed to any area of the body.Wing Chun reduces the
complexity of trying to intercept an attack by dividing the upper body into four quadrants or regions. The four
quadrants are defended by the arms which are strategically placed so as to reach any quadrant in the same
amount of time. With the elbow remaining fixed in the center, the time to intercept an attack or to recover from a
mistake is reduced.
The region below the four quadrants is not defended by the hands, but is defended by means of intercepting leg
movements or by means of moving the stance to evade the force.
From a side view, Wing Chun further divided the body into a front guarding region and a rear guarding region. An
attack which slips past the front guard is caught by the rear guard.

4.

Have A Guarding Hand In Wing Chun we normally have two lines of defense in the form of a front
guarding hand and a rear guarding hand. In Cantonese, the guarding hand or hand of protection is called a Wu
Sau.If you occupy the center with a guarding hand, it is difficult for the opponent to attack. The opponent must
somehow go around the guarding hands to attack.
If the opponent attacks to the upper left or right gates, we can use the Tan Sau, Kwun sau, Bong sau or a center
line palm hit to defend.
If the opponent removes the guarding hand, we replace it with the other hand. If both hands are trapped, then use
body shifting or elbow techniques to break out. If this still fails, then wait for an opportunity to attack.

5.

Use Structure to Defend The muscles are used to attack, the structure is used for defense. What
does this mean?If you use your muscles to push against an incoming force, your muscles are tense and cannot
be used for attacking until they relax. Therefore, Wing Chun likes to keep the muscles in a relaxed state at all
times.
If you place your bones at certain angles, you can deflect an incoming force while still keeping your muscles
relaxed. Therefore, they are always ready to hit, grab or jerk.
Against a strong forward force, use a structural technique and not a pushing force to control it. A Fook sau is an
example of a structural hand technique which can be used to control a strong force while keeping the muscles
relaxed.

5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1.

2.

Attack and Defend Wing Chun is based on the theory of economy of motion. The idea is to move as
little as possible when defending, so that your energy is conserved and your actions are quicker.A principle
in Wing Chun is to attack and defend at the same time. Try not to employ two or more steps to handle an attack.
The more complex an action, the more chance that the opponent will counter your action before you complete it.
The sooner you can counter-attack your opponent, the safer it is for you. It is much easier for the opponent to
keep attacking you than it is for him to also defend.
Hit Continuously In movie style fighting the opponent throws a punch, the defender blocks the punch,
hits back and then stops to await the opponents next move.In realistic fighting this two step stop and start action

is too slow. Wing Chun employs continuous non-stop hitting. Once you hesitate, even for an instant, you are
bound to get hit.
Continuous fighting is developed in the sticking hands training. First you learn simple techniques; then you learn
to string them together into sentences or continuous sequences; next you learn to apply these sentences in
accordance with the opponents movements.
Whenever you are stuck, dont hesitate, change immediately to another movement. A useful drill is to have your
partner hold out two arms while you continuously apply slapping, grabbing, and hitting actions. This is difficult at
first, but comes with practice.
3.

Four Quadrant Theory An attack can be defined as any kind of force coming your way. Your opponent
is unpredictable, meaning that an attacking force can be directed to any area of the body.Wing Chun reduces the
complexity of trying to intercept an attack by dividing the upper body into four quadrants or regions. The four
quadrants are defended by the arms which are strategically placed so as to reach any quadrant in the same
amount of time. With the elbow remaining fixed in the center, the time to intercept an attack or to recover from a
mistake is reduced.
The region below the four quadrants is not defended by the hands, but is defended by means of intercepting leg
movements or by means of moving the stance to evade the force.
From a side view, Wing Chun further divided the body into a front guarding region and a rear guarding region. An
attack which slips past the front guard is caught by the rear guard.

4.

Have A Guarding Hand In Wing Chun we normally have two lines of defense in the form of a front
guarding hand and a rear guarding hand. In Cantonese, the guarding hand or hand of protection is called a Wu
Sau.If you occupy the center with a guarding hand, it is difficult for the opponent to attack. The opponent must
somehow go around the guarding hands to attack.
If the opponent attacks to the upper left or right gates, we can use the Tan Sau, Kwun sau, Bong sau or a center
line palm hit to defend.
If the opponent removes the guarding hand, we replace it with the other hand. If both hands are trapped, then use
body shifting or elbow techniques to break out. If this still fails, then wait for an opportunity to attack.

5.

Use Structure to Defend The muscles are used to attack, the structure is used for defense. What
does this mean?If you use your muscles to push against an incoming force, your muscles are tense and cannot
be used for attacking until they relax. Therefore, Wing Chun likes to keep the muscles in a relaxed state at all
times.
If you place your bones at certain angles, you can deflect an incoming force while still keeping your muscles
relaxed. Therefore, they are always ready to hit, grab or jerk.
Against a strong forward force, use a structural technique and not a pushing force to control it. A Fook sau is an
example of a structural hand technique which can be used to control a strong force while keeping the muscles
relaxed.
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5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1. Evade a Strong Force

There is a limit to how much force any particular technique can handle. No matter how strong the stance or how
precise the angle of the hands, there will be a force strong enough to get through. Master Wong Kiu expressed
this thought by saying You cannot block a motorcycle with a Bong sau. It just cant be done.
Wing Chun teaches some direct confrontation techniques in terms of blocking kicks or roundhouse punches;
however, when the attacks are too strong, then alternative methods must be used. The advantage of direct
confrontation techniques is that they are faster than going with the flow methods.
One of the best remedies against a strong force such as a spinning kick or wild hook punch is not to be there
when it arrives. You always risk getting hurt when you clash with a strong force.
2. Combined Strength

There is a Chinese term called Garb Lik which means combined strength. This term means not to have one
passive hand and one active hand. For example, dont hold someones arm with one hand while hitting high and
low with the other hand. The holding hand is passive while the hitting hand is active.
The punch at the end of the second set or the Bong sau actions in the second set illustrate the combined strength
concept. When you punch, there is also an equal strength put into the Wu sau or Guarding hand. When you apply
the Bong sau or Wing hand, you also put a strong instantaneous force into the guarding hand.
In the double sticking hands, when you do a center palm hit, dont have a weak high Fook sau or else the
opponent can hit you by changing his Wing hand to a neck chopping hand. Always have Garb Lik in all of your
actions.
3. Use Body Position
During fighting practice, the opponent may have you jammed up so that your hand actions cannot be applied. In
such cases, a shift of the body can sometimes change the angles in such a way that you again have room to
maneuver.
If shifting does not help, you may still be able to move the stance in such a way as to offbalance the opponent.
Even a slight change in position can sometimes give you another chance to hit.
Seemingly hopeless situations, such as where your opponent has grabbed your kicking leg, can sometimes be
remedied by changing the body position. In this case, dropping to the ground in order to kick the opponents joint
with the other leg.
In Wing Chun, it is not only the hands which provide shocking forces. When you are being trapped, violent
rotations of the body combined with the use of the elbow can sometimes save the day. Think of trying to hold on
to a wiggling fish.
4. Be Direct
There are sayings in the martial art world such as Use Soft Against Hard and Go With the Flow. These
principles are useful when handling large forces. When the forces are not large, such as the case of a
roundhouse punch thrown by a similar sized opponent, it is often much quicker to clash directly with the attack so
that you hit the opponent immediately.
If you are confident with your technique and can handle the opponents force, then you can just charge in directly
to the opponents center. Provided you are able to keep to the center, you will have no problems.
Use common sense to figure out under what circumstances the general principles of Wing Chun apply. These
principles were often sayings to help people remember what to do. If you stick too dogmatically to a saying, then
you could also be done in by it.
5. Restrict Movement
The most dangerous opponent is one who is at close range with free use of both arms and legs. At high speeds it
is not possible to predict or deflect all attacks. You are bound to get hit. World champion boxers are not able to
avoid all hits.
When in close contact with the opponent, try to restrict the opponents movement. This increases your chances
and decreases those of the opponent. Use one arm to control two. Use Gum sau or Pressing hand to control the
elbow of the opponent. When at close range, use your leg to trap the opponents leg so that he cannot kick. There
is a famous saying, Allow the opponents useless actions, but prevent his useful actions. If you try to control the
opponent totally, then he will fight much harder than usual.
kuen kuit, principlesLeave a Commentmore...

5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

Much of the advice a student receives seems contradictory. However, it is usually just a matter of
knowing under which circumstances the advice applies.

Elbow Wrist
l. Always compress at the elbow.
2. Always slap at the wrist.
Some Wing Chun schools say to always apply the slapping hand to the elbow or else you will lose. Others apply it
at the wrist. However, every application of a movement has its pros and cons. The use of a particular movement
often depends on the circumstance. Applying the wrist slap you gain more leverage, and you keep further away
from the opponent, but you must also be ready for the opponents arm to collapse into an elbow strike. Applying
the elbow slap avoids this elbow attack, however, a smaller person may not be able to reach or to compress the
opponents elbow.

Firm Mobile
1. Keep in a very firm stance. Dont move.
2. Dont be a sitting duck. Be very mobile in your stance. If you get pushed, just go with it.
Beginners often move their stance too much. Every hand technique is preceded by a telegraphing movement
from the stance, thus, the techniques are always too slow. Weak stances cause beginners to be easily off
balanced by their opponents. It also reduces the force of the beginners attacks.
In Wing Chun, you learn to use your body structure to its maximum force receiving capability. If the force is still
excessive, the stance gives way. The collapse often happens so rapidly that the opponent is thrown off balance
for a short duration. This gives you a chance for attack.

Wrist Whole Arm

1. When you do the Chum sau, just use the wrist, dont use the whole arm.
2. When you do the Chum sau, you must use the whole arm to get enough force.
When the beginner is taught the Chum sau in the single sticking hand exercise, he is instructed to use only the
wrist action. Instead he often uses the crude action of pushing down stiffly with the whole arm, and therefore, is
not learning to use the force of the wrist. Once you are able to generate force from the wrist joint, only then do you
add more joints to increase force.

Ask Just practice

1. Ask questions. Find out why you are doing something?
2. Dont ask questions, just practice. Talk is a waste of time.
There is always a balance between practice and theory. Too little of either doesnt produce the intended result.
Beginners often ask questions which are beyond the level of what they are learning. They want to know how they
can beat a boxer, a wrestler, a Karate expert, etc. They want to know everything except what they are supposed
to learn. Instead of using their own minds to analyze the problem, they ask what to do every time they are stuck.
This kind of questioning is a waste of time.
On the other hand, a student that asks no questions may be showing that he is not bright enough to comprehend
what is being taught. Some instructors will only give you the information that you ask for.

Close Far
1. Get close to the opponent. Never use the long hand techniques of Wing Chun. Keep the elbows close.
2. Dont let the opponent past the first stage of your hand.
Wing Chun divides the arm into three stages; the hand to the wrist is the first stage, the wrist to the elbow is the
second stage, and the elbow to the shoulder is the third stage. The saying, Dont let the opponent past the first
stage of the hand, means once the opponent enters past the first stage, you must attack or retreat. The use of
this principle prevents non-stoppable critical distance hits, and gives room to maneuver by not letting the
opponents hand closer in than your extended wrist. Once you attack how- ever you get in as close as possible
and use your full array of techniques. They say attack the opponent through the second stage. When you attack,
try to control the opponents arm (near his elbow) for as long as possible. This reduces his chances for counterattack.

kuen kuit, principlesLeave a Commentmore...

5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1. Keep Calm and Relaxed

One of the hardest things to master in Wing Chun is to stay calm and relaxed in a pressure situation. If you are
not relaxed, then it is more difficult to change quickly. Also, you will tire at a much quicker rate. When you are
tense, you can easily be controlled by the opponent.
Wing Chun relies on suppleness and sensitivity of touch in order to detect what the opponents next action will be.
When you are tense, this is no longer possible except in a very crude way.
A relaxed martial artist is much more effective overall. The idea of learning fighting as an art is to be in total
control of yourself, as well as your opponent.
The best way to master the relaxed way of combat is to practice slowly and accurately. Try to understand your art
completely and experiment with forces in a controlled manner.
2. Dont Telegraph
An unpredictable attack is much harder to handle than one that is prearranged. If you know what the opponent is
going to do, then it is easy to find a solution.
The Wing Chun sticking hands training develops a soft sensitive force detection system which lets you know
everything about your opponents intentions, without letting the opponent know anything about yours. In this way,
your opponents moves are predictable but yours are not.
In order not to telegraph, you must stay very relaxed at all times. Never pull your hand back to hit. Dont wind up.
Hit from wherever your hand is.
Attack only when the opponent has made a mistake. This gives you a timing advantage.
Always monitor your own muscle tenseness. Ask yourself if you are relaxed or tense. Abdominal breathing helps
to stay relaxed.
3. Use Economy of Movement
An attack is defind as any kind of force coming your way. In general fighting, the opponent is
unpredictable;meaning that an attack can be directed to any part of the body.
Wing Chun reduces the complexity of trying to intercept an attack by dividing the upper body into four quadrants
or regions. The four quadrants are defended by the arms which are strategically placed so as to reach any
quadrant in the same amount of time. With the elbow remaining fixed in the center, the time to intercept an attack
or to recover from a mistake is reduced.
The region below the four quadrants is not defended by the hands, but is defended by means of intercepting leg
movements or by means of moving the stance to evade the force.
From a side view, Wing Chun further divides the body into a front guarding region and a rear guarding region. An
attack which slips past the front guard is caught by the rear guard.
4. Keep to the Center
Wing Chun seeks to dominate the center. This is done by always keeping a guarding hand in the center and also
by keeping the elbow in the center.
It is advantageous to attack the opponents center, because it is easier to hit the target. Also, the full force will be
received instead of being deflected. An additional advantage is that a shorter distance is traveled.
It is advantageous to defend the center by occupying it, because two things cant occupy the center at the same
time. If you occupy the center, then your opponent cant. By defending the center, you can defend each of the four
quadrants in the same amount of time.

Try to use shifting and suppleness to control the center, and not brute strength.
5. Remove the Obstruction
Wing Chun attacks by sending a straight force towards the opponent. If that force is obstructed by some kind of a
block, then remove the obstruction.
Use the techniques of :
Pak sau slap off the obstruction Lap sau grab the obstruction Huen sau go around the obstruction
Shifting your stance may help to create a more suitable angle for attack.
If you cannot remove the obstruction, then try to stick.

5 principles of wing chun

by leung yee tai on , under principles

1.

Receive What Comes The saying Receive What Comes, or If the Attack Comes, then Meet it, means
that if the opponent initiates the attack then you should meet the attack with an attack response of your own.For
example, if the opponent throws a straight punch, then meet the punch with a thrusting hand or Bil sau movement
directed towards the opponents center. Alternatively, you can apply a palm up hand (Tan sau) and punch.
If you immediately counterattack, then the opponent risks getting hit. This places him on the defensive and slows
down his attacking action.
By meeting the opponents attack, you are simply engaging the opponents force so that you can determine the
next actions based on what you feel. When you feel the opponents force, you can tell if it is strong, weak, stiff,
sticky, soft, centered, off-centered, etc. Your next action depends on what you feel.

2.

Follow What Goes The saying Follow what goes, means that if the opponent withdraws his force, then
you must stick to the opponent and hit. As long as you are sticking with the opponent, you are unlikely to lose.If
you do not stick with the opponent, then you have lost an important indicator of what will happen next. The
indicator is your sense of touch. Upon loss of contact, the opponent can kick or perform many kinds of deceptive
hand techniques which are bound to succeed.
If the opponent retreats the stance, then you rush in with your stance. If you just stand there, then you will get
kicked. If you decide to retreat, then you must again close the gap between you and the opponent. Since this part
is less scientific than sticking hands fighting, you risk getting hurt in the clash.
In the sticking hands training, you can practice retreating while your partner chases and sticks.

3.

4.

No Contact Rush In The saying, Rush in upon loss of contact, means to hit straight if arm contact
disappears. Imagine being blindfolded. Your hands are in contact with the opponents hands. You can detect and
feel every movement that the opponent is about to make. Now imagine that there is a loss of hand contact. You
do not know where the opponents hands are. You have no sensory clues about what is going to happen next.
You are bound to get hit.Close range fighting is often like the blindfolded case. Your visual system cant always
see what is going on because the action it too rapid or the vision is blocked (the action is too close). If you
maintain a slight forward pressure directly towards the center line of the opponent and strike in a straight line
upon loss of hand contact, then you will hit the opponent first. The reason is that a straight line is shorter than a
curved line. If you are in the center, the opponent must travel a curved line to disengage.
Make The First Move The saying Make the first move to have control, is also expressed as If he stays
I go. What these expressions mean is that, if the opponent is facing you and does nothing, then dont hesitate,
but attack right away. Otherwise, you may be tricked by an opponent who has figured you out. The intention of
your attack is to make contact with the opponent. Once you have made contact, then you can use your
knowledge from the sticking hands to win.What the above saying does not mean is to just rush in recklessly
without fear of getting hurt. If you are weaker than your opponent or slower, or if you dont know anything abut
how your opponent fights, then you stand to get hit. In Wing Chun, advance slowly and cautiously toward the
opponent, always threatening him. At the right moment, suddenly charge. The right moment may occur during an
attention lapse or during the time an opponent tenses up, or at the completion of an opponents movement. Lift
the leg immediately against a low kick.

5.

Use Proper Timing The saying Attack according to timing, is meant as a caution to not just blindly
rush in.The Wing Chun idea of how to attack is like a cat trying to get a mouse. The cat sneaks up very slowly to
the mouse. The closer the cat gets, the more careful the cat gets. Once the cat is close enough, then the cat does
an explosive forward springing action to get the mouse.