Wing Chun Syllabus

Wing Chun Syllabus A basic description of the Wing Chun syllabus contains the three open hand forms of Siu Lim Tau (Little Imagination), Chum Kiu (Seeking the Bridge), Biu Jee (Thrusting Fingers), Chi Sau (Sticky Hands), and the Mok Yan Jong (Wooden Dummy Form). There are also the weapon forms for the Luk Dim Boon Guan (Long Pole) and the Baht Jam Doa (Double Knives). It is a common misconception that one completes the art of Wing Chun after learning the above syllabus. There is actually much more to Wing Chun than just this. Just regarding the forms, there is an additional dummy form for the eight Wing Chun kicks called Buhn Jee Jong (tri-pole kicking dummy). Also various dummy forms for the Long Pole and Double Knives must be trained. And still, even after learning all of the forms and sticky hand drills, one cannot yet claim to have learned the whole Wing Chun system. For instance, learning Chi Sau (Sticky Hands) is more of a stepping-stone that prepares one for training fighting applications. Chi Sau trains one’s reflex, sensitivity, coordination, mobility, and non-stop movement. Chi Sau also trains one in the concept of coverage, which is important for simultaneous offense and defense. I would also like to stress that the forms alone cannot be employed as-is for fighting. Even after one has learned all the forms, one must employ “Chahk Kuen” and “Chahk Jong”. These two terms mean to break down the individual techniques and movements contained within the forms, and recombine them with other techniques/movements for application in fighting. In addition, Wing Chun has special training methods called “Dah San Jong” and “Dah Wai” which employ the recombined techniques from “Chahk Kuen” and “Chahk Jong”. “Dah San Jong” means to apply the recombined techniques on a “live dummy”. The “live dummy” is an opponent who will attack you using different techniques, both from Wing Chun or from other styles. “Dah Wai” is similar to “Dah San Jong” except the Wing Chun practicioner is confronted with more than one opponent. The recombined techniques may appear different from how they are played in the forms. This is because the forms are just a rudimentary foundation to Wing Chun, just like the English alphabet is to the English language. For example, the letter “B” holds no inherent meaning on its own. But when combined with the letters “A” and “T”, the three letters can spell out the word “BAT”. This word may contain several different meanings. If one rearranges the order of the letters, another word ”TAB”, with different meanings and applications, can be spelled. It is also necessary to point out that no one letter is more important than another. A similar approach holds true for the forms in Wing Chun. No one form is more important or more advanced than the next. No one can speak English just with the alphabet alone. There are other factors that affect a language, such as vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. As such, no one can fight in a form because fighting involves more than just forms.

As “Chahk Kuen” is important to better understand the application of some techniques in the forms, “Chahk Jong” is also very important for understanding the Mok Yan Jong (Wooden Dummy Form). The techniques from the Wooden Dummy Form also cannot be used as in the form when fighting. This is because, unlike a fighting opponent, the wooden dummy is inanimate. Although it has two arms and one leg, the arms and leg cannot move, even when they are hit. Nor will they hit you back. It follows, then, that the application of technique in the form must again be different from that employed in actual fighting. Many techniques in fighting application are completely beyond what one may imagine when attempting to interpret the forms. As we start to see this amazing progression from form to fighting, we begin to realize how ingenious the previous generations of Wing Chun practitioners must have been in designing these techniques centuries ago. In addition to Chahk Kuen, Chahk Jong, Dah San Jong, and Dah Wai, Wing Chun also has many other exercises and training methods. Although all based upon scientific principles, the actual training does not require sophisticated equipment. These training methods are for the sake of developing Gung Lek. Unfortunately there has been much effort in mystifying this concept. Gung Lek is a method of generating a specific type of power. For example, a power-lifter’s legs are specifically trained to lift large amounts of weight. In contrast, a runner’s legs are also very strong but are trained more for speed and endurance. Gung Lek training in Wing Chun is designed to maximize the power and speed of Wing Chun techniques. If one does not have the physical ability to back up technical prowess, then one has but a mere shell of a martial art. As such, the Chinese have a famous martial arts saying, Lien Kuen But Lien Gung Doh Lo Yut Cheung Hung. This can be translated as If you diligently practice your martial art with Gung Lek, you will have substance in your kung-fu, instead of an empty shell and a dream of what you could have been in your twilight years. Due to time constraints, I must stop here. When time allows, I will write more about Wing Chun in future articles. We will dig deeper in our discussion of Wing Chun theory and some of the training curricula. We will also show that explanation must be backed up by practical application. In the next article, I would like to discuss some basic Wing Chun theories and concepts. To conclude, I reiterate that this article is based merely on my experiences and point of view. If the reader feels there are discrepancies, or inaccuracies, please feel free to voice your opinion. My philosophy towards Wing Chun and how to teach the art results from and reflects the teachings of my SiFus, the late Grandmaster Yip Man, SiFu Lok Yiu and SiFu Duncan S.H. Leung. Essence of Wing Chun According to legend, Wing Chun kung fu originated from the Shaolin Temple in China, around 300 years ago, during the end of Emperor Yung Jeng’s reign. Ng Mui, already

an accomplished martial artist, developed the core ideas and philosophies of what is now Wing Chun kung fu after witnessing the fateful encounter between a crane and a snake. Ng Mui observed that the snake, though possessing no limbs, was able to skillfully defend itself. The snake would lure the crane into initiating the first move by coiling up its body while constantly moving its head. The snake remained deadly calm, poised for the most opportune time to swiftly attack. The crane used the opposite tactic. It would make a lot of movements to distract the snake while also waiting for the right moment to launch an attack. The crane would jump up and down and side-to-side to avoid the snake and to bait it into initiating the first attack. The crane would smack the advancing snake aside with its wings and immediately follow up by attacking with its beak. It would also lure the snake further within the range of its deadly beak by dancing back. Once the snake took the bait, the crane would immediately lash out with one of its talons and follow up with its beak. Ng Mui thought that this battle demonstrated an awesome display of strategy and technique. It was through this battle’s edification that Ng Mui received an epiphany: to apply the strategy and techniques of the crane and snake into human combat. Although the battle between the crane and snake provided the inspiration for Ng Mui’s ideas for combat, Ng Mui did not use the specific motions of the two animals as a basis for her new system, but rather only the strategies she observed in the encounter. Whether through chance or fate, Ng Mui had the opportunity to pass on her newfound knowledge to a girl named Yim Wing Chun. It seemed preordained that Yim Wing Chun be Ng Mui’s successor, for she possessed both a deep, diligent passion for martial arts and an innate genius for understanding martial arts and its application in real combat. Yim Wing Chun undertook much hard work and research to refine and expand upon Ng Mui’s ideas and philosophies through numerous challenges and conflicts. Yim Wing Chun took the teachings of Ng Mui and created what would be the beginnings of Wing Chun kung fu. In order to memorialize and forever recognize her incredible achievements, people called this once nameless martial art system, Wing Chun. Wing Chun cannot strictly be considered an independent style. This is because before Yim Wing Chun developed her own system, she already had a foundation in southern Shaolin martial arts. It is believed that Yim Wing Chun had a foundation of Fukien Shaolin kung fu prior to her studies with Ng Mui. This is why we consider Wing Chun kung fu as merely a branch of Shaolin. In fact, many Chinese martial arts can trace their roots back to Shaolin. The arts of Hung Ga, Choy Li Fut, Mok Ga, Praying Mantis, White Eyebrow, Hap Ga, Jow Ga, Eagle Claw, and numerous others are also branches of Shaolin. Each of these styles emphasizes different aspects of the Shaolin art. It is only when later generations of martial arts practitioners divided and categorized these different aspects that these “styles” came into existence. The Chinese people have a saying: “mahn faht gwai jung, yut sui lam.” Simply put, this phrase means that

all styles flow back to Shaolin, which is not unlike the ancient saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” Actually, all styles have their own special emphases and advantages. It is very important for a martial arts practitioner to have an open mind when encountering other ideas and streams of knowledge. This should be done with humility and thorough research, so that our quest for knowledge may remain sincere. A mutual comparison and exchange of ideas with other martial artists of any style can help you gain a clearer perception of both the advantages and disadvantages of your own martial art. This will not only result in a better understanding of your opponent, but also of yourself. This relentless research and self-examination is essential for taking martial arts to a higher level, improving upon the art until it can gain universal popularity. This kind of insight cannot be achieved by isolating oneself from other ideas while learning. Thanks to the extensive research, review, and real, practical fighting experiences of past generations of Wing Chun practitioners, an accumulation of knowledge and real application allowed Wing Chun to evolve and be refined into an amalgam containing the best of these ideas. Although Wing Chun theory is very scientific and systematic in its approach, the application of Wing Chun is simple. Unlike many other styles, Wing Chun techniques do not try to imitate the movements of animals such as tigers and monkeys. Although it is commonly believed that the movements of a crane and snake in battle inspired Wing Chun, it should be noted that only the idea and not the actual movement was incorporated into Wing Chun. Because we are humans and not tigers or monkeys, we cannot hope to gain the ability to pounce like a tiger, jump like a monkey or coil up like a snake. No matter how diligently we train, our hands will always remain human. Human hands cannot possibly be like the claws of a tiger or the deadly talons of an eagle; nor will one be able to grow taller or that much bigger through training. This is because the human body is limited. If one attempts to imitate an animal, the movements will be much harder to learn and perfect because, as humans, we are not designed for specialization in their movements. It follows that a great amount of time can be consumed in attempting movements that humans are not born to do. This is why Wing Chun techniques are designed to accommodate the structure and capabilities of the human body. The majority of sound scientific definition or theory is derived from observing conditions in nature. For example, Sir Isaac Newton observed an apple falling from a tree and later developed his theory of gravity. This is also the case in Wing Chun. The idea behind Wing Chun was inspired by watching an intense battle between a crane and snake. Furthermore, it uses the key hypothetical assumptions that we are smaller, slower, and weaker than our opponent. If we hold to these assumptions, we must then find a better, more clever way to conquer our adversary. We say that Wing Chun is scientific because any and all of our theories and techniques can be explained through principles of physics and/or geometry. There are

no mystical tricks or secret techniques that cannot be explained by universally proven scientific theory. Wing Chun is a complete system of training that includes elements such as confidence, theory, technique, speed, timing, distance, reflex, agility, stamina, coordination, power, strategy, etc. Without training all of these elements, you cannot honestly call what you train a complete martial art. Due to its scientific approach, Wing Chun has become a style that specifically emphasizes practical, real life application. Proper training in Wing Chun can offer a diligent practitioner decent, applicable combat ability in a relatively short period of time. It is this specialty that has made Wing Chun extremely famous in the martial arts field. However, martial arts are definitely not for everyone and even fewer people are able to excel at it. There are several criteria one must first fulfill in order to truly obtain the art of Wing Chun. Some of the most important are the following: 1. FATE: You must have the good fortune to meet a SiFu capable of passing on the knowledge to you. 2. THE RIGHT SIFU: Your SiFu must be able to apply Wing Chun in actual combat. For example, how can you trust someone to teach you how to swim if that person has never even tried to swim in the water? Your SiFu must also be willing to teach you wholeheartedly and without reserve. 3. PASSION: To be truly great at anything, you must first love whatever it is that you do. You must want to truly obtain Wing Chun in order to sacrifice so much time, money, and effort. 4. ADEQUATE FINANCES: Obviously you must, at the very least, be able to afford some type of tuition for the chance to learn. But the most important point of this criterion is that you must not have to worry about money if you are to devote yourself to Wing Chun. How can one seriously train in anything if you must worry about even how to put food on your table or how to keep a roof over your head? There is also the question of equipment and a place to train. All of this requires money. 5. TIME: This criterion is closely tied together with adequate finances in that you must have the luxury of time to seriously train. It takes several hours of proper training everyday to achieve the ability to apply Wing Chun in real combat. 6. PERSEVERANCE: The path to truly obtaining Wing Chun is filled with pain, difficulties, obstacles, and other unforeseen circumstances. You must have the mindset to meet and overcome all of these challenges. If you give up because of discomfort or injury, or if you cannot sacrifice socializing and your recreational time, you will never make it. 7. TRAINING PARTNERS: You must have access to a large number of training partners. This is because you must learn how to apply Wing Chun in such a manner that it will work against any type of opponent. It is also imperative that these training partners be willing to help you. 8. APPLICATION: Because Wing Chun is an art of combat, it is necessary to apply

the art in real fights. You can read all there is to know about swimming and practice the motions diligently in the air, but unless you actually get in the water and practice swimming, you may very well drown the first time you’re thrown in. So it is necessary to always ask yourself if you truly have and are able to apply Wing Chun in a real fight. The definition of a real fight is not necessarily one that involves defending your life. A friendly sparring match or competitions that are well regulated can also be considered as such. This is because you have no idea what the opponent is going to do. The only thing you do know is that the opponent will try to attack you. 9. AMBITION: You must have the ambition to always achieve more. The only way a style can progress is if each succeeding generation tries to surpass the previous generation. It is true that the succeeding generation may not always be able to surpass the last, but at least the style and art may be preserved. 10. FIDELITY: The quest for knowledge is an endless journey. As such, the desire to acquire knowledge must never be lost or there is the possibility that the knowledge may fade away entirely. In order to truly obtain Wing Chun, you must devote your entire life to the art. Your love for your art and style must never waver since it now rests on your shoulders to educate and enlighten the next generation as your SiFu has educated and trained you. The above criteria are paramount for truly obtaining Wing Chun. One should also note that these criteria are in no way complete. Due to these constraints, it is rare indeed to encounter a Wing Chun practitioner who has truly obtained the art. In addition to the above criteria, it should also be mentioned that the SiFu must believe that the student is worth teaching. The student must be of good character, sound temperament, and trustworthy. This is because the SiFu must also consider if the student is able to take on the role of being a SiFu to the next generation. He or she must be capable of perpetuating the art responsibly, and whether this is the case greatly influences how much a SiFu will teach his student. I should be clear that when a SiFu takes on a disciple, it is the beginning of a deep bond between the two that goes beyond that of just teacher and student. There is a Chinese saying, “yut yat wai Si, jung sung wai Fu”, which roughly translated means, even if only a day as my SiFu, the SiFu is my father for life. And so it is that the relationship between SiFu and disciple is akin to that of father and son. Each has a great responsibility to the other and each also has a great responsibility to society. Accordingly, the SiFu must determine how much of the art it is appropriate to pass to the disciple. Just because a SiFu takes on a disciple does not mean the SiFu should pass on all that he knows, for there are other factors to consider such as time and the disciples readiness, ability and, most importantly, character. Although a disciple can be effectively considered as the SiFu’s son, we should remember Wing Chun is a precious but deadly art. A disciple must have a deep appreciation of this and be of a sound, responsible disposition if he is to be chosen to continue its legacy.

A Brief Discussion of the Training Methods and Procedures of Wing Chun Kung Fu It is now almost 60 years since SiFu Yip Man 葉問宗師 established and initiated the art of Wing Chun Kung Fu in Hong Kong 香港, and we should appreciate and honor his lifetime of research and perseverance to maintain and preserve this secret Art of fighting. He arduously managed his unknown schools in a tumultuous period on this small island and fortune will not let down a man who does his best to hand down his comprehensive knowledge to his disciples. Under the cultivation of SiFu Yip Man, many outstanding students gained fame through diligent training and successful application of Wing Chun in numerous contests. As a result, the Wing Chun style became famous in Hong Kong. His descendants have since taught this art on all continents including Bruce Lee 李小龍 who single-handedly influenced and changed the way martial arts films were made. Bruce Lee’s fighting movies such as “Fists of Fury” 精武門, “Return of the Dragon” 猛龍過江, and “Enter the Dragon” 龍爭虎鬥, to name a few, continue to capture audiences to this day with his stunning fighting techniques and choreography. These extraordinary fight sequences are a magnificent demonstration of an explosive fighting art that can be traced back to the unique style of Wing Chun. In the years since, Wing Chun has become one of the most popular styles of Martial Arts in the world. As the Wing Chun family grows larger, it seems that there are many different and sometimes conflicting interpretations of our style in the Wing Chun community, yet I am absolutely sure that SiFu Yip Man taught one and only one Wing Chun to everyone. The causes of this disparity may be that most teachers have their own ideas, prefer to teach in their own way, have misconceptions of the original ideas of the Art, or all of the above. In Wing Chun we have basic techniques like Tan Sau 攤手, Bong Sau 膀手, Fook Sau 伏手, Gaan Sau 耕手, and Kwan Sau 綑手 which every practitioner will perform and in each instance may look alike. 形似 However, if you are careful enough to spend the time to properly explore the ideas and nuances behind these techniques to discover the differences in angles, structure, and position you will gain a better understanding of the ideas and applications of each. It is much better for us to accept and consider each other’s ideas so they can be analyzed, experimented with, and used to experience what-is-the-difference. This is the way to seek out the truth and improve in what you are doing. This is always my advice - to be more humble and more liberal in your approach to all things. Self righteousness 自以為是, arbitrary deference 武斷, and prejudice 偏見 will only prove to stop or drastically hinder your progress. With this article I am now trying to express some aspects of my approach and training methods for this style, all of which I have learned from my three SiFus, SiFu Lok Yiu 師傅駱耀, SiFu Yip Man 師傅葉問, and SiFu Duncan Shiu Hung Leung

師傅梁紹鴻. It is the approach and methods that I have determined to work for me. Whether or not you like or agree with it, please take what I have written here into consideration and if possible attempt to accept these different ideas to further your research. With an open mind, you can better further your knowledge and distinguish yourself in the field of Martial Arts. This approach to knowledge is not unique to Chinese philosophy and you will find the same advice in many cultures. As SiFu Duncan said, “I certainly do not claim to speak for the Wing Chun family, and would welcome any correction that is offered. That certainly would help me improve. It is my hope that many Wing Chun members will share their ideas with all of us, no matter who they have learned from.” If you want to learn something outstanding or special you must perform quite a lot of research and plan carefully to arrange the time, money, man power, and a decent environment (經濟, 天時, 地利, 人和) for your training before you even start to choose the right SiFu (teacher). Then, you have to find a SiFu who will wholeheartedly pass his precious knowledge to you and approach what you are going to learn properly as I have mentioned in my last two articles, ” Wing Chun Syllabus” 詠春課程 and ” Wing Chun Myths” 詠春的誤解. Wing Chun has three empty hand forms, sticky hands training, the wooden man dummy forms, the breakdown and usages of the wooden dummy techniques, Dar Wai 打圍, Sang Jong 生樁, the Tripoles Form 品字樁, the breakdown and usages of the Kicking techniques, and much more training. To fully earn this style will take years of honest study, perseverance, and dedication. Without a doubt, you will need advice along the way and an open mind to accept many different ideas to better yourself. Always remember that you will make many mistakes along the way and that the most important thing about a true quest for knowledge is considering it an endless journey. Accept the ideas you come across, compare them with what you know and try them out. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain through research and discussion. When you are training in the field of Wing Chun, think about what you are learning and do not be afraid to respectfully ask your SiFu, “Why?”, “How?”, or “How can I improve?”. This is not to question his knowledge, but if he can not or will not answer your questions it may be necessary to find another SiFu. There is nothing top secret in Wing Chun because every thing in the art can be explained scientifically or mathematically with physics, geometry, and anatomy. The only secret is to train hard. Every movement in the forms has certain meaning and numerous details behind it. According to the design of Wing Chun Kung Fu, each movement must be played properly and precisely while maintaining the centerline idea of each movement and with an understanding of these underlying meanings. Without understanding its origins, the form will simply be a series of techniques that look like Wing Chun, but lack spirit 有形無實. I touched on this idea in my DVD, Fundamental Wing Chun Kung Fu 基本實踐詠春拳簡介, which will be available soon on the internet. This introductory video is the first of a series in

which I will delve progressively deeper into the ideas and theories of Wing Chun. As my SiFu Yip Man told me, “Who I am is not important. The most important thing is what I teach you. If it works then it counts.” This statement is important to remember in order to make the art work for you. In the words of SiFu Yip Man, “Don’t believe what I tell you, use your common sense to learn, try it, use it, and find out for yourself.” In one’s quest to learn a martial art, it is often not only martial skills that are acquired. I make an effort to teach in such a manner as to develop strong problem solving abilities in my students. In Wing Chun, this means that they will use their knowledge of techniques, philosophy, strategy, etc., to most efficiently solve a problem in their training, or in a real fight. Students will learn how to stay calm and dispassionately look at the problem to analyze it as a whole to determine the most logical angle of approach, move on to determining the most efficient method for tackling it, and subsequently developing the most efficient procedure to achieve their goal of solving it. This mental acuity can be attributed to anything from building a shed to preparing for a corporate presentation and thus learning martial arts will strengthen many more aspects of a person in addition to their fighting prowess. Recently, my student published some clips on YouTUBE, and it created some debate. It is always our pleasure to accept criticism otherwise we will never improve, but unfortunately it seems there is some misunderstanding of what we are doing in our practice. While some have understood or attempted to understand our intentions, other viewers simply denied to accept the videos for even a little consideration. For instance, I would like to direct your attention to The Tan Dar and Guan Dar drill 攤打耕打. Our intention in this drill is not to say we fight like that. It is only a drill to help beginner students to build up good habits to respond to incoming techniques like swings to the upper gates or lower gates of their body. These drills should be considered as only the beginning of acquiring a basic understanding of simple techniques which breakdown from the Sil Nim Tao 小念頭. Students begin to learn to feel the area that is under attack and covering that area without looking at, reaching out, or blocking to the attack 睇手,招手, 擋格 (詠春拳訣:追身莫追手). Through these exercises, responding by reflex will be trained as well as performing defense and offense simultaneously. We shift the horse, thus keeping away a little bit to have more time to react, cover, and earn half a body length to reach further with the attacking punch. In an actual fight you don’t have to fight like this and there will be many ways to counter to this type of swing attack 外門手, such as with Tan Sau Dung Gerk 攤手蹬腳, throwing in the body with Taan Ma Tan Dar 標身彈馬攤打 (some people call it Triangle Horse 三角馬), Kwan Sau Dang Gerk 綑手釘腳, or many other options that would be suitable responses. This approach allows the student to train the basic ideas of Wing Chun, get used to being

attacked, and to keep in mind that we are always to consider that we are smaller, slower, and less powerful than our opponents. With this in mind, the student will learn to choose the most intelligent and efficient way to conquer their adversary and in the mean time build up good habits, practice correct technique 正當手法, develop coordination 協調, learn to understand and feel proper structure 身形步法, and develop muscle memory 慣性動作. There is no technique better than the other techniques; each technique has a distinct advantage and disadvantage. Additionally, some people have said “we are doing Karate Wing Chun”, or that “we created those kind of techniques”, or even “Wing Chun doesn’t fight like that!”. However, if you carefully inspect those clips again, you will find all my students are doing correctly and clearly the techniques Wing Chun is supposed to require, such as Gaan Sau 耕手, Bong Sau 膀手, Pak Sau 拍手, Kwan Sau 綑手, and more. All of them are utilizing Wing Chun techniques in their training drills and only the attacking person is doing another style’s techniques. In the fighting art of Wing Chun there are many different fighting methods, what you see in the clip is the method I personally prefer, which is called “Counter Attack”. In Wing Chun it’s called Dar Joung Moong 打撞門, or “Crash in the door fighting style”. In addition, we have the usages of “Short Bridge Power” 短橋發力 and “Long Bridge Power” 長橋發力. Normally, in our school we emphasize “Long Bridge Power” and “Counter Attacking”. This maybe something you have never seen before but it does not mean Wing Chun lacks these kind of fighting methods and techniques. To be honest, sometimes I wish I had the kind of ingenuity to invent those techniques because it really takes a lot of talent and fighting experience to do so. The techniques that comprise Wing Chun originate from our ancestors who meticulously developed them over the course of many years and through their successful application in an immeasurable number of contests both for sport and self defense. Finally, the “Circle Fighting Drill” 打圍 is simply a stepping stone in the foundational training before students start learning how to actually fight. They have to earn the ability to protect themselves by using Wing Chun techniques fluently, reflexively, and in a proper and controlled manner so as not to hit their practice partners ensuring the safety of their fellow students. “To hit someone is easy; to fight without getting hit is hard”. Besides these basic ideas there is much more to the circle fighting training included in our curriculum. Sticky Hands Training, or Chi Sau 黐手, is definitely an extremely important part of the Wing Chun curriculum and it is not only used to train you how to be good in this exercise, but also to refine your skills across the board. Students must learn it in the correct sequence, step by step, to understand the ideas behind it, because it covers many of the integral ideas of the style. A small mistake or misconception at the beginning will end up making a big difference in the future. While training Chi Sau, students can focus on improving the sensitivity 知覺 of their hands in response

to contact from an opponent, reflexively reacting to a stimulus, developing the coordination and dexterity required to use both hands at the same time, helping each other to progress, and on resolving other’s mistakes. No matter how good and hard you train, you will always make mistakes. Every mistake presents a possible opening for you to be attacked if your partner knows how to exploit the mistake. Since mistakes are unavoidable, in Chi Sau we train the hands to be mutually dependent, so that when you make a mistake with one hand, the other hand instinctively responds to help close the opening that is created by the mistake. If done properly, when your partner attempts to exploit your mistake you can often convert this into an opportunity for you to penetrate your partner’s coverage and strike. Chi Sau should be done in a reasonable way, maintaining coverage, and with flowing non-stop defensive and offensive techniques. In addition to learning how to be a good training partner to each other, a student training sticky hands will also learn first hand the ideas of proper timing and distance, as well as how to use proper force instead of fighting directly against the force of your opponent. They have to learn how to use the structure of the whole body to their advantage, to advance and retreat at the correct angle and distance, and to understand the direction of power. It will take much explanation during Chi Sau training to achieve proficiency but it is essential to understand one key concept. Chi Sau is not fighting. While the skills that Chi Sau helps to develop improve one’s fighting abilities, nobody is going to play that game with you on the street. Wing Chun is an art of maximum efficiency, doing the most while expending the least amount of energy. In Chi Sau, the most efficient way that we respond to incoming pressure from our partner is to use his power to help you create more power to use for your advantage. Basically, you learn how to use your partner’s power against him and by thoroughly training all of these ideas of intention, you will develop reflexes that are essential to being an effective Wing Chun fighter. On the other hand, if you train with the wrong intentions (i.e., just trying to hit each other, running hand for no reason, or training robotically) your Chi Sau will not improve your senses as a fighter. Ultimately, I have come to realize that it is most valuable to teach Chi Sau to students particularly to empower them with a keen understanding of Wing Chun theory and a sharp feeling of the proper application of technique. With these attributes they will be able to correct their own mistakes and deepen their knowledge far into the future when their SiFu is no longer available for consultation. Most Styles of Martial Arts have Forms 拳術套路 that are collections of hand and foot movements that define the physical blueprint of the style. Wing Chun Kung Fu has three empty hand forms, which most practitioners are familiar with. However, the construction of the form is such that every hand movement and section has certain meaning associated with them. Without a qualified SiFu, you might misunderstand the meaning of the form, and only guess to the application of the techniques. It may look like Wing Chun, but the spirit, usage, and intention are

completely different. Also, the form is a collection of idealized movement. Upon learning them, you must be shown how to take the elements of the form and combine them to create a technique to suit the situation. In fact, the fighting applications of the techniques are totally beyond your imagination from what is seen in the form, and must be taught by the SiFu who has applicable knowledge and experience. After learning the forms students will begin to learn single hand sticky hands, Dan Chi Sau 單黐手, followed by double handed Chi Sau 雙黐手. Training the horse with different footwork 不同之馬步及步法 will typically continue throughout and students will eventually start to learn the dummy form. At these stages one of the goals is to become so familiar with your training attributes that you will be equipped to analyze your own performance. To be able to recognize and correct your own mistakes and truly be able to self-correct without constantly consulting your SiFu for the basics of Wing Chun theory will mean faster progress and aptitude that will last long into the future. Also at this stage, training of basic techniques such as Tan Dar Guann Dar 攤打耕打, Kwan Sau Bong Gerk 綑手膀腳, and Gum Sau Tan Dar 拑手攤打 will begin. Many of these basic techniques can be viewed in the videos on our site and on YouTube. We call it Chark Kuen 拆拳 or Chark Jong 拆樁 - the break down usages of the Forms and Dummy Form. After relatively perfecting with the basic one on one drills we’ve discussed so far, students will move on to apply those techniques in the simple hypothetical scenarios of “Circle Fighting” 打圍. This training allows the students to develop their Wing Chun skills in a controlled step by step manner but also to become comfortable with being attacked. The confidence will automatically build up, and incoming punches and kicks are no longer a big deal as the circle fighting progresses to deeper and more realistic situations. The attackers will eventually no longer call out which attack is coming. Ultimately, attackers are going for real while the person in the center, who is training Wing Chun, will respond in a controlled manner so as not to injure their training partners. If the students can handle this, they will move forward and learn Wing Chun kicking 詠春腳法, the Tripole form 品字樁, sparring 對練, real fighting 自由搏擊 with different styles, strategy, and much more. A fully experienced SiFu will teach his students in the proper manner, offering a flexible and adequate curriculum to fit the student’s progress. He will correct all the tiny mistakes whenever they occur to ward off bad habits and answer the myriad of questions that will come up to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and only a firm and clear understanding of all ideas. It is important to understand that in addition to all of the training mentioned so far there are many other exercises designed to develop Power, Speed, Reflex, Agility, Endurance, Timing, and Distance, etc. Without training these attributes you are not actually completely training the whole system of Wing Chun. It can take months or even years to fully explain the entire curriculum of our style in person so please forgive the brevity of this

article. My intentions were to provide an overview of the training methods, procedures, and progression of Wing Chun. If time allows, I will continue to share my opinions with you, such as the fighting methods of Wing Chun, in future articles. If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to write to our school email address, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and I will do my best to answer as soon as possible. In closing, I always advise my students as what SiFu Yip Man advised me “Be more open minded, accept the ideas of others that you come across, analyze them and attempt to apply them to find out whether they are true. Do not blindly believe what I say and always use your common sense to learn”.

Overview of the Fighting Methods of Wing Chun: Part I

This is the first segment of an in depth, multimedia article on Wing Chun’s fighting methods by SiFu Lee. It is always best to discuss such intricate ideas in person where that discussion can be supplemented by hands on demonstrations. However, since that is not always possible, the upcoming segments of this article will attempt to convey these concepts as accurately and completely as possible through text, images, and integrated video clips filmed specifically for this piece. It is our hope that this will be a success in helping to bring a deeper understanding of this topic to not only our fellow Wing Chun practitioners, but to any others who may have an interest in some of the finer details of Wing Chun. ............................................................... Fighting is a real-life duel, and in a split second things can happen so fast that there is no time for you to hesitate or think of what to do with the situation. You can only respond instantly by your reflex and your natural instinct. A lot of diligent practice, practical application, and actual fighting experience are required to fully understand and to earn this ability. In this article I am trying to explain some ideas and provide some understanding of what I myself learned from my SiFus. It can only express my own interpretation and understanding of what I learned. Whether you feel it is right or wrong, my intention is for the following topics, which I will address individually later in this article, to be taken into consideration and to assist you in learning this particular Martial Art and attaining a deeper understanding of it through your sincere research and experimentation. 1. Fighting is a kind of body language. 打鬥是一種身體語言 2. The fighting post of Wing Chun. 詠春拳的各式樁頭 3. Smaller, Slower, Weaker vs. Adversary. (The use of opponent’s power, speed.) 較矮小, 較慢, 較弱對較優勢之對敵. 4. Short Bridge and Long Bridge Power Usages. 短橋及長橋發力

5. Close Range Fighting: Sticky hand style - Jammed in with close distance, emphasis techniques, skill, speed and coverage. 近距離搏鬥 6. Evade aside, attack opponent on one side eliminate chance of exchanging blows; “Bright side” and “Blind side”. 7. Counter Attacking: Dar Jong Moon, “crash in the door” fighting style; counter attacking at the instant the opponent initiates his attempt to attack. 撞門式打法 8. Wing Chun has a complete curriculum of the Martial Arts training. If any of the above strategies do work ideally on their own, we can combine them. 混合式打鬥法(長短橋混合利用) 9. The combination of Short Bridge and Long Bridge approaches. Compare and find out which you prefer, or, which is more suitable for yourself. 10. The Wing Chun Fighting Strategy. 詠春拳之打鬥策略與拳訣 11. The proper usage of hand techniques and combination with Kicking techniques in a Fight, doing defense and offense simultaneously. 12. “SiFu Jiu Wan Style.” Besides developing discipline, good health, and a diligent work ethic, the bottom line is that the purpose of truly learning and training in a Martial Art is for practical application. In the event of an unexpected dangerous situation, the skills attained can be used to protect family members, friends, or oneself. What is learned must be handy and genuinely practical, so when initiating a defensive maneuver after one has detected an offense, that countering reaction is a fluent, accurate, properly timed, execution of perfect technique. The goal is for the response to be so effective and natural, it will be as if you were born with that kind of ability. In this real-life duel, even a tiny mistake can lead to serious injury being inflicted upon you, hospitalization, and ultimately a result that you may regret for the rest of your life. 抱憾終生. When preparing for a dangerous conflict, training should always be approached from the perspective that you are smaller, slower, and less powerful than your opponent. With this idea constantly in mind, you will never assume to be able to overpower or react faster and will always seek out ways to better conquer an adversary. Furthermore, despite years of training and studying the fighting art of the martial arts style of your choice, there may always be someone in the world with more experience or skill than you 強中自有強中手. Therefore, your fighting methods must be very clever so that your chances to win will be greater. We are so proud and grateful to our ancestors, who with their ingenuity and genius meticulously created and developed this sophisticated and comprehensive art, 詠春絕技 for having passed down the knowledge of the Wing Chun fighting methods to us. Since the birth of Wing Chun, the guidelines, rules, and regulations of our style, 詠春門規, have always been: “Conduct oneself in society, be humble and tame”

常處世態度溫文 “Nourish one’s inborn nature, avoid fighting indiscriminately” 學養氣戒濫鬥爭 “Assist the young and weak, supplement benevolence with martial arts” 扶弱小以武輔仁 and the most important reminder: “Martial Artists only Fight for Righteousness” 武術只為正義而戰 We always try our best and it is our responsibility to abide all the rules and regulations. However, we are all human, and since tempers sometimes flare or moods may often turn bad, conflicts are at times unavoidable, confrontations and fights may happen. In order to improve in the fighting art that we learn, it is always necessary for us to have some friendly contests and competitions. Through these methods, it will help us mutually progress more efficiently in a peaceful manner. One must also endeavor to fight with perfection of strategy, skill, and understanding. The fighting methods employed to do so are some of the most important attributes for us to decide the chance to win. A true quest for knowledge is considered an endless journey of learning and research. There is a fitting quote of unknown origin that sums this up - “the truly educated never graduate”. This is especially pertinent nowadays with new technology such as computer generated illustrations revealing the many physical aspects of fighting arts. With newfound fervor from television shows and the popularity of MMA competitions, the martial arts world continues to progress and improve. There are so many kinds of popular Martial Arts from all over the world, such as the French Savate, Israeli Krav Maga or Russian Sambo, Filipino Martial Arts, Thailand’s Muay Thai Boxing, etc., and the newly renowned Mixed Martial Arts. People everywhere are being exposed to martial arts so frequently that it is possible to learn more then ever before through observation. Martial artists are also fighting smarter by developing an understanding of bio-mechanics, physiology, and the strategies of many different Martial Arts through this increased exposure. Similar to how many professional athletes prepare for a game by watching game films, martial artists are studying MMA competitions, documentaries, and online videos. With the plethora of information available over the internet and on television, it is possible to supplement one’s own studies now through not only personal application but also through reviewing the practical or impractical results of other martial artists. With these tools people can to begin to understand what an actual fight is, whereas in the

old times, students were allowed only to listen and blindly follow what their instructor said. While the others will learn it from their actual fighting, they can accumulate all their experiences from their previous fights, but this method may cause a lot of injuries and it is a very difficult or tough way to earn this kind of natural instinct for fighting. In recent times fighters are able to gather and study the methods of many other fighters and found advantages to replace the disadvantage. 取長補短. Learning from the scientific computer generated illustrations of human body mechanisms, fighters can understand how to optimize their own performance. Fighters know more than ever how to build up their body to become stronger, and to improve their constitution and stamina for longer endurance. Today, with all of these widely available tools it has become a greater challenge for us to deal with those fighters. However, no matter how hard you train, how much time you train, or how smart you fight, all human beings are born with only two hands and two legs, there must be some limitations. Once you are committed to a movement, there must be a gap. As we are all aware, Wing Chun is a Martial Art style of scientific design, every thing can be explained logically. Our style strongly emphasized in “theory” 拳理, “methods” 拳法, and “principal law” 法度. We always have a better way to deal with a fight, as long as we train extremely hard in all the attributes that Wing Chun offers, which is the program that SiFu Yip Man葉問宗師 handed down to only a few Disciples. That is when we will then know what Wing Chun truly is and know that Wing Chun can match with any of the Martial Arts mentioned above.