MMA, or mixed-martial arts has been enjoying immense popularity lately as a spectator sport. Names like Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock have become legit superstars to legions of sports fans all over the world. Younger MMA and UFC fans however should know that the ideology and concept for this seemingly new genre of contact sport dates back several decades ago. In fact it has its roots in a martial art developed by none other than Jun Fan a.k.a. Bruce Lee. Dana White, president of the MMA even acknowledges the martial arts icon as the father of the MMA.
The name for the art of Jeet Kune Do, or ‘the way of the intercepting fist’ came about while Lee and his long-time training partner Dan Inosanto were driving around talking about a European fencing technique- the epee’ in particular. This fencing move stops or intercepts an opponent’s thrust with an attack of one’s own. The two were trying to think of a name for a new martial art based on this concept and thus, the way of the intercepting fist and its literal Chinese translation- Jeet Kune Do, was born.
Traditional martial arts training involves ‘kata’ or forms to be memorized by the practitioner of a specific martial art during the early levels. It’s a series patterned of steps, punches and kicks that theoretically helps the martial artist internalize the various movements and thus be able to use them in combat effectively. The minor role of ‘kata’ in Jeet Kune Do martial arts training (although it’s loosely patterned after Wing-Chun basics), is the most significant difference it has with other ‘classical’ forms of martial arts. Bruce Lee puts more emphasis on actual combat or sparring sessions as a way to prime the martial art practitioner to be an effective fighter. According to him, pre-arranged patterns and movements are inadequate in simulating the ever-changing circumstances in actual combat- lacking the dynamism and improvisation of sparring with another person.
The basic concept of Jeet Kune Do is to use what works. The “take what is useful and discard what is useless.” mantra that most martial artists (and followers of the Buddhist faith) are familiar with. It is, therefore, the art of combining the useful techniques and movements a Jeet Kune Do practitioner has collected from other disciplines and using them as leverage in a fight.
“Jeet Kune Do favors formlessness so that it can assume all forms and since Jeet Kune Do has no style, it can fit in with all styles. As a result Jeet Kune Do utilizes all ways, is bound by none and likewise, uses any techniques or means which serve it’s end.” -Bruce Lee.

There was a time when the karate man was looked upon with respect and feared. A time when, if someone said they were a black belt, it caused others to be impressed. You can say that karate has become outdated. But what has really happened is that karate has become exposed. There has been an interesting development in the martial arts in the late 20th Century and into the 21st. Martial arts have evolved and become much more true to life than ever.

If you are one of those people who like to question things then maybe this thought has gone through your mind. Why are there so many different martial arts systems in the world. We all have two arms and two legs don’t we? So why all the different systems of self defense? I know that systems were usually born out of a need such as one group of people having to fight another group who were better armed. So they developed systems to fight those men who used certain weapons a certain way. Unfortunately these men thought their system more effectual than they should.

So let’s look at what we have in the world without going into a deep history lesson. You basically have karate and ju-jitsu from Okinawa and Japan. You have a multitude of kung fu systems from China. You have Tae Kwon Do and a few others like Tang Soo Do from Korea; boxing and wrestling from Europe of course. Of these there is every variation under the sun. You name it and someone has tried to develop it into a fighting system. But what do we really have. The fact is that all we really have is three men out there. It all boils down to THREE. You have boxers or people who fight predominantly with their hands, kickers who like to use kicks as their main weapon and grapplers who like to take people to the ground and finish them there. That’s really it. Just those three. Now there are people who are good at one, two or even three of those methods. Those guys are now known as mixed martial artists.

Someone once asked, what is truth? I think we can ask that same question here. I mean how can the average guy deal with someone who is skilled in one or even three of the main fighting methods? You know, the grappler who can kick and box. If the guy is good at all three methods then do I have to be good at all three methods, too? Do I have to fight in the same manner? I know karate won’t do the job. Definitely Tae Kwon Do will not do. How about adding a self defense class or two. Will that help? I don’t think so. What about kung fu and all the various animal styles? No. You can pretend to be an animal but that won’t beat the skilled boxer, kicker, grappler. So how do we deal with this guy. It can’t be using his own methods. You can’t box a boxer and expect to win if he’s really good at what he does. Let’s just assume this guy is a really good mixed martial artist who happens to be a thug and wants to rob and maybe even kill you. What’s the answer if you don’t have a weapon at hand?

The answer is elementory yet intricate. In order to effectively deal with a skilled thug you must first put away all your preconceived ideas about what real combat is. Forget the ring. Forget what you see on TV. How can an older man; say middle-aged, defend against a group of younger, stronger and faster opponents. It will not be by speed and power. If he is to win; and he must, he has to do something all together different. Yes the older man is a master of self-defense. But his system is highly evolved. He relies on a core group of concepts rather than techniques. Of course he uses proper technique but it is all grounded in his core principals. He also has the amazing ability to fight in a very apropos manner because he is guided by highly developed contact reflexes. In other words, if he is touched by an aggressor, the older man instantly knows all about him and deals with him in proper time with super preparatory application. That means he stops the first attack and all future attacks immediately. He also uses skeletal alignment to enhance his power. He is able to hit much harder than his younger counterparts who use muscle to deliver their blows. The skilled older man delivers his strikes with his bones which feels like being hit with the end of an iron rod.

The answer is to unite with the opponent’s energy. No struggling or resisting but moving according to “the now”. To be able to discharge a highly potent “motion martial art”. Not static or choppy, muscular movements but relaxed yet aligned motions that can deal with an attack as if it were just a crude language. Yes, the answer is to have a highly developed and fluent martial language as a complete and elaborate communication. Yes, self defense can be like this. The only martial art I know that achieves this elevated dexterity is Wing Chun.

If a person truly dedicates him or herself to only doing and developing a system that is fit for the 21st Century real world self defense, then he must use external defenses guided by internal faculty. A system that encompasses the most effective techniques a person can deliver with the most advanced internal concepts one can make manifest. Now I mentioned Wing Chun earlier but not every Wing Chun teacher has developed in this manner or to this level. It is rare to find people who have this high level skill. But they are out there.

If you really want to get involved with a martial art and want to find verity, then take a few steps back. Get back far enough away from what is traditionally known and taught. Take an honest look around and see if the martial art before you justifies itself intellectually. Ask the hard questions. Will it work against the boxer, kicker, grappler guy? Can it be done effortlessly? What makes the most sense? Study and do research before you join a school. I can tell you right now, forget karate and Tae Kwon Do unless you just want to do a sport. Don’t be too reverent with any martial art system. Be honest with yourself and hopefully you’ll find a good teacher.

STRAIGHT BLAST!

PUNCHING YOUR WAY OUT OF A SCARY SITUATION

Bruce Lee said, “When in doubt during a self-defense situation, straight blast.”

When I first started training in the martial arts, the first art I took was an Okinawan form of karate called Uechi Ryu.

This art was based on power-oriented movements, basically a one blow or strike mentality. This mentality can be described as believing that a single strike will be able to kill, knockout, or break the bone of the opponent.  As an inexperienced martial artist I perceived this mentality as truth.

As I continued my training in the karate school, I discovered a person who was practicing a completely different system of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do. At the time I knew nothing about other martial arts and the differences between training methods and philosophies.  This person started to show me the difference between Jeet Kune Do and the karate practicing. It totally blew me away!

 The speed and efficiency in movement was completely different than what I was studying. He was able to strike me and manipulate me at will. I was so impressed by what he had shown me that I began training under his tutelage.

One of the very first movements he showed me was the infamous “JKD Straight Blast.” He told me the system’s founder Bruce Lee told his students “when in doubt during a self defense situation, straight blast.”

So what exactly is the straight blast?

The straight blast is a series of alternating left and right vertical fist strikes intended to overwhelm the opponent by putting them into a defensive position. It’s also known as “chain punching.”

Executed at the right time, this barrage of strikes uses short range punching power and speed that is very difficult to deal with. Striking targets for these punches are the nose, chest, throat, side of the neck, base of the skull, and groin.

 Anyone would agree that there’s a substantial difference between using a semi-automatic weapon and an automatic weapon like a machine gun. The karate that I was learning was the equivalent of the semi-automatic and the JKD Straight Blast is the machine gun.

The karate punches take a longer time to get to the opponent while the JKD straight blasts find their targets with devastating quickness.

A great thing about using the short range rapid punches is that you don’t get yourself off-balance as much as you would by using traditional boxing and karate-like hand strikes. This also assists you while striking a grappling oriented type of opponent who is waiting for you to expand and become off-balanced with a kick or punch before he tries to take you down.

The straight blast is great because it can be used while on your back, knees or in a standing position. It should be noted that the punches will not be as powerful when thrown from the ground up. However, they can help you create opportunities and openings to be able to escape the ground position so you can get back to your feet.

I am not implying that you don’t need long range punching and greater punching power. Versatility is an indisputably important aspect of combat. You need to use all ways and be bound by none in order to defeat your adversary or adversaries. 

It is a great movement or technique, yet with anything that is taught, fundamentals need to be respected in order for it to be effective. These include drilling, proper timing, distance, and foot work. I must note that timing is the key for any kick, punch, elbow, knee, or take down to be effective.

So Where Does the Straight Blast Come From?

JKD’s Straight Blast is derived from Wing Chun Kung Fu, which is the mother art of JKD. The foot work and body position differs yet the concept is the same.

Wing Chun Kung Fu doesn’t own the straight blast. Other forms of martial arts like boxing have a short one-two attack that uses horizontal fists, basically a short jab/cross in combination alternating repeatedly into the opponent.

            Actually there is a story that was told to me by Jerry Poteet, one of my instructors who trained with Bruce Lee privately. As the story goes, one day after a training session at Bruce’s home all the students were sitting and discussing different martial arts. One of the students was boasting that JKD was by far the best martial art, exclaiming that no other art could even compare to it. When Bruce overheard this he immediately questioned the student’s certainty in JKD’s superiority and offered an intriguing challenge. Bruce asked the student to spar him using JKD while he would use Shotokan Karate.  While operating from a traditional Shotokan stance, Bruce proceeded to straight blast the student using alternating horizontal fist strikes, overwhelming him and his assertion about JKD’s complete superiority. 

Jerry told me that Shotokan had its own version of the straight blast and Bruce’s point was to teach the student to respect and never underestimate any other martial art.

Although Bruce defied certain aspects of classical martial arts systems he never disregarded their useful aspects. He disagreed with systems that resisted change and compelled their students to practice “gospel truths” like prearranged movements and memorization.

In conclusion, Bruce’s lesson to the prideful student is twofold. First, he demonstrated that the straight blast was a phenomenally efficient and powerful tool in a spontaneous combat situation. Second, he demonstrated his responsibility as a teacher by redirecting a student whose view on JKD revealed his own limitations. It’s not surprising that the student was set straight by the man who included the phrase “having no limitation as limitation” under JKD’s symbol.

Perhaps we should take a good look at how martial arts are taught today and the different mentalities involved. Maybe we should question not our methods of Wing Chun, but our motivations for teaching this great fighting system. There are several questions that come to mind when I think about how excellent Wing Chun is as a fighting system and yet here in the United States, we are few in number. If we were to compare to Tae Kwon Do schools we are last place. They have really nice schools that are not only beautiful to look at, but also safe to train in. Why is that? I know what you are thinking already. Tae Kwon Do schools are nothing more than McDojo’s that only exist to make the owner of the school rich. Don’t worry, I think that is true in many cases but not all. There are several reputable schools out there that have the complete package. Great martial arts and a great business for the owner. I believe the McDojo’s are the extreme and we should not throw out the baby with the bath water.

What if Wing Chun were to become as popular as Tae Kwon Do in the U.S. without “selling out”. Is it possible to run a very successful Wing Chun school that not only makes the owner really good money; but also produces above average, highly skilled fighters? Hasn’t our mentality been… ‘you can’t teach wing chun in a beautiful school with 50, 75, 100 or 200 students without somehow sacrificing quality.’? We all know famous masters who still teach out of a garage with only 6 or 8 students with this way of thinking. Of course they have to keep a day job to survive and there’s nothing wrong with that. I believe many of us suffer from a mentality that has either been passed on to us, or we just assumed that this is the way it’s done because after all, Master Dun Ol Way does it that way.

I used to think that if my Wing Chun was really good, I mean if I practiced so that no one in my city could come close to my skill, that people would just be busting my door down to learn from me. I wanted to at least achieve what my Sifu did in his school. In fact I secretly wanted to surpass him in the number of students he had. He didn’t hold back. He taught me with utmost care. Surely many people would just show up. I could not have been more mistaken. I was actually surprised that I didn’t have large numbers even though I saw other Wing Chun masters working out of ugly and sometimes dangerous looking buildings with only a hand full of students. No they didn’t come. In fact if it were not for the few “hard core fighter types” that darkened my door I would not have any students at all. I found out I was really good at running people off. Of course I would justify it by saying that they were not worthy any way. Not worthy to learn from a master like me who possessed this level of skill. Why this skill was only for the few who I could pass it on to. I could pass on my Wing Chun to my worthy students and the rest could go take a hike. Yea!!! Now I’m poor!

My friends, I discovered that I had the Wing Chun Poverty Mentality. I don’t quite know where it came from. Maybe it came from our Chinese fathers who operated out of the backs of restaurants and in homes. I don’t know and I don’t care any more. I made a decision that totally changed my school and made it not only an awesome place to learn hard core Wing Chun, but also a growing business with a high number of students.

I decided that I would have a new attitude and a new mentality about teaching. The first thing was to get rid of that old “poverty mentality” I didn’t teach some mish mosh kung fu. I taught the best martial art in the world. A martial art worthy of kings and anyone in need of self-defense. I began to develop the “luxury mentality”. After all Wing Chun is the Cadillac of martial arts. It has all the buttons and gadgets anyone needs in a martial art. But wait a minute, I bet you’re thinking that I have some kind of big head or something. No. The opposite is true. I decided that I would become a servant of sorts. That’s right. I would serve my students and help them achieve their martial arts goals. How did they hear about me? Well, an ingenious idea I found. I advertise on the internet with a very nice, well thought out website. No, advertising is not selling out! It’s getting the word out that you have something good you want to show others. It’s how we let people know about us and of course word of mouth is always good.

So now my mentality is this… I provide a beautiful, very Feng Shui kind of school for my students. I mean we have a real store-bought, CUSTOM-built Muk Jong. The walls and doors are painted Asian style and the floor is finished and flat. The dressing room and bathroom actually work and they are clean and sanitary. I have a desk, beautiful Asian decor on the walls and lovely furniture. We have a systematic approach to getting people in the door, interviewing them to find out their goals and sign them up in a very professional way. Most importantly we have a billing company that keeps track of tuition for me.

My approach to teaching is not to find the worthy, but to help all my students. I have found that this way I have their utmost respect and loyalty. Not only that, they want to stick around and learn more. And the highly sought-after, worthy student? I have them too and they get special training because of their commitment to high level quality. I even have inner-core students who I thought would never make it but stuck it out and now have become very proficient, excellent fighters. What if I would have run them off early on?

Imagine large Wing Chun schools in the United States that are the most beautiful places to train and contain the best martial artists in the world. I suggest we do away with the old poverty mentality ways if they bring us down. That old poverty mentality that would keep us in garages, poor and unknown. That old mentality that says Wing Chun and good business can never mix. I say it can be done because we do it every day. If I’m not mistaken, our school is one of the nicest and largest Wing Chun schools in the South East and the Wing Chun is high level, intact and undiluted. My Sifu and Si-Gung are pleased with our success and they quietly keep an eye on our success with familial pride. Now we have students who are happy to do it the “New Improved old way” if you will. And their skill level is excellent.

I would like to see teachers who want to train people for a living to believe that it is a possibility to have the best of both worlds and no longer think they are wrong for wanting a nice school with nice things in it. If Wing Chun is the Cadillac of martial arts, lets begin to put on that mentality. Let’s begin to recognize who we are in the world. We are the best. If there was something better we’d do it, right? Well there it is. It’s the more balanced approach to running a Wing Chun school. Let’s believe we can get out of the garage and act like we have something really good and well-balanced to offer people interested in self-defense.

If you are an avid follower of the traditional Kung Fu rather than the modern Wushu we have today, chances are you might be a practitioner of a Southern traditional martial arts.

Talking about southern traditional martial arts, some might have already heard Hung Kuen or Hung Gar. This art is pretty famous because Wong Fei Hung, although a real person in history, is a famous character in a lot of Hong Kong martial arts movies and a practitioner of Hung Kuen.

What is the general difference between southern traditonal martial arts and northen martial arts? Southern martial arts rely heavily on low stances and hips to generate power while northern martial arts generally have more fluid movements and uses their legs quite often.

If you have heard of Hung Kuen chances are you have heard about Choy Li Fut as well. Choy Li Fut will also have the characteristics of southern martial arts. So if you have heard of Choy Li Fut I am guessing you might also have heard of Wing Chun.

So what is so special about Wing Chun? It is a southern martial arts but when you see it in action you might see a big difference.

The most common difference is the stance Wing Chun has. It is high and not even wide and completely different than most stances other traditional martial arts has.Wing Chun’s attack is also pretty short as it was meant for close combat. Most of the time when attacking or defending, a Wing Chun practitioner’s hand will be close to his or her body without swinging it out too wide. Wing Chun’s punches and other attacks are mostly centralised as well.

So what made Wing Chun famous and stands tall among other matial arts? If I want to go back to some history I don’t think many of them is as true as it sounds but if we start from the the era of Yip Man I guess we will all agree that Bruce Lee made Wing Chun much more popular.

Bruce Lee was a practitioner of Wing Chun. He studied under Yip Man which was also pretty famous during his time. Although moving away from Wing Chun partially, Bruce Lee became an Icon in Kung Fu history. Just like Wong Fei Hung, people will want to know what kind of art he studied, so I guess this is why Wing Chun still stands strongly today with lots of eager followers.

There are some Wing Chun out there that has been modernize today. As we become more advance, martial arts will lose its significance slowly. There are of course a bunch of practitioners that will keep it alive but I think standards have dropped in most traditional martial arts including Wing Chun.

While Wing Chun is still around, why not you head over to Wing Chun Martial Arts to get some more information about Wing Chun?

If you were to translated literally, Wing Chun means “beautiful springtime,” or “forever springtime.” Wing Chun is Romanized in several different ways “Wing Chun”, “Wingtsun”, “Ving Tsun” or “Wing Tsun.” In Wing Chun there are several ways of defeating the enemy: striking, kicking, joint locking, controlling, throwing and the use of weapons are the most common.

The way the art produces efficient fighters in a relatively short amount of time is by sticking to several core concepts and by paying strict attention to positioning. Much training time is spent cultivating “Sensitivity or Contact Reflexes.” The student practices guarding various zones about the body and deals with whatever happens to be contacted or touched in that zone. This allows for a minimum of technique for a maximum of application, and for the use of an automatic or subconscious response. Because of this it is especially suited for the blind or visually impaired. In fact, Wing Chun’s unique training method seems tailor made for any visually impaired person to defend themselves as good, if not better than those who can see.

Most of the techniques taught are hand techniques and the style is best known for its quick punches. Only low kicks are used. Traps and other kinds of controls are important as well. Trapping and speed are developed through the famous “sticky hands” (Chi Sao) training, which also teaches balance. The Mook Jong, a wooden dummy used for training footwork and alignment, is also a well-known training method. There are three forms used in the style: Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu, and Bil Jee.

Traditionally only two weapons are taught in Wing Chun. The Dragon Pole and the Butterfly Knives are generally taught only once the student has a firm foundation in the art. However, we teach modern weapons as well to enhance our training methods. Weapons training drills offer the similar ideas and concepts as the open hand system, including the use of Contact Reflexes. Many of the weapon movements are built off of or mimic the open hand moves – this is the reverse process of Kali/Escrima/Arnis, where weapon movements are learned first.

Being a survival system, Wing Chun deals with personal safety. Although it has traditional roots, it adapts and utilizes modern training methods. It is considered to be a twenty-first-century, highly refined, street fighting system, designed to be used against armed and unarmed attackers.

Wing Chun addresses a wide variety of aggressive acts which include punches, kicks, chokes, bear-hugs, headlocks, grabs, as well as defenses against multiple attackers and assailants armed with a firearm, edged weapon, or blunt object. It integrates elements related to the actual performance of the fight including the psychological dimensions of self-defense, with the use of the environment to your advantage. There are no competitions or tournaments because of Wing Chun’s combat-orientation.

A Shaolin nun named Ng Mui, a master of Kung Fu, developed the art nearly 300 years ago in southern China. There are multiple histories of Wing Chun in existence today, however, this is the generally accepted story. At that time the Southern Shaolin Temple was sanctuary to the Chinese revolution that was trying to overthrow the ruling Manchu.

A martial arts system was being taught in the temple but it took almost 20 years to produce an efficient fighter. Realizing the need to produce efficient fighters faster, five of China’s grandmasters met and chose the most efficient Kung Fu techniques, theories and principles from the various styles. They then developed a training program that produced efficient fighters in 5-7 years. Before the program was put into practice, the temple was raided and destroyed.

Of those that escaped, Ng Mui was the only survivor who knew the full system. However, she realized that much of what she had learned was ineffective for a small, frail woman to use on a larger, stronger man. She revised everything she had learned and discarded techniques that were slow or that relied on strength or size. Her system blossomed into a system of fighting that enabled a smaller, weaker person to destroy a bigger, stronger person within a few seconds. Ng Mui’s new system was well guarded and passed on to only a few, very dedicated students. The style became known as Wing Chun, after Ng Mui’s first student, a woman named Yim Wing Chun.

Yim Wing Chun was a native of Canton in China. Her mother passed away just after her betrothal to Leung Bok Chau. Her father, Yim Yee, was later wrongfully accused of a crime. He did not want to risk Jail so Yim Yee and his daughter left the area and settled down at the foot of Mt. Tai Leung. It was here Ng Mui met Yim Yee and Wing Chun. Wing Chun was a beautiful teenager who had attracted the unwanted attention of a local man who continuously tried to force her to marry him by threatening to harm her father. Ng Mui learned of this and agreed to teach Wing Chun fighting techniques so that she could protect herself. In order to learn Ng Mui’s Kung Fu system, Wing Chun followed Ng Mui into the mountains to White Crane Temple. Wing Chun trained until she mastered the techniques. She then challenged the bully to a fight and defeated him.

The Wing Chun System was passed on in a direct line of succession from its origin. After her marriage to Leung Bok Chau, Wing Chun taught him Kung Fu. He in turn passed these techniques on. As techniques were passed along, the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole was incorporated into Wing Chun Kung Fu. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Wing Chun, like other martial arts, was banned in China and survived only through the persistence of practitioners like Yip Man.

The veil of secrecy around the art was finally broken in 1949, when Grandmaster Yip Man brought the style out of China into Hong Kong and eventually to the rest of the world.

Leung Sheung had heard about Wing Chun since he was quite young, and in 1949, found out that one of its most famous teachers, Yip Man was currently in Hong Kong. Leung Sheung promptly introduced Lok Yiu and Tsui Sheung-Tin to Yip Man, and the three of them became the first batch of Wing Chun students in Hong Kong.

From 1949 until 1978, Leung Sheung remained Yip Man’s most senior student. He trained under Yip Man intensively and taught Wing Chun until his passing in 1978.

Among Leung Sheung’s more well know students are Kenneth Chung, Leung Ting, Jack Ling, Siu Wong, and others. Our lineage descends from Kenneth Chung who best retained Leung Sheung’s methods and most importantly, his unique energy.

Yip Man’s students began gaining noteriety for besting many systems and experienced opponents in streetfights and “friendly” competitions. The art gained even more popularity when one of its students, Bruce Lee, began to enjoy worldwide fame. Over time Wing Chun has been refined to it’s highest levels by a few of its masters. Wing Chun remains one of the most popular and most effective forms of Kung Fu today.

I consider myself fortunate to have also studied the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun Kung Fu (or in Cantonese also known as Gung Fu).

Coming from a Shotokan karate training background I will admit that studying Wing Chun was a real change of pace, if you know what I mean.

But after having read about some other famous practitioners such as Ip Man, Bruce Lee, Ip Chun, Leung Ting, Emin Boztepe, I just had to give it my best shot.

I studied under Sifu Francis Fong, one of the finest kung fu instructors in the U.S.

Wing Chun, translated into English, means ‘Eternal Spring or Beautiful Springtime’ and refers to the name of Yim Wing Chun, who received Chinese boxing training from a Buddhist nun. At the time the style was nameless.

Yim later married and taught her husband this style of fighting. He then simply went ahead and gave the syle her name, Wing Chun.

There are a number of theories and versions about how this style originated. I like the one I just gave you.

The typical stance is supposed to be like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding.

Wing Chun favors a high, narrow stance with your elbows kept close to your body and your arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline.

Attack and defense follow along an imaginary horizontal line drawn from the center of your chest to the center your opponent’s chest. The prime striking targets are on or near this line, including eyes, nose, throat, solar plexus and groin.

With the emphasis on the center line, your vertical fist straight punch will be your most common strike.

Your kicks are to be kept below the waist. This is typical of southern Chinese martial arts, in contrast to northern systems which apply many high kicks.

Chained vertical punches are used a lot.

You develop your reflexes by searching unsecured defenses through use of sensitivity. Training through Chi Sao (’sticking hands”) with a training partner, one practices the trapping of hands. When an opponent is “trapped”, he or she becomes immobile.

Wing Chun also offers forms that are meditative, solitary exercises to develop self-awareness, balance, relaxation and sensitivity. They also help you in the fundamental movement and in generating the correct amount of force.

This style generally consists of three empty hand, one “wooden dummy” and two weapons forms.

There you have it: Wing Chun in a nutshell.

Enjoy this exciting martial art and always protect your centerline!

TheMartialArtsReporter.com