A Wing Chun Student's Blog

20111124 Notes

2011-11-27T20:12:00.000Z

Wooden dummy

1st/2nd section

Sharper tan, and with the step, not after

Knife step

Forward with double gaun/kwan sao - not across

3rd section

Flick of the hand (ding) not just forward with palm

Pak is just to shoulder

Fak to ribs is forward, rather than “upwards”

4th section

Forward with elbows, not cutting just cutting sideways

Double “tan” isn’t just to side of arms, it’s forwards not just to split arms but to aim for face

After kao/jum sao circles and palm to head, finish with double jut before bong

Tan/kick to leg or body is fine - Karl does to body as a variation

5th, Po-pai, section:

Opening is the “snaking” biu sao

Always do a bong before you transition

After po-pai on dummy’s left, double gaun-sao before po-pai over the outside of arm

Then use elbow, a bit like a lan-sao, to control the arm as going into bong

Last po-pai is right hand low, left hand high

6th section, double gaun sao

Forwards, not sideways

Tighten my line - elbows hardly move

Only two then…

Lower gaun sao rises up into wrong bong with a turn

After fak sao the “lap” is more of a fuk sao and not with the hand, rather than a usual inside lap (think monkey)

7th section

Kicks needs quite a lot of sinking in for power

After gum sao, pak sao is just to shoulder - not beyond

8th section

Right side does 3 low bongs, left does 1

Remember knife step!

Getting battered by a boxer without being able to step

Biu sao will save me from the high, wide shots - use it!

Don’t cross over, because you expose yourself (unless you use the shoulder-pak and hit at the same time)

Wu sao! Keep it up! Don’t let it drop because it’s hard to use it!

Fence forward, or cover - not in between!

Keep calm - relax. Panic will make you worse

Once you’re knackered and relying purely on defense and not “special” techniques, really make sure those defense/counter techniques really work!

Work on your gates! - Those wide shots are really uncomfortable. Take up Dave’s offer to help out.

Take advantage of someone who likes to turn for you

2011-09-11T23:04:00.001+01:00

Step across their exposed side (female step) hitting with back hand. You are also ready to step in (male step) with a turn into jic ma.

Should work as long as your hand you are stepping in direction of, ie step left so you left hand, is on the outside. Other hand will need to get inside

When you are struggling with the speed of your opponent's attacks

2011-09-11T22:58:00.001+01:00

Don't just get one strike in, follow with man gang sao to chin and floor them. Disrupt their flow and eagerness to come in (hopefully)

Move in to stifle. Keeping distance promotes their attack.

Otherwise: wu sao up! Bong sao high!

When you're off balance, a kick can save you

2011-09-11T22:55:00.001+01:00

And disrupt your opponent's attack!

Fist that drives past your fuk with a powerful "wedge"

2011-09-11T22:53:00.001+01:00

Neutralise with a turning palm jum sao, dropping bong arm to an open palm.

This is the "left" of the "flipping knives" technique described earlier.

Pulls should be escaped with a "flick" to escape the lap

2011-09-11T22:48:00.001+01:00

But you have to be early.

Think of lap sao drill where you "circle" round for strike.

Pressure coming in on bong during a roll

2011-09-11T22:45:00.001+01:00

Collapse it to bring your elbow forward while turning, your fuk sao side doing a kau sao. Think of the knives flipping.

This is really best used with a turn.

Final section of dummy form 木人椿

2011-09-11T22:42:00.001+01:00

Dai bong sau are more forward than chopping sideways into the lower dummy arm. Then two gam sau and a step back to pak sau with kick. The double hand lap sao is one hand under the dummy arm, a bit like tok sau plus jut sao in chum kiu. The kick is more of a "football" kick with the inside of your sole, rather than a stamp.

(As taught to me by Sifu Karl Stanley in 2011)

Palm ju sau to "kill off" a palm that has come in from a huen

2011-09-11T22:31:00.001+01:00

Not a flippin' kau sao!!! But be careful not to encourage an elbow counterattack if you go past your centre line.

I'll be back!

2010-05-11T11:47:00.002+01:00

I've realised that it's been a looong time since I'd posted anything on this blog. There have been changes in my training and I think it's worth keeping this blog alive, particularly as I've been reminded to keep notes. So there'll be some content soon.

Video of Ip Chun performing Wing Chun Forms!

2007-09-10T16:45:00.000+01:00

Siu Lim Tao

Chum Kiu and Biu Ji!!!!

There are more in this series, but I'll add them later.

Somerset Wing Chun Seminar August 2007

2007-08-13T20:25:00.000+01:00

I went to one of Sifu's seminars in Weston-Super-Mare yesterday. The remarkable thing is that the week before I went to the class on the Friday. It's the first time in 2 years that I'd gone 2 weeks in a row. Usually I'd go once, then never again for 3 to 6 months.

It's a turning point for me. I'm determined to go this Friday, but have been invited to a friend's bbq...

The good thing was that I learned a few things yesterday, and had my confidence boosted by a couple of things.

Don't Rely On Rolling

Don't get into the habit of relying on the chi-sau roll in order to attack. According to Sifu other clubs/kwoons like Alan Gibson's or the Wong Shun Leung crowd go straight for the attack as soon as contact is made. That's the sensible thing really, but as we're training it we do it as part of chi-sau. That's easy to say though. I suppose once in a while it might be worth just seeing if I can pull it off.

Stifle Your Opponent's Speed

Some people try to get the roll going fast, and it's at that pace that try to attack you and make you struggle to keep up. The thing to do is to "pause" them. Sifu showed us it as a way of stifling their roll. Sihing then also showed that you use it as a point to attack. So in practice it's an opening. It's a way of injecting energy.

Absorb Energy

When your opponent injects hard energy into their roll, getting heavy on your arms, don't respond with energy. They're trying to make you respond. It's what all the seniors do to me. Don't accept it, as Sihing said, but for example deform your shapes enough to cover and allow you to respond. The principle thing is to not respond with more energy.

One on, one off. One in, one out. One high, one low. One attacking, one covering.

It's important to always have one hand monitoring.

Don't babble. Listen

Don't be the one always attacking, because you'll be interrupted.

Yang Tai Chi 1st Lesson

2007-06-13T14:58:00.001+01:00

I went to Bath Tai Chi to learn a form of Yang from Graham Barlow.

I'd always wanted to learn Tai Chi, mainly for the health benefits but also to learn something that rounds off learning Wing Chun.

My main concern was the effect it would have on my back. After the first evening, I had pains in my left side but when I went home and did my physio exercises, it got better.

In the days before doing my physio exercises, I would have been in agony for the whole week with the chance of a day off sick from work.

This just completely proved to me that I can control my pains. I can stop it. It doesn't own me.

I only learned the first 5 moves of the form and watched the others train the martial applications. I don't think I'll be able to use Tai Chi seriously for a long, long time (and Graham hinted that I need to be patient). But I'm glad to be learning the form.

I'm off to Weston-Super-Mare to visit an assessment that my Wing Chun club is having. Hopefully I can get some training in and survive - especially from the long drive.

I sincerely hope I'll be posting here more.

Back Again

2007-06-12T10:31:00.000+01:00

I'd given up on this blog for a while as I was pretty despondent about the prospects of never being able to do Wing Chun again. The blog seemed pointless as I struggled to accept this sombre fact.

I was determined to do everything I could to fix my back earlier this year. I was even prepared to have surgery if it came down to it. Really, I was terrified of the thought of surgery but willing to do it.

What's Really Wrong With My Back

I paid to have an MRI scan.

I got a copy of the radiographer's report after a few weeks, but I couldn't work out what it showed so was relying on "health professionals" to tell me.

My osteo said I had a degenerated disc. My GP said the same, but also convinced me to try physio again. So I went to the University of Bath's Sports Injury Clinic's Head Physio. This guy is the physio for the British Judo Squad and other sporting teams from Bath.

He was the only person to explain to me that "sacralized L5" in my spine meant that my coccyx is completely fused and immobile - hence why the disc above it is degenerating from the extra wear and tear.

Heal Thyself

The physio gave me a series of exercises ("extension" and "inflection" based I've now discovered) and told me to get Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie.

My pain has improved significantly since I started my physio exercises and read this book. I'm still not without the risk of a painful episode, but I'm able to manage and control my condition. If I start to feel it hurting, I do my exercises and it alleviates it usually straight away. I'm very disciplined with myself now too.

I have a tall desk (that I can adjust the height of) so I stand 90% of my working day. I do my physio exercises at least 5 times a day. I even have a yoga mat on the floor next to my desk, so I can just get on with it when I need. I don't care if people make comments or if I look funny to them. I'm in pain, and I'm doing something about it.

Take Control of Your Life

I strongly recommend to anyone with lower back pain to get Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie and to seek out a good physiotherapist (osteopaths and chiropractors are only going to alleviate your condition temporarily in my experience, so you'll continue to pay them for continuous treatments). It really empowers you with the ability to fix yourself. Having control of my own life again has been an immense change.

This should mean the start of Wing Chun again! :)

Stepping Bong Sau

2006-12-07T21:49:00.000Z

Just a quick note otherwise I'll forget: I realised that I've been mis-applying the stepping bong sau. I'd been trying to keep it on what I think is my centre line, that which is in front of the middle of my chest-plate/collar bone... but it's actually to my side, where my head faces! Like in the bloody form!

No wonder I don't get good contact...

Martial Farts on Wing Chun vs BJJ

2006-11-07T09:12:00.000Z

I found this quite interesting article on how this one practitioner found Wing Chun had failed him, and how he discovered what he was seeking in BJJ.

Now, although he's quite one of the "WC is poo and I know 'coz I've done it" folk that might be a bit dismaying, a bunch of what he says is true particularly the non-sparrning in WC. Sometimes we'll 'simulate' attacks from an opponent, but this to me is so sterile, false, and utterly unrealistic. Your partner will often be coming in so slowly, weakly and without any commitment that the techniques you're applying appears to work but there's so much doubt left in my mind on whether it actually does.

Sometimes, we might do a bit of 'box'. The best 'simulation' I've experienced so far, but only the top seniors are allowed to cope with that. Although, again, it's a bunch of people coming in without much commitment.

I do wish I could pad up. Not feel that I need to hold back, and the same for my partner, and really see if my techniques hold up.

In the old days Bruce Lee and his peers just had their street fights. That's where their real 'training' happened for him. How else are you ever going to learn what works for you and what doesn't?

And as mmabjj himself said, he was left with so much to wonder about his abilities that when he tried out his 'skills' on the street he failed miserably. No frickin wonder he lost faith in his WC.

And have I? No, I'm neither deluded nor disillusioned in WC itself. Just in my training. I know it's not the answer to everything, and even if it were it's how 'fluent' (and verbose) the practitioner is that is crucial. I've never been anywhere near to the 'real world' situations that would call for my using WC, so can I be anywhere near fluent. It's the same as someone learning Chinese from CDs in their car and thinking they can handle it, and when they get over to Shanghai they're totally screwed, coz they never actually conversed with anyone.

Returning to Weston-Super-Mare

2006-11-04T14:55:00.000Z

Went to the Friday club in WSM last night, my back having got a fair bit better after a couple of weeks of pain. Only 4 of us students were there at the beginning. Ed Arthur turned up towards the end of the session.

Got paired up with lil R again as I did last time, which is good as it meant I got back into things gently. We were practising the pre-Chi Sau 黐手 applications: dealing with attacks.

Any hand coming in is your opponent's bridging hand. It doesn't matter if they are using a punch, trying to grab, shoving you with their hand, or just pointing. Any of your techniques will deal with these equally effectively.

Tan (taan1) Sau 攤手, Bong Sau (?), Jut Sau (given up using a dictionary), Paak Sau are all usable.

In the instance of a non-attacking bridge coming in, don't be over-agressive. Make your shapes, but make it look like it's not kung-fu: tan and wu (guard) looking like a "what?" gesture. As their bridge is always just that: their bridge leading them to attack you. Because you've made contact with their bridge and that's dealt with, you have to be ready to deal with the attack.

So you've got one hand bridged, your other hand needs to seek contact. If you haven't already hit your opponent with it (contact!) then block their incoming attack. So say you've pak'd an incoming arm, your back hand needs to go into Tan if not a punch.

Also practised someone coming in with both their arms at you (which Liam mentioned happened to him recently). Fut sau for the bridge, break their stance by pinning into the elbows. I tended to go for a circling motion to the outside of the elbows, but it worked ok.

Finally, dealing with the hook. Sifu (and I've seen this from Andy before) uses a Tan into the hooking arm, while knife-stepping in/the opposite side of the attacking arm - going with the power. This gives you a better angle, distance from the attacking arm and the opening to counter. That's going round it.

Going straight down the line, as Liam enquired about, there's no way any of your Siu Nim Tau and Caam Kiu techniques will 'exclude' the incoming attack. The only thing you can use is an elbow guard, palm raised to cover the back of your head. Use this, as you go straight down the line with another elbow. Kind of Bie Jee, but probably inspired from other arts too.

Then did a bit of Lap Sau drill, which I hadn't done for years! Was told by Sifu that I don't let go of the opponent's arm once I've lap'd it until I feel contact from them lap'ing my punch. It's only a drill, which I felt might give your opponent the 2-for-1. There was something Sifu did that allowed you to use a fak sau early, but can't remember how...

Also learned an application of one of the first Wooden Dummy techniques during a quick spot of Chi Sau wid Ed: freeze the Bong Sau, roll the shoulder slightly (and the whole arm) to hook under opponent's Tan Sau and once in contact 'change' the line by going to Tan Sau for example while stepping - just like in the form.

Outside Perception of Wing Chun

2006-10-17T16:46:00.000+01:00

I've noticed that a lot of other martial artists really, really diss Wing Chun 詠春. It's not just as a matter of belittling other styles out of machismo, it's often those who have trained in it and for whatever reason left - they either haven't seen the point of it, or don't think it's tough enough. "Style xxxx is better" is often the motto of theirs. "I know 'coz I've done it".

And did Bruce Lee really lose respect for it, or did he simply identify that it's 'incomplete'? This question, more than whether it's 'better' than other styles (it's really down to the martial artist), really does concern me. Probably much the same question for this modern wave of MMA fighters.

But then, why should it concern me? If I really wanted to pummel anyone, then sure being a BJJ-Kickboxer psycho is the way to go (lot of respect for the grapplers though).

The thing that gets me is that martial arts - whether Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, Russian - evolved for millennia through whatever motivating factors, but often amalgamated with whatever was effective at the time. There's an element of 'fashion', of what's popular, but MMA isn't really new. It's modern, but the idea to mix it up isn't. Bruce Lee did it, but kept his Wing Chun. Nobody can forget the super-fast Pak Sau on O'Hara in Enter the Dragon, but how many realise that's Wing Chun?

Apart from the perhaps slight stagnation of Wing Chun (A misconception? As good as the fighter after all), I have noticed something else about Wing Chun 詠春 and I have seen comments on this from other people (mainly the ones who say "xxxx is better" - though it doesn't mean it's not true).

A lot of the critics of Wing Chun 詠春 reckon most of its students are the scrawny, geeky types (I know I fall into this category).

It might be because that it appeals to this crowd: simple, direct, no-nonsense, un-acrobatic (unlike Wu Shu/Tae Kwon Do) and supposedly invented by a Nun (yeah right).

But because of this sweeping generalisation, it's probably what feeds the prejudice that Wing Chun 詠春 gets from other martial artists. I don't think it's fair as I sense that many of the geeks tend to really apply themselves and are no longer 'scrawny geeks', drop out or don't really become effective in Wing Chun 詠春 (and never will in any martial art really).

I know that some might not 'look much' in the nutter on the street sort of sense, but I do know that they are damn good at kung fu and some have taken out such nutters on the street.

Perhaps Wing Chun 詠春 needs a 'champion' like it did in Bruce Lee, who made it so popular in the first place.

In answer to the 'is it complete' question, I'd like to take up Chen 陳氏 Tai Chi one day as a compliment to Wing Chun 詠春 just 'coz it's probably worth having the option to not pummel someone senseless. And BJJ would be cool.

Who My Sifu Is

2006-10-17T16:32:00.000+01:00

My last post was the very first post on this blog that gives even the slightest clue as to whom I train with. Up until now I purposely kept away from any reference to other people for a couple of reasons:

It's not my right to say on the web what other people do in their lives.

I worry that something I write will be taken the wrong way (like personally).

But, as this site should really be a bit more personal if I'm to depict my training and more importantly (and I hope interestingly) my experiences of learning Wing Chun 詠春, then maybe I should mention who it is that I learn from.

Besides which, the ones who are instructors and have websites aren't going to mind that they have their name mentioned in a blog. I'll keep references to other students as their initials.

So this is my Sifu: Bill McKay - Somerset Wing Chun

I trained with others, but (being Chinese about it) Bill McKay is my original Sifu.

Wooden Dummy (Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁) Form By Andy Chrysostomou

2006-10-17T16:16:00.000+01:00

This is my si-hing Andy performing the Wooden Dummy (Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁) form. It's really useful for me as a reference, as I've not been formally taught it. Andy showed me the first few moves on it last year and it's loads of fun.

Although I've not been training at all the past year, I've been kind of going over the dummy form and couldn't remember more than 3 moves... It's more fun (and less strain on my back) than the empty-hand forms so that's why this video-clip is useful.

Compared to the other forms, it's more practical in that it's what you'd actually do to someone else, whereas the empty-hand forms are as people describe - an 'alphabet' - discreet moves that can be applied in so many ways.

Andy teaches in Street, Somerset and used to give me private lessons all last summer. He opened his kwoon 館 earlier this year and has his own club website: www.wingchunboxingcollective.com. His classes are small, and he does seem to keep to that intention, so the student isn't lost in a crowd when it comes to instruction.

He's a really top bloke and full of life.

How it's been

2006-09-06T14:15:00.000+01:00

2006 has been a total disaster in terms of Wing Chun. I went to one training session with Sifu in March (which hurt like hell afterwards), a 2-hour private lesson with EA and then went for 2 and a half hours on a Saturday class with Sifu a couple of weeks ago.

That's 6 hours in total of Wing Chun for 2006 so far.

The last lesson was ok - mild pain afterwards but having got this portable seat-thing for the car, sofa and dining chair and starting pilates again (I have to! Otherwise it's swimming and I can't swim) it got better quite quickly.

I spent the lesson with a young lad in the group who's still quite a beginner. Sifu wouldn't let me train with anyone bigger than me. He was great though, told everyone to be careful with me and made sure I was taking it easy. I'm not sure if any of the other instructors would be as conscious of it. It was nice to go over the basics with someone. I felt like I hadn't lost my knowledge at least.

Before then I also had a lunch-time 'sticky hands' session with a guy who practices Hsing Yi Quan. He did this move that totally killed my neck and it's not been the same since...

Training with EA was great, but again pain afterwards. Back in March it was too early to start training again. I've not even been doing my form at home.

I might be going along to Friday's class in WSM... Will have to wait and see. It's still quite fragile, but I've paid my membership fees for the year (at least I'm a Wing Chun student on paper!) so I need to try and keep up.

Moan moan moan moan moan! Oh, my poor wife...

Do You Like Comic Books?

2006-02-09T12:34:00.000Z

I normally blog about WC related stuff, but I've decided that really anything that interest me has a right to be on my blog. So I'm going to mention a couple of Comic Books that I've read recently that really impressed me.

First, Infinite Crisis #4. What a mind-blower this was. I hadn't kept up with DC's Countdown to Crisis crossover rubbish that lead to this, but given that it's an actual sequel to Crisis of Infinite Earths I had to get the mini-series. It started off jumbled and confused, a result of leading on from the Countdown stuff. But once it settled into being the real-deal Crisis sequel, things got better. This issue though blows you away. I've never seen such fantastic use of Superboy.

To think that I often wished that the original Superboy still existed. Now I know why he shouldn't!

All Star Superman (links to wikipedia - I can't believe what people pick to write in there) is another series I'm reading, the latest of which I've received is #2. When I was young, I inherrited a stack of old 70s and 80s Superman comics that I totally cherished. I don't really remember many of the stories I read, but I do remember that Superman of old had a better handle of the essence of his character - I don't mean character as in "Oh woest me, I'm an orphan, Ma & Pa made me who I am, I've too much to live up to" - I mean he was Superman. The one that juggled planets.

Now Grant Morrison, being the sci-fi-genius that he is, must have digged that same vibe that I did and he's brought it back. He's not juggling planets, but you can see that this Superman could if he wanted to. If kids are ever to read only one Superman story once the film comes out, then let it be All Star Superman and not that godawful Man of Steel.

Out of Practice and Out of Step

2006-02-09T12:20:00.000Z

Because of work (doing loads of it at home in the evenings and at weekends), my back being the worst it's been since it began back in 2002, and the trek to W-S-M to get to Sifu's class being too much for my current situation, I've not done any training since the end of November.

My chiropractor has told me not to do anything that causes my back pain. I went back to W-S-M the other week to see how I faired, and pretty much everything in Chum Kiu started shooting pains down my leg. I thought the Pai Jarn might do that, but the stepping hurt too. Rolling didn't hurt my back, but I'd been so out of practice that I couldn't keep up the roll for long and my sensitivity were all out the window.

So I've got to definitely take a break from WC for a bit longer.

It's a really gutting situation to be in. It's not just that I'm 4 months out of practice, but I've fallen behind by at least 6 months. I plan to do a catch-up crash course once my back is ok, but where (W-S-M is too far) and who with is another thing.

New Year Resolutions

2006-01-25T14:41:00.000Z

Probably the best place to keep a note of these:

~~Get contract made permanent/extended~~.

More quality time with my wonderful wife.

Concentrated, proper and regular/frequent Wing Chun training from Spring onwards.

Start learning Mandarin (again) and become literate in 5 years.

Take up Tai Chi (preferably Chen style) or maybe swimming.

Fix my back - hopefully Tai Chi or swimming will help that.

Save/make money for a house deposit.

Properly learn PHP, CSS and XML.

Start a decent blog/get this blog sorted out (at least for CSS and some XML ).

Phew!

It's been too long

2006-01-25T14:39:00.000Z

Another one of those "sorry I haven't posted anything" posts to no-one in particular, but as I've a new job and really need to get learning somewhere about all these new-fangled blog stuff, then it ought to be here. Back soon (hopefully).

Techniques for Creating Openings in Chi Sau

2005-05-11T12:26:00.000+01:00

Si-Hing A has been teaching me the teachniques to creating an opening in Chi Sau in order to pull off an attack.

Mind blowing stuff, but there's like 4 ways to do it - for each hand 'configuration' on Chi Sau. With Bong Sau it's 'boring a hole' - literally. Tan Sau 'pushes' so that opponent gives 'presence' and is weak with their upper fook...

Also placing bong sau's wrist off the centre and aligned to opponent's shoulder to 'draw' their fook off the line - still maintain cover.

Using the fook sau hand is trickier, but something to do with pusing in a 'circle' at either end to trick mis-use of energy or line on the other side.

Think that's right...

Detaining Hand...

2005-05-11T12:25:00.000+01:00

The 'secret'! Just remember it...

You Won't Find Me In Da Club

2005-05-11T12:22:00.000+01:00

My local club's stopped as Sifu's got a new job that's further away. But, I've been keeping up with my Si-Hing and as it's 1 to 1 or 'private' I get pretty good training in. Only an hour, so half the time, but I get a lot more in than in a club where you might have to correct a Si-Dai.

The Power Behind Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma!

2005-02-21T09:32:00.000Z

Friday's lesson was probably the best lesson I've had yet!

Learned three main things that evening. First, some techniques within Chi-Sau that are initiated by bong-lap-dar.

Bong-Lap-Dar Techniques

There were basically 3, plus another one being an amalgamation of 2 of the others. Also depends on your opponent getting their tan-sau up in time to stop your fak-sau (important not to 'cock it'), against which is where you can:

1) Re-pull on the arm you have lap'd (recycle the lap) and turn your fak-sau into a chop.

2) Use fak-sau hand to turn into a lap-sau (which also lap's in a way) and your lap-sau turns into a strike (with a turn or step).

3) Lap-sau hand (while keeping contact on wrist) rises through and then fak-sau arm does a paak-sau on the hand that was lap'd. Use footwork to create the angle.

4) Variation of number 3 where instead of going straight for the fak-sau, go straight for the chop/palm strike and recycle the lap at the same time.

All need practicing, but all fun.

Male and Female Step

Footwork types: male and female. Diamond represents 2 triangles. Male step is where your front foot is on the front tip of the diamond, your other foot on the side corners. Female is where you back foot is on the back point of the back triangle while your front foot is on the side corner.

The main difference is basically hard and soft. Use male step to subdue and over-power, female to go defensive. Brilliant!

The Perennium in Chi-Gung and Generating Power in Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma

The bit between your scrotum and your a-hole (basically around your prostate). Basically instead of tensing your muscles in your arse and thighs to hold your Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma, just relax. Imagine a line between your perennium and the underside of your tongue/soft pallete. Pull that line in from the perennium towards your soft pallete OR just gently tense the muscles you'd use to stop yourself from peeing, but focus on the perennium.

When you do this in your stance, you are immovable! Like when your opponent has extreme forward energy during Chi-Sau, this technique allows you to absorb the energy into your stance rather than your arms and shoulders. Release and turn ('switch off' one leg and keep the energy in your sitting leg), chuck in a kao-sau or other technique and your opponent flies through! Better than trying to use your muscles to do the turn as your opponent can sense that, whereas this is a 'disappearance' of energy.

Truly Yin-Yang!

Also practise this in stepping, as it develops that 'fall' and forward energy. Develop it during practising Siu Lim Tao. This is the Chi-Gung aspect of Siu Lim Tao.

Cham Kiu 1 Assessment Under My Belt

2005-02-17T09:35:00.000Z

Wing Chun really is getting harder - not that I'm finding the style difficult, it's pulling things off effectively as the 'dialogue' of Wing Chun expands. I've never been good at winning arguments...

Basically, got through the assessment ok but felt extremely nervous - not been like that since my very 1st assessment, but even with that one I felt more confident as I had 6 months to prepare compared to everyone else.

Si-Kung H (who does the assessments for our club) said I seemed to understand how things worked, but that I was just "a bit iffy"...:

- 1st Section of Cham Kiu: Bong-sau to Lan-sau, don't put too much energy (there's no need). Just structure and energy will inherrently come into it.

- Defending pull on Bong-sau with Lan-sau, following through with low strike and kick: really make the low strike force the opponent to collapse their structure (lurch back) by jabbing into their bladder or hitting their groin. Then take advantage of the space opened to make a kick to the groin.

I think the root of the problem of my being "a bit iffy" is that for all the form practice and punching/technique drills I do, none of these things can give me anywhere near as much as partner training can - application, sensitivity, structure, reflexes, speed and sheer practice. It's the whole point to Wing Chun.

It's great training with J, but I don't really think that I get as much out of our sessions as I'd like to. My Chi Sau is slowly improving, but I don't feel confident with pulling off techniques against someone of J's level.

I've decided I'm not going to take part in the next assessment and basically do it every 6 months instead of 3. It'll really kill me to have people like T the W@n... getting ahead of me in terms of 'grading', but it's the sacrifice I'm going to have to make in order to make myself more satisfied with how I progress.

Really, if I had more time to commit to Wing Chun I don't think I'd feel like this about it. Too busy with other things that take priority! Such is life.

Anyway, today I'm going to practice single-leg Siu Lim Tao 10 times to strengthen my legs and get in Cham Kiu at least 3 times... If I can fit it around my meeting this afternoon!

Cham Kiu Level 1 Training

2005-02-01T16:15:00.000Z

J helped me out with some assessment stuff:

Loads of techniques you can use to be in the 'break into single hand' situation, like just turn and punch, bong-laap the easiest, or just step back into maan-sau.

Need to build up sensitivity of opponent's footwork in chi-sau. Only really got into doing it with eyes closed today. Problem is because I've got turning to engraved in me that I turn before I move instead of just moving my feet. Need to start to tune that out of me.

Faak-sau is ok, but need it to be more on the centre line. Must remember to look before I move in order to set the target for the centre line.

Lan-sau needs to be square to my shoulders, which need to be at 45 degrees off the waist! Drive the elbow with lan-sau more. Make sure it's not too high (nipple height!).

Make my kick look less of a flopped leg upwards and have *intent*.

Ding-sau needs to go in soft - not too much energy, and down along on the centre line, not swung into the line!

Wu-sau needs to move with my shoulders when I turn, not stay along the elbow of my other arm!

Hope my assessment goes well on Sunday. J said that Shaun Rawcliffe once failed an entire Siu Lim Tao lot!

Tips from TC

2005-01-25T16:21:00.000Z

Lat friday's wing chun / wing ceon class was good. Got to practise my syllabus with T and later on was shown parts of the 3rd form!!! Never going to remember the moves, but what a head-f"!£

Anyway, during Cam Kiu T pointed out that there's no need to worry about where your feet end up while running through the form. He does what I do - feet aren't completely aligned when getting back to centre stance.

Also noted that there's nothing wrong with using either leg to lead with when going into lan-sau when bong-sau is being pulled, but he would rather that the leg on the same side of the lan-sau was leading, setting up a more powerful back-leg kick that allows you to crush in on your opponent.

Going though his syllabus stuff was good - learned Kao Sau I think and realised some of the things that J does to me. Kao Sau is where your bong-sau reaches over to contact your opponent's other arm, keeping contact on the original, as you turn with that arm going outward and your other arm going to strike.

Also realised that when opponent (from chi-sau) does a bong-lap on me that I often end up using tan-sau to block. And that's where I'm often at when rolling with J.

Sifu pointed out to me that I need to have my fingers straight when I do lan-sau in the form. Also said to do the splitting of feet first before doing the ling-wan-geuk(?) until I can do it ok. I thought I was - he said I was ok before. Maybe I just lost the abillity.

Great class on footwork. For example taan-sau: the leg that leads is on the same side of the body, and you kind of shift it into your opponent's line. It's kind of connected up the footwork for me in my head, which I'll try to use *instead* of turning.

New Dan Chi Sau and Direct Attack

2005-01-17T10:21:00.000Z

Last week, learned a couple of new dan-chi sau drills, where you are set like rolling with both hands, but each side takes turns to do a single-hand chi sau move then swaps to the other. Person doing fuk-sau does it the same as in normal dan-chi sau, but person in tan-sau, palm strike then blocks using tan-sau again rather than bong-sau (thus returning to set). Quite cool as it takes a lot of co-ordination - tough bit being keeping the other arm in current structure (as in bong-sau while the other arm does tan-palm-tan).

You might notice I'm not bothering with chinese today - takes too long to look them up. I plan on creating myself a glossary and copying and pasting from that whenever I need to.

Last Friday's lessons was really good from Andy. He's really into directness, and showed that when getting into man-sau, don't pause of wait to complete another technique - just go straight in with an attack using the already alligned man-sau. Trick is in the footwork - weight falls straight in, don't hold it or swing it around.

Also been shown some of the redirection tricks of the trade. One really simple one, one that J taught me by flicking on energy into a tan sau while in contact, another he also uses on me that I didn't understand until Andy showed it:

Using a lap-sau from bong to take my tan-sau, and bringing the elbow over my fook-sau to pin me, therefore my arms are crossed - the elbow pin deliberately gives a little in order for my right-hand to be free to attempt to intercept the incoming left-hand of the opponent, but that is the distraction and the pinning-elbow in fact strikes you instead. A real bastard to deal with. Must see if J does it today...

Happy New Year

2005-01-04T11:33:00.000Z

Happy New Year! Been weeks since I last blogged but there's not been anything of note wing chun / wing4 ceon1 詠春 (pinyin: yǒng chūn) wise anyway, except that I should never go training with J when I'm over-tired without having had any caffeine. I get smacked around.

Cool X-Mas pressies:

Kung-Fu Related

Descendants of Wing Chun DVD
Shaolin vs Wu-Tang DVD
House of Flying Daggers DVD!
Tao of Jeet Kune Do Book

Other Cool Pressies

Mr Scruff - Keep It Solid Steel CD
Kanye West - College Drop Out CD
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free CD
Watchmen GN

Actually went to see House of Flying Daggers in the cinema and it is a big difference. The whole point of Zhang Yimau's style is to make every scene opulent, and you really don't get the impact of that on a telly. Even the sound was great! But I'll keep quiet about having the DVD for a while, otherwise it'll be doing the rounds at the club!

Was told that Descendants of Wing Chun was a bad film, but actually it's pretty good for an old flick! Tao of Jeet Kune Do is very interesting, and quite thought-provoking. As are the docs on my Enter the Dragon DVD I got in the sales. Like this whole never kicking above the waist thing.

When Bruce Lee was training with Chuck Norris, Chuck could see why one wouldn't kick above the waist but pointed out that it's good to just be *able* to kick *anywhere*. Bruce began to kick high, so maybe he found some truth in this.

But then again, his wing chun was never complete and he wouldn't have learned the kicks within the dummy / Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁 (pinyin: mu4 ren2 zhuang1) form.

Hmmm...

Welcome to Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 Training

2004-12-13T10:06:00.000Z

Friday's class seemed to feel like a bit of focus was on me, which was good as I had 3 seniors around me sorting out my chi1 sau2 黐手. I was even strung up to a mop stick, with it going across my chest to keep my elbows from falling too far back, 2 of them holding up each end and taking turns to be the 3rd person who rolled hands with me. Oh my god that sounds so gay...

And once I was strung up like a scarecrow, si1 fu2 師父 (pinyin: shi1 fu4) says to me "Welcome to Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 (pinyin: xun2 qiao2) training"!

Anyway, points discovered:

Fuk6 Sau2 伏手 (pinyin: fu4 shou3) needs to improve especially on my left side. It needs to relax more, move slightly from my shoulder at the same time as my elbow - so that the elbow hardly moves at all! The elbow must be behind the wrist. Need to build up to being able to keep my elbows in tighter together.

The taan1 sau2 攤手(pinyin: tan1 shou3) going outside my box problem can be solved by focusing it on the opponent's shoulder! Works!

This Must Be A's Dummy

2004-12-09T09:31:00.000Z

Guy at our club who's pretty hard-core, spent £1300 on his wooden dummy / Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁 (pinyin: mu4 ren2 zhuang1).

This version is what they call a 'modern wing chun dummy' in that it's got a neck and head for a more realistic training experience.

They also have a JKD dummy...

The Jeet Kune Do Wooden Dummy is also made from the best solid oak trunks. It is 60" in length with a trunk size approx. 9" in diameter. The neck is about 5" in diameter and is hand-carved. The head is 7" long and 9" in diameter. The arms are the same size and length as those on the Wing Chun dummy and set in the same position. The two upper arms are offset to bring the tips back on center.

The long steel center leg was used by Bruce Lee to improve his throwing techniques on the dummy. He used the two steel side legs to practice his low kicks. The support slats are true 1" x 2" solid oak and have a nice bounce.

This JKD dummy is a replica of the dummy designed by Bruce Lee and built by his student, James Lee. It is not an exact copy. It has been modified to fit the portable and permanent stands built. Bruce Lee's original muk yang jong is on exhibit at the IMB Academy in Los Angeles.

What on earth are those side 'legs' for???

Started Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁!

2004-12-08T09:22:00.000Z

On Friday, Si1 Fu6 師父 (pinyin: shi1 fu4) showed us the first few bits of Muk6 Jan4 Zong1 木人樁 (pinyin: mu4 ren2 zhuang1). He said he was going to go up to section 4, but because I just wasn't taking it in well we were going over it slowly. I bet no one else got it right anyway, apart from T who has his own dummy.

But because now I know some of the form, I'm even more desperate to get a dummy!

Anyway, about my turn in 1st section of Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 (pinyin: xun2 qiao2): J says to clench very gently with my toes. Like they're claws holding onto the ground. It really helps actually in keeping my weight even throughout my feet.

But it seems that the real problem is when I've been stepping in sections 2 and 3 then return to the centre - that's when my feet are really mis-aligned. Even when I'm using my rattan ring around my knees.

Training With J Today

2004-12-03T13:24:00.000Z

Good thing about training with J is that I really learn a lot about the context to which the techniques can be applied. Something that up until now has been a total mystery. But I suppose being only a beginner in Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 (pinyin: xun2 qiao2) it's the right time for this to start coming in.

But I'm still annoyed that Posho-Boy at my sister club - "I use the taaa-aaahn sah-wu" - has apparantly only been doing siu2 lim6 tau4 小念頭 (pinyin: xiao3 nian4 tou2) for a couple of years but was able to make me look completely ridiculous.

Anyway, other than trying to think 'what shall I do' at specific points J also brought to my attention being able to think ahead slightly - combinations in a sense.

Specific things to remember:

Making changes in chi1 sau2 黐手 (really fucking weird. The word 黐 is near impossible to find in Chinese dictionaries) I have a tendency to over-do it, and lose contact too easily. I need to be able to make the change from where my elbow 'hinges'. That's where the movement should be.

And one fundamental problem with my turning at the moment - my feet end up misaligned when I return back to the centre during 1st section of Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 (pinyin: xun2 qiao2). Need to find out why.

This Time Don't Think Outside The Box

2004-12-03T11:49:00.000Z

From training with J yesterday and doing chi sau 黐手, I was reminded how I don't keep it 'tight'. Like when I use a taan1 sau2 攤手(pinyin: tan1 shou3) it goes way past where the centre-line is. Even if it's still within my shoulders my box has moved because I've turned or stepped, so it's not actually in my box any longer.

Need to relax more - try not to panic. And again - be more forceful and definite, committed to my attacks/techniques.

But don't really neglect things outside your box, because there might be something else or someone unexpected on it's way...

Bruce Lee

2004-12-02T13:17:00.000Z

It was Bruce Lee Night on Five yesterday, and it kicked off with the docu Bruce Lee Martial Arts Superstar. Seems to be a commemorative program from the 25th Anniversary of his death/Enter the Dragon back in 1998 (2003 being the 30th Anniversary).

Lots of stuff I already knew, but there was a clip of a cross-over between Green Hornet and Batman and Robin! I'd never seen this ever! I vaguely remember reading about it, but to see the footage was pretty cool.

Also of note were a bunch of JKD practisioners with one guy demonstrating a muk6 jan4 zong1 木人樁 (pinyin: mu4 ren2 zhuang1) form. I could even see him using baak3 sau2 拍手 (pinyin: bai3 shou3).

It was also weird seeing his wife being quite sweet about him. I was always under the impression that she's just another Yoko. Anyway, the night finished off with Enter the Dragon plus The Big Boss.

He sometimes comes across as quite simply full of himself. But in a way I still find that part of his appeal - I'm so the opposite that I wish I was able to project self-confidence as he did. Especially as I'm also a dragon. Knowing that he didn't get in front of the camera for the first 2 weeks of Enter the Dragon from sheer anxiety, it's obvious that underneath he was as much of a vulnerable human being as any other. But Being quite a macho chinky he was good at showing others only the cool side of his personality.

I'd rather I was able to just put on a show of self-confidence (not arrogance though - I do tend to go that far when I am feeling confident in myself) rather than caving in and being a snivelling wreck.

Another interesting point about Bruce Lee was his influence on minorities around the world, not just us chinkies but like black culture too (today, that would be hip-hop). He didn't take any shit from anyone. He stood up for himself always.

How isn't he a fantastic influence on all chinky blokes?

Bruce Lee, he was the man.

Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 Section 1

2004-12-01T11:19:00.000Z

Now I'm into Cam4 Kiu4 尋橋 (pinyin: xun2 qiao2) here are some notes on what I've learned so far.

It is essential to look - just a quick glance with the eyes is enough - before turning. This helps to set up the centre line and therefore where you are turning to. If you don't, you are likely to over-cook the turn.

With the turn, ensure that the hips are only at 45° as well as taking a look, otherwise I get a feeling of no torque. Also make sure I don't rise up into it the turn. Create the turn from the legs - going off the back leg onto the other.

From the double 'short bridge' dyun2 kiu4 短橋 (pinyin: duan3 qiao2) (The Midlands Wing Chun Kuen call this 'Fut Sau', apprantly 'Fut' meaning 'flick'. Probably slang.) to the double taan1 sau2 攤手 (pinyin: tan1 shou3) is kind of like a scoop but don't over-emphasise it.

It appears that when going from laan4 sau2 攔手 (pinyin: lan2 shou3) to bong3 sau2 膀手 (pinyin: bang3 shou3) the bong3 sau2 膀手 musn't go out flat, or over-emphasised (swinging the shoulder). Just put it up. Also, make sure there's ging3 勁 (pinyin: jing4) in the wu6 sau2 護手 (pinyin: hu4 shou3) as that really is the block, the bong3 sau2 膀手 is the feeder.

Ultimates

2004-12-01T10:53:00.000Z

A'ight, peep this: UFC!

And you know what's crazy? It's on Bravo!

Romanisation Bastardisation

2004-12-01T10:39:00.000Z

I try to use jyutping romanisation for the chinky words but just not bothering to give you the tones at the moment. Maybe I should. Yeah, I will! Here's how to pronounce Wing Chun in jyutping Wing6 Ceon1 詠春.

I like jyutping because it was devised by chinkies, like pinyin. I mean, wade-giles? Yale??? WTF?!

It's just logical that a bunch of people who can speak the dialect properly would be able to convey how to pronounce it better. Should I also include Mandarin though, or is that too much information? Who am I talking to? Hello?

What I'm Good At!

2004-11-30T15:16:00.000Z

Well, my wife saw some of my posts and pointed out that I was being too negative... So's you know I'm not blowing my own trumpet, here's what I think I'm good at in Wing Chun 詠春!

I think, that I'm pretty good at the forms. Big whoop, but at least I've got the foundations ok. My balance is good, so I'm ok at single leg 小念頭. I'm able to react in chi sau 黐手 to something happening, even if what I do isn't necessarily a good move.

That's about all I can think of at the moment...

Current Points to Work On

2004-11-30T14:03:00.000Z

At the moment, I think I have the following issues to deal with in my abillity. I'm now starting on the cam kiu 尋橋 form, and have been practising chi sau 黐手. I've been lucky to be able to train with with a student from another club who's in the area for the year.

I do not have enough overall lik 力. A lot of my techniques like laap sau 拉手 fail because I'm being way too soft. I'm not putting any energy into it. I think a lot of this is a mental block - I often don't want to be hurting a junior or offending a senior fellow student.

Right now this is my biggest problem that I'm finding really difficult to work through. Otherwise, I'm punching paint tins in my shed with a one-inch punch. Quite fun and therapeutic actually. It's especially cool when I put a bit of power from the waist.

My sifu says this will help to build up fa ging 化勁 (?) and also suggested hitting a smallish tree with zeung sau 掌手 but haven't been doing that. Tried it in fact, and my palms were sore from the roughness of the bark!

Also especially in chi sau 黐手 I've not been doing the old lat sau 甩手 zik chung 直衝 and basically too pre-occupied with keeping contact when I should be taking advantage of openings. Getting a bit better at it though.

I Remember When...

2004-11-30T11:48:00.000Z

Here are what I can remember from when I was still an early beginner in Wing Chun (I'm still a beginner really).

In my first assessment, I was forcing my elbow onto my centre line and tensing my shoulder when using man sao 問手. I only really need it to be between my shoulder and wrist. The wrist needs to be on the centre line though. My elbow will get closer to the centre line through practise, but not by letting my shoulder become tense. Also my yun sau 圓手 to wu sau 護手 wasn't functioning properly - I was flicking my hand up rather than locking the wrist.

This was way back in September 2003.

My bong sau 膀手 was suffering from an inflexible shoulder. One of my sihing says that the ideal is to have your elbow at eye-level, keeping the wrist below the elbow and even shoulder! But the most essential basic in my view is to have the elbow above the shoulder. This was back in February.

3rd section of siu nim tao 小念頭, my paak sau 拍手 wasn't going out with forward energy but with too much sideways movement. My waang zeung 橫掌 wasn't setting properly either. As the paak sau 拍手 returns to the centre line, the hand hooks onto an oncoming attack.

My wu sau 護手 has been misaligned and I'm still doing it! Lock the wrist with the plane of my hand at a complete 90° angle from my body. Elbow more aligned with the wrist.

Intro - Why I Created This Blog

2004-11-30T09:27:00.000Z

Wing Chun Kung Fu 詠春 is probably most famously known as the main art that Bruce Lee practised since his teens in Hong Kong. But to those who are familliar with the art, it is understood to be a very efficient and all round superb martial art that foregoes style over substance.

The roots of Wing Chun is clouded by mythology, but it is most certainly a derivative of Shaolin Kung Fu. One surviving Shaolin master today states that the entire system's forms are to be found within the various styles of Shaolin Kung Fu.

My stream of Wing Chun originates back to Ip Chun 葉準. Sifu Samuel Kwok also features within the chain. Although today Samual Kwok officially represents Ip Ching, Ip Chun's brother, while my sifu and sikung appear to still be afilliated to Ip Chun. This at the moment is my perception of the situation.

I have been training at my club for a year and a half. Before that it was an agonising decision to finally take up a proper martial art after a life-time of fantasising. I had always suffered too much from low-esteem and motivation to make real a fantastic pursuit. The core of my difficulties now is finding enough time to do it!

This blog will collect my thoughts during my training, and is intended to serve as a log of my progression - to highlight weaknesses pointed out to me and help adress these. My wish is to keep my identity anonymous as I am private person. Hopefully this will allow my thoughts about Wing Chun to be more honest.

My sifu recommends that students keep a training diary anyway, but I couldn't keep to this with my scrappy notebook. I hope this blog works out to be useful! It'll certainly be a more constructive distraction from work...