Wing Chun And You

 By Sifu Jon Rister

Wing Chun is often perceived as only an aggressive close range combat system. While it is true that Wing Chun is very effective at close range, it is much more than that.

For instance, section one of Siu Nim Tau ("imagination" form) should be practiced often to develop breathing with focus on the tan tien (lower diaphragm). Eyes should be focused on one point straight ahead, chin slightly down, and the shoulders and chest relaxed. The weight should be supported by the upper thigh muscles (adductor's) in the "Yee Gee Keem Yueng Ma" character II adductor stance. This form is also isometric/dynamic tension training. Focus should be on elbow position and centerline. Every major movement starts at the elbow and occupies the centerline. The stance Yee Gee Keem Yueng Ma (pigeon-toed stance) is very important to align the skeletal structure. With the tendons and bones supporting most of the weight and not the major muscle groups, this allows the student to learn to relax.

The second section should be more flowing and graceful as if the whole section is one motion. This again emphasizes relaxed, fluid muscles instead of tense, straining muscles. This will train the student to receive and to project energy in an every day mind set (or a relaxed "walk-in-the-park" frame of mind), instead of a panicked and jumpy state of mind "Wu Hsin." In this state, little or no adrenalin is being introduced to the muscles which will prevent early fatigue.

Section three should be done with snap in the motions while still emphasizing elbow movement and control, but with more vigor and energy. This is done aggressively, as with a killer instinct, but without moving the hips or torso, keeping the hands inside the box (four corners).

The four corners are sort of invisible boundaries where the hands stay within. The shoulders and hips are the boundaries, if you can imagine that. This implies the hands do not chase objects outside these set boundaries, thus keeping the body and limbs under control at all times and preventing loss of balance. In other words, don’t reach out to stop a blow. This only gives away the initiative. The individual hand techniques should not be thought of as to be applied directly out of this form. Each motion has many meanings and can be used for multiple purposes. For instance, pac sao, oi jut sao, wong jern (slapping hand, outside snapping wrist, sideways palm strike) could be used together, but more likely would not. Moreover, pac sao (slapping hand) can be used offensively or defensively as well. In like manner, the double sot sao (throat cutting hand) is not intended for you to strike two flanking opponents simultaneously. Rather, it is to teach the correct alignment of the arms and hips to execute a killing, powerful blow. It could still be used against two opponents if you could get them to line up correctly though.

Siu Nim Tau teaches one how to use and control your arms and to keep your body aligned. The hand techniques become far more effective when the rest of the body is aligned properly. This is merely the physical aspect, but repeating it over and over will eventually bring about a better communication between the brain hemispheres. This is why both sides are done exactly the same. This oneness of body and mind will eventually bring about a more spiritual understanding of the art (Imagination). Its concepts and principles will start to become clearer. One should not seek to fight with Wing Chun, but to simply allow the learned tools learned to apply themselves. The premise that a Wing Chun practitioner should engage combat from the classical stance is not realistic, and this was not the intention of the art's founder. It was simply a misinterpretation perpetuated by those who wish to be seen as a "Wing Chun" fighter.

With regard to stances, one should look at stances as snap shots of a greater mobile picture. As one circles around his opponent, he phases in and out of each stance or posture. Thus not having one, but all stances. Static training teaches the student sectoring, angulation, leverage, and leading or drawing certain responses from an opponent. The student should not confine themselves to a particular position and try to defend it. Learning to root one self is to teach how to generate power from the ground. It is not to teach one how to defend a particular piece of territory. One only needs to look at history. Any fortification, no matter how secure, can be overcome by a powerful, patient opponent (Masala, Maginot line, Festune Europa, Zigfreid line, etc...). That being said, stances are an integral part of the overall learning process. They are the basis one should be drilled from. 

Application, however, should be practiced realistically from a more mobile base. This is precisely why Jun Fan Gung Fu was developed its founder being a Wing Chun practitioner and a student of Yip Man. He wanted to bring more mobility to the art and more non-restrictive positioning to the practitioner. Unfortunately, some JKD clowns are now doing the same thing by freeze-framing what was once mobile and flowing. Wing Chun should be practiced on three levels or in three phases:

1. Forms (the structure)

2. Drills (moving the structure and isolating the tactics)

3. Application (free flowing fluid motion)

New Training Method

Teaching fighters has been a good thing for me overall. Yes, it has taken a toll on my body and given me many nights of pain, but it has been well worth it. I am learning and developing newer and better ways to teach students how to gain advantages, like training without focus gloves, yet doing the same drills in a more combative way. I call this new method, “spar the drill and drill the spar.” This way of training is improves the outcome of the drill by forcing the student to be more accurate and deliberate with their drilling. The purpose is to make sparring more valuable, rather than just throwing random punches hoping to make contact. I am teaching the student to use this learned skill to set up the punches and kicks.

I have now come to the point where I am seeing what was missing in the students from the “being-in-the-gym" era vs. “having-our-own-school" era, and the “me-trying-to-please-everyone" era. As I move forward, I am determined to teach martial arts, as opposed to trying to be everything to everyone (which ends up being not right for anyone). Am I saying that the training in the last two years has been wrong or bad? No, not at all. However, it has been received badly because it was not forcing the students to focus. Something I did in the past was to make sure the students focused on what they were doing. We did things outside of the class for our recreation; but in the school it was all about martial arts training, and everyone knew why they were there and cared what they got out of it. I think the new way forces the feeder to focus as much as the driller. In fact, I know it does. Because if you do not focus, you get hit in the face. We will continue to change in the future, and always for the better result. In just two weeks, I have seen the students make good gains in, not only their skill, but also in their desire to learn.

This subject had come up in discussions with many of my senior students. We were facing a crisis in the way some of the new students were just going through the motions in the drills. They were not seeking the reason for the drill nor feeding the drill with any intent or vigor. It meant they were swinging or striking their partner with no intention to actually make contact. This attitude did the drill no justice and ended up hurting your training partner.

The new way of training has forced the students to do this properly. They actually feel more compelled to do it properly. They feel there is a larger safety margin in the new way of training, and the presence of this margin will accelerate their learning. Mike and I had a long discussion last night after class, and we both had the same thoughts on the subject. This new training will help both the feeder and the driller to get more out of the few minutes a week that most students participate in. Julia and I also noted at a recent event that many of the students from BJJ schools and have a dedicated cult following. Our own students would do well to take some more dedication and interest in the school and in the training. So, I call this new training “spar the drill and drill the spar.”

-Jon Rister