Commitment in Wing Tsun

3 blog posts in one month?  Finally...

I started a post like this in 2011 with the same title, but never finished it.  Again in September 2014, also another one, but never finished it.  The irony... I am finally committing to finishing this post.  A recent exercise with a student reminded me about it.

The theme is committing to Wing Tsun but not committing in Wing Tsun.

Huh?!

When anyone talks about WC/WT, they talk about how there aren't any techniques, and that the opponent creates the techniques.  About how one answer does not fit all.  About no defense B for attack A.  About how with the same single punch, there can be a multitude of responses depending on the opponent's (or your) build, speed, pressure, etc.  But, this is hard to achieve in absolutely every situation encountered! 

The one constant in a WT defense is the attacking defense.  "When the path is clear..." The variable that changes is what happens after your attacking defense is blocked or deflected.  I think we are not too shabby at changing once.  But when a second change is needed, we fall apart.  Our attack/defense can't just change once - it must be variable until the path is certainly clear and we are ready to release power.  This is the problem that I hope to convey to you, and welcome any ideas on how to train this even further.

One of Si-Fu Ralph Haenel's CoreConcepts is "Release Power".  One aspect of it, is being able to know when to release it.  If by defending, we release our power too soon, i.e. commit to a defensive/attacking action, then we have the potential to already lose.  Since that power has not yet reached it's end target, it can still be deflected.  It is in this moment that our body might become tense with that release of power, and then we are thrown off course by a stronger opponent.  Because we weren't ready to change a second or third time... because we have committed already.  There are many other factors including reaching with the arms, or balance being off, etc., but I'm trying to keep this blog post simple.

Not committing is so difficult!

The other day, a fellow student and I were trying to fake each other out, when being the initial attacker: 
1) Going for a punch
2) Recognizing the WT guy about to respond
3) Watching when the WT guy commits slightly to the visual feedback, or chasing hands
4) Switching the punching angle, or punching with other hand, finding the hole

Of course, at slower speeds this is easier.  Our mind unfortunately is not fast enough to perform this at higher speeds consciously.

In this feinting exercise, the attacker is actually behaving like a WT guy as well, by not committing to the first attack and changing when to release power.  Of course, the defender can also act in the same manner, ad nauseum...  but that would be a competing exercise vs. cooperative one.  One partner has to choose when to commit and let the WT guy find the timing and gap to release power.

I think this is one of the hardest WT ideas I've tried to put into writing. 

The idea of ever-changing requires all the CoreConcepts including fluidity and mobility, as well as elasticity.  But also relies on not committing and realizing when it is time and safe enough to release power.

How else do you think we should train this idea of "Release Power"?

Happy training!

Wing Tsun Kung Fu Vancouver 20th Anniversary Seminar 1 of 3

This year, Si-Fu Ralph Haenel of Wing Tsun Kung Fu Vancouver celebrates 20 years of teaching in Vancouver, BC!

And thus the 1st seminar of 3 (yes 3 in this special series!) was held at Si-Hing Philip of Golden Monkey Martial Arts Club.

So, what did we learn in this amazing seminar?  The first of three special seminar series?  For the 20th Anniversary year?

1.  Chi Sau warm-up to start
2.  Pak sau
3.  Tan sau
4.  Bong sau
5.  Kau sau
6.  Jum sau
7.  Dan chi sau
8.  Chi sau to finish

What?!

The devil is in the details.  It's not necessarily what we trained, but how we trained.

And what are the details?  Whole Body Movements.  This concept is also nothing new.  You have heard it before already in an old blog post about Sticky Body.  But knowing a concept of training is different than actually practicing and training.  We were taught how to practice and train these movements.

A tan sau can look and feel like a tan sau, but not function correctly...

When I first trained WT, I had to emulate a tan sau.  Eventually though, I thought my tan sau looked and felt like how it should.  To a cooperative partner, it also looked and felt like a tan sau.  My tan dar (tan sau + punch) was "working".  It felt great.

Then I met Sifu Ralph.  To the uncooperative partner or an aggressive attacker not familiar with WT, the tan sau as I knew it did not work.

Why?  My biomechanics of producing the tan sau/dar were not correct or not optimal. 
The problem?  It came only from my forearm, you could say.  To put it simply, all the movements should originate from the whole body via different connections.  One important connection is via the shoulder girdle, and all the upper back muscles.

It's not about how a tan sau looks or feels, but most importantly about how it functions.  The same could be said about the bong sau, jum sau, gwat sau, kau sau, etc. 

Try an exercise.  Stand up.  Envision a punch coming towards your chest, let's say.  Now, do a tan dar.  (Already, this is supposedly wrong, because theoretically the tan dar should happen on its own rather than you creating it.  But if you are good enough, again theoretically you can create the opportunity to do a tan dar).

1.  Did you do a strike or a man sau first?
2.  When you moved your arm forward, where did the movement start?
3.  Are your forearms tense or relaxed?
4.  When does the tan sau action start to happen?
5.  Why does it happen?
6.  Do you feel like you are pushing outwards?
7.  What are you absorbing a greater incoming force with?
8.  What is the wedge you are creating?
9.  Are you instead relying on your own brute strength to block/wedge/parry/get through?
10.  Is the balance of the opponent perturbed?
11.  How is your breathing?
12.  Are your shoulders up or down?
13.  What are all of your other joints doing?
etc.

Just some questions to think about.

How to create El FluMo
Through Si-Fu Ralph's teachings, I have now been training something that doesn't necessarily really look like "traditional" Wing Tsun Kung Fu, with high amplitude movements in all axes and directions using the whole body.  For outsiders looking in, these exercises do not fit with the WT principle of "economy of motion".  But these are exercises only, drills only, not how we would apply them.  The ultimate goal is to produce maximum effect with minimal movement, the best bang for the buck.  It's a long journey, I think a lifelong one...

It didn't take much, but a day after the seminar of "basic techniques" my rhomboids, lats, and abdominal obliques are feeling it.  And it wasn't just due to all the laughing at Anton's Pasta.

Happy training!

P.S.  Training basic skills reminds me of yet another previous blog post about Fear of Failure.

The Wing Chun/Tsun Straight Punch

In Wing Tsun Kung Fu, you could identify 3-4 (maybe 5-6) different punches to train.  One of which is the Straight Punch, or Straight Blast.  It's simple to start learning, but difficult to master.  Kung Fu!

Documentary:  Wing Chun Reforged - The Wing Chun Straight Punch
While visiting Boston, I recently had the opportunity to meet Adrian Li, a martial artist who teaches Wing Chun at Boston University.  We chatted a bit, and also did some brief training together.  He is an enthusiastic individual, who at a young age, is quite skilled and has a very open and positive attitude.  I can see why his students would like his style of teaching.

During our meeting, he mentioned that he was doing a documentary about the Wing Chun Straight Punch, and asked me to answer a question on video.

Below you can see the full documentary.  Be sure to check out the other 2 parts on his youtube channel.

If the embedded video doesn't work, try:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbTIjkHALy4

Expanding on the video...
As mentioned by Danny Horgan of Wing Chun Blast, the flurry and speed of chain punches, and the deep power in a well-laid punch are both important.  In a self-defense situation, we are already behind and out-egoed by the aggressor.  The air is thin, your arms/legs may be trembling, fine motor control is all lost.  If it becomes physical, we may need to counteract the attacker by surprise, with efficient and unexpected power.  Only then can we buy some time to gives us a chance to escape.

I think we need to train everything to do with the punch, be it speed and timing, distance, mobility/fluidity, power, etc.  All part of the Wing-Tsun CoreConcepts by Sifu Ralph Haenel of Wing Tsun Kung Fu Vancouver.  And do so with good footwork, connection of upper/lower body, and whole body motion.

Now, let's be philosophical... but practical
If we want to be philosophical about the Wing Chun punch though, then there are no absolute categories of different wing chun punches.  We should be able to punch from any angle, at any body position, at any time, and make it count.  I didn't say it was easy to do.  In practicality though, in a self-defense scenario, this may be our only choice, and only chance. 

Let's be even more philosophical...
All of the major "techniques" in Wing Tsun are simply a temporarily inhibited punch (or chan/fak sau, etc.).  Think about it.  Do you do a bong sau, or does bong sau just happen?  Did you then stop and admire your bong sau, or did your follow-up attack already happen?

The "techniques" could be thought of transition zones before the next temporarily inhibited punch.  And the next.  Until it hits.

Remember... "I do not hit, it hits by itself" -Bruce Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhvBTy28VJM

Happy training!