Wing Chun Forms, Characteristics and Principles
Through countless generations of Masters, Wing Chun Kung Fu has
managed to maintain its focus as an effective practical fighting
system. The fighting system has avoided being modified into a competitive
rules based sport or demonstration art, and therefore has maintained
the essence of the founding principles of the Wing Chun fighting
art: move efficiently (Economy of Motion), occupy and control the
centre ground (Centre Line Theory), Strike with explosive power
over a short range, Fa Jing (short Distance Power Theory).
Wing Chun is not simply just a collection of unrelated ideas and
techniques. It has a core set of guiding principles, which allows
a practitioner to naturally develop their Wing Chun ability by selecting
what is a correct response of for a given attack with little effort.
This keeps the art a pure and integrated fighting system, while
allowing direction for refinement during training that is consistent
with its principles. These guiding principles are maintained with
practice of the Wing Chun forms and are part of the reason for Wing
Chun's uniquely scientific and logical approach to fighting.
By observing the approach of Wing Chun it is quite easy to accept
that a woman did indeed have a role to play in the development of
this great art. It is an extremely logical, scientific system, which
always makes use of skill over strength, economy of motion over
flowery motion, and is well suited to someone of smaller stature
and strength.
Indeed, all Wing Chun techniques serve a practical purpose. There
are no flowery movements or graceful techniques that mimic animal
movements like others popular Kung Fu styles such as Hung Gar. To
the general public, Wing Chun does seem to appear less effective
compared with more dramatic styles, like Muay Thai, Karate, Tae
Kwon Do, or Wu Su. Its fighting techniques are simplified in order
to train the Wing Chun practitioner to defeat an aggressor in the
most efficiency way (economy of motion), therefore, Wing Chun fighters
pride themselves on simple plain-looking but deadly effective techniques.
In practice, the techniques of Wing Chun may be interpreted and
understood either in terms of body mechanics/structure or in the
use of energy often referred to as Fa Jing (explosive force). A
method of developing power that is not restricted by age, gender
or fitness. In other words, any man or woman regardless of age of
fitness level has the potential to develop sufficient power to defend
against a sudden aggressive attack.
This is not to suggest that Wing Chun relies on brute strength.
On the contrary, softness (via relaxation) combined with sudden
contraction is fundamental to the fighting system, and is essential
to deflect, negate, and use an aggressor’s power against him.
Thus the importance of the training the Wing Chun forms, each form
in particular develops an aspect of the practitioners ability. Indeed,
the first form (Sui Nim Tao) develops a basic understanding of the
centre-line theory, whilst ensuring strength in the basic shapes
and explosive power (Fa Jing). The second form (Chum Kui) extends
the practitioners understanding of
Combines the qualities of strong frame and explosive power developed
in the first form with speed and body structure in order to create
a dynamic high-pressured exercise for the Wing Chun practitioner.
The early forms of Wing Chun should be viewed as physical training
that develops power, strength, and explosive energy. They are not
merely a collection of simply techniques to be thoughtlessly copied,
but techniques that when practiced properly engage insurmountable
strength and power, even for people of small frame and structure.
Below you will find a brief overview of the Wing Chun forms (in
order of how they should be taught to a student) and related concepts
and characterises of this great fighting art.
|
