Tweet
Santiago; thanks for sharing your experience, I´ve met some practicioners like what you describe too...they are not as formidable as they think...
Questions on Wing Choon Kungfu Question 6 - Part 2
In our school, when we practice Sticking Hands we create a chi field that extends beyond our physical arms. Even when our arms are not in contact and we are blind-folded, we can pick up the movement, and later the intention, of an opponent in our chi field. This was the reason why some of our advanced students and instructors in the Special Wing Choon Course in Penang in 2010 reported to me that during free sparring when their eyes were open, they could respond more effectively by sensing than by seeing their opponent’s attack.
At this stage, the opponent’s movement and his intention are the same. He makes a feint move to attack your head, then changes it to an attack to your body because that is what he has intended to do. As our training is systematic and progressive, later you can also sense his emotions and other intentions. You may, for example, sense that he is nervous or confident. You may also sense that he is preparing to run away, or is about to press in with continuous attacks.
As the level of martial arts today is low, with many martial artists freely exchange blows with a shocking disregard to their own safety, many people may not believe in these higher aspects of kungfu. But some of our instructors and senior students told me that sometimes in free sparring they knew beforehand what attacks their opponents would make. They picked up their opponents’ intentions in their chi field or mind field.
George told me an interesting story some time ago. He was free sparring with Kai on an occasion not connected with Wing Choon Kungfu. They were in poise position. Suddenly George withdrew with his hand protecting his eyes. Kai then told George that he intended to execute “Poisonous Snake Shoots Venom”. Kai’s shen, which included his intention, was so strong, and George’s sensitivity so sharp that George could easily pick up Kai’s intention before Kai actually made the movement.
Had George practiced Wing Choon Kungfu, he would have the benefit of breadth and depth to exploit the situation. He would wait for Kai to make his move, then swiftly squatted down like a gorilla, as George is quite large in size, to pluck some peaches. Gorillas love peaches too. Kai, of course, could protect his peaches. He might, for example, lift up his leg to protect the peaches and then executed his world-famous kicks.
The above scenario shows the systematic progression of Sticking Hands training. If a teacher were to say, “Don’t follow the movement, follow the intention”, students would be confused. They may understand the meaning of the instruction but lack the skills to carry it out. Such an instruction is bad, but is better than an instruction commonly found in martial arts, “Put on your boxing gloves and fight”. The instructor submits his students, and the students submit themselves to being hit and punched when they are supposed to learn an art that prevents this happening!
n kungfu context, “shadow” often refers to an opponent’s retreating movement. When an opponent attacks, you deflect his attack, with your hand still in contact with his arm. When he withdraws his arm, you follow the “shadow” to strike him. This is a manifestation of a saying commonly found in popular styles of Wing Choon, i.e. “loi lau huai soong, leik sau chiet choong”, which means, “When an opponent comes, retain him; when he retreats, send him away. If the arms lose contact, strike straight ahead.”
In Choe Family Wing Choon practiced in our school, this is only one of many combat principles. It is not the all-important principle that some practitioners of popular styles of Wing Choon think it is. Other important combat principles in Choe Family Wing Choon, which are also found in other kungfu styles, especially those from Shaolin, are “yow kiew kiew sheong ko, mo kiew shun shui lau”, which means “If there is a bridge, go along the bridge; if there is no bridge, follow the flow of water”, and “yow yein ta yein, mo yein choui ying”, which means “if there is form, strike the form; if there is no form, chase the shadow”.
Questions on Wing Choon Kungfu Question 6 - Part 2
In our school, when we practice Sticking Hands we create a chi field that extends beyond our physical arms. Even when our arms are not in contact and we are blind-folded, we can pick up the movement, and later the intention, of an opponent in our chi field. This was the reason why some of our advanced students and instructors in the Special Wing Choon Course in Penang in 2010 reported to me that during free sparring when their eyes were open, they could respond more effectively by sensing than by seeing their opponent’s attack.
At this stage, the opponent’s movement and his intention are the same. He makes a feint move to attack your head, then changes it to an attack to your body because that is what he has intended to do. As our training is systematic and progressive, later you can also sense his emotions and other intentions. You may, for example, sense that he is nervous or confident. You may also sense that he is preparing to run away, or is about to press in with continuous attacks.
As the level of martial arts today is low, with many martial artists freely exchange blows with a shocking disregard to their own safety, many people may not believe in these higher aspects of kungfu. But some of our instructors and senior students told me that sometimes in free sparring they knew beforehand what attacks their opponents would make. They picked up their opponents’ intentions in their chi field or mind field.
George told me an interesting story some time ago. He was free sparring with Kai on an occasion not connected with Wing Choon Kungfu. They were in poise position. Suddenly George withdrew with his hand protecting his eyes. Kai then told George that he intended to execute “Poisonous Snake Shoots Venom”. Kai’s shen, which included his intention, was so strong, and George’s sensitivity so sharp that George could easily pick up Kai’s intention before Kai actually made the movement.
Had George practiced Wing Choon Kungfu, he would have the benefit of breadth and depth to exploit the situation. He would wait for Kai to make his move, then swiftly squatted down like a gorilla, as George is quite large in size, to pluck some peaches. Gorillas love peaches too. Kai, of course, could protect his peaches. He might, for example, lift up his leg to protect the peaches and then executed his world-famous kicks.
The above scenario shows the systematic progression of Sticking Hands training. If a teacher were to say, “Don’t follow the movement, follow the intention”, students would be confused. They may understand the meaning of the instruction but lack the skills to carry it out. Such an instruction is bad, but is better than an instruction commonly found in martial arts, “Put on your boxing gloves and fight”. The instructor submits his students, and the students submit themselves to being hit and punched when they are supposed to learn an art that prevents this happening!
n kungfu context, “shadow” often refers to an opponent’s retreating movement. When an opponent attacks, you deflect his attack, with your hand still in contact with his arm. When he withdraws his arm, you follow the “shadow” to strike him. This is a manifestation of a saying commonly found in popular styles of Wing Choon, i.e. “loi lau huai soong, leik sau chiet choong”, which means, “When an opponent comes, retain him; when he retreats, send him away. If the arms lose contact, strike straight ahead.”
In Choe Family Wing Choon practiced in our school, this is only one of many combat principles. It is not the all-important principle that some practitioners of popular styles of Wing Choon think it is. Other important combat principles in Choe Family Wing Choon, which are also found in other kungfu styles, especially those from Shaolin, are “yow kiew kiew sheong ko, mo kiew shun shui lau”, which means “If there is a bridge, go along the bridge; if there is no bridge, follow the flow of water”, and “yow yein ta yein, mo yein choui ying”, which means “if there is form, strike the form; if there is no form, chase the shadow”.
this is simply too exciting to read about: how much more depth and breadth the Choe family Wing Choon has!
Comment