Wing Chun Notes

By Kenneth Chung, Ray Van Raamsdonk & David Williams

• Don't be greedy to hit (Tom Da). People are already hit without realizing it.
• You don't always have to strike high. This exposes you to low hits.
• Sink your stance, bring your knees in and melt into the ground.
• You can practice for a lifetime but if your stance is poor you will have wasted all of your effort.
• Don't act before you know what is going on. You must feel what is happening first.
• Random flurries won't work.
• You can't just rely on speed.
• Keep the head back or it will get hit and it also brings the whole posture down to stiffen up the hands.
• Keep the head up and rely on your touch.
• Don't struggle. This is known as Dow Lik. Use positioning to overcome you opponent.
• Connect the hands with the feet.
• Learn to neutralize the opponent's force by wither absorbing it or by turning the stance.
• When the opponent retreats, don't just stand there. You must come forward. If you stand there you will get kicked.
• Don't be tense when striking. Train to develop a very heavy but relaxed hitting power. Its should be very soft yet very substantial.
• The shoulders should not come forward. They should stay back.
• Practice the first set slowly in the mirror and watch that the shoulders stay back.
• Face the opponent square and hit down the centerline.
• Don't chase the opponent's hands, hit the centerline (central axis) of the opponent.
• Flowery big movements are not good in Wing Chun. Instead use simple connected movements.
• You shouldn't lift the Bong sau, it should spiral forward with minimal shoulder use. Sore shoulders come from trying to fight against energy.
• Try to use the concept of neutralizing an opponent's force along the tangent of a circle. The circle can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
• Try to feel when for the best time to apply your force. Try to feel when the opponent's energy/force begins.
• A principle in Wing Chun is "Receive what comes." Receive means to really accept it, don't push it away. Instead you should accept the force, welcome that force.
• When you are studying Wing Chun, don't think about tournament competition, about self defense, about the other styles. This is going off the Wing Chun path. Your training will take much longer if you do.
• First pack in the proper Wing Chun concepts. Get the Wing Chun skill first, then you can think about self defense.
• Most people's fighting is too fast for them to realize what is going on. Don't just move in random ways. They should feel what is going on first.
• Don't just follow your opponent's hands. If there is an opening, take it. The best defense is an attack.
• You have to constantly remind yourself to relax and not to struggle. Being tense uses way too much of your energy. There's always going to be someone stronger than you so you can't pit strength against strength.
• It will take 1/2 a year to change from your old habits to new habits.Changing habits starts with having the proper concept in your mind.
• Progression of training begins with position then to sensitivity. Timing is next, then speed and power is last.
• Position is developed by training the form for precision. Training in the first set in front of a mirror can help. Without proper position your hitting accuracy will be off, your power reduced, you cannot neutralize force and you'll be off balanced.
• In sparring, don't be greedy to hit and just trade punches or kicks with your opponent, worry about feeling for an opening first and timing your attack.
• Always travel the shortest distance which is the straight centerline. The opponent can start first but we'll get there sooner.
• Wing Chun is sneaky. It uses the element of surprise .
• When an opponent lifts their leg to kick, they give you a target. You now have the opportunity to kick his supporting leg, groin or shin area. Then you can step in and attack further.
• Every opponent has weak points. You must find them.
• Hit through the opponent's body, not aim for the surface.
• It is where the energy is applied that makes the difference.
• It takes 20 pounds of force to smash a nose.
• If you are lazy, you won't learn much. But if you're too greedy and want too much, you will also stop your progress.
• If the attack is not committed, then don't react or shift your weight. Wait on a committed punch or kick by your opponent in order to take advantage of their balance and posture so they cannot recover.
• Don't look at your hands. Feel what is going on. Don't look down.
• In Wing Chun, what matters is how much training you put in, how good is your skill and having the right guidance.

Correct positioning starts with the correct stance. Without the stance being correct you can't coordinate your hands and feet properly. The drills will turn into disconnected hand exercises. When the position is correct it means the stance, the arm angles, and the centerline are accurate, then you're ready to work on the second step... sensitivity. You apply feeling to tell you when and how to change your structure to match your opponent's structure. We must feel what is happening first, then change our structure to the best one to match the opponent's structure.

When the positions are correct, the proper feeling can be applied. When the positions and relaxation levels are good, then timing can be applied. Timing means during what part of the opponent's energy cycle do you apply your energy? You have to feel the peaks and valleys of your opponent's energy and let it tell you when to apply your movement.

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By Kenneth Chung, Ray Van Raamsdonk & David Williams Don't be greedy to hit (Tom Da). People are already hit without realizing it. You don't always have to strike high. This exposes you to low hits. Sink your stance, bring your knees in and melt into the ground. You can practice for a lifetime but if your stance is poor you will have wasted all of your effort. Don't act before you know what is going on. You must feel what is happening first. Random flurries won't work. You can't just rely on speed. Keep the head back or it will get hit and it also brings the whole posture down to stiffen up the hands. Keep the head up and rely on your touch. Don't struggle. This is known as Dow Lik. Use positioning to overcome you opponent. Connect the hands with the feet. Learn to neutralize the opponent's force by wither absorbing it or by turning the stance. When the opponent retreats, don't just stand there. You must come forward. If you stand there you will get kicked. Don't be tense when striking. Train to develop a very heavy but relaxed hitting power. Its should be very soft yet very substantial. The shoulders should not come forward. They should stay back. Practice the first set slowly in the mirror and watch that the shoulders stay back. Face the opponent square and hit down the centerline. Don't chase the opponent's hands, hit the centerline (central axis) of the opponent. Flowery big movements are not good in Wing Chun. Instead use simple connected movements. You shouldn't lift the Bong sau, it should spiral forward with minimal shoulder use. Sore shoulders come from trying to fight against energy. Try to use the concept of neutralizing an opponent's force along the tangent of a circle. The circle can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Try to feel when for the best time to apply your force. Try to feel when the opponent's energy/force begins. A principle in Wing Chun is "Receive what comes." Receive means to really accept it, don't push it away. Instead you should accept the force, welcome that force. When you are studying Wing Chun, don't think about tournament competition, about self defense, about the other styles. This is going off the Wing Chun path. Your training will take much longer if you do. First pack in the proper Wing Chun concepts. Get the Wing Chun skill first, then you can think about self defense. Most people's fighting is too fast for them to realize what is going on. Don't just move in random ways. They should feel what is going on first. Don't just follow your opponent's hands. If there is an opening, take it. The best defense is an attack. You have to constantly remind yourself to relax and not to struggle. Being tense uses way too much of your energy. There's always going to be someone stronger than you so you can't pit strength against strength. It will take 1/2 a year to change from your old habits to new habits.Changing habits starts with having the proper concept in your mind. Progression of training begins with position then to sensitivity. Timing is next, then speed and power is last. Position is developed by training the form for precision. Training in the first set in front of a mirror can help. Without proper position your hitting accuracy will be off, your power reduced, you cannot neutralize force and you'll be off balanced. In sparring, don't be greedy to hit and just trade punches or kicks with your opponent, worry about feeling for an opening first and timing your attack. Always travel the shortest distance which is the straight centerline. The opponent can start first but we'll get there sooner. Wing Chun is sneaky. It uses the element of surprise . When an opponent lifts their leg to kick, they give you a target. You now have the opportunity to kick his supporting leg, groin or shin area. Then you can step in and attack further. Every opponent has weak points. You must find them. Hit through the opponent's body, not aim for the surface. It is where the energy is applied that makes the difference. It takes 20 pounds of force to smash a nose. If you are lazy, you won't learn much. But if you're too greedy and want too much, you will also stop your progress. If the attack is not committed, then don't react or shift your weight. Wait on a committed punch or kick by your opponent in order to take advantage of their balance and posture so they cannot recover. Don't look at your hands. Feel what is going on. Don't look down. In Wing Chun, what matters is how much training you put in, how good is your skill and having the right guidance. Correct positioning starts with the correct stance. Without the stance being correct you can't coordinate your hands and feet properly. The drills will turn into disconnected hand exercises. When the position is correct it means the stance, the arm angles, and the centerline are accurate, then you're ready to work on the second step... sensitivity. You apply feeling to tell you when and how to change your structure to match your opponent's structure. We must feel what is happening first, then change our structure to the best one to match the opponent's structure. When the positions are correct, the proper feeling can be applied. When the positions and relaxation levels are good, then timing can be applied. Timing means during what part of the opponent's energy cycle do you apply your energy? You have to feel the peaks and valleys of your opponent's energy and let it tell you when to apply your movement.