THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF WING CHUN KUNG FU

The underlying principles of Wing Chun are as follows:

• Centre line -the shortest distance between two points is a straight line;

• Simplicity - the most effective self defence techniques are the simplest techniques;

• Directness - students learn to defend and counter-attack in the most direct and efficient manner.

• Relaxation - is the key to faster and more powerful punches and kicks. The practitioner only tenses his or her muscles at the moment of impact with the opponent;

• Feeling and Control - Wing Chun practitioners practice sticky hands. This enables the practitioner to feel the opponent’s movements and react accordingly to control the opponent's movements.

• Using your opponent’s force against him or her - Wing Chun practitioners do not have to be well built. The style emphasises on using the opponent’s strength and power against him or her.

When training in Wing Chun, it is critical that a student bears in mind the above principles.

Wing Chun Maxims

Through the oral tradition of Wing Chun, there are a number of Wing Chun maxims from which the underlying principles of Wing Chun may be discerned.  The following are the most common Wing Chun maxims:

• Loy Lau Hue Sung, Lut Sao Gik Chong - When the opponent approaches, the Wing Chun practitioner retains. When the opponent retreats, the Wing Chun practitioner follows.  If the opponent loses contact with the Wing Chun practitioner then the practitioner thrusts forward (ie the practitioner will attack in the most direct and economical fashion).

• Jui Ying Dan But Jui Sao - In Wing Chun, we chase the structure (centreline or centre of mass) but we do not chase the hands.

• Lik Chun Day Hey - In Wing Chun, the force comes from the ground. Therefore, careful training of the practitioner's stance and structure are required to ensure that ground force is exerted when executing attacking or defending techniques.

• Kuen Yao Sum Fat - This aspect could be interpreted in a number of ways. These include:

1. Literally, "the fist comes from the heart". This interpretation emphasises the centreline nature of Wing Chun punches.
2. In Chi Gung, the heart is associated with the generation of Chi or life force. In this context, the saying may also be interpreted to mean that skeletal or structural power rather than brute force gives the Wing Chun punch power. This sort of power may be construed as Chi power for Chi Gung practitioners.
3. Sum Fat may also be interpreted as "method from the heart" or method through knowledge, understanding and experience. This interpretation suggests that Wing Chun is a concept based art and is not based upon any pre-arranged sequences of movements.  Rather the practitioner merely reacts to attacks and counter-attacks.

• Lien Siu Dai Da -   This means that a Wing Chun practitioner would continually nullify an opponent's defences and attack at the same time untl the opponent could no longer continue. Indeed, in attacking and defending, the hands of the Wing Chun practitioner often move in opposite directions.

• Yiu Ma Sao Sarm Hop Yut - In executing attack or defence techniques, the hip, the stance and the hands must move together for maximum effect.

• Dik But Dong, Ngoi But Dong, Dik Yuk Dong, Ngoi Sin Dong - When the opponent doesn't move, the Wing Chun practitioner doesn't move. When the opponent does move, the Wing Chun practitioner moves first.  This is achieved through sensitivity and reaction training in Chi Sau or Sticky Hands.