Wing Chun

Wing Chun martial arts animals techniques

"Balance, structure, and stance Some Wing Chun practitioners believe that the person with better body structure will win. A correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding. This structure is used to either deflect external forces or redirect them.[citation needed] Balance is related to structure because a well-balanced body recovers more quickly from stalled attacks and structure is maintained. Wing Chun trains the awareness of one's own body movement derived from muscular, tendon, and articular sources. Performing Wing Chun's forms such as Chum Kiu or the Wooden Dummy[17] form greatly improve proprioception. Wing Chun favours a high, narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body. Within the stance, arms are generally positioned across the vitals of the centerline with hands in a vertical wu sau[18] position to readily placed block fast moving blows to one's vital striking points down the centerline of the body--neck, chest, belly and groin. Shifting or turning within a stance is carried out variantly on the heels, balls, or middle (K1 or Kidney 1 point) of the foot depending on lineage. All attacks and counter-attacks are initiated from this firm, stable base. Wing Chun rarely compromises structure for more powerful attacks because this is believed to create defensive openings which may be exploited. As described more below, some Wing Chun styles discourage the use of high kicks, since this creates an opportunity for counter-attacks to the groin. Structure is viewed as important, not only for reasons of defense, but also for attack. When the practitioner is effectively ""rooted"", or aligned so as to be braced against the ground, the force of the hit is believed to be far more devastating. Additionally, the practice of ""settling"" one's opponent to brace them more effectively against the ground aids in delivering as much force as possible to them.[19][20]"