WingTsun
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WingTsun is the english romanization for the branch of the Kung Fu style Wing Chun associated with Leung Ting.
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[edit] Introduction
The main objective of WingTsun is to be a realistic system of self-defense. WingTsun™ does not focus on fighting “techniques”, instead relying on fighting principles and force principles to be followed at all times. The central idea of WingTsun is that, under pressure, it is impossible to visually recognize the precise direction and speed of an attack and make a conscious decision on an effective way in which to react, all within the very brief amount of time you have before your opponent's attack lands. Rather, one must (counter) attack immediately in a very direct and protected manner, and rely on reflexes to determine how to react if the opponent's attack continues to pose a problem. Chi Sao, or “sticking arms” practice, trains students to respond reflexively to the speed, force and direction of an attack based on tactile information, which the human brain processes much faster than visual information.
[edit] The principles of the WingTsun system
The eight principles of WingTsun form a system of aggressive self-defense that allows one to adapt immediately to the size, strength and fighting style of an attacker. There are many ways to express the principles, since they are essentially very simple. However it takes years of performing the Wing Chun forms and practicing Chi Sao with a knowledgeable instructor to train the body to follow the principles reflexively and to understand their applications in specific situations.
[edit] Fighting principles
- Go forward.
Advance immediately in order to establish contact with the limbs (allowing for Chi Sao reflexes to take over) or — even better — to strike first. This counterintuitive reaction will often surprise the attacker, and moves the fight into a close distance in which tactile reflexes will dominate over visual reactions, where the WingTsun™ practitioner is likely to have an advantage.
- Stick to the opponent.
If you are unable to strike and disable your opponent, but instead make contact with some part of his body (other than his face, throat, etc.), stick to it. Oftentimes this will be an opponent's arm; if you maintain constant contact with his arms, how can he launch an attack at you without your knowing?
- Yield to a greater force.
Since one cannot expect to be stronger than every potential attacker, one must train in such a way as to be able to win even against a stronger opponent. Chi Sao teaches the reflexes necessary to react to an opponent's attacks. When an attack is simply stronger than ours, your trained reflexes will tell your body to move out of the way of the attack and find another angle for attack.
- Follow through.
As an extension of the first principle, if an opponent retreats, a WingTsun practioner's immediate response is to continue moving forward, not allowing the opponent to regroup and have an opportunity to reconsider his strategy of attack. Many styles that rely on visual cues prefer to step back and wait and time their attacks, as commonly seen in sport and tournament fighting.
[edit] Force principles
- Be free of your own force.
One needs to be relaxed in order to move dynamically and to react to the actions of an opponent. When you are tense, your "own force" acts as a parking brake -- you must disengage it first before you can move quickly.
- Be free of your attacker’s force.
This is similar to the third fighting principle. When an attacker wants to use strength to overpower a WingTsun™ fighter, the response is not to try to overcome strength with strength but to nullify this force by moving your attacker's force away from you or to move yourself away from it.
- Borrow your attacker's force.
Take advantage of the force your opponent gives you. If an opponent pulls you toward him, use that energy as part of your attack. Or if an opponent pushes the left side of your body, you can act as a revolving door and use that force in an attack with your right arm.
- Use your own force.
In addition to borrowing power from your attacker, you can add your own force in an attack.
As well as describing the progression of a self-defense response, the strength principles also describe the progression a WingTsun student must follow over years of training: first, form training and a great deal of punching to learn to be relaxed in a fight and to (counter intuitively) punch without tension; second, countless hours of Chi Sao training to be able to yield to—and exploit—the attackers strength; finally, strength training specific to WingTsun to increase punching and striking power.
[edit] Organization and growth
The official umbrella organization for WingTsun, the International WingTsun Association (IWTA), is headquartered in Hong Kong and led by Great Grandmaster Leung Ting. The IWTA has schools in over 60 countries, and has gained a large following in the western world. There are now over 2,000 WingTsun schools in Europe alone, most of them in Germany and its neighboring countries. This growth owes mainly to Leung Ting’s German headstudent, Grandmaster Keith Kernspecht. Kernspecht organized the European branch of the IWTA, the European WingTsun Organization (EWTO), which has its headquarters at Langenzell Castle near Heidelberg, Germany. He also developed a condensed and simplified version of WingTsun called ‘BlitzDefence’.
[edit] Grading system
One characteristic of WingTsun is Great Grandmaster Leung Ting’s creation of a structured teaching system. Unlike the traditional master-apprentice model of teaching, where a student would follow his instructor for several years or even a lifetime, the IWTA's structured approach ensures all students receive a complete WingTsun education at each grade level. So the busy individual who can only train twice a week will not miss out on important concepts or ideas that would give his devoted classmate, seemingly always in class, an unfair advantage. (The advantage would likely arise from his classmate's diligence and further developed skills from the extra hours of training).
The WingTsun curriculum consists of 12 student grades which cover the first two forms, Siu Nim Tao and Chum Kiu, as well as the related Chi Sao training and applications. Following the student grades are 12 instructor grades, beginning with the 1st - 4th ‘Technician’ levels, the 5th - 8th ‘Practician’ levels, and finally the 9th - 12th philosophical levels. At the instructor levels, the student begins training in the more advanced programs of WingTsun-—Biu Tze, Mook Yan Chong Fa (Wooden Dummy), Luk Dim Boon Kwun Fa (Long Pole), and Bart Cham Dao (Eight Cutting Broadsword or “Butterfly Sword”) forms.
