Wing Chun Kung Fu Information

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WING CHUN KUNG FU FOR LADIES, MEN & CHILDREN! Excellent for Exercise, Self-Defence & Socializing! Wing Choon Kuen originally was part and parcel of Shaolin’s Buddhist theoretical studies. It stressed mainly the formation of one’s personal character and ethics. Kuen Faat (martial techniques) was initially human’s imitation of the movements of animals and birds. After a long period of in-depth study and trails, those movements were arranged into a series of movements we call forms. The original founder of the series of Wing Choon Kuen was an intelligent, innovative female disciple of Shaolin called Ng Mui Shi Tai. She studied diligently and humbly at Shaolin and eventually became one of the top Kungfu masters. The objectives of her martial techniques were not only to inculcate the high morality of the learner, but also to provide ample physical exercise for fitness and health, through a series of nimble movements. In addition to building up a strong and tough body physically, it also aimed to prevent diseases and defend oneself against any attack from wild animals. Our forms - Providing different energies Intermediate Forms • Kwan Do (春秋大刀) • Subdue the Tiger Trident (伏虎大耙) • Willow Leaf Double Broadsword (柳葉雙刀) • Bench • Spear (梅花槍) • Broadsword and Rattan Shield(单刀籐牌) • Broadsword and Rattan Shield vs Subdue the Tiger Trident (单刀籐牌對拆伏虎大耙) • Subdue the Tiger Empty Hand Form (伏虎拳) • Small 5 Animals Empty Hand Form (小五形拳) Advanced Forms • Iron Elbow - Empty Hand • Rope and Weight (飛鉈) • Twin Butterfly Knives (蝴蝶雙刀) • 3 Section Staff (三節棍) Our Core Forms - The DNA of Yip Kin Wing Chun Core Forms Empty Hand 1. Small Flower Fist (小花拳) This is the first form of the Yip Kin Wing Choon system and it introduces the practitioner to the basic hand, body and footwork movements and positions. It also contains the road map on how to practice the other forms to achieve the best results. It can be broken into 8 sections, each focusing on a specific footwork, body positions, structure and energy. The techniques are put into "points" so the practitioner can focus him/herself on the essentials of the Yip Kin Wing Choon system. 2. Big Flower Fist (大花拳) This second form simplifies the movements of the first form and adds new combination/techniques to the practitioner. It is also a power form where you build your strength and stamina to cope with the stresses and needs of a fight situation. It also teaches you to fight from impossible/odd positions such on the ground and in twisted positions. 3. Wooden Dummy (木人樁) Practical applications, positioning in relation to an enemy, power application and footwork in relation to a person is taught here. You will also learn how your structure corresponds to an opponent in a particular situation. It requires both soft and hard energy to be able to get your self around the dummy. The dummy only has 2 arms that is pointed to the practitioner's centre (throat and belly button) and a leg. 4. Sticky Hand Form The sticky hand form provides a bridge between the empty hand forms and free fighting. Techniques are applied to a partner in a sequence which resembles two person fighting with the hands in almost constant contact. Students learn to attack and defend according to Wing Choon principles in a safe environment with a partner. However, unlike the empty hand forms, the movements are not executed by the practitioner but based on input by his/her partner. At advanced levels, the attacker has the choice to follow the form or change the sequence by changing the energy he/she applies into the attack. His/Her partner must interpret the energy he/she receives and acts accordingly using the proper principle and/or techniques that will best correspond with the attack using minimal movement and energy. Later, this will flow into a free flow fighting technique by both practitioners. Weapons 1. Plum Blossom Staff (楊梅棒) The basic weapon and what practitioners of Yip Kin Wing Choon believe to be the TRUE Wing Choon weapon. The pole is held with both palms pointing away from the practitioner. ALL the the Wing Choon principles can be applied using this weapon and all the movements are almost exactly like empty hand techniques learnt in the first and second forms. Using this pole, practitioners also learns to apply Lien Siu Tai Ta (linking offense into defense) and footwork for their empty hand techniques. 2. Six and a Half Point Pole (六點半棍) This is a unique pole form which has six and a half techniques combined and repeated over six and half directions together with its variations according to usage and needs. 3. Yin Yang Ba Gua Pole (陰陽八卦棍) This form is almost similar in terms of techniques and content to the Six and a Half Point pole but applies the techniques to Eight (8) directions using a slightly different footwork. 4. Partnered Plum Blossom Staff (楊梅棒對拆) This is a partner form learnt after the practitioner has finished learning the Six and a Half Point pole. It's objective is to teach the applications of the Plum Blossom Staff together with introducing the practitioner to stick fighting and fighting using a medium range weapon. 5. Partnered Six and a Half Point Pole (六點半棍對拆) This partner form is learnt after the practitioner has finished learning the Yin Yang Ba Gua Pole. Its objective is to introduce the practitioner to using the Six and a Half Point pole in a combat situation, fight using a long weapon and to sticking pole (Chi Kuan) exercises. Basic Training - To get you started Stances and Footwork There are 6 different types of footwork launched from 5 basic stances. All the stances are interchangeable with each other with only at maximum one or less movement in between. Qigong Consist of 6 static postures which a practitioner must hold for a period of time. Its objective other than for health is to develop Qi for use in combat. 7 hands These are separate techniques like those in 40 point Wing Chun and the San Sik of Yuen Kay Shan Wing Chun. Other than teaching a specific technique, they also teach the basic principles used in Yip Kin Wing Choon. 8 legs Taken from the 3 empty and forms and 1 wooden dummy form, it is a way to practice the kicks separately for practical use in fighting. Our Methodology - How we make you excellent! Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen's training system is a traditional model. During the Basic Training stage, the basics required for application of Wing Choon techniques are drilled into the student, imparting the skills required for proper execution of the forms. Thereafter, from the first form Sai Fa Kuen (Small Flower Fist), until the last, the training methodology becomes iterative. Each and every form contains the entire system. Thus the first form is akin to a "executive summary" of the entire Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen system. It starts with simple techniques executed with fairly large movements to make it easier for the student to practice while developing the correct principles. Subsequent forms modify the same movements, blending and/or simplifying them, whilst adding more complex movements and applications. These extend also to every weapon form in the system, which use the exact same energy and movement as the empty hand forms. The student is taught the same movements in increasing levels of complexity throughout the course. The different weapons, while using the same movements as the empty hand forms, also each has a different focus and seeks to impart some new, essential skill or energy into the student. Sometimes these changes are felt immediately, for example, a student may do chi sao exercise, do a weapon form, and if he does chi sao after with the same partner he had before, the difference in feel will become immediately and overwhelmingly apparent. Besides adding advanced techniques, subsequent forms in the system also provide feedback on the student's abilities or development during the earlier forms. For example, if the student's footwork is even slightly in error for some reason or another in an earlier form, the more advanced forms will show this error clearly, allowing a student to make corrections and thus also improve his earlier forms. The highly integrated nature of the Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen system allows this. PRINCIPLES Hit With Borrowed Energy All the techniques, movements and principles of Yip Kin Wing Choon are designed to achieve this principle. China is famous for its battles and wars which lasts weeks on end. In order to be effective in a battlefield, the soldiers had to find ways to conserve their energy and the best way to do so is to use the enemy's energy. Energy Energy is only applied where there's contact and a need. For example, when a punch is launched, it is largely useless until it hits the enemy. Therefore, energy used is only to move the fist to its intended target. It is non committal and its speed and direction is changeable. When it finds its target, a second energy is released in an explosive manner. This allows the practitioner to conserve energy and use it only when it matters most. Economy of Action The only objective of Yip Kin Wing Choon is to hit/subdue the opponent in the shortest time possible using the most minimal amount of movement, strength and energy. However in a fight situation, there are more instances where the hands/feet and/or other parts of the body comes in contact with the opponent. Once in contact with an opponent, every move (of hands and feet, and even a step or turn) in Yip Kin Wing Choon is either an attack, or a set up for an attack. Attacks can be either strikes to vulnerable points on the body of an opponent where available, or an attack on the opponent's structure which results in him unable to attack or defend effectively. An example of an attack on structure is unbalancing the opponent. Where no direct attack is possible at any particular moment, techniques could be used to set up for an attack, by either forcing the opponent to over-commit or to simply bypass his defenses where possible or by other means. The combat system contains no excess movement, every movement has an application, and every movement is only as large as is strictly necessary to complete its task. In a given situation where the practitioner has a choice of action, he is encouraged to use the simplest and most direct one. All movements are non-committed in nature, i.e. power is not generated through weight-shift or a waist turn where the upper torso twists independently of the lower body. At no point is the principle of rootedness is compromised during contact. Centerline Focus The centerline is defined in Yip Kin Wing Choon as a vertical line passing through the center of the opponents body. Every action in Wing Choon Kuen has a focus on this centerline. The direction of force or energy is always towards this, or directly away from, this line. The objective of this focus is for every action to have the maximum effect on the opponent.