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Whether you are new to Wing Chun or a seasoned veteran, we all start out with the Siu-Nim-Tau. Meaning “Little-Idea” form, this beginning stage can seem mundane to many, yet complex to others.

What makes the Siu-Nim-Tau so important to what we do, and how “should” we view it? Let’s take a look at what it really is and “why” it is so vital to Wing Chun Kuen.

The art as a whole is built on a progression of curriculums. Some feel that instead of building a foundation, they want to jump ahead to areas like the wooden dummy. After all, if the wooden dummy contains such advanced applications, then it must be the best, right?

Well, that might “seem” like a good idea, but it only seems that way. In reality, that is the best way to never create a useful skill set. Instead, it is the quickest way to get the snot smacked out of you.

Everything has a starting point, and in Wing Chun, that is the Siu-Nim-Tau. It is here that we learn about body mechanics, the centerline, adduction, and simultaneous attack and defense. It is here that we learn the core concepts for how to control our actions, for in controlling ourselves, we can control the opponent.

Anyone who has ever flown a plane knows that you cannot just jump into the cockpit of a jet and have a go. First you have to understand the mechanics of flight, followed by an understanding of the aircraft and the instrumentation necessary to maneuver it.

Generally you will fly a trainer with an experienced pilot in order to get used to flying and everything that goes with it, too, and only then - after rigorous and thorough training - will you advance to jets.

In the same, this is how Wing Chun is structured. First comes the foundation, and that foundation is Siu-Nim-Tau. It is here that a variety of mechanics and concepts need to be learned, trained, and honed in order to become useful. Skipping this stage means jumping into the cockpit of a jet without even knowing how to fly: it might be the fastest and most powerful, but without knowing how to use it, it is a one way ticket to disaster.

In the same light, that is how the Siu-Nim-Tau is approached for Wing Chun. Learning the foundation is the absolute most important stage for training, and skipping the fundamentals that it imparts will lead to unusable skills. In fact, it is almost impossible to even learn anything above the Siu-Nim-Tau “without” training in the Siu-Nim-Tau to begin with.

For example, let’s say that you do not believe any of this, and you are new to Wing Chun. You see the wooden dummy and think to yourself, “That looks cool! Forget the Siu-Nim-Tau; instead, I’m going right to the dummy!”

So you buy yourself a dummy and a book or video, and you start training what you see.

The first thing you notice is that you have no clue as to how to position your body. You “think” you do, but then it feels cumbersome and unmovable. And since you are so focused on “banging away” at the dummy’s arms, your footwork is all over the place and you are bouncing off any time you make real contact.

Had you progressed through the stages as you should have, by the time you are ready for the dummy, you will already feel very comfortable with Man-sau, your footwork, how to drive power into an inanimate (unmovable) object, and how to keep your entire structure in check so that it remains stable. Because you trained in the right manner, you are learning to enhance and improve your understanding of force delivery vs. merely whacking away on a dummy.

In short, “skipping stages” in the Wing Chun curriculum is the best way to get pounded. Each successive stage builds on the previous stage, and it all starts with the Siu-Nim-Tau. Without that, then you have nothing to build on.

Outside of your Wing Chun training, many of you also have a regular fitness training program in place. And for those that prefer to train outdoors vs. inside a gym, there are some excellent routines that can directly enhance your Wing Chun.

For those that do not like training outside or at home, and “prefer” a gym, there are actually a lot of benefits in it, such as:

• Little to no equipment is needed in order to have a good workout

• No obnoxious people to contend with

• No waiting in line for equipment

• No need to drive back and forth to the gym

• Being outside, you can enjoy fresh air vs. stale gym air (depending on where you live, of course)

• You get a lot of sunshine, which an excellent source of Vitamin D

• You can workout anytime you choose vs. adhering to a gym’s schedule

There are seven (7) excellent exercises to help enhance your Wing Chun training. If trained properly and consistently, get ready for some work.

1. Lunges. Lunges should be done slowly and with perfect form in order to get the most out of them. Keep your back straight, and as you lunge forward, ensure that your knee remains over the ankle. Pause and move forward, going to the next leg.

2. Push ups. Yes, the basic push up is one of the best upper body exercises available, and unfortunately a lot of people have gotten away from it because they prefer bench presses. The basic push up includes standard, wide, and close grips, which works shoulders, chest, and triceps. If you want an easier workout, elevate your hands; if you want a harder workout, elevate your feet.

3. Squats. Slow, smooth squats with your knees never going beyond your ankle will seriously increase leg strength, and going as far down as possible without weight will also increase flexibility in the knee. If you want a killer workout? Raise one leg and do one-leg squats.

4. Step ups. If you do this properly, you are giving your legs one serious workout. You can use a bench step, a normal staircase, or anything that is stable that you can step up on and down from. Keep your head level and back straight to get the most from it (and it is also an excellent cardio workout, too).

5. Chin ups. Also called pull ups, you will need a chin up bar (or if you are outside, a tree branch or playground equipment). Very good for the arms and shoulders, as well as the back for stability training.

6. Uphill sprints. This one is an outside-only exercise, but you “can” simulate it somewhat on a treadmill. Not much, but a little. The thing here, though, is that you should only do this if you can do a 100 meter dash at full speed because it is a lot of work on the heart. So use caution with this. Once you are done, walk down and do it again.

7. Duck walks. A lot of lower body work goes on here, which is excellent for kicking and long pole training.

By incorporating any or all of these actions into your current fitness program, you get additional fitness training that positively impacts your Wing Chun training. What could be better than that, right?

For many, 1,000 punches a day might seem a little “extreme.” For the Wing Chun practitioner, however, it is both essential and practical.

Because the art requires a relaxed “explosiveness” in its actions, every action we take means that we must be devoid of all “muscled” type of movements. But without relying on brute strength, how do our attacks actually generate hitting power? From relaxing and then quickly contracting just enough to use “speed” as the catalyst behind the power vs. “powering through” with brute force.

This is the type of power that can be applied well into old age, too. Since it does not rely on muscle size or strength, “age” will actually help us because we get more relaxed as we get older. Sure, many attributes of aging will see a decline in our abilities, but that is par for the course of all physical activities. At least with this type of punching, we can effectively use our skills for defense throughout the duration of our lifetime.

So where does the “1,000 punches” fit in with all of this?

For starters, it keeps us relaxed. With so many punches, we cannot rely on physical strength because we simply wear out. But as long as we focus on correct mechanics and being relaxed in order to push through the exhaustion barrier, every punch takes us closer to performing the full 1,000 punches at full-speed and with full power.

With so many punches, it also improves our conditioning. Anyone who does just a few hundred punches knows how tiring it can be, so imagine what 1,000 punches will do. The chest, back, arms, abs, etc., are all being conditioned with each and every punch, and the more we do it, the more in-line with Wing Chun and fitness we become.

For those “new” to punching so much every day, I recommend starting with a couple hundred a day for a week or two in order to get used to it. Start with slow punches, too, to ensure that you do not hyper-exted the elbow. Once that happens, your punching days are severely limited until you heal the injury.

After a couple of weeks, increase your punches by 50 - 100. Now with approximately 400 punches a day, maintain this for another couple of weeks or so, and every 2 weeks, increase the amount by 100.

During this time frame, you are getting in better shape by burning calories, conditioning the upper body, and also gaining a valuable fighting skill in Wing Chun. Your body is overcoming the stress it experiences with repeated exhaustion, too, which assists in your overall training.

Within a very short amount of time, your 1,000 punches a day will tremendous gains in your fighting ability, not to mention an improved fitness level.

And all with just punching. Go figure.

Everyone sees Wing Chun’s “handling of force” a bit differently. Some prefer to take all attackers head-on, while others prefer to give up that force and attack from the side. Which one is right?

That depends on the lineage, of course, since training styles differ quite a bit. In general, though, we should always go back to the concept when questions like this arise.

Wing Chun’s premise is that force-vs-force comes with a price tag. If your force can overpower the attacker’s force, there is really nothing wrong with that. After all, everyone has an attribute to make use of, and if you are naturally strong, then overpowering your opponent with sheer force is acceptable.

On the flip side, if you are “not” physically stronger than your opponent, then you obviously have to approach the attack in a different way, e.g. side-stepping. The real key here is understanding the differences and knowing that at some point in time, what we currently perceive as being the “best” way for here and now, will at some point in the future change.

For example, if you are in your teens, 20’s, 30’s, etc., and you have excellent strength and flexibility, what you do “now” will change quite a bit from what you are able to do when you reach your 40’s, 50’s, and beyond. In that case, your entire outlook on Wing Chun can drastically change, and for some, it becomes a disheartening experience.

If your current training “relies” on your strength, I would suggest that you take a look at that and think in the “long term” of things. Strength is fleeting, and in reality, we will never know every single opponent we might run into.  If our training relies on our strength, “what if” we run into someone stronger? If our training relies on flexibility, “what if” we run into someone who is more flexible?

When our skill sets rely on a physical attribute (or collection of attributes), then at some point or another it is bound to break down. Maybe you are sick when you get attacked, or maybe you run into multiple attackers. “Age” is an inevitability for all of us, and it is easy to forget that while we are still young and in the prime of our lives.

The better option is in learning to “give way” with force, which allows us to utilize the attacker’s actions back against him/her. If we focus on driving in with brute strength, our own Chi-sau training shows us that this leads to futility. It is extremely easy to “borrow” an attacker’s movements, and while Wing Chun is known for this, there “are” other martial arts that work a semblance of this concept. They are by no means at the same level of this type of training that a Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun/ Wing Tsun practitioner is, but that does not mean they do not train it (nor does it mean they cannot use what they have learned).

In the end, “head-on” vs. “side-step” should always be thought of as a tactic vs. a primary method of training. Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to just “wade in” and go head-to-head. Other times, it is more appropriate to side-step, give way to the force coming in, and use those actions to your advantage.

For those unaware, AWCAOnline has most of its media currently available (except for a couple of issues of AWCA Notes). The last 2 months of back-issues are almost ready for release, too, so that will bring us current.

For the updates, you will now find that January - April 2008 of the newsletter is available and focuses on section 1 of the wooden dummy. Click here to go to AWCAOnline’s Muk-Yan-Chong section for more information about the wooden dummy.

June’s Video of the Month is also available and discusses how a Wing Chun practitioner “might” approach a kick defense. Note that “might” is used here because every situation is different and rarely will one movement or concept be the appropriate “answer” for every encounter. On the whole, however, the concept of how we approach our kick defenses is related, which will help to assist those curious about how it really happens (as well as “why.”)

I am also working as quickly as possible to make Volume 4: Biu-Tze and Volume 5: Muk-Yan-Chong available from our eBook Training Series, so look for that announcement soon. It has been a long road developing both for today’s PC systems, but they are finally closing in on the finish line. Hopefully you will think it was worth the wait as much as I do.

Also, get ready for some really great articles being posted here on the AWCA Weblog! In my spare time (as little as that is, of course) I have been working on some in-depth training segments to be posted here that will “up the anty” for your training. The trick, however, is to ensure that information is not repeated in multiple venues.

For example, we have the Weblog, plus AWCA Notes, plus AWCAOnline, plus our Video of the Month. Whereas most WC-related websites have only one medium for training (and sometimes not even that), we have four. While that sounds great, it is also quite hectic to keep moving forward and to ensure that information is not repeated throughout each venue.

But where the Weblog is concerned, this is a great place for meeting, so look for those entries to be made available very soon.

Lastly, we have a brand new version of AWCAOnline almost ready to be made available. With the “social networking” scheme of things becoming a literal way of life for some, I have created a brand new site from the ground up that includes various avenues for taking advantage of this.

For example, many of our pages will be made available on sites such as MySpace, Digg, etc. While I personally am not much of a fan of “social networking,” it does come in handy for helping everyone reach their target of learning by giving them a voice on what they want to see. Granted, things will - overall - still be related as I want it to, because in the end, it is how I believe it should be related and how I learned it.

In that, however, I am also quite open to relating the training areas that many of you seek, so I have made concessions for that by building it into the new site design.

I am quite excited about making it available, too! Very clean, easy to read, and easy to navigate in order to find what you are looking for as quickly as possible.

So, those are the basic updates for now, and more information will be related as we get closer to the release dates. Stay tuned, ’cause it is going to be a great ride in 2008!

A great conversation I have been having with a fellow practitioner today has been over the Bart-Cham-Dao and how “flipping” the knives came to be introduced. I would love to hear your take on things, too, and what you have heard about where this came from.

It is not uncommon to see various well-known practitioners “flip” the knives backwards so that the back side of the blade is against the forearm (similar to how a Japanese sai is held). However, I was taught that this should never happen, that posing the weapon in this way makes it purely defensive.

The interesting thing is that while many “do” flip the knives, many others do “not.” Therefore, I would welcome your insight, whether just a story you have heard or an article/ book you have read, that explains why some flip the knives and others do not.

One of the most popular training aids in the martial arts is a wooden dummy. And while some might think that it is exclusive to Wing Chun, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, from everything I have read about it, Wing Chun is one of the last arts “to” incorporate a dummy in its training.

The difference lies in how it is used, which therefore changes how it looks.

For example, wooden dummies come in all shapes and sizes. From being sunk into the ground (”dead” dummy) to wall-mounted (”live” dummy), you will even see cheap versions that are made of PVC and/or suspended on bungee cords between a door frame.

Note: PVC trunks are good but you need wooden arms and legs to be useful. And bungee cord dummies? Forget about it. They are a waste of money.

If you look at arts such as Hung Gar and Choi Lay Fut, check out their dummies. The trunks are usually the same but the arms are radically different. You might also find a five, six, or even seven arms, as well as a few legs. This is for training their particular methods and from multiple angles.

Wing Chun takes the same premise but reduces it to fit our needs. This is why there are only three arms and one leg, and also why the arms are much shorter than other arts’ dummy arms. It is also why the arms are angled more inward than other arts, because our training requires our arms to be more protective of the centerline.

But do you have to wait until you are at the formal dummy curriculum in order to train with it? Not at all. You “can” utilize this stand-in partner right now and for any type of Wing Chun training you desire (minus ground fighting, of course).

For example, the lead and rear-arm defense drills are excellent to train on the dummy, as are chain-punches (with a pad in place), stepping, and leg jamming. Elbows and knees are good to train on it, too (with pads in place) since there is no movement. You either do it correctly and absorb the rebound or it drives you backwards.

That is one of the great things about dummy training: If you listen to what it tells you, you will be able to correct any and all areas of your Wing Chun.

Lap-sau is known by two different terms. The first, “Grabbing-hand,” refers to the individual movement itself. When you grab the arm of the opponent, this is Lap-sau.

The second, “Deflecting-arm,” refers to a series of drills designed to take a practitioner through the basics of sparring while focusing on “offloading” their force. Hence, the “deflecting” part of this term.

While most schools will work Lap-sau in one way or another, some do not focus on it that much while others place a great deal of emphasis on it. Some feel that it “just happens” during their training and others will engage a purpose-driven curriculum built around it at a particular stage of training.

The AWCA prescribes to the latter in that the Lap-sau curriculum creates a variety of real-world scenarios, while simultaneously honing the Wing Chun skill set itself. For example, section 1 of Lap-sau teaches us how to respond fluidly with trapping and pinning, as well as how to come from underneath the opponent’s bridge arm in order to effectuate a powerful strike.

Further, it reinforces the concept that you should never (or rarely) have both of your arms in contact with just one of your opponent’s arms. If you do, then your opponent knows where both of your arms are, and if he/she is skilled in taking advantage of this, you have just given up your defense.

If we strive to take advantage of when both of our opponent’s arms are in contact with just one of ours, naturally we do not want to be in the same situation. Lap-sau teaches us how “not” to do this, but surprisingly, many schools actually “do” do this. And regularly.

So let’s examine how we train the Lap-sau drill here at the AWCA, and how it can improve your response time.

While many practitioners will be in a sideling position to their opponent and “arc” their punch in, we keep our centerline on the opponent and punch straight. Additionally, we never make contact with both arms of our training partner unless we are attacking or defending; instead, we replace the contact hand with the incoming attacking hand.

What does this do?

First, keeping our centerline on the opponent vs. being in a sideling position ensures that we have equal use of both arms at all times. Yes, being in a sideling position when necessary does have viable uses, but note that I said “when necessary” vs. “always.” Some prefer a sideling position because they think it makes you a smaller target, but in reality, you will not be much “smaller” when turned to the side vs. having your centerline on the opponent.

Juk-sun-ma, or “Sideling-stance,” has its place in Wing Chun, but we only assume it when/if the opponent drives in with so much force that our current position would be comprised if we stand our grand (i.e. force-vs-force). If we train to overcome force with our own physical, muscular power, then what happens when we get older? There will come a time when just simply getting older will remove (or severely limit) the muscular force we have in our youth, so training to capitalize on physical strength is temporary at best.

Instead, learning how to “borrow” the attacker’s force allows us to make use of it. And the Lap-sau drill’s concepts are directly related to that. It is here that we can put into practice these concepts and learn to make use of them is a controlled sparring environment.

Second, rather than keeping both arms on the opponent’s arms and utilizing an “arcing” type of attack, we punch as straight as possible.

We all know that the closest distance between two points is a straight line. That precept has been “drummed” into our brains since day 1. So if that is true (and it is), then why do so many arc their punches vs. punching straight and getting there faster?

I cannot answer that because I really do not know. What I do know, however, is that when working with those that “do” train Lap-sau in this manner, it was extremely easy to circumvent their attacks. When I turned them towards me, though, and they started punching straight? They were in position to defend without having to do anything extra.

From the basic Lap-sau drill, a variety of positive attributes are built, provided that the correct concepts from the foundation of Wing Chun are applied. Vary them, however, and it becomes the reverse: a myriad of bad habits result and your defense becomes replete with holes.

So, if one’s structure is in the proper place when working the Lap-sau drill, we can see immediate improvements:

1. Staying on the centerline vs. to the side keeps your arms at equal length, which allows either to do what is needed vs. one “having” to defend and the other “having” to attack.

2. Staying on the centerline allows you to respond to either side as needed, where being in a Sideling-stance means having to turn 90-degrees to the other side if your opponent happens to attack there.

3. Having just one arm on the opponent’s arm vs. both means that you are not “giving away” your arm position to the opponent (if he knows where your arms are, he knows how to proceed).

4. Driving straight in with your punches vs. “arcing” them means that they get there faster. They are harder to see, which also makes them harder to defend against.

“When” should the Lap-sau drill be introduced? Personally, I like introducing the drill after a student has first learned Chi-san-sau, or “Single-arm Sticking-hand.” Others, however, will introduce Lap-sau “before” any Chi-sau training.

Regardless of the “when’s,” keep in mind the reasons for the drill and what it is supposed to accomplish. Do not blindingly rush through it just to do something or just to get through it; instead, “listen” to what it is telling you about what you are doing and “how” you are doing it. Then you will be able to focus on where you can improve and how you can make your Wing Chun even more efficient.

Tan-sau, or “Palm-Up arm” (also called “Dispersing-arm” in some lineages), is one of those movements that creates a lot of controversy among the families.

Some will train Tan-sau with the hand in-line with the forearm while others train it with the back of the hand parallel to the floor. So let’s see some of the differences and why so many are adamant about their chosen positions.

Tan-sau is an action that allows for defense against straightline attacks. Because of the elbow position with the palm facing upward, the structure of the arm is such that it is not very strong against hooking punches. That is just the nature of physics when it comes to this particular position.

With the palm facing downward like in Fook-sau, the forearm rotates the opposite way, and this position allows for greater structure (natural strength), which in turn allows for competent defense against hooks or more angular attacks. But with the palm upward, this type of structure is removed; ergo, Tan-sau is best used for defense against straightline punches.

Next we have the hand angle itself. A simple test will show this “natural strength” I mentioned.

If you bring your Tan-sau hand forward, first put the hand in-line with the forearm so that there is a straight line from the elbow to the fingertips. Now have your training partner press on your forearm so that they are pushing the arm towards your chest.

In most cases, Tan-sau will have a tendency to collapse a bit unless you are extremely strong. That is just the physics of force-to-force in this position. The pressing force is generally more than than the defending force can sustain.

Now, flatten the hand so that the palm is facing upwards and have your training partner repeat the press on your forearm. In this position, you will find that your arm can actually withstand more of this force without collapsing. Why? Because the structure (natural strength) of the arm and shoulder has been increased, thereby allowing you to provide a stronger press to the opponent’s press.

Further still, and keeping the palm flat, angle the hand slightly outward now so that the fingers are pointed a bit to the outside. With your partner repeating this press, now what do you see? An even stronger defense in Tan-sau. 

In this position with the hand angled slightly to the outside, there is a bit of contraction in the forearm, which in turn provides more structure.

From all of this, we can see that while many practitioners might think that Tan-sau is an easy movement to defeat, it is actually quite competent when the correct position is assumed. If the palm is in-line with the forearm, Tan-sau can easily collapse with a very powerful attack. But with the palm flat and pointed upwards, Tan-sau becomes a formidable defense.

In your classes, play with the various hand positions to learn what Tan-sau is really all about, and then apply that same concept to other actions in order to experiment. Although the hand positions will vary depending on what you are training, it is essential to experiment with changing positions in order to learn how the body can provide a solid base of movement solely from where your “connection” is at in relation to the incoming attack.

And the more you experiment, the more you learn.