What is the Centerline?

One of the questions I am asked most often is “The lineage I am currently studying says that we have multiple centerlines, but you say that there is only one. Which is right?“

There are two main schools of thought when it comes to this concept. I have trained with enough practitioners in many lineages over the years that prescribe to both concepts, and have heard a variety of explanations. Let’s take a look at that and see if we cannot make some sense of it.

Viewpoint #1: There Are Multiple Centerlines

Those that train with this concept work the viewpoint that your body has three main sections: the head, the trunk, and the lower body. Some train with even more sections of the body broken down, but on the whole, these three are the main elements.

Each of these sections have a central point, which is called the centerline. With this in mind, the section itself is trained so that attack and defense is driven from this line.

Viewpoint #2: You Have Only One Centerline

Those that train with this concept work the viewpoint that rather than multiple centerlines, the primary weapon of Wing Chun (the hands) is where the scope of training lies. In that case, the upper body is the only location of the centerline, and the centerline itself originates at the sternum. There is only one centerline in this concept of training.

The difference with viewpoint #2 is that it is a more basic concept than how others view it. Using the Compass Man theory (more on that in another article), we learn that we can maintain equal use of both arms as long as we keep our centerline on the attacker. Turning to the side might be good in specific instances, but on the whole, we always want to keep our centerline on the attacker so that we can respond with either side as needed.

Centerline vs Vertical Midline

On the outside, the difference in these concepts are extreme. At its core, though, there are still more similarities than differences. Yes, the concepts are trained a bit differently, but the real difference lies more in terminology.

Those that train as having multiple centerlines are actually training along what the other viewpoint terms as being the vertical midline. The vertical midline is just what it sounds like: a line running vertically down the body. This vertical midline separates the right and left halves of the body, and is very useful for analyzing different attack scenarios.

For example, let’s say we are working to respond against a typical jab/hook/knee-to-the-thigh attack. The attack is initiated from the left, so it would left jab, right hook, right knee.

As mentioned previously, the centerline concept teaches us that as long as we keep the centerline on the attacker, we have equal use of both arms. Pretty simple so far, right? By contrast, the vertical midline lets us see what body part would be the most effective and efficient for a given attack.

In this example, we know a left jab would have multiple effective responses such as Pak-sau, Tan-sau, Kuen-siu-kuen, etc. But it does not end there. The vertical midline tells us what side of the body would be most effective (which in the case of Pak-sau, the Kuen Kuit tells us that Noi-moon Pak-sau, or Indoor-area Slap-hand, is a dangerous tactic).

From this first response, we immediately see that if we are in left Man-sau, a left jab should not be responded to with Noi-moon Pak-sau. Instead, the rear hand (our right) would be more suitable since it also includes tactics of exploding forward and initiating simultaneous attack. In many cases the follow up actions of the opponent do not even happen because of this explosion tactic. If they do, however, the vertical midline tells us which further actions are more responsive and safest to use.

Our analysis continues this way through the remainder of the attack drill until we examine a variety of responses for each side until we determine what is easiest, safest, faster, and more efficient. This is how drills are created based on the form and in relation to today’s more common scenarios, so a plethora of drills and applications can be produced that properly respond to any given situation.

This occurs from first understanding what your centerline is all about, how to use it for producing the fastest and most economical actions, and relating that to a real-world environment. Nothing flashy, showy or dangerous; rather, real-world, intensive, and taking into account today’s fighting environments.

Conclusion

In the end, both views of what is the centerline have their place. For me personally, I subscribe to the latter view because it has always made more sense to me. It is easier to envision and work, which in turn has served me well in real fights. That is not to say, however, that practitioners subscribing to the former view cannot use their preferred concept. It is just a different approach to the same end result.

In the end, whichever concept your school works, go for it. Learn everything you can about it and work it to the extremes. And if you get the chance to work with someone that trains in the other view, definitely take advantage of it. Never avoid something just because it is different from how you view it. All that does is close you off. Instead, embrace it and see what it is about. You will gain a better vision of what your Wing Chun family is all about.