Jeet-gerk

When it comes to real encounters, one of the things that surprises most fighters is that they are usually limited with kicks. While a gym offers a lot of room for almost any kind of movement, most environments we generally frequent see a more confined space. Because of this, a great deal of what someone works in a gym will differ significantly in real life.

Wing Chun is geared for this due to its urban origins, but this is even more evident in how the art approaches kicking. In fact, the Wing Chun addage of “Kicks fail nine times out of ten” directly reflects our ancestor’s views of how effective – or ineffective - kicks really are.

The exception to this is by way of jamming.

Known as Jeet-gerk or Jamming-kick/Stop-kick, it is essentially a fast, powerful but low kick with the full flat of the foot into the knee or shin of an incoming leg. The leg could be stepping in or attempting a kick, and executing any kind of jam takes a bit of focused training in order to create a precision-type of delivery. It is quite easy to become frustrated for a while since your weight and movement will change as you deliver the kick, but like all things practiced over time, it will start to improve the more you work it.

One of the best ways to work Jeet-gerk is on a dummy. First, stand at a range where you can reach the dummy’s leg with your own jamming kick without having to move forward. Work the kick head-on until competent, and then work it from both sides.

Once the kick is competent at all angles but at a range where movement is not required, step back a bit so that you are out of range and at a distance where you have to take one step forward in order to reach the target. Repeat the same exercises to the front and to the side to competence, then increase the range even more in order to work closing the gap.

Finally, change it all up so that rather than in range or needing to close the gap, you are extremely close and need to create distance. This will mimic or pattern the event of getting pushed back or the attacker suddenly lunging back out of the way. In this way, even though he is moving backwards, you are learning to attack during his retreat. Remember that even during a withdrawal, a skilled fighter will sometimes cover his retreat with an attack via a kick.

In confined spaces such as pubs, restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, the post office, and even where you work, take a moment to examine where you generally frequent and see it with a very critical eye. How much space do you actually have to work in? What barriers or hindrances would you encounter if you had to protect yourself? And now being aware of this, is your gym or home training meeting the need by addressing this space (or the lack thereof)?

Sometimes this is an eye-opening experience, and not just to kicks. Grappling, ground fighting, and all other ranges of fighting are worked a specific way in the gym. Can it be applied to where you actually frequent? That is a question each of us must answer for ourselves.