Home 
Forms and Drills Chi-gerk
Chi-gerk
Wing Chun's "Sticking-legs" Training
Introduction | Section 1 | Drills and Applications | Concepts and Theories
Introduction
hi-gerk, or "Sticking-legs," is the lower-body equivalent of the upper body's Chi-sau training. While most lineages train Chi-sau in one form or another, not all will train in Chi-gerk. I have found, however, that Chi-gerk is an essential skill that can make a great deal of difference when working with someone skilled in Chi-sau.
Chi-gerk is first experienced by way of various strength and conditioning drills, somewhat similar in nature to Chi-dan-sau and the learning found when beginning arm training. A great deal of strength and conditioning is experienced prior to continuing. You would think that because the legs are so much stronger than the arms, Chi-gerk would be easier to learn than Chi-sau. In general, however, the reverse is true.
Because the legs are stronger, they are usually more prone to "holding in" their strength instead of being able to relax. And because we are so "pre-occupied" with upper body movements, many will usually not place the emphasis required in the lower body until the Chi-gerk curriculum is introduced. Those that do will always find that their Chi-gerk training, when combined with Chi-sau, is quite superior to a practitioner that has never trained it.
Section 1
At the AWCA, there are four (4) primary Chi-gerk "basic" phases. These basic phases must be competent before the softer Chi-gerk sections are learned. Rather than literal Chi-gerk (where contact is made and, through that contact, a response is initiated), these first four sections strengthen the legs and provide for more footwork options.
Once they are competent, the true Chi-gerk curriculum is then introduced. Generally, however, this usually isn't until the Biu-Tze phase of training.
Chi-gerk: Section 1 Attack (1.38 MB | 33 seconds | WMV format)
Chi-gerk: Section 1 Attack |
|
 |
As the opponent begins to kick, the defender drives in with Jeet-gerk (Jamming-kick/ Stop-kick) to the attacker's weight-bearing leg. |
-1- |
|
 |
The kick itself is still coming in, though, so Jeet-gerk immediately transitions to Bong-gerk (Wing-leg). |
-2- |
|
 |
From Bong-gerk, the defender lashes out with Wang-chang-gerk (Side Thrusting-kick) and follows up with chain-punching. |
-3- |
|
After a practitioner has completed the Chum-Kiu, he/she will be introduced to the four primary Chi-gerk pre-training drills. These drills are trained heavily until the legs are very strong, yet also very responsive to changes in the opponent's lower body. The drills are continued until a practitioner begins the Biu-Tze form, at which time the actual Chi-gerk curriculum itself is introduced.
Drills and Applications
Prior to working with "softer" applications of Chi-gerk, which is really what Chi-gerk is all about, we first develop as much strength as possible so that the legs flow smoothly. A variety of drills helps to accomplish this, but two "basic" actions that we also employ are Bong-gerk and Jup-gerk.
Bong-gerk |
|
 |
In the lead-leg stance... |
-1- |
|
 |
... lift the entire leg upward and to the inside. The leg is "leading" with the knee as the guide. |
-2- |
|
 |
The knee crosses the centerline with the shin being the contact point. The centerline does not change, though; your centerline should always be pointed forward and your body should not raise. |
-3- |
|
Also trained with Bong-gerk is Jup-gerk, or "Outward-leg." Whereas Bong-gerk taught us to re-direct an attack across the centerline (as with Bong-sau), Jup-gerk is similar to Tan-sau in that we are re-directing the attack to the outside.
Jup-gerk |
|
 |
In the lead-leg stance... |
-1- |
|
 |
... lift the leg and to the outside. The knee is "leading" the leg just like in Bong-sau, only this time it is to the outside vs. crossing the centerline. |
-2- |
|
 |
The knee moves to the outside of the body with the shin being the contact point. |
-3- |
|
Concepts and Theories
Just as we use Chi-sau to determine a response to our opponent's upper body attack, we use Chi-gerk to determine a response to the opponent's lower body attack. This is a logical and efficient means of fighting for a variety of reasons, but the most important one is "logic."
If an opponent punches at our head, we would not defend with a kick. Likewise, if the opponent kicks at our legs, we would not bend over to defend with our arms. Instead, the limbs defend themselves, regardless of the attack. Naturally this does not apply to "tactics," since yes, if an opponent punches to our head, we "can" drive a kick in since the leg is longer than the arm and will usually reach the target before the opponent's punch reaches us. Therefore, this "disrupts" his original attack and takes us from a position of "defense" to one of "attack."
However, the initial premise here is about individuality and "what defends what." Where Chi-gerk is concerned is that because we prefer a tight, "close-in" method, we cannot even see the legs or what is happening. Therefore, teaching the legs to respond to what they feel is extremely important to this close-quarters type of method
For More Information...
Chi-gerk is a topic of great interest for many, but rarely do you see it explored outside of a school itself. If you want to learn more about Chi-gerk and what it can do for your training, then Part 4: Chi-gerk of Volume 3: Chi-sau is where you want to be.
Including strength training, Sections 1 - 4 of the Chi-gerk attack phase, Sections 1 - 4 of the Chi-gerk defense phase, and how these elements play a role in competent fighting, Part 4: Chi-gerk will answer your questions.
This video-illustrated in-depth workbook takes you through the basics of Chi-gerk training and teaches how to incorporate the concepts into your sparring and fighting. It is not a "know-all, end-all" examination, but it does give you the basics of what to start with and how to use it. It is also an excellent companion guide to the overall Chi-sau and Lap-sau curriculums that are included with Volume 3.
Home | Forms and Drills | Workbooks | Distance Learning | Virtual Trainer
Online Store | Weblog | Newsletter | Contact Us
Updated: 06.02.2010 4:48PM MST
