 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 7/19/09 Chum Kiu: Bridging the Gap to Functionality Wing Chun’s second open hand form Chum Kiu literally translates into “bridging the gap”. This form allows the practitioner to learn how to bridge the gap between himself/herself and his/her opponent, which is introduced by this form in the application of its footwork. Various other concepts are introduced in Chum Kiu which strengthens the practitioner’s grasp of the system as it applies to application in motion. These concepts include the following: shifting, stances, stepping, kicking, and floating the center. A deeper look into the form allows one to see how Chum Kiu also bridges the gap of knowledge from beginner to advanced student. Learning how to “bridge the gap/close the gap” is essential in combat. If one is not able to close the gap during an encounter, then that person will eventually get hit. For example, during combat the Wing Chun practitioner might not close the distance between himself/herself and his/her opponent allowing the opponent to launch a kick striking the Wing Chun practitioner. Learning how to bridge the gap also allows the practitioner to take a more aggressive position during combat. In other words, instead of being defensive, the practitioner is aggressive by constantly applying pressure to the opponent. This leads to the opponent eventually making a mistake, consequently leading to his/her eventual demise. This aggressive approach is a fundamental approach in Wing Chun application, but it should not confuse one into thinking that a Wing Chun practitioner is not guided by fundamental principles during combat. During combat, a Wing Chun practitioner must be decisive with his/her motions never allowing the opponent to gain the upper hand, but more importantly the Wing Chun practitioner must detach himself/herself emotionally from the engagement in order to focus solely on the task at hand: survival. Bridging the gap can be applied to the saying: “Loy lau, hoy sung, lat sao, jit jeung” (Stay with what comes, follow as it retreats, and thrust forward upon disengagement). This fundamental saying guides a Wing Chun practitioner’s movements during practice and throughout an engagement. The two fragments of the saying: “follow as it retreats, thrust forward up disengagement,” equip one with the knowledge of when to close the gap in Wing Chun. For example, during an engagement while an opponent is in retreat the Wing Chun practitioner will stay with the opponent by following him/her, in essence keeping the gap closed. Also, if the opponent just disengages during combat, the Wing Chun practitioner will immediately thrust forward towards the opponent to close the gap; just like the saying implies. By learning how to close the gap and keep it closed the Wing Chun practitioner learns how to dominate his/her opponent by never giving the opponent the chance to rest. One must not forget another essential Wing Chun saying: “Lin siu dai da” (Simultaneous defense and attack) when reflecting on the concept of closing the gap. This saying further enhances the principle of closing of the gap by allowing one to simultaneously close the gap while defending and attacking in one motion. For example, an opponent throws a side kick while the Wing Chun practitioner steps in towards the opponent closing the gap and simultaneously launching a punch while driving through the opponent‘s centerline. This illustration shows how oftentimes multiple concepts can be used simultaneously in Wing Chun to produce the best outcome for the practitioner during combat. The shift is vital to the practitioner for providing the basic foundation for proper motion in Wing Chun, which is introduced to the practitioner in Chum Kiu. Shifting in Wing Chun requires the whole body to move as a unit. In order to properly remain stable throughout the shift, one must stay connected by remaining straight and keeping the upper body connected to the lower body during shifting. The power in the shift is maintained through the hips; the hips are what drives the shift. In other words, the hips move and the body follows as a unit. The power of the one inch punch is generated from the legs by the hips through proper grounding enabling one to channel the energy up from the ground through the arm and into the opponent; in view of that, this power can only be accomplished through proper connection of the body at the hips while in motion. The shift also allows one to deflect and re-direct an opponent’s energy in the most economical way, instead of forcing the practitioner to take a step out of the way to avoid the strike. This allows the practitioner to very efficiently and simultaneously follow up with a trap and strike after re-directing the opponent’s energy with the shift. Learning how to properly shift inadvertently shows the practitioner the other variations of stances seen in the system. Chum Kiu introduces the practitioner to two new stances utilized in Wing Chun: the side stance and forward stance. While in these stances the weight is distributed with more weight on the back leg to allow for greater stability in structure and a greater ease at which to launch a kick using the front leg. An important note to recognize is that each school has a differing thought on the weight distribution between the front and back legs (i.e. 80-20, 70-30, 60-40, 55-45). For clarification, it is best to ask the instructor of the school to find out their own preference and reasoning behind the weight distribution. The side stance is useful for deflecting energy, in order to use the opponent’s energy to direct them off to the side. The forward stance is used as a fighting stance, or advancing stance, in Wing Chun and allows the practitioner to move forwards and backwards. These stances provide proper structure through proper grounding and physics, based on the triangle concept. Since the triangle and pyramid are very sturdy structures and these stances represent the geometrical shapes of these structures, the practitioner is very stable, yet mobile in these stances. These structurally stable stances also allow for mobility in all directions. The ability to remain grounded yet mobile in Wing Chun derives from the stepping developed in Chum Kiu. The steps in Chum Kiu provide a fundamental cornerstone to the Wing Chun practitioner through its application of motion. As with the stances the steps introduced in Chum Kiu are the advancing step and side step. These steps also follow with the proper structure when applied by following the triangle concept. By further studying these particular steps, one learns how to integrate stepping in all directions. The power delivered in the step comes from moving with the entire body as a unit. When stepping, the energy starts to flow upward from the back foot, up the leg, which pushes the body forward, causing the front leg to move forward. Once the front leg lands, the body is already following the leg, and the back leg lands last, but it is connected to the body. This means that the body and back foot land together simultaneously, allowing for proper generation of power by having everything land at once, in essence transferring power through proper structure. The stability of the stance is magnified through grounding, or by sinking into the stance, in essence dropping the center of gravity. While stepping in Wing Chun, one should reflect on the saying “Be firm but not strong, soft but not yielding”. When taking a step the practitioner should be fluid and mobile, yet once completing the step he/she should be connected, and should be prepared to ground at a moment’s notice, if necessary. For instance, immediately after a Wing Chun practitioner lands from taking a step, the partner pushes in towards him/her, causing the practitioner to ground himself/herself before taking another small step off to the side to redirect the partner‘s energy. This influx of fluidity and stability allows the Wing Chun practitioner to excel during practice and in a fight through the ability to change positions constantly. Kicking is also introduced to the Wing Chun practitioner in Chum Kiu through the front kick and the side kick. The kick takes into account proper shifting, and stepping as a follow-up after the kick is launched. The kick should follow the shortest distance from two points and should come from the centerline to keep a strong structure and to remain very economical. When launching a kick the body should follow through with the kick causing the practitioner to immediately step through the opponent after landing the kick. This ensures that the practitioner does not withdraw the kick backwards before stepping down. This illustration further demonstrates the importance of using the entire body while delivering a strike, or technique, in Wing Chun even if the techniques are delivered on one leg. Chum Kiu presents a new concept known as floating the center. This is introduced in the bong sao section. Floating the center occurs when the practitioner’s energy is facing towards the opponent’s center, but it is not actually facing directly in the center as in a face to face, or centerline to centerline, position. For example, in the bong sao section, the practitioner is facing off to the side in a sideways stance causing the position of the wrist in the bong sao to face off at an angle, but the energy of the bong sao is focused towards an imaginary center directly in front of the practitioner‘s body. This concept is better illustrated by understanding the central line, which actually surrounds the center line. Like the center line the central line also runs down the length of the body. It is formed by the imaginary lines that border the edges of the bong sao and tahn sao hands during pum sao. Another example defining the borders of the central line is seen during the tuk sao position illustrated in the second third of the Siu Nim Tao form. These two examples demonstrate how both hands can occupy the central line together while simultaneously protecting one’s centerline. In application, floating the center allows the practitioner to simultaneously protect his/her center while standing at an angle, yet still remaining focused on the opponent’s centerline. The added advantage of having the practitioner’s centerline facing away from the opponent is that the practitioner’s centerline is not directly exposed to the opponent. This allows the practitioner to place himself/herself in a more advantageous position; thus, permitting the practitioner to launch a more efficiently overwhelming attack against the opponent from a more strategically placed point of reference. Therefore, the practitioner has a more economical position due to accurate angling of the body. Learning how to float the center would not be possible without correct utilization of the concepts of shifting, stepping, grounding, connecting the body through the hips, and proper body position, which are introduced in Chum Kiu. As discussed, Wing Chun’s second open hand form Chum Kiu provides a more thorough understanding of the application of Wing Chun in motion. Learning to bridge the gap between practitioner and opponent is an essential concept in Wing Chun which is has proven to be efficient and effective by following the basic principles set forth in the system. Bridging the gap is first introduced in Chum Kiu, but it can be applied and further understood during continual practice with a partner particularly during chi sao and off hand techniques. The introduction of the shifts, stances, steps, and kicks display the importance of grounding and moving the body as one whole unit in order to stay connected, keep proper positioning, proper body structure, and to allow for generation of power. The application of floating the centerline further develops a more advanced way of angling the body in order to protect one’s center while simultaneously controlling the opponent’s centerline. As in Siu Nim Tao, Wing Chun’s ten basic concepts also occur in Chum Kiu, but they are further developed by adding the application of movement which allows a new perspective for the practitioner to explore in the system, thus advancing his/her knowledge of Wing Chun. Chum Kiu certainly bridges the gap between beginner to advanced practitioner. With the knowledge of the concepts presented in Chum Kiu, the Wing Chun practitioner will become a formidable foe against an opponent in a fight, consequently increasing the practitioner’s chances of survival. Never give up, Isaiah Author: Isaiah Antonek Instructor - Wing Chun Kung Fu Alan Goldberg Family Isaiah Antonek is a Jr. Instructor in Wing Chun Kung Fu. He has been studying this martial art system for approximately ten years. Although Isaiah has trained under two different primary instructors he has been studying in the Jiu Wan, Jason Lau family line. Isaiah spent the bulk of his training under Jerry Gonzalez, who heads the Jason Lau satellite branch in Tampa, Florida. Currently Isaiah is completing the remainder of the formal system in Master Alan Goldberg's family, being directly trained by Sifu Brian Spiegel in Clearwater Florida. Isaiah currently works in the medical field and has come to understand how the martial arts expands into one's everyday life - by understanding the fundamentals he was taught when he began his training was a prerequisite in the martial arts, his career and in life. Isaiah is expected to receive his full Sifu ranking certified by Alan Goldberg in the near future. Please Sign up for FREE blog & Newsletter Copyright 2009 (c) All rights reserved Kung Fu Exchange, Clearwater, Florida |
