Trapping is a core training method of Wing Chun Kuen, but it has been complicated to teach.

Over the years, I’ve searched for ways to teach the skills to my students.  I would explain, “After striking with the Tan Da, the right fist changes into a Lop Sao and traps the opponent, where you strike him with a Lop Da, then you can continue on to Jut Da!” 

I’d get puzzled looks - then the opportunity was lost…and it became a mess and a jammed up tangle and struggle for the students.

Recently, I’ve turned to core objectives when teaching and every training method has its skill set, tools and theme.

Perhaps its my having to read aloud to my two young ones, but a few pirate stories have inspired me.  In a good pirate story, theres always a map, then a big “X” on it to denote where the treasure is!

I simply tell the my students now, “X marks the spot!  Cross the arms, and when it looks like an “X” diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, left, right, or center, or high, middle, and low, simply strike them!” 

Its worked out so beautifully, that even I am surprised.

Since martial arts skills are largely physical, we should learn them physically, rather than just intellectually or with words ad nauseum.  Words are representations of what is.  If you develop a skill set, you bypass words, which don’t have to get translated, then cause a time lag due to thought.  Thought is one of the factors for slow reaction time.  Many instructors get too technical with certain students.  Some students are more kinesthetically gifted, others auditory or visual.  That is why some students eyes glaze over when an instructor begins a long winded dissertation of their system’s superiority and terms and jargon…if you show the visually gifted, and make the kinesthetic ones feel, you’re doing your job properly as an instructor!  Of course, you have to tell the audtory gifted ones…

Some suggested I should use the WCK terms in English, rather than the Cantonese mother tongue.  I have no problem with that, since I am bilingual, however, English is multisyllballic, whereas Cantonese monosylliballic.  It just makes things longer.

If I were to teach the WCK terms in English, it would sound like this, “After striking with the combined strike and spreading hand, the right fist changes into a Grabbing Hand and traps the opponent, where you strike him with a Grab and simultaneous strike, then you can continue on to Choking bridge and strike!” 

Its still not as simple as “X marks the spot”!

Try it and let me know!

Maybe you’ll find a treasure here!

Since I have written about WCK power and body structure for may years now, the term “body structure” has become a bit of a buzzword.  Since I am now semi-retired and not often teaching WCK, I decided to part with some of the secrets that I have been holding close to the vest…

Many people think, “Because I have a body, and it is a structure, I must have body structure!”

Or they think, “Well sifu, put me in this pose, so this must be what Robert Chu and others are talking about…!”

But what is real body structure is not a form.  It’s not even a body, or a structure!

What is it?

It’s energy. 

Or rather, taking a person’s energy and intention into the ground to root you and allow you to manipulate it to control a person, break their center of gravity, or throw them about, or issue force on them.  It also allows you to pound them at will and control their whereabouts and set up your next shots.

Many have asked me, “Do I have to stay rooted all the time?”

My answer is no, otherwise how can you move?

I often get other questions like, “What is it like?”

Its like a big spring – you press on it, it receives your force; when you let go of it, you go flying or falling down immediately.

How does one do this?

In the first step, it does require a knowing teacher to show you the way.  Afterwards, it’s a matter of practice with application.   Of course, proper WCK practice is required.  If you have unrealistic practice and lack of knowledge here, better to seek out adequate instruction.

Many ask about the leg positions –

I tell them, there are no stances in WCK – it’s a mistranslation.  It actually means steps and in WCK it means that the horse is alive, like riding a skateboard or surfboard.

But people will ask, “It doesn’t quite look the same as Yip Man or my sifu or sigung did…?”

Yip Man’s mastery of WCK was very clear.  A look see at the famous picture with Bruce Lee in Luk Sao position tells it all.  Also, recently, I spent some time with Mark Hobbs, a student of Lun Gai in Futshan, China, and saw the early teachings of Yip Man up close and saw the elements of structure throughout the teachings.  Yip Man had it.  Now if your sifu or sigung learned from Yip Man, there’s no guarantee you have structure, as Yip Man taught hundreds of students.

Often, my sifu Hawkins Cheung would appear to not have any appearance of body structure at all, appearing to only be standing.  When I attacked, it was so real – he was linked from the ground up and rooted so that the direction of my force would be dissipated into the ground and neutralized.

Many mistakenly take the external shape and forms of WCK and can’t see the real teachings.  Its just about the same as reading about the real teachings and not having an idea of what they are.  If you have real body structure, you know exactly of what I am talking about, and if you don’t, well…perhaps its time to seek adequate instruction.

Want to really master the pole?

All you have to do is master the 8 cardinal directions, horizontal/diagonal/vertical figure 8’s and thrusting.

Using the pole with the proper mechanics takes a lot of practice, but once you have that down, it’s just a matter of  drilling these three practices.

Firstly, imagine a big asterisk in front of you  and do all the pole motions with both hands while in a Ding Ji Ma.

Secondly, develop fluidity doing horizontal/diagonal/vertical figure 8’s - this will teach you to relax more.

Finally, set up multiple hanging targets or candles and thrust the pole at it.

Enjoy your training! 

Integrated Eskrima is the type of Filipino martial arts developed by Guro Mark Wiley on the basis of Kalis Ilustrisimo and years of study with other great masters of the arnis and escrima systems here and in the Phillipines .  Many WCK’ers actively crosstrain  in the Filipino Martial Arts, and I was introduced to Pekiti Tirsia back in my college days by Leo Gaje and Greg Alland.  Throughout the years, I have met some practitioners, but not with the level of skill and passion and willingness to teach like Mark Wiley.   Since meeting Mark in person over the publication of “Complete Wing Chun” of which he was editor, it was this art that he introduced to me.  Integrated Eskrima is also the system that Alan Orr and Dave McKinnon and my other students and grandstudents have actively trained in and I wholeheartedly recommend this training.

The core of Integrated Eskrima is footwork and the various methods of offense and defense.  The art is based on Antonio Ilustrismo’s Kalis (Sword) art and is different than most contemporary forms of Arnis or Escrima, in that the main focus is the sword.  We use the stick like a sword and not vice versa.  Uniquely, the art contains major strokes that are used for both defense and offense.  Methods like the lutang footwork keep one in range to strike at all times, and the methods in many ways are taught like Gu Lao WCK - that is point by point, until mastered.  Although there is a numbering system used, the core are the 27 major motions of attack and defense, and some have no equivalent to other arnis systems.  Freestyle sparring is encouraged in this art.

It is not to say that WCK weapons are not practical - they are, and can be readily applied in all situations if trained realistically.  But one of the best ways to to develop skill in weapons is to study various weapons systems.  The Wing Chun pole and knives I have practiced for decades is a great art, but I see the similarities and universalness of timing and positioning to make the the arts practical when you train in the various ranges with weapons. 

What methods do you employ for strength and conditioning and nutrition? Most people use the forms, drills, Jong, weapons for overall health and they’re fine for overall fitness. But what other drills do you do for yourself to improve your performance, shape and health? Also, dim sum is a great treat, and having late night dinners might be the norm after a work out - but may not the best of health for you… perhaps you are gaining unwanted pounds and need to move into a functional, wiry, athletic state. Perhaps your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are up…maybe you’re battling diabetes, or have cancer in your family, or even have injuries…

As a licensed practitioner, I do specialize in giving patients health advice, and I would like to see WCK people benefit to be optimal athletes.

For example, I suggest patients take a minimum 10,000 steps a day, do 10 pushups, squats and crunches for every hour they’re awake, and may put them on a detox diet with suppplements to overall help their health. Also avoid sugars and junk food snacks, and the pounds start shedding.

For my athletes, we do KB lifts, boot camp training, and all sorts of exercises to supplement WCK - but of course, WCK needs no supplement - the pole and knives can be good weight training in themselves, and Chi Sao can be good dynamic weight training…

We are more apt to run into health issues than ever use WCK for fighting - but if we use WCK as a vehicle to help people stay healthy and fight disease, we all win. I’d like to hear from you! We can have this as a great discussion for all WCK people, no lineage issues here.

Wing Chun Kuen uses 3 points in drawing the “X” (the crossed hands, which some may see a “”V” inverted or otherwise). We primarily use Dan Tian (Ren 6) located 1.5 cun below the center of the umbilicus (commonly referred to as the bellybutton) and Ren 17 (Tan Zhong) on the anatomical midline, level with the 4th intercostal space and Yin Tang (The point between the eyebrows). These 3 points of alignment are in Daoist alchemy or Dao Yin and ecognized as the 3 dantian in Chinese cosmological or metaphysical arts.

These points demark the 3 heights, referred to as Seung, Jung, Ha (Shang, Zhong, Xia) or San Cai (aka Sam Choy), commonly referred to as Tian, Yan, Dei (Heaven, Man and Earth), in Chinese metaphysics. Tian would be the height above Ren 17, Yan would be below Ren 17 and above Ren 6, and Dei would be below Ren 6. We cross our hands in WCK at Ren 6 and Ren 17.

The term Kiu Sao is refers to the distance from the fingers to the elbow, but can also relate to bridging the gap.

Yuen Kay Shan Wing Chun’s 12 major keywords (Daap, Jeet, Chum, Biu, etc.) and Gu Lao Wing Chun Kuen’s keywords (Kuen, Kiu, Jeung, Bong, Jee) are all Kiu Sao concepts. (As are my own conceptual keywords.)

Kiu Sao, however, is a term used in virtually all Southern fist like Hung Gar, Bak Mei, Lung Ying, Southern Mantis, Choy Lay Fut, etc. For example, Hung Gar has the 12 Kiu Sao: Gong, Yau, Bik, Jik, Fun, Ding, etc.Bak Mei has Mor Kiu, Shui Kiu, Lan Yiu… Choy Lay Fut has Poon Kiu, Chuen Kiu, Pak Kiu, etc. Mantis has various Gwaat Siu, Mor Siu, etc. They are all ways to link up and join in with your opponent.

We have a saying, “Have bridge, cross bridge; no bridge, build a bridge.”

Of course, various systems have their own definitions, but this is my understanding from Southern Fist and Wing Chun Kuen.

Interview conducted September 25, 2007 by Robert Chu.

Photo by Ord Millar

How do you feel to receive this award?

Equal parts flabbergasted and honored. As I’ve said repeatedly, the only time I go out and do something publicly is when I can’t first find it myself. When I first came on the Internet, I was amazed that the lineages of Wing Chun Kuen from mainland China were almost completely unknown. So I began writing about them. It was a very natural process, so the idea that other people have found interest in my various projects as well is very satisfying.

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Kungfu Magazine 2008 March/April has just been released, and with it Darrell Jordan’s article 2007 World Ving Tsun Hall of Fame on page 71. So I guess the cat’s out of the bag:

Rene is the 2007 WVT Sifu of the Year!

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I had awakened from my afternoon nap. Grandfather was snoozing away in his peculiar method of inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, a little puff at the end of each exhalation. There was no television, no radio, so I decided to entertain myself with a plastic coffee can lid that I threw about the kitchen like a Frisbee. I threw it at the wall and watched it bounce off. Then I threw it at angles and watched it ricochet! I thought, in my 7-year old mind, “What would it be like if I had some real room?” I decided to go into the living room where grandfather was still napping away. “It’s pretty quiet, so I guess I can throw it and he’ll never notice,” I thought. I threw it and retrieved it once. No disturbance! “Wow! Look at it fly! Let’s try that again!”

Uh, oh! I was in big trouble. I had awakened him from his nap! “You’re a mischievous boy and now I’m going to punish you!” He grabbed me by my collar and told me to squat in the corner in a peculiar stance for a half hour. I had no choice. Grandfather had decided and so there I remained, legs quivering, hands at my sides, panting and straining and sitting in the dreaded horse stance for the next 30 minutes, which seemed like an eternity. Grandfather grinned, “That’ll teach you to wake me up!”

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