Strategy of a Wing Chun Fighter
John Crescione, October 24th, 2007
Do you live your art? Do you follow the principles of the system you practice or teach to students in real life. Or, do you just teach them some movements to attempt to do in battle. If our beloved mistress called Wing Chun tells us to “Thrust forward when the way is clear” do we follow the instructions into daily living-do we take advantage of all the openings that life has presented to us. How you take advantage of them will be based on the type of person you are and your moral fiber . If we look at this in the context of chi sao, when an “opponent gives us an opening”, every Wing Chun player should take the hole, but how hard will you hit them?, Will you tell them before you hit them that they’re open? After you hit them?, Give them a warning? Or just blast them?
What does this have to do with strategy? Everything. Problem is too few of us apply the system’s strategy in training, as well as real life. In order to have a “WING CHUN ” strategy-ask yourself how good your Wing Chun is? What are you good at in the system? That’s how you develop your primary strategy. Your ability to create and think on your feet, to develop a strategy on how to win in combat, cannot be complex-according to Wing Chun philosophy . You’re to busy not getting hit and hitting back. A Wing Chun theory says to attack the centerline. Strategy asks us, Which one?-If you can’t have a choice, then what is the best and safest way to attack what you are given? And not get a beating in the process. A Wing Chun theory says that one hand should trap two. Wing Chun strategy asks-How can I make the opponent give me both of their hands? A Wing Chun theory says that Bong Sao is never used without Wu Sao. Strategy asks us where is the best place for the Wu Sao to go-forward, sideways backwards, near the elbow, near the wrist?
The strategy of a Wing Chun fighter can really be summed up in two words, “It Depends”. We all have a strategy or game plan when we’re watching television or with friends playing the “What would you do if ” game. But that all goes out the window when we get punched in the face-then where was your strategy. What is it now, pick up your teeth? Your immediate strategy is not to get hit ! After that it’s, ” It Depends”. Am I faster then the opponent?, Are my hands and feet in good position?, Is the opponent better then me?, Was I ready, etc. etc.??
The beauty of the system is that after the first punch, our sensitivity, contact reflexes, horse training, body structure and centerline structure of the opponent is being dealt with by our hands while our brain is free to “plot” where and how you want to take this mutant apart. This is greatly oversimplified but at Sil Lim Tao level your “strategy” is to run over him with machine gun punches. At Chum Kiu level your strategy is to find the best way and place to run over them with machine gun punches AND footwork(body shifting as well as stepping). At Biu Jee level, if you get in trouble, how do you get out, then get back in? At the Wooden Dummy level your strategy is actually now based on your ability to control the opponent and do what you want to them with whatever they give you. Theoretically you are fighting “dead wood” and since you can’t expect dead wood to behave like you want, it’s up to you to get the desired effect.
That is basic Wing Chun strategy. Now if we are talking about fight strategy, within the framework of Wing Chun, then the rules will change a little. Would a Wing Chun “fighter” use a roundhouse kick since it’s not in the system? They better if the body structure and angle is there . Would a Wing Chun “fighter” run into the front centerline, knowing that he is easily countered because the opponent has two hands in front of them to defend OR would they attack the side centerline, only having one hand to deal with, and at the same time having the ability to stay away from the back hand?
At this point we ask the question-are we on the brave side, or the cautious side? Do you take the fight to them if they are close enough? Are you good enough to run in and control them and not get hit? Wing Chun philosophy says “Intercept”(Where do you think he got it from?). But are you fast enough to do it? If not, then you must change the strategy of how you are going to “Intercept”. All the principles/concepts/theories in Wing Chun are correct-you have to figure out how to do them safely and efficiently to do the most damage to the opponent-that is called strategy. Generally there are three ranges a Wing Chun player uses-Pre-contact, Contact and Exchange/Trapping ranges. In the William Cheung Traditional Wing Chun Version you also have Pursuit and Withdrawal ranges. But the first three are the most common in all systems so we will address these.
Pre Contact strategy is basically to size up your opponent-Is his weight on the front or back leg? Is he more sideways or to the front? Up on his toes or flat footed? For Example-if the weight is on the front leg, he can only immediately kick you with the back leg and his power hand will be the rear one. This also means he can’t move on that leg immediately. So where and how do you want to stand? With which side forward?
Contact is when you can touch a hand or leg, but not the body. Strategy at this range is a combination of feeling and body position. Here you will be able to put yourself in a good position while taking advantages of the mistakes the opponent made in Pre Contact range. Can I get to the inside, or outside safely? Which way is the opponent telling me where to go? Which way are they pushing me with their arm or leg?
Exchange/Trapping range is Wing Chun’s “meat and potatoes”. This includes hand/arm traps, elbows, knees, leg traps, sweeps and take downs. The strategy in this range is based totally on feeling, where the holes are and aren’t, which way is the best to go and how can I keep those holes filled with my punches and kicks. but, it is not a wild flurry of mindless punches and kicks (even though that’s what your opponent is thinking)!!!! After the first trap and hit, the opponent’s brain is thinking about(or feeling)the first strike-this creates “brain freeze”. Now you can create a strategy -stay where you are and pummel them to death, change the angle to give you a slight advantage, set yourself up for a takedown?? All of this should be going on in your mind
while your hand’s are busy defending you. Also, here is were we can get caught up in the “flow” concept. Yes, you are suppose to be sticking and flowing from one technique to another-but the purpose of the sticking and flowing was to put you in a good position to trap and hit, not be handcuffed to the opponent. True, if you are sticking properly then many times the opponent beats himself up, using you as the instrument of destruction. But many more time then I would like to see, too many are overly stick happy to the point of missing the hole or trap and “sticking” themselves into a bad position.
Some of you are probably saying at this point that there is no way you can be thinking about anything when you’re that close. Ask yourself this question-In class, can you talk to each other during chi sao? Even at high speeds? If you answered yes, then you can plan and think during a flurry. You are rolling and running, moving your horse, feeling and countering all at the same time-and carrying on a conversation. Your brain is doing 25 things at the same time. In a fight you are only focused on one thing-there’s plenty of room in there to plan a strategy of either sweep, trip, trap or throw. It just means you’re not good enough yet. Just work a lot harder-it will pay off. Some versions of Wing Chun are very-”what you see is what you get” and I am not saying it is better or worse. I have won many “situations” by running up the middle and machine gunning the opponent to death (o. k. - just a bloody pulp really). Some versions are as intricate as Pa Kua in their approach to angle/direction and sensitivity. And I have also been able to put myself behind the opponent-attacking the “preferred” centerline. The version is not important-learn everything well enough so you have the ability to create and execute what you like.
Add Your Reply!