Wing Chun: Hands of Blitz
Izael G. Gomez
Remember the movie artists Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Robert Downey Jr.? Did you know that were all notable in the field of martial arts? But what kind of martial arts do they actually specialize in?
Wing Chun, a southern Chinese kung fu style which is characterized by narrow stances with elbows close to the body, is a self-defense method that requires the use of quick arm movements and strong legs to pin down opponents. It also emphasizes not only the centerline principle, but also the central line principle. This is the line that runs from the center of your body to your opponent. When you attack in a linear direction, your line is away from your opponent while your central line faces his or her center.
According to legend, Wing Chun was made by a Buddhist nun Ng Mui, a shaolin kung fu master. She devised a compact form of kung fu based on her martial art training and personal experience. She exploited the weaknesses of other martial arts and created a new one which would be advantageous for all people, regardless of their size and strength. She created a compact style of kung fu and named her martial art after one of her students Yim Wing Chun.
One of the basic forms of Wing Chun is Siu Nim Tao ( 小念頭), which is translated as the little idea, is the first open-hand form from which all forms and techniques depend. It concentrates on a form that presents concepts of energy, motion and position in a fixed context. Imagine the form having already 108 movements in a static position. What else if it would be used in a moving context?
Siu Nim Tao has been adopted and changed over the past hundred years. The form has been said to be inspired from the hybrid snake and crane style kung fu. The first section of the form concentrates on training for basic power by tensing and relaxing the arm. The second section emphasizes training on how to use the power or strength that has been generated in the first section. The third section circles mainly on the correct positioning of the basic hand and arm movements, and building muscle memory.
Wing Chun focuses on the power of the joints. Close combat, quick punches and tight defense helps in destabilizing the movement of opponents, making them flinch and lose control of the situation. This martial art also focuses on redirecting the blows made against you to double the power when it bounces back.
Great power can be generated from the center of the body; however, the centerline must be protected at all times because the vital organs are mainly located in the center of one’s body. Thus, one should not expose his or her own centerline to others.
I am currently a green-belt karateka of Shitō-ryū. This is karate style founded by Kenwa Mabuni which is known for its physical strength and long powerful stances derived from Shuri-te (indigenous martial art in Shuri, Okinawa) styles such as Shorin-ryū and Shotokan styles, and its eight-directional movement derived from Uechi-ryū and Gōjū-ryū . I believe that all martial arts are great in their form and their techniques, but one kind of martial arts intrigued me.
Wing Chun Kung Fu Association (WKA) Survival Tactics Philippines made its way in 2010 and was lead by Sifu Jayson A. Navarra, a Filipino national from Muntinlupa City, and founded by Sigung Joel Resurrecion of WKA Italy, another Filipino national from Laguna City. He was one of the many who started and spread Wing Chun in the Philippines.
Jayson studied Aikido and had knowledge in doing high kicks when he was in high school. He was enthusiastic about martial arts, and he came to a point in his life that he wanted to teach a martial art that was simple yet applicable in most situations. He came across Wing Chun, the best martial art that describes his dream martial art. As he went on with learning Wing Chun, he had met two of the most prominent people in his journey. One is Sifu Galpo, who used to train with masters in Taiwan. The other one is Sifu Casas, under Golden Harvest Wing Chun, a Wing Chun who has his headquarters located in Japan and is headed by Sifu Mc Gowan.
His passion is teaching Wing Chun to others. He believes that this martial art will be one of the best in terms of practical use and effectiveness. “Simplicity. Explosiveness. Effectiveness.” These are the words best to describe Wing Chun. Believe it or not, I have taken up lessons and practical application of Wing Chun and made so much improvement with the way I move, as if I am being prepared for what situation is brought to my life.
If you want to defend in a soft and relaxed manner, this is one of the best martial arts to go to. I believe that this martial art is one of the most simultaneous when it comes to movement of arms and feet. I really liked how the execution of Wing Chun is done since it uses a relaxed method of releasing the core strength of the body.
Here’s a sample video of how Wing Chun works in different combat situations.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/368316686889024?view=permalink&id=482166875504004
If you want to learn Wing Chun, there are training sessions done in the following places: Muntinlupa, Makati, Luneta, Rizal and Marikina. For private lessons you can contact him via sms or call at 0930 026 6631.
References:
Ching, I. Ip Ching on Sil Lim Tau. Samuel Kwok Wing Chun Martial Arts Association. Retrieved June 23, 2019, from http://www.kwokwingchun.com/about-wing-chun/the-wing-chun-forms/sil-lim-tao/
Karate World. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://karateworld.info/shito-ryu/
West Coast Wing Chun. Retrieved June 17, 2019, from https://westcoastwingchun.com/training/forms/siu-lim-tao-2/
Wing Chun News. Retrieved June 17, 2019, from https://www.wingchunnews.ca/siu-nim-tau/
Wing Chun Online. Retrieved June 17, 2019, from http://www.wingchunonline.com/wing-chun-kung-fu/concepts/centerline-theory/
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Oggi lungo,e attento lavoro graduale su Siu Nim Tao e Chum Kiu Graduale perché la fase si apprendimento non sia solo visiva,graduale perché purtroppo si devono correggere i molti errori precedenti, graduale perché prima di comprendere la meccanica di un movimento ,di quel movimento devi assimilarne il concetto Non esistono ne' trucchi ne' magie..solo il duro lavoro ... ______________ Non basta guardare, occorre guardare con occhi che vogliono vedere, che credono in quello che vedono. (Galileo Galilei) #chumkiu #siunimtao #wingtsunkungfu #wingtsunmartialartassociation #wingtsun #leungtingwingtsun #kungfu #kungfulife #martialarts #chineseboxe #boxe #chineseboxing #startagain #wingchun #wingchunkuen #wingchunkungfu #step (presso Empoli) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0AD6pHY9D/?igshid=19vy71ysfhglg
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