Seminar Notes

Dr. G.K. Khoe

In 1981 I taught a student by the name of Keenan Jang. He learned Wing Chun in Saskatchewan but my Wing Chun was much better than his. I could handle all of his attacks no problem. Then in September of 1981 he moved to Vancouver to study engineering. At Christmas he wrote me a letter. He said he looked everywhere in Vancouver for some good Wing Chun. Then by luck he met someone in the engineering department who wanted to start up a Wing Chun club. He said his name was Dr. G.K. Khoe and that he was a student of Master Wang Kiu, who in turn was a private student of Grandmaster Yip Man. He taught a very pure form of Wing Chun and he taught it completely. So I was quite excited abut this and wrote a letter asking if I could join the club. Dr. G.K. Khoe let me join. This means a three hour trip by ferry and bus once every two weeks and later every week. When I met Keenan he had improved dramatically. I couldn't touch him anymore. His Wing Chun was now very good just after three months!

Advice from Dr. G.K. Khoe

1. Make sure the power at the wrist goes straight to the opponent's centerline.
2. All forms can be changed to all other forms.
3. The straight punch in the first set is level not at the nose.
4. Always use the combined force of two hands. When you hit, use the other hand as a reaction force.
5. When you switch form inside to outside in the double sticking hands, keep the elbow in or you are open to a hit. Also don't forget about the forward force in the other hand. Keep the force straight forward to the opponent's center, not to one side or the other.
6. Wong Shun Leung was famous for being able to change in the middle of a movement. Wang Kiu was famous for his variety of techniques. The first generation were all noted for different things.
7. The punching bag is necessary until the power comes. After that it is not so important.
8. At home you can still practice the mechanics of Chi sau even without a partner.
9. Pay attention to the Yin and Yang when practicing the Chi sau sentences.
10. Use the pivot or else deflect and strike action will be too weak.
11. Don't think, just react, thinking is too slow.
12. Practicing Chi sau with the eyes closed will enhance your sensitivity.
13. In the middle of a technique, many people are just too tense. So you constantly have to monitor your own tension level. Even in the middle of a technique, if you find you are to tense, don't continue the technique without first relaxing, then continue the technique.
14. When you practice the Poon sau or rolling, watch that all the gaps are closed or else your are just wasting your time.
15. When you practice free style Chi sau, may sure your are working on something. Don't just fight with no purpose in mind. Wild fighting does not develop a good skill. Pay attention to form and feeling.
16. If the opponent blocks your hit, this is like a present for you. Just apply a Lap sau or a Pak sau to this blocking hand.
17. There are several kinds of chain punches. One of the kinds drags the opponent's arms down or crawls on top of them.
18. The real Lap sau is very lively not dead. When it is applied to you it feels like an electric shock.
19. Holland has a woman who wins all the time against the other styles using Wing Chun. She uses very little technique, mostly a little kicking, Tan sau and a lot of charging in with chain punching.
20. One is the contact fighting (from a sticking position), and the other is the non-contact fighting (starts from a distance). The wooden dummy teaches the non-contact fighting. The real wooden dummy was in a box with sand.
21. In Chi sau, when you are hit, hit back right away. This will keep you more relaxed than when worry about the fact that you got hit.
22. Don't push the opponent away , then you have to get him back again before you can hit him.
23. A good exercise is to practice the symmetric two arms in and two arms out Chi sau.
24. With the weapons you keep yourself thin, with the hands you don't.
25. Wing Chun does not just rely on one technique.
26. Don't lean forward.
27. In the Chi sau, only apply the elbow if there is a reason to apply it. Otherwise you are open to many quick counters.An example is to the elbow if the opponent drifts off the center.
28. If the opponent attemps the high kick, immediately lift the foot and counter kick, then the opponent will not be so anxious to apply the high kick.
29. The Wing Chun theory can also be used to analyze other styles. You can analyze the other style and know that they are doing it wrong and you will know the reason why they are doing it wrong.Wing Chun theory can enhance the skill of another style whether it is a punching kicking style or a grappling style. Some styles are just large collections of techniques. There is hardly a point for these styles to have forms.
30. The Wu sau should be high enough to protect the throat.
31. Wing Chun is really Chinese boxing, which can be seen especially in the Chain punching technique.
32. In Wing Chun, advance slowly then suddenly charge in (according to timing). Constantly pressure the opponent to make them tense. Use Psychology to tense the opponent, then to relax him and then attack when he relaxes or lets the guard down. There are many strategies for getting in.
33. Get the body weight behind the Chum sau by relaxing the knees.
34. A rock solid stance and a supple top is very important. Without a good stance the top cannot be supple.
35. Keep the pressure very even and continuous at all parts of the rolling cycle. There should be no gaps or holes in your defense. You could defend by just sticking.
36. The Bil Jee is the enemy of the Chain punch but the crossed Tan and shocking Lap works even better. The dragging chain punch can counter the enemy of the chain punch.
37. He is very rooted and not possible to move. Fighting with Wang Kiu is like fighting with someone who has Wang Kiu's fighting is like a symphony orchestra, everything from all sets are blended smoothly into the Chi sau. Pushing, pulling, jerking, slapping, sweeping, chopping, punching all come in a carefully orchestrated manner and in a continuous non stop flow.
38. For demonstrations you can have a more elaborate opening for the staff set or wooden dummy set.
39. The Chinese broadsword can be used to train the Baat Jaam Do (eight cutting butterfly knife). The broadsword is always cutting, there is never a dead point. The Japanese sword is also a good weapon to practice against for Butterfly knife technique.
40. The Hung style should have the same knowledge as Wing Chun because it comes from the same place.
41. Wang Kiu speaks English, Japanese, Dutch, Cantonese and Mandarin. He works as a translator in Holland.
42. Lok Yiu had a Chum sau like an earthquake. It was Yip Man who said this.
43. The Thai boxers have very tough shins and can withstand most blocks. To fight them, you have to have breaking power with your hands. Thai training is more realistic than Karate. They also have a good two sword art. But Karate is actually much richer in technique. The Thai's carry their arms on the side of their head to block the roundhouse kick and to turn sligtly to block the center punch. But a TaeKwonDo instructor in Holland managed to beat a good Thai fighter with a well placed toe kick to the open spot (in the center).
44. The fights in Hong Kong always had a referee. You flip a coin for who attacks first. Usually one person ends up bloody and the fight is stopped.
45. Wang is the Mandarin way to write Wong. Wang Kiu is pronounced Wong Kiu.
46. You hit whatever sticks out. If the knee is forward, kick it.If the hand is forward, hit it.
47. Don't rely on strength in Chi sau training.
48. Only then will you be able to see the whole structure of the art.
49. In class, have a proper opening and closing to the session. Have questions at the end.
50. Yip Man taught very slowly and meticulously. That is why the first generation was good.
51. You can go in two directions in Wing Chun, the hard external way, or the internal way. Wang Kiu is able to do both. Wang Kiu said at least the internal way of training won't hurt you.
52. There is little point in sparring with the other styles until you have mastered the wooden man techniques. Sparring at too early a stage develops many bad habits which become impossible to correct. If you spoil the student, they will just want to spar and nothing else. Entering tournaments before you have really mastered the Wing Chun way is a painful way to learn martial art.