|
The "Siu Lim Tao" form represents the optimal limb positions when
fighting. This is the standard. When your positions deviate from the
standard then fighting is not optimal. Your structure will be weaker,
your changes will be slower and your power will be less. It should be easy
to have correct form when practicing in the air. Without form practice
your actions will be less efficient.
Once you are with a partner then forces stress your structures. You cannot
maintain a fixed or static potion. If the force is not too much then your
structure can support the force without change. But if
the force is too much, then your structure has to change to accommodate
the force. Essentially, all required changes are in the "Siu Lim Tao"
form. It is not always easy to determine what should change to what. But
in general the force itself should guide your change. There should not be
a fight against force otherwise the stronger partner will win.
It is the job of your teacher to feed you with various stimuli to stress
your structure. It is the job of the teacher to correct your response to
the input. A push or pull should result in a change to a new balanced
position. The central trunk always remains stable and vertical while the
arms somehow neutralize the incoming force. It is not easy to say in
advance how your limbs should respond to a force.
It depends on the direction and magnitude of the force. Sometimes the arms
alone cannot do the job and must be supplemented with appropriate footwork
that involves turning or stepping. The whole while you are aiming at
keeping an optimal fighting position that maximizes you counter
possibilities.
In this optimal position you must be relaxed in order to sense accurately
the opponent's intent, in order to change smoothly and in order to hit
back explosively. Your head must be up, not looking down, so that your
hands only do the sensing and so that you don't add extra weight to the
hands. The shoulders must stay down so that incoming force can transfer
down the legs to the ground and so that the ground supports attacking
force. With ground support it is possible to coordinate muscles in the
legs and hips to add to the force. The elbows are generally kept down so
that there is a connection to the knees otherwise the force goes out the
shoulders and power is only generated from the shoulders. The pelvis is
tilted in so that the upper body works together with the lower body. The
two act as one unit. The knees are in so that the force becomes compacted
in the knees and then sent into the ground.
For a long time training involves the practice of keeping stable,
protected, connected and relaxed while under stress. Hopefully the
standard position formula is applicable to a large number of
situations. Perhaps for some cases not all guidelines can be adhered to.
But then this will be outside the normal realm of Wing Chun. Hopefully the
principles and ideas of Wing Chun can be used to forge
solutions to new problems as they arise. If the Wing Chun standard model
is trained until it is built in then
the question of how to apply Wing Chun against non-standard attacks can be
intelligently answered. Your mechanics must be functioning smoothly and
effortlessly before you can talk about application
against realistic opponents. |