Chum Kiu: Thrusting and Turning
Sun, Nov 27 2011 07:23
| rules, kung fu, form, technique, hitting, practice, footwork, siu num tao, chum kiu, strikes, martial arts, power, Wing Tsun Kung fu, flexibility, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
For those of you that remember my last blog entry about the Chum Kiu you'll realise that words can rarely do justice to something as complex and fundamental as form to a martial art such as Wing Tsun. I'm doing my best to have a go though!
However it is important to recognise that the first "new" section in the form is one which equips a student with the ability to understand the defensive capabilities of the system whilst improving the relationship between moving the arms and body correctly within the IRAS.
A double jum sau allows one to sink not just the arms but the centre of gravity into the stance with the realisation that Chum Kiu operates on two lines not just one as in Siu Num Tau. Using the undualtion of the spine to lift the jum saus along with your centre of gravity parctices balance and structure, particularly when thrusting the arms out into Biu Tze saus.
The relaxtion needed not to uproot the student during Biu Tze sau promotes good balance and control. Usually thought of as an eye strike the technique offers a student solutions to drawing an attackers arms down to the centre of mass.
This is followed by a very tricky idea within Wing Tsun forms. The arms must be folded into double lan sau - elbows kept at 90 degrees in front of the solar plexus, and the full range of motion within the stance is needed to allow you to sink into a 90 degree turn. "Sitting" on the back leg places you into a very traditional Wing Tsun stance with the front leg free to step/kick as necessary. It also reminds us to draw all of your power in and down so you are not floating in a precarious position.
From an application point of view the technique offers various uses. Conceptually it teaches us to turn with power, speed and balance. When grappling this can be useful to shake off attackers looking to grapple the upper body or pin the arms. It also teaches us to move around a solid object or force without pushing against it or into it - this allows the Wing Tsun exponent to be soft and difficult to track by an attacker. It also implies that from the Biu Tze saus you can pull an opponent's head sharply down and to the side destroying their stance and leaving them incredibly vulnerable to counters.
By building up a solid base which can move, the Chum Kiu emphasises the need for balance and keeping the arms moving in proportion to the body. If one moves without the other your power and structure is broken. This leaves you weak and twisted in structure. While this may be less of a problem in more advanced systems and emergency techniques it is important to establish good practice amongst beginners.
From here the opening of the arms with double fook saus invites us to expand the chest and lever apart both our arms and those of our attackers. The three pak saus with tok saus have simple applications to break the balance of an attacker using the disruption of their joints. Followed by three palm strikes the student is given a clear message to attack back in using quick and powerful strikes whilst an assailant is off balance.
Drawing the arm back across the body it is important that as the student splits the arms into a lan sau and sau chong that they return to neutral stance. Skipping this point encoruages bad habits and poor structure. Pausing albeit briefly demonstrates great control. It also reminds the student to focus on holding the lan sau at chest height and not towards the throat or even chin as some people will commonly do.
Moving all the way over to the other 90 degree turn with a lan sau teaches the student the depth of IRAS and our ability to move. The split amongst the lan sau and sau chong as well as the sink into the stance is crucial in teaching the student how to keep out an opponents force. Turning the forearm upwards slightly allows the lan sau to become stronger and more resillient.
Forming a double tan sau reminds the student that Chum Kiu also uses one line and nods towards the lessons of the previous Siu Num Tau. Compression of the double tan into the hip allows the student to push themselves around the own centre and make a bong sau wu sau at a 45 degree angle. It is crucial the student understands to face "forwards" looking over the bong sau and in line with their wu.
These steps are teaching us how to move around a changing attacker not multiple attackers or one which can teleport! Constant referral to the direction of an attack is necessary in all aspects of Wing Tsun. Moving between the double tan and bong sau wu sau three times emphasises the use of three repetitions throught the Wing Tsun forms to teach an important idea. It also shows how we can change easily between very defensive and deep 90 degree turns and more attacking 45 turns which help us slip and evade attacks rather than contain them like the former.
The punch over the top of the final lan sau reminds us to keep our arms over the lan sau to avoid them being trapped by being pulled down and develops power and range whilst in the 90 degree stance. Likewise when drawing the arm across into the fak sau it is important the legs are pulled back into neutral stance and the "whip" of the fak sau is then achieved using the softeness in the shoulder joint to make the technique powerful.
The arm is withdrawn and sunken back into the hip. This ensures the following strike is at eye height but launched from a solid and stable base. Be careful that the hand finishes on the centre line as crossing it will pull the shoulders apart and destroy your structure. The heun sau and return to sau chong signifies the end of the section as inkeeping with the Siu Num Tau.
The fact this is repeated on the other side shows how important the lessons contained within these movements are. Likewise it teaches us to train both sides with the mechanics and spatial awareness handed down by the section. Overall it is an important preparation not just for learning to defend and move coherently but for assigning the weight and balance onto one leg allowing us the ability to kick and step in the subsequent sections. That however is another long and complex blog post for another time!
Happy training!
However it is important to recognise that the first "new" section in the form is one which equips a student with the ability to understand the defensive capabilities of the system whilst improving the relationship between moving the arms and body correctly within the IRAS.
A double jum sau allows one to sink not just the arms but the centre of gravity into the stance with the realisation that Chum Kiu operates on two lines not just one as in Siu Num Tau. Using the undualtion of the spine to lift the jum saus along with your centre of gravity parctices balance and structure, particularly when thrusting the arms out into Biu Tze saus.
The relaxtion needed not to uproot the student during Biu Tze sau promotes good balance and control. Usually thought of as an eye strike the technique offers a student solutions to drawing an attackers arms down to the centre of mass.
This is followed by a very tricky idea within Wing Tsun forms. The arms must be folded into double lan sau - elbows kept at 90 degrees in front of the solar plexus, and the full range of motion within the stance is needed to allow you to sink into a 90 degree turn. "Sitting" on the back leg places you into a very traditional Wing Tsun stance with the front leg free to step/kick as necessary. It also reminds us to draw all of your power in and down so you are not floating in a precarious position.
From an application point of view the technique offers various uses. Conceptually it teaches us to turn with power, speed and balance. When grappling this can be useful to shake off attackers looking to grapple the upper body or pin the arms. It also teaches us to move around a solid object or force without pushing against it or into it - this allows the Wing Tsun exponent to be soft and difficult to track by an attacker. It also implies that from the Biu Tze saus you can pull an opponent's head sharply down and to the side destroying their stance and leaving them incredibly vulnerable to counters.
By building up a solid base which can move, the Chum Kiu emphasises the need for balance and keeping the arms moving in proportion to the body. If one moves without the other your power and structure is broken. This leaves you weak and twisted in structure. While this may be less of a problem in more advanced systems and emergency techniques it is important to establish good practice amongst beginners.
From here the opening of the arms with double fook saus invites us to expand the chest and lever apart both our arms and those of our attackers. The three pak saus with tok saus have simple applications to break the balance of an attacker using the disruption of their joints. Followed by three palm strikes the student is given a clear message to attack back in using quick and powerful strikes whilst an assailant is off balance.
Drawing the arm back across the body it is important that as the student splits the arms into a lan sau and sau chong that they return to neutral stance. Skipping this point encoruages bad habits and poor structure. Pausing albeit briefly demonstrates great control. It also reminds the student to focus on holding the lan sau at chest height and not towards the throat or even chin as some people will commonly do.
Moving all the way over to the other 90 degree turn with a lan sau teaches the student the depth of IRAS and our ability to move. The split amongst the lan sau and sau chong as well as the sink into the stance is crucial in teaching the student how to keep out an opponents force. Turning the forearm upwards slightly allows the lan sau to become stronger and more resillient.
Forming a double tan sau reminds the student that Chum Kiu also uses one line and nods towards the lessons of the previous Siu Num Tau. Compression of the double tan into the hip allows the student to push themselves around the own centre and make a bong sau wu sau at a 45 degree angle. It is crucial the student understands to face "forwards" looking over the bong sau and in line with their wu.
These steps are teaching us how to move around a changing attacker not multiple attackers or one which can teleport! Constant referral to the direction of an attack is necessary in all aspects of Wing Tsun. Moving between the double tan and bong sau wu sau three times emphasises the use of three repetitions throught the Wing Tsun forms to teach an important idea. It also shows how we can change easily between very defensive and deep 90 degree turns and more attacking 45 turns which help us slip and evade attacks rather than contain them like the former.
The punch over the top of the final lan sau reminds us to keep our arms over the lan sau to avoid them being trapped by being pulled down and develops power and range whilst in the 90 degree stance. Likewise when drawing the arm across into the fak sau it is important the legs are pulled back into neutral stance and the "whip" of the fak sau is then achieved using the softeness in the shoulder joint to make the technique powerful.
The arm is withdrawn and sunken back into the hip. This ensures the following strike is at eye height but launched from a solid and stable base. Be careful that the hand finishes on the centre line as crossing it will pull the shoulders apart and destroy your structure. The heun sau and return to sau chong signifies the end of the section as inkeeping with the Siu Num Tau.
The fact this is repeated on the other side shows how important the lessons contained within these movements are. Likewise it teaches us to train both sides with the mechanics and spatial awareness handed down by the section. Overall it is an important preparation not just for learning to defend and move coherently but for assigning the weight and balance onto one leg allowing us the ability to kick and step in the subsequent sections. That however is another long and complex blog post for another time!
Happy training!
Pulling the Trigger
Tue, Jan 19 2010 01:37
| strikes, martial arts, punching, boxing, hitting, exercise, Wing Tsun Kung fu, martial arts Altrincham, self defence
| Permalink
A little test I like to perform when a new student walks through the door is something very simple – a short question is all it takes “if you were going to hit me as hard as you can.....how would you do it?” Understandably this is sometimes followed with awkward shuffling and wringing of hands. It’s not an idea or a concept people are comfortable with, but if you turn up to a martial arts class it is very relevant I’d say.
Talk to any of the poor people that have to suffer my lessons and they’ll tell you many things, especially how I seem to say the same things again and again. One of my fundamental principles is to put someone out of action in as fewer hits as possible – preferably one.
A common myth or misconception is that to defeat someone you must hit them all over using as many different attacks and body parts as possible. I blame the movies for compounding this notion that a roundhouse kick to the face is as practical as it is cool. In truth what people really need is “point theory”.
I explain this theory with a simple rather sexist analogy. If I kick you in the balls (sorry ladies please use your empathy here) where is the last place in the world, you want me to strike you again? Yep. Square in the knackers is the right answer.
If I break your ribs with my first punch, why wouldn’t I keep hitting them and push the shards through your internal organs? It won’t take much, it’ll put you out of action, and I’ll get to walk away. If you cover the first wounded area then this will of course leave your head or another “hotspot” exposed.
It may seem obvious to you now, if you hadn’t considered it. But often this comes as a revelation to many. Perhaps they simply haven’t had the scenario or impulse to consider something so socially reprehensible, but as a martial artist it is essential to be honest and truthful about things no matter how stark or uncomfortable they may be.
One other thing of note from the question posed to new students about their “hardest punch” is the fact that 99% of people perform some form of boxing style straight. Often they pick their front hand, not the much more powerful cross with the support of the hips and added distance off of the back hand just to insult the question I asked a little more.
Usually this is because of a lack of confidence or fear of “doing it wrong” and is perfectly normal. However it also seems that people know boxers hit hard (bloody hard, as my head will attest to) and thus this must be the most powerful way a person can hit. Not entirely unreasonable but there is one major flaw with this truism.
Boxing is not natural, it is not innate it is a very powerful art and to punch correctly is a skill learned and practiced. You need the right co-ordination, timing and muscular input to make these punches work. Furthermore these strikes are not easily compatible with the stance, theories and practice of Wing Tsun. Teaching someone to box before they can even learn WT is no good. Although a person might find it handy it is not useful in their pursuit of kung fu or self defence.
What I give students is lovingly referred to as the “hammer blow”. Using the natural alignment of the body, gravity and momentum it is a devastating strike, easy to perform and completely intuitive. It is also high applicable as even a newbie can secure their opponent by grabbing them with their weak hand and pummelling them with this devastating move!
Take your strong hand and raise it above your head, fist clenched, make sure your feet are evenly spread and your weight distributed. Throw the arm down and forward allowing the arm to “whip” your fist into your target as if throwing a ball. At the same time drop your centre of gravity through the legs. Make contact through the base of your hand in line with the wrist and ulna in your forearm as if you were performing a chop with your fingers clenched.
Practice on a pad and you’ll soon feel the natural swing of the movement and the raw power behind it. Remember to drop through the legs or you waste so much potential force it is untrue. Once comfortable this can be practiced in the air and on pads to build strength and coordination. If you feel confident loop the hit back across the body as if performing a back-fist in a figure of eight motion. This increases the damage done and teaches great hand-eye coordination and offers very good exercise if performed vigorously for a few minutes.
The hammer blow and subsequent back fist offer two very deadly strikes that do not require raw power or muscle just some simple balance and willingness. Take five minutes of your time everyday and try them out on both hands, you’ll soon reap the martial and fitness rewards!
Talk to any of the poor people that have to suffer my lessons and they’ll tell you many things, especially how I seem to say the same things again and again. One of my fundamental principles is to put someone out of action in as fewer hits as possible – preferably one.
A common myth or misconception is that to defeat someone you must hit them all over using as many different attacks and body parts as possible. I blame the movies for compounding this notion that a roundhouse kick to the face is as practical as it is cool. In truth what people really need is “point theory”.
I explain this theory with a simple rather sexist analogy. If I kick you in the balls (sorry ladies please use your empathy here) where is the last place in the world, you want me to strike you again? Yep. Square in the knackers is the right answer.
If I break your ribs with my first punch, why wouldn’t I keep hitting them and push the shards through your internal organs? It won’t take much, it’ll put you out of action, and I’ll get to walk away. If you cover the first wounded area then this will of course leave your head or another “hotspot” exposed.
It may seem obvious to you now, if you hadn’t considered it. But often this comes as a revelation to many. Perhaps they simply haven’t had the scenario or impulse to consider something so socially reprehensible, but as a martial artist it is essential to be honest and truthful about things no matter how stark or uncomfortable they may be.
One other thing of note from the question posed to new students about their “hardest punch” is the fact that 99% of people perform some form of boxing style straight. Often they pick their front hand, not the much more powerful cross with the support of the hips and added distance off of the back hand just to insult the question I asked a little more.
Usually this is because of a lack of confidence or fear of “doing it wrong” and is perfectly normal. However it also seems that people know boxers hit hard (bloody hard, as my head will attest to) and thus this must be the most powerful way a person can hit. Not entirely unreasonable but there is one major flaw with this truism.
Boxing is not natural, it is not innate it is a very powerful art and to punch correctly is a skill learned and practiced. You need the right co-ordination, timing and muscular input to make these punches work. Furthermore these strikes are not easily compatible with the stance, theories and practice of Wing Tsun. Teaching someone to box before they can even learn WT is no good. Although a person might find it handy it is not useful in their pursuit of kung fu or self defence.
What I give students is lovingly referred to as the “hammer blow”. Using the natural alignment of the body, gravity and momentum it is a devastating strike, easy to perform and completely intuitive. It is also high applicable as even a newbie can secure their opponent by grabbing them with their weak hand and pummelling them with this devastating move!
Take your strong hand and raise it above your head, fist clenched, make sure your feet are evenly spread and your weight distributed. Throw the arm down and forward allowing the arm to “whip” your fist into your target as if throwing a ball. At the same time drop your centre of gravity through the legs. Make contact through the base of your hand in line with the wrist and ulna in your forearm as if you were performing a chop with your fingers clenched.
Practice on a pad and you’ll soon feel the natural swing of the movement and the raw power behind it. Remember to drop through the legs or you waste so much potential force it is untrue. Once comfortable this can be practiced in the air and on pads to build strength and coordination. If you feel confident loop the hit back across the body as if performing a back-fist in a figure of eight motion. This increases the damage done and teaches great hand-eye coordination and offers very good exercise if performed vigorously for a few minutes.
The hammer blow and subsequent back fist offer two very deadly strikes that do not require raw power or muscle just some simple balance and willingness. Take five minutes of your time everyday and try them out on both hands, you’ll soon reap the martial and fitness rewards!