Wing Tsun Techniques
Wing Tsun is a Chinese form of martial arts. The name translates roughly to "Spring Chant" or "Eternal Spring Time." Wing Tsun focuses on body composition, balance and stance. According to Richard J. Loewenhagen of Kung Fu Magazine, " [The] correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding." This philosophy permeates Wing Tsun practice, and is the core concept behind many blocking stances and relaxation exercises used in the learning process. Wing Tsun focuses on quick counter-strikes and carefully manipulation of personal energies.
Instructions
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Prepare yourself mentally and physically. Relaxation techniques are important aspects of Wing Tsun practice. For Wing Tsun, you must learn to avoid being rigid and tense.
Practice meditative breathing and basic stretching before attempting any technique to ensure you are calm and collected. Practitioners of Wing Tsun believe that a rigid muscle wastes energy and reduces movement speed.
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Begin your training with a basic block called the Wu Sau technique. This technique uses the wrists to deflect an incoming blow. Have your sparring partner stand across from you. Instruct her to send punches toward you at a relatively normal speed. Inform your partner that that her goal is neither to hurt you nor to restrain her natural punching motion. As her arm approaches, deflect the blow by pressing your wrist either against the inside or outside of her arm. Use your wrist to push her arm in such a way that the punch cannot correctly strike you. Hold your palm open and extended as you perform the Wu Sau technique, but do not allow your arm to become too rigid. As you become more familiar with the timing and muscle tone used in the Wu Sau technique, you can invite your partner to begin striking at a faster pace to increase your practice.
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Invite your sparring partner to return to his original starting position for the next blocking stance, the Pak-Sau technique, which is a form of slapping deflection. This technique is a more aggressive form of deflection, which quickly follows up with a strike towards your opponent. Have your partner attack in the same manner as the Wu Sau practice, by striking at you with a closed fist. As his arm approaches, use an open palm to slap his arm away. You can choose to strike on the inside or outside of the arm, depending on your positioning. Once you have made contact with his arm, strike at him with a closed fist using your other arm. For the sake of practice, do not aim directly at your sparring partner, instead use light hits to signify a successful strike.
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Return to your original sparring positions for Jum Sau, a downward deflection that uses an open palm to force the opponent's arm toward the ground. This technique is quick and reliable, as it uses your opponent's momentum against her. Have your sparring partner strike at you as before, but as her arm approaches, use your open palm to quickly push down on the top of her arm. Once you have pushed her arm down far enough, the strike will automatically miss, giving you an opening to respond with a strike to the chest or neck.
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Expand your curriculum of techniques once you have grown proficient at the beginning block and deflection techniques. Remember to allow yourself time to relax and meditate on your performance between training sessions. Wing Tsun is a contemplative art, and as such, the mental aspects of the training are as important as the physical ones.
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Tips & Warnings
While training with the aid of video, text and pictures can increase the accuracy of your techniques and poses, the best way to learn any martial art is with actual physical training under a professional teacher. Wing Tsun has classically been passed down from master to student and has a rich oral history. Training under a professional Wing Tsun teacher can help connect you to the deep lineage of this unique martial art.
