Double handed blocks/counter attacks
Using the Guen/Huen Sau is very effective against power attacks. The Huen/Guen sau can be used against powerful round house kicks at a proper distance. When using these blocks it is essential to come inside the attack. If your opponent throws a round house kick at your mid section, staying in a stationary position while performing this block is a very BAD idea. The force from the kick will hit your forearms head on, so if you are up against an experienced kicker, he will probably break your arm. These blocks have to be done from the inside of the attack. The guen sau can be used to trap the kick while you are throwing a kick to the knee joint. The Huen say and be used to trap the lower part of the leg while you grab the arm and counter strike to the body of face. Double handed blocks and counters must have the power from the body behind them so it is essential that you turn into the attack with your hips and move forward.
Golden Harvest Wing Chun Manila, Philippines & Osaka, Japan
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wing Chun and Arnis (Kali-Escrima)
Escrima - The Filipino Martial Art
by George Royal
Original text
http://psychjourney_blogs.typepad.com/warrior_traditions/2009/01/escrima---the-filipino-martial-art.html
Escrima is a popular Filipino martial art dating back to the 1500s, during the colonization of the Philippine Islands by the Spanish. Escrima is a very simplified but practical form of combat technique originally designed as a self-defense tool. Escrima is also known by many other names such as Eskrima, Arnis, Arnis de Mano, Kali and FMA (Filipino Martial Art). Because of its effectiveness, Escrima is also taught extensively in many Special Forces including the Navy Seals and Army Special Forces.
Brief History:
Many believe that Escrima or Filipino Martial Art originated from Chinese influenced Indonesian fighting tactics such as Kun Tao, Chuan Fa and Tai Chi double stick forms. Others believe the Escrima art form to be wholly developed by the Filipino people. However, the most plausible explanation seems to be rooted in the history of the Spanish colonization.
When the Spanish occupied the Philippine Islands, a form of art similar to Escrima had already existed but was only recreational. However, this art began to develop into a more martial discipline when the Spanish prohibited indigenous Filipino weapons such as the Bolo (machete), daggers and fighting sticks in the 1700s. It remained a clandestine art until the Americans took over in 1898. From then on, the Filipino Martial Art started to gain recognition and popularity.
In the West, Escrima was introduced and popularized by Filipino immigrants after the Second World War, particularly in the American states of Hawaii and California.
Weapons and Footwork in Escrima:
Unlike other forms of martial arts, the primary tool to learn the basic concepts of Escrima is focus on weaponry, which is followed by empty-hand techniques. The Rattan stick is the most common weapon used in Escrima training, which includes hand and head protection when sparring. Other weapons include burned and hardened stick made of hardwood, such as Molave or Kamagong (ebony). Modern versions may be made out of aluminum, other metals, or high-impact plastics. The Nunchaku (also known as Kung Fu sticks or Double sticks) weapon was popularized by actor Bruce Lee, an avid practitioner of Escrima.
Each range - the distance between opponents - in Escrima has its own characteristics and footwork techniques. Good footwork enables efficient control of these ranges. The footwork is demonstrated in terms of triangles with two feet occupying two corners of the triangle and the step to the third corner. The shape and size of the triangle is dependant on the particular situation.
Escrima Facts:
1. Escrima is mixture of hard (like Karate) and soft (like Tai Chi Ch’uan) styles.
2. Escrima is taught on ideal street-fighting settings without the need for uniforms.
3. Restraining techniques are not focused on but rather on offensive, combat styles.
4. There are no official rankings in Escrima except for titles to recognize seniority of instructors.
5. Most of the power in Escrima is derived from body movement and economy of motion, rather than strength.
6. Escrima is a complete martial art, focusing on weaponry and empty-hand techniques.
7. Escrima provides effective training in sparring against multiple opponents.
offers articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.
-end-
Taking the history and basic principles of Wing Chun into account, it has a number of similitarites to Arnis. That may be one reason why the legendary Bruce Lee was an avid practitioner of Kali-Escrima (Arnis) under Goro Don Inosanto.
by George Royal
Original text
http://psychjourney_blogs.typepad.com/warrior_traditions/2009/01/escrima---the-filipino-martial-art.html
Escrima is a popular Filipino martial art dating back to the 1500s, during the colonization of the Philippine Islands by the Spanish. Escrima is a very simplified but practical form of combat technique originally designed as a self-defense tool. Escrima is also known by many other names such as Eskrima, Arnis, Arnis de Mano, Kali and FMA (Filipino Martial Art). Because of its effectiveness, Escrima is also taught extensively in many Special Forces including the Navy Seals and Army Special Forces.
Brief History:
Many believe that Escrima or Filipino Martial Art originated from Chinese influenced Indonesian fighting tactics such as Kun Tao, Chuan Fa and Tai Chi double stick forms. Others believe the Escrima art form to be wholly developed by the Filipino people. However, the most plausible explanation seems to be rooted in the history of the Spanish colonization.
When the Spanish occupied the Philippine Islands, a form of art similar to Escrima had already existed but was only recreational. However, this art began to develop into a more martial discipline when the Spanish prohibited indigenous Filipino weapons such as the Bolo (machete), daggers and fighting sticks in the 1700s. It remained a clandestine art until the Americans took over in 1898. From then on, the Filipino Martial Art started to gain recognition and popularity.
In the West, Escrima was introduced and popularized by Filipino immigrants after the Second World War, particularly in the American states of Hawaii and California.
Weapons and Footwork in Escrima:
Unlike other forms of martial arts, the primary tool to learn the basic concepts of Escrima is focus on weaponry, which is followed by empty-hand techniques. The Rattan stick is the most common weapon used in Escrima training, which includes hand and head protection when sparring. Other weapons include burned and hardened stick made of hardwood, such as Molave or Kamagong (ebony). Modern versions may be made out of aluminum, other metals, or high-impact plastics. The Nunchaku (also known as Kung Fu sticks or Double sticks) weapon was popularized by actor Bruce Lee, an avid practitioner of Escrima.
Each range - the distance between opponents - in Escrima has its own characteristics and footwork techniques. Good footwork enables efficient control of these ranges. The footwork is demonstrated in terms of triangles with two feet occupying two corners of the triangle and the step to the third corner. The shape and size of the triangle is dependant on the particular situation.
Escrima Facts:
1. Escrima is mixture of hard (like Karate) and soft (like Tai Chi Ch’uan) styles.
2. Escrima is taught on ideal street-fighting settings without the need for uniforms.
3. Restraining techniques are not focused on but rather on offensive, combat styles.
4. There are no official rankings in Escrima except for titles to recognize seniority of instructors.
5. Most of the power in Escrima is derived from body movement and economy of motion, rather than strength.
6. Escrima is a complete martial art, focusing on weaponry and empty-hand techniques.
7. Escrima provides effective training in sparring against multiple opponents.
offers articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.
-end-
Taking the history and basic principles of Wing Chun into account, it has a number of similitarites to Arnis. That may be one reason why the legendary Bruce Lee was an avid practitioner of Kali-Escrima (Arnis) under Goro Don Inosanto.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wing Chun Dummy notes day 2
Performing the Bui Tze as a form requires a lot of practice and patience. After preforming the form over and over again, I learned how to take certain techniques out of the form and how to apply them 1) in a real situation (emergency only) and 2) on the Wing Chun dummy. This form has a lot of hidden defense and counter offense techniques in it the one can only discover over time. The circular foot movements in the Bui tze can be used in the dummy form to rotate inside an opponents defenses. The Bui sau or darting hands can be used as finger strikes, neck chops and counter offensive hand grabs. These techniques are really hard to defend against because the come upwards, under your opponents line of vision. The Kwan sau is a useful block against powerful kicks as long as you adjust your distance. Elbow strikes and be worked into the sequence of attacks from the Bui sau hand-grapping motions. Penetrating defenses with basic attacks is more effective than multiple move combos. Always mind the distance your are from the (dummy) opponent because distance also effects the amount of power you can put into an attack.
Arm breaks are most effective when thrown in inside and outside pak sau combinations. Once you grab an opponents arm (from a tan sau/wrist rotation) it may turn into a wrestling match. Its better to strike and break rather than grab and break. Lets face it, it the guy is trying to hurt you, hes NOT going to throw single attacks so you have to always prepare for two or three attacks in advance.
Wing Chun is like playing chess, you have to be able to calculate 2-3 moves ahead of your opponent. When the gloves are off, then one mistake means that you get hit. If you get hit with one, then two, three ect will ALWAYS follow so there is no room for error. When training with the dummy, its good to think about what attack you are block and what arm you are striking. Use the dummy as a template for a body, dont just do techniques. In every technique you do on the dummy, think of where you are and what you are going to do if the technique is countered or doesn't work like you planned. Unlike the dummy, a real person moves, thinks and reacts, so you have to create and imaginary opponent in your head when you are training alone. Just using the dummy as it is (a stiff piece of wood) is not enough.
When throwing elbows, there are 3 angles you can use to strike the head, side of the head spear the body. When throwing a downward elbow to the head, make sure that you clear or trap an arm first because your opponent can use an elbow to counter your strike and hit you in the face. Elbow strikes are best thrown in combination with blocks because your opponent is going to attack you when you come into his range. You may hit him with the elbow, but you will get hit with his counter if you dont block and strike/ trap and strike at the same time.
Arm breaks are most effective when thrown in inside and outside pak sau combinations. Once you grab an opponents arm (from a tan sau/wrist rotation) it may turn into a wrestling match. Its better to strike and break rather than grab and break. Lets face it, it the guy is trying to hurt you, hes NOT going to throw single attacks so you have to always prepare for two or three attacks in advance.
Wing Chun is like playing chess, you have to be able to calculate 2-3 moves ahead of your opponent. When the gloves are off, then one mistake means that you get hit. If you get hit with one, then two, three ect will ALWAYS follow so there is no room for error. When training with the dummy, its good to think about what attack you are block and what arm you are striking. Use the dummy as a template for a body, dont just do techniques. In every technique you do on the dummy, think of where you are and what you are going to do if the technique is countered or doesn't work like you planned. Unlike the dummy, a real person moves, thinks and reacts, so you have to create and imaginary opponent in your head when you are training alone. Just using the dummy as it is (a stiff piece of wood) is not enough.
When throwing elbows, there are 3 angles you can use to strike the head, side of the head spear the body. When throwing a downward elbow to the head, make sure that you clear or trap an arm first because your opponent can use an elbow to counter your strike and hit you in the face. Elbow strikes are best thrown in combination with blocks because your opponent is going to attack you when you come into his range. You may hit him with the elbow, but you will get hit with his counter if you dont block and strike/ trap and strike at the same time.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wing Chun Dummy notes day 1
I just recently decided to start a blog about Wing Chun training here in the Philippines and Japan. As a friend and I thought about what to write in the blog, we came up with an idea that is 1) good for me and 2) will help other on training tips in Wing Chun. Once one reaches a certain level of understanding of wing chun as an art, the need for training partners isn't quite the same as when one first starts out. Now that I've been practicing Wing Chun for quite some time now, I've decided to keep a record of my training notes here online in the form of a blog. This will help me remember what I've learned in teaching and training on my own.
Day 1 notes
The best training partner around 24/7 : the Wing Chun dummy
Day 1
When practicing on the Wing Chun dummy, just doing the form over and over again gets really boring so its good to expand your creativity while maintaining the basics of the form. If you notice, all movements in the form flow together, so its easy to change up the movements as long as one move flows into the next. When doing the Kau sau, it doesn't always have to be done with both hands on the outside of the top arms of the dummy. Kau sau can be done on the inside as well, between single arms, with fluid movements that flow from one to the next. In application for sparring or training (Chi sau) this is good because it breaks the rythm and patterns of movement that forms get your stuck in. When dealing with a real person, they are not going to follow the form so its good to change things up and be creative. In my opinion, Wing Chun is not a pattern based martial art, like Karate or Taekwondo, it is a template. The moves in forms are designed to teach you what your body can do with series of coordinated movements. Think of them more as templates of movement rather than "forms".
In Wing Chun, flow in continuity are more important than power. If you are practicing Wing Chun on your own, like I am when I film the video notes, its good to make sure that your movements are defined and flow together. Pay close attention to hand positioning and make sure that your hands never come more than a shoulder length apart.
When doing kicks in a small space, the move or movements you perform before the kick have to adjust your distance BEFORE throwing the kick. Using a lower Bong Sau or Gaun Sau is good for this. If you break contact with the dummy or adjust your distance as you are kicking, this will throw you off balance in a chi sau or when you try to do this in a real situation.
Day 1 notes
The best training partner around 24/7 : the Wing Chun dummy
Day 1When practicing on the Wing Chun dummy, just doing the form over and over again gets really boring so its good to expand your creativity while maintaining the basics of the form. If you notice, all movements in the form flow together, so its easy to change up the movements as long as one move flows into the next. When doing the Kau sau, it doesn't always have to be done with both hands on the outside of the top arms of the dummy. Kau sau can be done on the inside as well, between single arms, with fluid movements that flow from one to the next. In application for sparring or training (Chi sau) this is good because it breaks the rythm and patterns of movement that forms get your stuck in. When dealing with a real person, they are not going to follow the form so its good to change things up and be creative. In my opinion, Wing Chun is not a pattern based martial art, like Karate or Taekwondo, it is a template. The moves in forms are designed to teach you what your body can do with series of coordinated movements. Think of them more as templates of movement rather than "forms".
In Wing Chun, flow in continuity are more important than power. If you are practicing Wing Chun on your own, like I am when I film the video notes, its good to make sure that your movements are defined and flow together. Pay close attention to hand positioning and make sure that your hands never come more than a shoulder length apart.
When doing kicks in a small space, the move or movements you perform before the kick have to adjust your distance BEFORE throwing the kick. Using a lower Bong Sau or Gaun Sau is good for this. If you break contact with the dummy or adjust your distance as you are kicking, this will throw you off balance in a chi sau or when you try to do this in a real situation.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bong Sau
I stumbled across this piece about the Bong Sau, a basic technique in Wing Chun and thought it was really good!
Original link: http://www.thechinaboxer.com/forum/general/why-bong-sau-when-you-can-pak-sau/
Text by Sense of touch
www.thechinaboxer.com
Bong Sau isn't just for intercepting, it's also for transitioning, but I wouldn't use it to intercept my opponent before an actual bridge is established; meaning, when the first punch is thrown at me coming from a distance, I would prefer to intercept it with a Pak than a Bong. Pak would generally be used more often in the distance game and Bong would generally be used more often in the energy game. In the end, it depends on circumstance. A Bong also shouldn't consume a lot of energy because you shouldn't stay in it for extended periods of time anyway, espeically not in an actual fight. I don't see how you would be doing Wing Chun if you discard Bong. A lot of guiding is done with it.
I also want to add, Bong itself has many variations too. I mean variations as in different angles. The individual opponent's size and arm position often determines how high or low you'd Bong. Bong is also for setting up many elbow strikes in which some of these elbows are done either in the Bong position or they pass through the Bong positition. Bong is always happening, though it would be nice to be able to get the job done from the beginning through Pak Sau.
Original link: http://www.thechinaboxer.com/forum/general/why-bong-sau-when-you-can-pak-sau/
Text by Sense of touch
www.thechinaboxer.com
Bong Sau isn't just for intercepting, it's also for transitioning, but I wouldn't use it to intercept my opponent before an actual bridge is established; meaning, when the first punch is thrown at me coming from a distance, I would prefer to intercept it with a Pak than a Bong. Pak would generally be used more often in the distance game and Bong would generally be used more often in the energy game. In the end, it depends on circumstance. A Bong also shouldn't consume a lot of energy because you shouldn't stay in it for extended periods of time anyway, espeically not in an actual fight. I don't see how you would be doing Wing Chun if you discard Bong. A lot of guiding is done with it.
I also want to add, Bong itself has many variations too. I mean variations as in different angles. The individual opponent's size and arm position often determines how high or low you'd Bong. Bong is also for setting up many elbow strikes in which some of these elbows are done either in the Bong position or they pass through the Bong positition. Bong is always happening, though it would be nice to be able to get the job done from the beginning through Pak Sau.
Golden Harvest Wing Chun Manila
We are stepping into 2011 with a whole new idea of about Wing Chun this year and how to get it out into the public. Since MMA is being considered a style or discipline of martial arts itself, its has captivated people's attention and drawn them away from the roots of "traditional" arts. While being very effective as a competitive fighting art, the certain spiritual aspect of a martial art is lost in the mix of tap-outs, take downs and ground-and-pounds.
Prior to late 2008, before the Hong Kong blockbuster Ip Man was released, most people heard the words Wing Chun and thought "wing what??". Now that the Ip Man movie hype has come and gone, the fact of the matter is that Wing Chun is still not a popular martial art......yet. Our goal this year is to do as much as we can to show people what Wing Chun is and what Wing Chun is really about; as a practice, discipline and martial art.
This year we are taking the gloves off and not holding back anymore. Wing Chun is a beautiful, effective and ingenious martial art that is not given the recognition and credit it truly deserves. We are in no way trying to "commercialize" the art, like what has happened to Karate, Taekwondo and Muay Thai. Rather, we aim to preserve the spiritual aspects, discipline of Wing Chun while bringing it to the attention of the main stream media here in Manila.
For us here at Golden Harvest, this is fresh new year and a good time to start on new foot, with a new outlook and attitude about a dream or goal that might have become just another "failed new years resolution." Through this whole promotional project, we are finding that the unchanging maxim of "you get out what you put in" is TRUE; no matter the time, circumstance or situation.
This year maybe your year to start taking your goal a bit more seriously and just go for something full on. If you head and heart are in the right place, then things have a really funny way of working in your favor. There are no such things as coincidences, they are merely un-seen causes that we create by unconscious actions.
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