The Wing Chun Mind - Learn to Think Like a True Fighter

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The Wing Chun Mind: Learn to Think Like a True Fighter

by Robert Chu

Many have heard of the wing chun system of martial arts. Most articles deal with the techniques,

the chi sao, the forms, the politics, and the variations, but I believe this may be the first article that

deals with the wing chun mind. Master Hawkins Cheung, who has taught in Los Angeles since the

late 1970s, outlines the concepts of wing chun in combat. An early student of grandmaster Yip

Man, Cheung has practiced wing chun for over 30 years. Hawkins was also Bruce Lees training

partner in the early 1950s and together they explored fighting concepts. Master Cheung stands 5-

feet-5 and weighs 105 pounds. He is every inch a skilled fighter and excellent teacher.

Cheung explains the wing chun mind and the how and why of wing chun. He also explains

where many wing chun men are incorrect Cheung states that the principles discussed here could

be used by any system of martial arts to be applied in combat, regardless of the tools delivered. He

considers stylistic differences, postures, techniques, forms and drills secondary to wing chuns

application in combat. Master Cheungs advice here is reminiscent of Sun Tzus Art of War. He

offers practical, straight forward advice on combat, very much like his style of fighting.

Wing Chun System Combat

Wing chun is designed as a combat system. For this reason, the system emphasizes confidence,

timing, intercepting, capturing the centerline, shocking the opponent, setting up for consecutive

strikes, and trapping. But the most important weapon in the wing chun system is the mind.

Cheung explains that the mind is the center, the referee that the system revolves upon. Cheung

uses the term referee because it denotes a bystander, one who is emotionally detached. Cheung

states that, Having a calm mind will determine your success in combat To Hawkins Cheung, the

wing chun mind is the mental frame of mind you need to survive.

Wing Chun System Confidence

Hawkins often uses an analogy of driving a car to convey his teachings. He asks, Are you good

driver? A student nods affirmative. Are you a good driver in Europe? Are you a good driver with a

manual transmission? Are you a good driver in New York? The student looks confused, as

Hawkins continues, The difference between driving a car around the block versus driving a car on

the freeway is confidence and experience. Confidence and experience go hand-in-hand. If youre

not confident, you will be a disaster in driving or fighting. The students understand.

Practicing with a partner develops confidence so that when you eventually face an opponent it





have superior speed over the opponent, and the second is start entering just as the opponent

attacks. The key determining factor is timing.

Cheung states if there is no starting point, a wing chun man will not initiate his attack if you move,I move; but I arrive first says Cheung. Sun Tzus Art of War states that you attack after, but arrive

first.

Having a fight is l ike arguing with someone. When youre engaged in an argument, you and your

adversary are emotionally charged and each side wants to speak his point of view. But in wing

chun, the idea is to let my opponent speak first, and I will initiate my timing from his start.

Cheung continues, From that point, I shock or scare my opponent and initiate my say-so.

Like a gunslinger, Cheung states that a wing chun practitioner has to develop the fastest draw. A

wing chun player captures the centerline first, which means he has the opponent targeted. if I am

pointing my gun at you, and you move, even slightly, Ill shoot Other Systems want to shoot as

soon as possible, but with wing chun, you want to be the one that draws first, then shoot if

necessary.

if you can strike your opponent at his moment of entry, the results can be devastating, claims

Cheung. Impact is virtually doubled. The question is: Can you do it?

Wing Chun System Capturing the Centerline

Many martial artists understand the concept of the centerline, a principle emphasized in wing

chun training.

As master Cheung defines it, the centerline is the fastest line of entry between two opponents

facing each other. The centerline concept is what differentiates the wing chun system from other

systems of martial arts.

In other styles, movement originates from outside toward the center. Other styles choose to use

the curved line. Wing chun is different in that movement originates from the center outward.

Wing Chun is designed to cut the motions from other systems, and timing is the means to occupy

the center first says Cheung. Its not wing chun if the movement doesnt originate from the

center.

One must capture and control the centerline to occupy a superior position. To occupy the

centerline in an instant is the mark of expert skill, by controlling it you have immediately

developed a sense of what the opponent can or cannot do, says Cheung. You have, in essence,

presented a question or problem for the opponent to answer.



Many wing chun men ignore the skill of closing the gap and distance fighting, says Cheung. Wing

chuns famous motto explains, Stay as he comes, follow as he retreats; rush in upon loss of

contact. To rush in means to overwhelm the opponent with a blast An analogy of the pressureof a river behind a dam suddenly opening its gates should help you understand this feeling of

rushing in. Master Cheung continues, Seeing a whole body charge at you has a totally different

mental reaction then a fist coming at you. A fist is small, but an entire body is big. This mental

shock can be unbalancing to my opponent

Wing Chun System Shocking the Opponent

When you strike an opponent, you stun or shock him. The shock causes a sudden overwhelming

stimuli which can overload the brain and delay reaction. This shocking action allows you to setup

your opponent for further consecutive strikes. Whether you choose to strike, yell, curse, spit or

slap your opponent, the result is the same if you are successful. Your shocking blow will delay the

reaction time of your opponent, causing an opening. if you hit him again, it canes more shock;

more shock will cause more delay; more delay in reaction will cause more strikes to land. As

Cheung says, My fists are like drumsticks beating on a drum. But he cautions, Dont let the

shock reverberate back to you, as you will delay your own timing. Only through correct muscle

conditioning and relaxation will you break the vibration back to yourself

One day Hawkins said to this writer, Attack me, Robert, anyway you like. I complied and

prepared to attack. Just as I did, I suddenly felt stunned, and I had Hawkins fist in my face. He

smiled. Did you feel the shook? Did your mind blank out? I felt first-hand his skill on entering

and setting me up. Hawkins did not rain punches on me, but had he, I doubt that my 6 feet, 185

pounds would be able to stop anything after shocking my system.

To shock your opponent, you can use pak da (slapping strike), lop da or any other tool. You must

catch your opponent with the correct tiling. When you shock your opponent, you cause him to

blank out, and in that instance he loses himself and his surroundings, and there is an opportunity

to destroy him! says Cheung. Anytime a martial artist, regardless of style, throws a punch or kick,

he is blanking out because of the focus and emotional commitment This blanking out gives you

the time to strike your opponent.

The chi sao training is a famous feature of the wing chun system, but as master Cheung describes

it, Many wing chun practitioners overemphasize the drill. They find themselves unable to use the

sticking hands in combat. Cheung continues, Sticking hands is for contact sensitivity. At long

range and no contact with your opponent, you must have eye sensitivity. The problem with most

wing chun practitioners is they have trapped themselves with only relying on contact sensitivity;



you must have both. Both eyes sensitivity and contact sensitivity follow each other, where one

leads off, the other follows to continue.

Chi Sao training is for you to get information on your opponent, but if you dont have the contactand are at a distance, you must rely on your eyes. Master Cheung describes in detail that, Eye

sensitivity takes over when you dont have the contact with your opponent; contact sensitivity

takes over when youre jammed up and or in close. If you dont develop this, you win never he

able to use wing chun.

He cautions: If a motion is too fast for the eye, it can be a trap, and if it is too fast for the hand, it

may be a trap. In these circumstances, you must use your eyes to zoom in, or cut your opponents

motion by rushing in and use your contact sensitivity. Master Cheungs advice is reminiscent of a

Patriot missile sighting a Scud missile in mid-air.

What is important to learn is to control your opponents bridges and set him up for the next shot.

Good wing chun is like playing billiards, you must always look for the next shot. Make your

opponent follow you, if you are fast, make him catch up to you. If he is faster, make him slow. If he

is hard, defeat him with soft. If he is soft, defeat him with hardness. If you can master the wing

chun principles of stay as he comes, follow as he retreats; rush in upon loss of contact, you win

realize the essence of wing chun.

Lien Wan Kuen: Consecutive Strikes

After setting up the opponent with a shocking strike you must follow up with consecutive strikes.

One of the most often drilled punches wing chun is called lien wan kuen. It is quick burst of

straight line punches along the centerline that continues until an opponent is downed. Translated

loosely in English, lien wan kuen means chain punches or consecutive striking.

Lien wan kuen is a major application of the wing chun principle, says Cheung, like an expert in

billiards, each one of your shots scores and sets up for the next shot You do not give your

opponent a chance to breathe. You strike and set up the opponent for more strikes until he is

unconscious. You act like a butcher, cutting and hacking away at your opponent. Never stop until

your opponent is down. That is the wing chun attitude.

There is a certain amount of detached cruelty at work here. This aggressiveness has helped

Hawkins survive many street encounters.

Wing Chun System Trapping: Giving Frustration



Trapping is the heart of wing chun system. Sun Tzu wrote that all warfare is based upon deception,

and to trap an opponent is to deceive him. Says Cheung, When I trap your hand, your leg, or your

body, your mind instantly freezes and considers the options. There is a psychological breakdown,

and my opponent begins to lose his sense of confidence. When I dont allow you the time to solveyour immediate problem, I frustrate you, and therefore trap your emotions. You then have two

opponents against you me and yourself.

If your opponent is fast, you be slow. If he is slow, you be fast. You must always keep in control of

a fighting situation, warns Cheung.

If I can trick you, I am controlling your mid if I make believe theres no pressure in my right hand,

you may believe Im not paying attention and want to attack there. But since Im deceiving you, I

want to draw your response so I can set up the next shot, says Cheung.

An excellent example is the recent Persian Gulf War. Iraqs strength was on the ground, but the

Allied forces concentrated initially on air assault prior to any ground fighting. The tactic was to

confuse the opponent and lead Iraq into concern of air assaults. Says Cheung, You never allow

your opponent to feel comfortable, that is the essence of trapping.

Wing Chun System Offense and Defense

Offense is based on attack, defense is based on body structure says Cheung. Offense is only 50

percent of the art Many wing chun men only concentrate on the offensive portion because offense

is the best defense. He warns, Mastering the defensive portion of the art requires that one

develop a strong stance and correct body structure. Defense means that you have to depend upon

being a half-beat slower and follow your opponent and respond from there.

For the wing chun practitioner, defense relies upon the correct structure of the body. The wing

chun body structure holds back the rushing in of an opponent, much like a dam holding back a

river. Again, we come to wing chuns motto of Stay as he comes, follow as he retreats; rush in

upon loss of contact Your body must stay and be able to receive your opponents rushing in.

Cheung describes the body structure as eating up the opponents space and his pressure. This is

the soft part of the art Cheung again refers to the importance of the mind. When an opponent

rushes in toward you, you must have the mental preparation to receive the attack. Your mind

must be calm.

A wing chun principle is that the striking hand is the blocking hand. Offense requires superior

timing in one beat A defensive counter works on a one-and-a half or second beat Wing chuns



simultaneous defense and offense is in one beat According to Cheung, The best wing chun

players can combine both offense and defense simultaneously in one beat if offense and defense

are separate, youre not adhering to wing chun principles. Many wing chun men dont realize the

importance of timing which makes the concepts come alive. You have to make the opponent blankout if you dont make the opponent blank out, you have lost the superior one-beat timing. A

common reason is because you have jammed up your own timing because the shock has

reverberated to you. If a wing chun practitioner can master superior timing, he can be free from

the style. if you master timing, the style is secondary. You can use the opponents technique at

that point You have to train to reach that point It takes years of hard work; you literally gamble

with timing. There is a wing chun saying of glass head, bean-curd body, and iron bridges.

Master Cheung is a living example of this expression. Being physically small, I cant take a punch

or a kick, says Cheung. Using timing and these methods of attack, I never had to draw my last

card The last card that sifu Cheung speaks of is defense. Like the ground war during Operation

Desert Storm, the last card is the trump card.

if I had a body like Mike Tysons, I could afford to wait and play the defensive role and wait for my

opponent, says Cheung.

Wing Chun System Forever Springtime

The wing chun fist are is named after its founder, Yim Wing Chun, but to Hawkins Cheung, the

words wing chun also mean Forever Springtime.

If you look at wing chun this way, the art is always fresh and new.

Sifu Cheung often explains that wing chun practiced in America has a different emphasis than in

Hong Kong. In Asia, we practiced wing chun to defend mainly against body blows, so youll have

to emphasize crossing the bridge, gaun sao and other techniques, he notes. In America, you

have boxers, wrestlers and other martial arts, each with their strengths, so you have to keep

aware and adapt.

Change and adaptation are essential to survival. That is why there are so many types of martial

arts. He insists that like an immigrant, you have to change your ways to adapt to your new

environment A good wing chun player is a great pretender. He can adapt and change his tactics.

You must change and adapt to circumstances to survive! That is the wing chun mind.

Wing chun is a trap, too, because many practitioners get hung up thinking wing chun is the only

way to fight. Many wing chun men are in the process of still developing the tools, so they cant

begin to conceptualize how to apply them properly in combat Changing to survive is universal, not



just in wing chun, says Cheung. The frustrating part of wing chun is learning how to enter. This

skill take years to develop.

He concluded, A master can only be a master today. You cant tell what the future is, as thesituation may change. You can only be a master up to the present An individual has to develop,

continue with his own research and grow everyday.

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The Wing Chun Mind - Learn to Think Like a True Fighter