WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm

WingTsun is Self – Defense Even When Standing Still

by: Keith Sonnenberg

WINGTSUN™ IS SELF-DEFENSE EVEN WHEN STANDING STILL

by Sifu Keith Sonnenberg

WingTsun is a self-defense method even when not moving. The first step, the Siu Nim Tau , was designed to create mental calm. When mental calm is accomplished, bodily control is also accomplished. Situations become clear. Time can seem to slow down. With this kind of concentration, people will even seem to be moving in slow motion.

The WingTsun postures are, in and of themselves, anti-grappling. Due to its unique structure, a WingTsun practitioner, when properly standing, is hard to grab, hard to get a hold of.

Rushing through a movement is not the same thing as speed. True speed is attained when only the most necessary movements are accomplished. If ever you feel an irrational impulse to rush through a series of movements, slow down or even pause and wait for your attacker to make his fatal mistake. Let your attacker rush through a “programmed” movement and take advantage of it.

If your position is perfect there is no need to change positions relative to your attacker. Do not move just for the sake of moving. If you move yourself without using your attacker’s force, you are giving your attacker an opportunity to attack your weak areas. These areas will be exposed due to your unsolicited movements.

Calmness and stillness allows explosive movement when necessary and at the proper moment. Breathing should be without a pattern but controlled. It should not reveal your intentions.

The body feeds the mind and the mind feeds the body. In other words, if you move frantically, it feeds the mind this information and it reinforces a fearful reaction. The mind feeds the body the information to control breathing and nervous activity. The body and the mind work together in this respect.

The form, Siu Nim Tau is a form with no foot movement. It teaches proper breathing. The correct breathing for ordinary practice is simply taking regular deep breaths using the diaphragm, swelling up the stomach area and again using the diaphragm to expel the air. You are expelling the “used oxygen,” a gas that you do not want to re-breath. This gas is actually carbon dioxide. The pace at which you breathe is also a contributory cause of nervousness. The better you breathe the calmer you will be. The old trick of breathing into a paper bag to get control of a panic attack is just that – a trick – a trick actually works! Breathing into a paper bag is just a conscious way of dissolving fear, worry, or panic. You can do the same thing without the bag. A few deep breathes works wonders.

A calm demeanor repels attacks. Stalkers, rapists, and other assorted criminals do not typically choose those of a calm and confident demeanor as their victim. It is probably judged as too risky and viewed as somebody that may be able to put up a fight.

Calmness helps with patience in waiting for the right moment to counter-attack. The patience required is often only a few seconds. However we know that time seems to slow down during these times and so it might seem like an unbearable wait.

In a real self-defense situation, the calm comes before the storm. When stillness turns into explosive movement, the counterattack should be merciless. Your attacker cannot be allowed to return an attack. Most laws state that you may use just the amount of force required to stop the attack, no more and no less.

The calmness that you cultivate in WingTsun training should transfer to your daily life. Transactions become less of a burden and living life is more rewarding.

Source

Related articles

• EWTO’s BlitzDefence in WingTsun


• You’re Breathing All Wrong


• Breathing – A Good Stress Reliever


• How to Handle Anxiety & Panic Attacks


• Breathe in…


• About the Power of Breathing


• National Heart Awareness Month: Lessons of the Heart Chakra


• Anxiety Update: One Year Anniversary


• Pranayama


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The post WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm appeared first on Robert JR Graham.

Kung Fu Chain Punch

Three WingTsun Kung Fu Punches

by: Keith Sonnenberg, Sifu

One of the abiding principals of WingTsun is simplicity.

WingTsun is simple. It has only three different punches in its repertoire. The first punch is the “Straight-line Thrusting Punch” also known as the Character Sun Thrusting Punch. This is because the punch when viewed from the front has a passing resemblance to the Chinese character for the word “sun.” When a punch is truly straight, it defeats the flight path of so many other punches, grabs, and strikes because it takes less time to arrive. Its flight path is shorter. This one WingTsun punching technique works in at least 80% of the situations one may encounter.

The Straight-line Thrusting Punch is the most important technique for the beginner and continues to be the most important weapon in the WingTsun arsenal well into the advanced levels. One can almost not practice this punch too much both in its single form and the chain punches. In fact, quoting from Wing Tsun Kuen, the book by Grandmaster Leung Ting: “Generally speaking, a student under the guidance of an instructor, gradually increases his sandbag exercises, from about twenty punches at the beginning, to between two to six hundred a day, depending on the ability of the individual… Some particularly keen practitioners work up to six or seven thousand a day, but they are rare.”

The straight punch and the continuous barrage of straight punches known as chain punches are worth extensive practice to get right. After-all, it is the classic technique of all Wing Tsun lineages and has proven its high degree of worth in countless fights. The most unique feature of strikes in WingTsun is the de-emphasis on power and the high degree of emphasis on technique. It is one thing to say that technique wins out over brute force. It is another to prove it in terms of science and mathematics. The WingTsun straight punch travels the shortest path. Therefore when two objects travel at the same speed, the object using the shortest route will get there first, thus conforming to the motto, start later – arrive first.

Of course the above ambition takes several months of daily, dedicated increases in repetitions. In addition, the student must have completed the 2nd Student grade before embarking on a wall-bag regimen, having mastered air punches first.

The second WingTsun punch is a special use technique used in certain rare circumstances. It is called the Lifting Punch and is in the second form, Chum Kiu. It is called the Lifting Punch because it is executed in a way that says “lifting” to the eye. It is reserved for those times when one is faced with a fighter who covers his face with his fists or arms and comes close to grab you low, let’s say around the legs. The lifting punch is combined with the neck-pulling hand to attack the soft palette or the throat.

The third WingTsun punch is in the third form, Biu Tze. It is called the Hooking Punch. Neither the Lifting Punch (which looks like an upper-cut) nor the Hooking Punch is delivered like a boxing upper-cut or a boxing hook. Both techniques are delivered while maintaining contact with the enemy with the opposite hand in circumstances completely different than that of boxing. The Hooking Punch of Biu Tze is used as a way to outflank an attacker who is a skilled fighter and has effectively defended his own centerline by shifting or turning while attacking aggressively.

Another way to look at WingTsun’s “three punches” is to mention that in the forms, the number 3 comes up a lot. In the Siu Nim Tau for example, the chain punches are delivered three times at the end of the form. In general, if an attacker can use each of his hands to block the first two punches, he would have difficulty in blocking your third punch, hence the practice of three chain punches.

About The Author

Keith Sonnenberg is a Sifu of Leung Ting WingTsun kung-fu. He has been a teacher of WingTsun and student of Grandmaster Leung Ting’s WingTsun kung-fu for 30 years. Information about his teaching can be found at: http://ift.tt/1dMMoN0

Robert Recommends...

• WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm


• Interview with Grandmaster Yip Man’s Nephew


• History of Chinese Kung Fu


• The Freedom of a Spider


• Training with Martial Arts Weaponry


• The History of Kung Fu

The post Kung Fu Chain Punch appeared first on Robert JR Graham.

WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm

WingTsun is Self – Defense Even When Standing Still

by: Keith Sonnenberg

WINGTSUN™ IS SELF-DEFENSE EVEN WHEN STANDING STILL

by Sifu Keith Sonnenberg

WingTsun is a self-defense method even when not moving. The first step, the Siu Nim Tau , was designed to create mental calm. When mental calm is accomplished, bodily control is also accomplished. Situations become clear. Time can seem to slow down. With this kind of concentration, people will even seem to be moving in slow motion.

The WingTsun postures are, in and of themselves, anti-grappling. Due to its unique structure, a WingTsun practitioner, when properly standing, is hard to grab, hard to get a hold of.

Rushing through a movement is not the same thing as speed. True speed is attained when only the most necessary movements are accomplished. If ever you feel an irrational impulse to rush through a series of movements, slow down or even pause and wait for your attacker to make his fatal mistake. Let your attacker rush through a “programmed” movement and take advantage of it.

If your position is perfect there is no need to change positions relative to your attacker. Do not move just for the sake of moving. If you move yourself without using your attacker’s force, you are giving your attacker an opportunity to attack your weak areas. These areas will be exposed due to your unsolicited movements.

Calmness and stillness allows explosive movement when necessary and at the proper moment. Breathing should be without a pattern but controlled. It should not reveal your intentions.

The body feeds the mind and the mind feeds the body. In other words, if you move frantically, it feeds the mind this information and it reinforces a fearful reaction. The mind feeds the body the information to control breathing and nervous activity. The body and the mind work together in this respect.

The form, Siu Nim Tau is a form with no foot movement. It teaches proper breathing. The correct breathing for ordinary practice is simply taking regular deep breaths using the diaphragm, swelling up the stomach area and again using the diaphragm to expel the air. You are expelling the “used oxygen,” a gas that you do not want to re-breath. This gas is actually carbon dioxide. The pace at which you breathe is also a contributory cause of nervousness. The better you breathe the calmer you will be. The old trick of breathing into a paper bag to get control of a panic attack is just that – a trick – a trick actually works! Breathing into a paper bag is just a conscious way of dissolving fear, worry, or panic. You can do the same thing without the bag. A few deep breathes works wonders.

A calm demeanor repels attacks. Stalkers, rapists, and other assorted criminals do not typically choose those of a calm and confident demeanor as their victim. It is probably judged as too risky and viewed as somebody that may be able to put up a fight.

Calmness helps with patience in waiting for the right moment to counter-attack. The patience required is often only a few seconds. However we know that time seems to slow down during these times and so it might seem like an unbearable wait.

In a real self-defense situation, the calm comes before the storm. When stillness turns into explosive movement, the counterattack should be merciless. Your attacker cannot be allowed to return an attack. Most laws state that you may use just the amount of force required to stop the attack, no more and no less.

The calmness that you cultivate in WingTsun training should transfer to your daily life. Transactions become less of a burden and living life is more rewarding.

Source

Related articles

• EWTO’s BlitzDefence in WingTsun


• You’re Breathing All Wrong


• Breathing – A Good Stress Reliever


• How to Handle Anxiety & Panic Attacks


• Breathe in…


• About the Power of Breathing


• National Heart Awareness Month: Lessons of the Heart Chakra


• Anxiety Update: One Year Anniversary


• Pranayama


• Foot in the mouth?

Robert Recommends...

• Practical Tips to Focus Your Mind


• Learn How To Meditate


• Beware of Psychic Vampires


• 5 Steps to a More Productive You


• Learn How To Meditate


• Be Mindful of Ideologies

The post WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm appeared first on Robert JR Graham.

Kung Fu Chain Punch

Three WingTsun Kung Fu Punches

by: Keith Sonnenberg, Sifu

One of the abiding principals of WingTsun is simplicity.

WingTsun is simple. It has only three different punches in its repertoire. The first punch is the “Straight-line Thrusting Punch” also known as the Character Sun Thrusting Punch. This is because the punch when viewed from the front has a passing resemblance to the Chinese character for the word “sun.” When a punch is truly straight, it defeats the flight path of so many other punches, grabs, and strikes because it takes less time to arrive. Its flight path is shorter. This one WingTsun punching technique works in at least 80% of the situations one may encounter.

The Straight-line Thrusting Punch is the most important technique for the beginner and continues to be the most important weapon in the WingTsun arsenal well into the advanced levels. One can almost not practice this punch too much both in its single form and the chain punches. In fact, quoting from Wing Tsun Kuen, the book by Grandmaster Leung Ting: “Generally speaking, a student under the guidance of an instructor, gradually increases his sandbag exercises, from about twenty punches at the beginning, to between two to six hundred a day, depending on the ability of the individual… Some particularly keen practitioners work up to six or seven thousand a day, but they are rare.”

The straight punch and the continuous barrage of straight punches known as chain punches are worth extensive practice to get right. After-all, it is the classic technique of all Wing Tsun lineages and has proven its high degree of worth in countless fights. The most unique feature of strikes in WingTsun is the de-emphasis on power and the high degree of emphasis on technique. It is one thing to say that technique wins out over brute force. It is another to prove it in terms of science and mathematics. The WingTsun straight punch travels the shortest path. Therefore when two objects travel at the same speed, the object using the shortest route will get there first, thus conforming to the motto, start later – arrive first.

Of course the above ambition takes several months of daily, dedicated increases in repetitions. In addition, the student must have completed the 2nd Student grade before embarking on a wall-bag regimen, having mastered air punches first.

The second WingTsun punch is a special use technique used in certain rare circumstances. It is called the Lifting Punch and is in the second form, Chum Kiu. It is called the Lifting Punch because it is executed in a way that says “lifting” to the eye. It is reserved for those times when one is faced with a fighter who covers his face with his fists or arms and comes close to grab you low, let’s say around the legs. The lifting punch is combined with the neck-pulling hand to attack the soft palette or the throat.

The third WingTsun punch is in the third form, Biu Tze. It is called the Hooking Punch. Neither the Lifting Punch (which looks like an upper-cut) nor the Hooking Punch is delivered like a boxing upper-cut or a boxing hook. Both techniques are delivered while maintaining contact with the enemy with the opposite hand in circumstances completely different than that of boxing. The Hooking Punch of Biu Tze is used as a way to outflank an attacker who is a skilled fighter and has effectively defended his own centerline by shifting or turning while attacking aggressively.

Another way to look at WingTsun’s “three punches” is to mention that in the forms, the number 3 comes up a lot. In the Siu Nim Tau for example, the chain punches are delivered three times at the end of the form. In general, if an attacker can use each of his hands to block the first two punches, he would have difficulty in blocking your third punch, hence the practice of three chain punches.

About The Author

Keith Sonnenberg is a Sifu of Leung Ting WingTsun kung-fu. He has been a teacher of WingTsun and student of Grandmaster Leung Ting’s WingTsun kung-fu for 30 years. Information about his teaching can be found at: http://ift.tt/1dMMoN0

Robert Recommends...

• WingTsun – The Calm Before The Storm


• Interview with Grandmaster Yip Man’s Nephew


• History of Chinese Kung Fu


• The Freedom of a Spider


• Training with Martial Arts Weaponry


• The History of Kung Fu

The post Kung Fu Chain Punch appeared first on Robert JR Graham.