In this post I would like to share my thoughts on the meaning of some of the Kuen Kuit from Yip Man Wing Chun.
You can see the Wing
Chun Kuen Kuit Here
1. The first one I would like to start with is this: "Glass-like head, cotton-like belly, and iron-like arm bridge”
This one is commonly interpreted as – You have a glass jaw and a soft belly, but you have iron-like arms from Wing Chun. Or something similar to this. To western readers this makes sense right? We all have heard of a glass jaw, and nobody likes being punched in the belly. And if you have good Kung Fu, your forearms feel like iron to another person. The problem I have with this is that not everybody has a glass jaw, and not everybody has a soft belly. Just watch MMA and see how many hits people can take. So considering this I asked a Chinese person what this meant to them and I received a different interpretation. One that fits more into the internal side of Wing Chun. I was told that glass often meant clear, or clear mind. Furthermore, in our Chu Shong Tin lineage we are often told to relax to become more powerful. As the common interpretation does not actually make sense to me, this interpretation makes much more sense for training: “A clear mind, and a relaxed\soft belly will help you develop iron like arms”.
2. “In uniting the waist with the stance, power can be generated”
This one is what we commonly refer to as “Tai Gong” in the Chu Shong Tin lineage. To unite the legs with the body at the waist, we think of gently lifting the anus. This unites the body, and allows the ability to raise the spine. This is considered one of the most important elements of Wing Chun. It helps with punching and kicking, and also is essential in Chum Kiu – “Chum Kiu trains the stance and the waist”
3. “People do not know the extent of my skills, but I know their abilities.”
I believe this is an interesting one. For me there is a difference in meaning between the words “skills” and “abilities”. Of course any opponent you meet, you will have no idea what training they have, or what style they have done – you will not know their skills. However, all our opponents are limited in their abilities by the fact they are human. We know that they can only throw their arm from their shoulder joint (it can’t come from anywhere else), or a kick, no matter how fast, can only come from the hips. How does this help us? I believe the stance and guard of Wing Chun is designed, in close range, to limit the ability of our opponents. All the areas where the opponents strikes are covered, or should be covered. For example placing your leg near the opponents leg makes it more difficult for them to use that leg to hurt you – especially near the hip. Controlling the centerline well should make it difficult for the opponent to use their shoulders to generate power. It is this statement that shows me that in Wing Chun we do not train to defeat a certain style.
More to come…