Wing Chun Forms/Bil Jie

Bil Jie demonstrates the paired concepts of leaving centerline and returning. It introduces many new techniques, many of which are more dangerous than the techniques in Siu Nim Tau or Chum Kiu.

Bil Jie is the third and last of the traditional Wing Chun forms. Like Siu Nim Tau and Chum Kiu, Bil Jie is a textbook, teaching both principles and techniques. (The three remaining forms teach and practice techniques, but not principles.)

The core principle of Bil Jie is leaving and returning to centerline. The key techniques are more lethal attacks.

Some instructors, the more traditional ones, regard Bil Jie as secret, to be revealed only to special students who have been chosen to receive the full Wing Chun training and carry on the lineage. If you suspect your instructor is one of these, be careful in revealing any Bil Jie knowledge.

Opening

In this part you learn the proper height and width of your stance.

Applications

The Wing Chun basic stance is not a fighting posture—unless you fight with your hands in your armpits—but does demonstrate most of the basics that go into a proper fighting posture. Your weight is balanced in all directions, and you are ready to move in any direction. Your feet are far enough apart that you can't be pushed over easily. With your knees together you can protect your groin against kicks and knees. Your torso is upright and your are looking straight ahead. Your hands are up high enough that it takes some effort to keep them there. Even though they aren't doing anything useful right now, you have to pay attention to keep your hands in position. See the Chum Kiu form's write-up for for discussion of stances.

Training Tips

Once you find your proper posture, keep your legs and torso in position throughout the form. Only your arms move in Siu Nim Tau.

Start by standing straight with your head up, feet together, toes pointing forward, and hands at your sides. It's a loose position of attention.
Raise your arms forward, keeping them straight, until they are at shoulder level. Form your hands into loose fists.
Bring your hands back to the "rest" postion, with your fists alongside your chest and almost up to your armpits. The elbows are pointing straight back and the forearms are level with the ground. Keep your torso upright througout.
While you are moving your arms back, get your legs into the horse stance. Bend your knees. Point your toes out, then swing your heels out. Your feet should be shoulder width apart when you are done, with the toes pointing inward. When you are in horse stance, your weight is evenly balanced left and right and forward and back. Your knees are slightly together.

Punches

Circle Step inside to outside with left leg. End in the same position as you started.
- Tip: Practice with the floor dummy to build speed and power with circle steps.
- Application: Get closer to an opponent, going around his forward leg.
- Application: Break down the opponent's footing by folding or breaking his knee, or at least by limiting his forward leg's mobility.
- Application: Go around an opponent. If you are between multiple opponents, usually it's best to move around one and put him in the middle. This is not expressly shown in the form, as Bil Jie keeps you in one place.
Repeat with the right leg.
Punch with the left hand straight from the rest position to centerline.
- Tip: Practice all of the Siu Nim Tau punch training tips with the Bil Jie punch.
- Application: Attack from off centerline. If your opponent is protecting centerline, an angle punch may go around his defense rather than through them.
- Application: If your hand is off centerline, an angle punch may be quicker than bringing your hand in before punching.
Open fist so palm is facing right and fingers are pointing forward. Jerk wrist up and then down three times. Turn palm down and jerk wrist left and then right three times.
- Tip: Strengthen your wrists.
- Tip: Strengthen and toughen your fingertips.
- Application: Wrist block
- Application: Shooting fingers
Left hand palm up, Huen Sau, and return to rest position.
Repeat punch, wrist action, and return with the right hand.

Bil Jie Elbows (technique)

Circle Step with the left leg, inside to out. Circle Step with the right leg, inside to out.
- Tip: Move your leg quickly and energetically, especially on the forward arc. This helps you gain surprise and momentum when stepping close to an opponent and breaking down his leg structure.
- Application: Elbow strikes are a very short-ranged attack. You will have to get close to your target. Circle steps are used to get around an opponent's forward leg.
- Application: The motion of the circle step can also be an attack against the opponent's forward knee.
Bil Jie Elbow with right arm to the left. Shift left with the strike so you are facing West.
- Tip: The left arm stays in rest position to make the motion of the Bil Jie Elbow clear.
- Tip: Lean back slightly as your elbow goes overhead. This helps the arc stay vertical rather than a high horizontal.
Bil Jie Elbow with left arm to the right. Shift right so you are facing East.
Bil Jie Elbow with right arm to the left. Wu Sau with left hand under the right armpit to protect the ribs. Shift left so you are facing West.
Thrust the left hand straight out to the West in a Biu Jie Sau. Thrust the right hand straight out to the West in a Biu Jie Sau. Step forward with the right foot so your feet are together, at the same time bringing hands to rest position.
Circle step with the right foot inward to outward and shift to North, ending with the right foot somewhat to the right. Circle step with the left foot outward to inward, ending in the Wing Chun basic stance.
- Tip: You should end this section in the same position as you began it.
Repeat the elbow strikes and the closing circle steps in the opposite direction.

Bil Jie Elbows (power)

The Bil Jie Elbow is a very powerful strike. It will not usually be necessary to strike repeatedly with it.

Circle Step with the left leg, inside to out. Circle Step with the right leg, inside to out.
- Tip: Move your leg quickly and energetically, especially on the forward arc. This helps you gain surprise and momentum when stepping close to an opponent and breaking down his leg structure.
- Application: Elbow strikes are a very short-ranged attack. You will have to get close to your target. Circle steps are used to get around an opponent's forward leg.
- Application: The motion of the circle step can also be an attack against the opponent's forward knee.
Bil Jie Elbow with right arm to the left. Wu Sau with left hand under the right armpit to protect the ribs. Shift left so you are facing West.
Thrust the left hand straight out to the West in a Biu Jie Sau. Thrust the right hand straight out to the West in a Biu Jie Sau. Step forward with the right foot so your feet are together, at the same time bringing hands to rest position.
Circle step with the right foot inward to outward and shift to North, ending with the right foot somewhat to the right. Circle step with the left foot outward to inward, ending in the Wing Chun basic stance.
- Tip: You should end this section in the same position as you began it.
Repeat the elbow strikes and the closing circle steps in the opposite direction.

High

Shift left to face West while performing a Bil Jie elbow with right arm to the West. Left hand comes up to protect ribs.
Right hand draws up and back until it is in Spade Hand position near right ear. Left hand shoots out to West in Biu Sau.
Right hand shoots forward in Spade Hand to the West. Left hand performs a grabbing motion, then draws back to rest position.
Shift North while right hand sweeps down and continues up into Muen Sau to the East.
Right hand returns to North centerline with a Jut Sau.
Left hand brushes along the top of the right arm and continues into an eye strike, while right hand returns to rest position. Left hand turns palm up, Huen Sau, return to rest position.
Repeat in the opposite direction.

Medium

Shift left to face West while performing a Bil Jie elbow with right arm to the West. Left hand comes up to protect ribs.
Right hand draws down and back until it is in Side Palm position near right shoulder. Left hand shoots out to West in Biu Sau.
Right hand shoots forward in rib-level Side Palm Strike to the West. Left hand performs a grabbing motion, then draws back to rest position.
Shift North while right hand sweeps down and continues up into Muen Sau to the East.
Right hand returns to North centerline with a Jut Sau.
Left hand brushes along the top of the right arm and continues into an eye strike, while right hand returns to rest position. Left hand turns palm up, Huen Sau, return to rest position.
Repeat in the opposite direction.

High-low Blocking

Shift left, with left hand doing Gahn Sau and right hand doing a Jut Sau to the left of centerline. Elbows should be near each other.
- Application: Block an attack from the side if you don't know where it's coming from
- Application: Related block is Quan Sau - Tan Sau with Low Bong Sau
Shift right, to NE, with right hand dropping to Gahn Sau and left hand coming up to Jut Sau to the right of centerline.
Shift left, to NW, with left hand dropping to Gahn Sau and right hand coming up to Jut Sau to the left of centerline.
Left arm returns to centerline with a Jut Sau. Right hand comes to the inside of the left elbow with the outer edge on the forearm and the palm facing back.
Right hand whisks along the top of the left forearm into an eye strike while the left hand returns to rest position.
Right hand turns palm up, Huen Sau around, return to rest position.
Repeat to the other side

Biu Sau

Left hand Biu Sau
Right hand goes from rest position to Biu Sau, brushing underneath the left arm. Left hand draws back to Wu Sau.
Left hand goes to Biu Sau, brushing underneath the right arm. Right arm return to rest position.
Shift slight to right, to face Northeast, at the same time bringing left hand to left shoulder in Spade Hand position. Left hand shoots out in Spade Hand to Northeast.
Shift left to face Northwest, bringing left arm down and across your body before it comes up into Westward Muen Sau.
Shift right to face North while left hand returns to North-facing centerline with a Jut Sau.
Right hand brushes the top of the left arm, continuing on to an eye strike. Left arm returns to rest position. Right hand turns palm up, Huen Sau, return to rest position.
Repeat in the opposite direction.

Muen Sau

Shift left and bring left arm up into Muen Sau to the West. Bring right hand to a Wu Sau under the left arm, guarding the ribs.
Shift right and bring right arm up into Muen Sau to the East. Left hand goes into Wu Sau to the right of the ribs.
Shift left and bring left arm up into Muen Sau to the West. Bring right hand to a Wu Sau to the left, guarding the ribs.
Shift right to face North, bringing left hand down into Jut Sau and right hand back to rest position.
Perform Lop Sau with left hand while shifting left. Left hand ends near left hip.
Shift right to face North, bringing left hand around and down into Jut Sau.
Repeat Lop Sau and Jut Sau.
Repeat Lop Sau and Jut Sau.
Whisk right hand along top of left arm, with left hand coming back to rest position. Right hand continues to eye-level Biu Jie Sau. Right hand Huen Sau and return to rest position.
Repeat in the opposite direction.

Grab and Pull

Bring both hands from rest position to the front of the chest, positioned to grab. Reach forward and make a chest-level grabbing motion.
Pull both hands back toward your chest and then twist to the left.
Left hand does Ginger Fist at abdomen level as right hand returns to rest position and torso turns back to face North.
Left hand Side Palm Strike forward at rib level.
Bring right hand to inside of left elbow. Whisk right hand over left arm to eye strike as left hand returns to rest position. Right hand Huen Sau and return to rest position.
Repeat to the other side.

Bow to Buddha

Burst out of a crowd that's surrounding you.

Bend forward as low as you can and bring your hands together behind your head. Squat a little to gain power for the next movement.
Burst up, bringing hands out and back and then together in front of your chest.
- Application: When using this technique for real, burst forward. Aim your hands between two of the people surrounding you.
Repeat.
Repeat.

Closing

Bring your hands back from punching position and cross your wrists in front of your chest. Continue bringing your fists back, up, and forward, dropping your elbows as you do so. Bring your fists back to the rest position. At the same time straighten your legs, bring your left foot to the right, and push your hands down past your hips. You will end up in a loose position of attention, the same as the starting position and a few inches to the right.

Key Points

Leave center and return to center. You will often need to move your hands away from centerline. You might need to block a wide punch or you might need to deal with a new opponent. You should then return to centerline as soon as possible - centerline is a key Wing Chun concept for a reason, after all. The return can be by simply moving your arm, attacking, blocking, or moving your body so centerline moves to where your arm is.
Multiple opponents. If you have multiple opponents, try to move so only one at a time is in attack range. If several are in range at the same time, deal with one and then shift centerline to deal with the next. If necessary, leave centerline to block an attack.
Dangerous techniques. Bil Jie introduces several techniques which are dangerous to you or to your opponent.
Focused power. Several Bil Jie techniques rely on your ability to focus a great deal of power quickly. An example is the wrist block. Beginners, even if they are strong in the weightlifting sense, usually will not be able to concentrate power sharply enough to be useful for these techniques. It takes many hours of practice to train your body to deliver a burst of power.
Advanced techniques aren't necessarily better than basics. Even after you've been studying Wing Chun for ten years, Tan Sau still works just fine, and quite likely better than more advanced moves. The advanced moves simply put tools in your toolbox; use them when they are the best tool for the job, not simply because they're in the toolbox.