Wing Chun Forms/Chum Kiu

Chum Kiu's major new feature is legwork. It demonstrates moving to an opponent, turning to face an opponent, and kicking.

Opening

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

Applications

The Ving Tsun 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.

Training Tips

Perform the form with the "warrior mind". Think of how to apply each move. Imagine an attack coming and picture yourself blocking it. Most importantly, don't simply go through the form's motions while you're thinking about work or your favorite TV show.

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

Notes

The opening, centerline, and punch sections are the same as in Siu Nim Tau. They are repeated in Chum Kiu to emphasize their importance.

1. 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.
2. Raise your arms forward, keeping them straight, until they are at shoulder level. Form your hands into loose fists.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Establish Centerline

1. Double gahn sau, stopping with wrists together centered in front of your body. Wrists should be near waist level. left wrist in front of R.
2. Without separating wrists, raise and rotate arms to chest level, palms up. left wrist on top of right.
3. Return hands to rest position.

Centerline Punch

1. Bring left fist to the center of your chest, about a fist and a half in front of the chest. Knuckles are up-and-down, with the wrist slightly cocked so the pinky, ring, and middle knuckles form a flat hitting surface. Keep arm muscles relaxed.
2. Punch forward with the left hand. Hand moves straight forward, directly in front of your breastbone and a little below shoulder height. Punch quickly but keep your arm relaxed until the last six inches of the punch, then snap the hand forward with power.
3. Open the hand. Circle the hand around, then return to the rest position.
4. Repeat with the right hand.

Turning

Face opponents in different directions. Move your hands to attack and defend in the new centerline.

1. Thrust both hands out to North in a double Jong Sau.
   • Application: Jong Sau can block an incoming strike simply by putting your arm where your opponent needs to put his arm.
   • Application: You wouldn't use both hands in a double Jong Sau in a fight. Doubled hands are purely for the form.
2. Bring forearms in so left lies atop right. Shift left to face West, then shift right to face East, then shift left to face West again.
   • Tip: Don't turn too far when making side elbow strikes. Practice with your back against a wall as you shift with the elbow strikes; when your upper arm hits the wal you have the correct amount of shifting.
   • Application: Both the upper arm and the forearm sides of the elbow can be used in striking.
   • Application: Elbow strikes are very close range attacks. Especially when you have a new opponent coming in from the side, avoid letting him get so close before turning to deal with him.
3. Shoot both hands to West in a double Biu Sau. Pause, then turn left hand palm up to a Tok Sau and slap right palm down on left forearm. Repeat with right Tok Sau, then repeat again with left Tok Sau. Perform three Spade Hands, Left-Right-Left. The hand not doing a spade hand should be in a rear-guard position.
   • Tip: You can shoot your hands out in Biu Sau, Jong Sau, or Spade Hand. Any of these will demonstrate the concept of the move in the form. If you have an instructor, go with his preference, of course.
4. Shift to face East, bringing right arm up in a side elbow strike. Fingers should be pointed. Left hand goes to rest position.
   • Tip: Shift with power.
   • Application: The elbow strike is a very short-range attack, so it's better to notice and respond to an opponent before he gets so close.
5. Bring left hand up near right shoulder, hand open. Look North then shift to face North, bringing right arm up into a North-facing Bong Sau and left hand in Wu Sau.
6. Repeat the previous two moves twice.
7. With the right hand, make a grabbing motion as if grabbing the opponent's collar, then pull right hand to right armpit while punching to East with left hand.
8. Shift left to face West, drawing left hand in to right shoulder before whipping it out to West.
9. Shift right to face North, bringing left hand into centerline with Jut Sau.
10. Brush right hand along left arm while bringing left hand back to rest position. Right hand ends with fingers thrusting to opponent's throat. Turn right hand palm up, Huen Sau, then bring right hand back to rest position.
11. Repeat the section to the other side.

Move and Defend

1. Bring left hand up near right shoulder. Shift left to face West, bringing left elbow up to shoulder height and then outward so upper arm points straight to the West. Weight is mostly on the right leg. left leg is turned slightly inward. left forarm is horizontal and points North, and left wrist and hand are straight, with fingers pointing North.
   • Application: Bringing the left hand up is not a fighting move. It serves only to bring the elbow forward from its rest position.
   • Application: When fighting, put the right hand in a guard position to protect ribs and abdomen.
   • Application: Forward leg is turned inward to protect against kicks to the knee or groin.
   • Application: Elbow strikes are very powerful. Elbows are a short ranged attack, so protecting your vitals is important.
2. Forward kick to the West with left foot. As foot comes down, turn head to face North. Bring right arm up into North-facing Bong Sau and left hand into Wu Sau to protect right ribs. Shuffle right foot slightly to the West to regain proper West-facing posture.
   • Application: Kicking in one direction and blocking in another shows a way to fight multiple opponents.
   • Application: Stepping West while blocking North shows how to step away from an attack. A Bong Sau done in this way would deflect a punch into the direction that you're stepping. TODO
   • Application: Wing Chun kicks have a lot of power behind them. Kicking West and then stepping West demonstrates advancing to the opponent to keep him in attack range.
3. Let arms relax so hands are together, palm up, near right hip. Shuffle step to West, bringing right arm up into North-facing Bong Sau and left hand up into Wu Sau near right ribs.
   • Tip: What to do with your hands when relaxing varies between instructors
4. Let arms relax so hands are together, palm up, near right hip. Shuffle step to West, bringing right arm up into North-facing Bong Sau and left hand up into Wu Sau near right ribs.
5. Bring right fist into uppercut to West while bringing left hand back to rest position. Shift to face North, bringing right hand into Jong Sau. Whisk left hand over the top of right arm while pulling right hand back to rest position. Left hand continues North into a finger strike to the throat.
   • Application: After dealing with the opponent to the West, shift to deal with an opponent in a new direction. This establishes a new centerline and you should move your hands into centerline.
   • Application: Jong Sau is one of many ways to bring a hand to a new centerline. It works in this instance because the right hand is slightly high from the uppercut. The Bil Jie form shows many ways to leave and return to centerline.
6. Left hand turns palm up, then Huen Sau and pull back to rest position.
7. Repeat this section in the other direction. You should end up in the same spot you started from.

Move and Attack

Move into range to attack an opponent.

1. Shift to face West. Forward kick with left leg, about waist-high, keeping your hands in rest position. Plant your left foot forward (to West) with knee turned in. At the same time, move both hands into a double low Bong Sau facing West.
   • Tip: Practice keeping your leading knee turned in slightly as you move around.
   • Application: When you kick, you normally keep your hands up to block if your kick doesn't work.
   • Application: The turned-in knee protects your crotch from snap kicks and somewhat protects the knee from straight kicks.
2. Pull hands back from the low Bong Sau, shuffle-step forward (to West) and push hands out into a double Tan Sau. Repeat the Bong, Tan, Bong, Tan moves, shuffle-stepping with each block.
   • Application: As is almost always the case, you won't use two Tan Saus or two Bong Saus together. Most likely you would block with one hand while closing and either punch or perform a secondary move with the other hand. For instance, you might use Bong Sau to block a punch as you advance, then grab the opponent's punching arm with a Lop Sau and punch as you continue to advance.
3. Starting with hands in double Tan Sau, turn hands to face down into a Biu Sau, with fingers still pointing to West. At the same time, take a small step forward with left foot. Bring right foot up to left foot, moving body forward but keeping hands in place. Drop wrists and elbows so palms are facing West. Thrust both hands to West in a double palm strike, then bring hands back to rest position.
   • Application: Use a double Palm Strike or Po Pai Chun to push an opponent away.
   • Application: Bringing your feet together is only for the form, as a set up for the turn which follows. This is not a good idea in a fight.
4. Turn around to face East by placing left toe tip behind right foot and then pivoting on left toe and right heel. End up in the same position but facing the other way.
   • Tip: This move is the same as a military About Face.
5. Forward kick with right leg, about waist-high, keeping your hands in rest position. Plant your right foot forward (to East) with knee turned in. At the same time, move both hands into a double low Bong Sau facing East.
6. Pull hands back from the low Bong Sau, shuffle-step forward (to East) and push hands out into a double Tan Sau. Repeat the Bong, Tan, Bong, Tan moves, shuffle-stepping with each block.
7. Starting with hands in double Tan Sau, turn hands to face down into a Biu Sau, with fingers still pointing to East. At the same time, take a small step forward with right foot. Bring left foot up to right foot, moving body forward but keeping hands in place. Drop wrists and elbows so palms are facing East. Thrust both hands to East in a double palm strike, then bring hands back to rest position.
8. Look over left shoulder to West, then perform a side/rear kick to West. Plant left foot a shoulder width to the West of your right foot, toes angled right (NE) so you're shifted to the right. As the left foot comes down, left hand comes down to a Gum Sau. Shift left (NW), simultaneously bringing left hand up to Wu Sau and performing Gum Sau with right hand. Shift right (NE), simultaneously bringing right hand up to Wu Sau and performing Gum Sau with left hand.
   • Tip: For purposes of the form, keep your hands in rest position during the kick.
   • Application: Keep your hands up during a kick. If you miss, you'll want to be able to block whatever's coming your way. When doing a side kick, a Bong Sau or Muen Sau on the kicking side puts your arm in a good position. Bring the other hand into a low Wu Sau to protect the abdomen and short ribs.
9. Shift to North. Perform center punch left - right - left.
   • Application: Wing Chun is not geared towad one powerful punch dropping an opponent. Instead, the focus is on avoiding or diverting his attacks while wearing him down with multiple strikes of your own.

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.

Training Tips

In this form we introduce the compass to tell you what way to face. Unless indicated otherwise, you start the form facing North.

Key Points

Shifting

Shifting is turning without changing your feet's location. A main purpose is to let an attack slip past you without hitting you. When you combine a soft block such as a Tan Sau with a shift, you can use minimal energy to steer your opponent's punch outside your shoulder, causing him to waste all of his energy. Shifting moves your centerline only a little, but it makes you narrower. Shifting also lets you turn to face your opponent if he moves, or to face a new opponent. Finally, shifting adds power and reach to a punch or palm strike.

Stepping

Stepping means moving your feet to change your position. (That should be obvious from the name, but I'm distinguishing from shifting.) Stepping in Wing Chun is normally used to move closer to or away from an opponent or to side-step a rushing attack. You can step straight in any direction. The first foot to move is the one already leading in the direction you're going. Make sure not to cross your feet. That is, don't walk normally.

Distance

The distance to your opponent determines what kind of attack to use. Side kicks and finger strikes are long-range attacks, front kicks and straight punches have slightly shorter range, palm strikes are shorter still, and elbows and knees have very short range. Conversely, the distance restricts your opponent's possible attacks. You can step forward and backward to adjust the distance to your liking.

Coordination of hands and feet

Learning the proper timing of your hands and feet lets you add power to strikes and avoid throwing off your own balance.

Kicking

Wing Chun kicking attacks are powerful stamping kicks. There are no fancy angles or snaps. Just bring your knee up ("chambering") and stamp out with the sole of your foot as if you are kicking open a door. Kicks can go to the front, to the side, or to the rear. The rear kick has the same mechanics as the side kick.