footwork

[deejaye72]

i was told by a wing chun sifu at a seminar about a hundred years ago, nah more like 16 years ago lol. that regarding the footwork you had to "move like a tennis player" up until that point the footwork seemed so stiff to me,what does everyone else think?

[Phil Redmond]

i was told by a wing chun sifu at a seminar about a hundred years ago, nah more like 16 years ago lol. that regarding the footwork you had to "move like a tennis player" up until that point the footwork seemed so stiff to me,what does everyone else think?
I guess that means like any athlete that has to be mobile. Sports like boxing, handball, racquetball, football (American), basketball, tennis, etc. They share the 50/50 weight distribution which enhances mobility.

[Grumblegeezer]

I guess that means like any athlete that has to be mobile. Sports like boxing, handball, racquetball, football (American), basketball, tennis, etc. They share the 50/50 weight distribution which enhances mobility.

That's not really my experience in most sporting activities. It's more like you're weighting is always shifting as you run, jump, accelerate, brake, and so forth. But if by 50-50 you mean balanced and stable, I sort of see your point.

[Fa Xing]

I usually have more weight on my back leg, depending on what I am working on. However, when you are fighting, it'll shift back and forth, and you won't really notice it.

[Phil Redmond]

That's not really my experience in most sporting activities. It's more like you're weighting is always shifting as you run, jump, accelerate, brake, and so forth. But if by 50-50 you mean balanced and stable, I sort of see your point.
Waiting for a serve in tennis you need to be 50/50. That's tennis basics. The players in an American football line are 50/50. Covering a guy in basketball requires 50/50.
I could go on but I won't..:)

[Grumblegeezer]

Waiting for a serve in tennis you need to be 50/50. That's tennis basics. The players in an American football line are 50/50. Covering a guy in basketball requires 50/50.
I could go on but I won't..:)

Sure... waiting for the serve, etc. you have to be 50-50 and ready to explode in any direction to return the shot. In WC that would be similar to standing 50-50 in YGKYM ready to move explosively when you recieve an attack or see an opening. But when you move, are you still at 50-50?

In my lineage, we shift our weight. When we receive an attack we may turn, shifting weighting and centerline to the side, and when advancing we keep our weight back, freeing up the lead leg. I'm aware that others move differently. Whatever works.

[Yoshiyahu]

footwork depends on your lineage i will say!

But if you look at the triangler short steps of Wing Chun and the Yee Gee Kim Yeung ma. They all have one thing in common. They are best used inclose with a bridge.

Wing Chun footwork is best used when you are at the same distance as you are from the Mook Yan Jong.

The Mook Yan Jong form works with footwork training you how to keep contact and maintain the range while using your footwork to change posistion!

[deejaye72]

I went to a wing chun seminar in 1996 in atlanta giving by sifu miguel hernandez of the moy yat ving tsun school. he said you had to move like a tennis player, his footwork was so smooth and seamless, which was a turning point for me because the footwork seemed so stiff and robotic to me up until then, anyhow what are everyone's thoughts?

[deejaye72]

wow i posted this twice by mistake lol, i really need to stop doing this in the morning before coffee, i am literally half asleep ha ha :D

[deejaye72]

i posted twice by accident oh well! it was a great seminar and it was actually a turning point in my career as a martial artist meeting sifu miguel, his skill is incredible and he did other things besides the footwork that were great, he also has a attitude about training that was better than anyone i had met in wing chun at the time or since other than my dad.

[imperialtaichi]

In a fight if your footwork is not agile you are dead.

In just about every Kung Fu System (not that I know every Kung Fu system ;) ) has moves/postures used for developing the body, and ones for actual fighting. We need to know the differences and not be confused over their purposes.

[Vajramusti]

Wing chun has extensive footwork. You geta glimpse of it in chum kiu, biu jee, jong work,
bot jam do and kwan.

[Niersun]

Sure... waiting for the serve, etc. you have to be 50-50 and ready to explode in any direction to return the shot. In WC that would be similar to standing 50-50 in YGKYM ready to move explosively when you recieve an attack or see an opening. But when you move, are you still at 50-50?

In my lineage, we shift our weight. When we receive an attack we may turn, shifting weighting and centerline to the side, and when advancing we keep our weight back, freeing up the lead leg. I'm aware that others move differently. Whatever works.

If i were to draw a straight line. You would look at in as straight on normal face value. But if you magnified it, you would notice not all the pixels were straight.

G.M. W.C

[couch]

I went to a wing chun seminar in 1996 in atlanta giving by sifu miguel hernandez of the moy yat ving tsun school. he said you had to move like a tennis player, his footwork was so smooth and seamless, which was a turning point for me because the footwork seemed so stiff and robotic to me up until then, anyhow what are everyone's thoughts?

For a lot of people - they have to train like a robot. First you train like a robot and then you can shed the mold.

But you are correct - footwork must be lively. All these arguments about where to shift and the weight between feet is bollocks. It's a lot more simpler than that:

Move the feet. Move the hips.

Because Mr. Myagi said it best: "Best way to block a punch is no be there."

CTK

[LoneTiger108]

i was told by a wing chun sifu at a seminar about a hundred years ago, nah more like 16 years ago lol. that regarding the footwork you had to "move like a tennis player" up until that point the footwork seemed so stiff to me,what does everyone else think?

I think you may need to cast your research net wider my friend, because as you will know all Wing Chun is not the same! ESPECIALLY when it comes down to the stepping and mobility work.

As for moving like a Tennis Player, I say no. I move like a Wing Chun practitioner ;)

[Grumblegeezer]

If i were to draw a straight line. You would look at in as straight on normal face value. But if you magnified it, you would notice not all the pixels were straight. G.M. W.C

Yes, that's true. Now please connect the dots and tell me how this relates.

[Grumblegeezer]

For a lot of people - they have to train like a robot. First you train like a robot and then you can shed the mold.

But you are correct - footwork must be lively. All these arguments about where to shift and the weight between feet is bollocks. It's a lot more simpler than that:

Move the feet. Move the hips.

Because Mr. Myagi said it best: "Best way to block a punch is no be there."

CTK

Yes, as others have said,you have to be quick, fluid... sometimes lively, sometimes explosive, and always responsive to what your opponent presents you with. But to get there you need to thoroughly digest the traditional footwork drills.
And not all the footwork beaing taught is equal. So, it's up to each person to find what works.

[deejaye72]

I think you may need to cast your research net wider my friend, because as you will know all Wing Chun is not the same! ESPECIALLY when it comes down to the stepping and mobility work.

As for moving like a Tennis Player, I say no. I move like a Wing Chun practitioner ;)

i don't think he meant it literally, he was using an analogy, and i took it that way. he was powerful and soft and his footwork was dynamic.

and as far as research net, that was in 1996! it was a little while ago lol we have all moved along.

[trubblman]

I guess that means like any athlete that has to be mobile. Sports like boxing, handball, racquetball, football (American), basketball, tennis, etc. They share the 50/50 weight distribution which enhances mobility.

I d like to see a running back or wideout or any other player with great speed stay 50-50. It seems to me the only time they are 50-50 is when they are in formation, ie standing completely still. When they make drastic cuts they go something like 100-0. Even QB's when they throw dont stand 50-50. In order to get the most power they are taught to transfer weight to the front leg.

[LoneTiger108]

and as far as research net, that was in 1996! it was a little while ago lol we have all moved along.

Well, I was lucky enough to start Wing Chun quite late and my Sifu just taught how it was taught to him, with none of this muscle man technique! So, being small and agile, he helped bring that out.

I'm not sure that everybody has moved along though dude, I've seen some horrifying examples of mobility in Wing Chun :eek: but I do understand many clips I have seen are from people who are just beginning...

[Niersun]

Yes, that's true. Now please connect the dots and tell me how this relates.

Try to be 50/50 most of the time. But it's not always depending on the circumstance you find yourself in.

[Lee Chiang Po]

It is not difficult to maintain an even distribution of your weight upon your feet. Of course it is not possible to do it all the time, but you can most of the time, and when it really matters. Mobility requires you be able to move in any direction when you need to, and placing your weight on the toes or heels will prevent that. Footwork is not really work at all. It is simply a way of walking. You can walk slow or fast, and you can even run. You can do all this using the very same patterns of steps. I used to do several different drills, which really amount to simple walking patterns. Forward, backwards, sideways, any direction I chose to move. I would do yard work, gardening, just about everything I would do as if I were moving into postion to defend or assault. Being able to move about and maintain your balance and structure is about 95% of your WC. Nothing else works if you can't get into position to use it. And you have to be able to escape being attacked.

[Grumblegeezer]

Being able to move about and maintain your balance and structure is about 95% of your WC. Nothing else works if you can't get into position to use it. And you have to be able to escape being attacked.

Wise words. And different people find slightly different methods for achieving practical mobility. So when someone tells me "Sifu So-and so" weights his legs 50-50 when stepping, while "Sifu What's his name" favors the front leg, the back leg, or whatever. The question to as is can they make it work? ...and more importantly can you, as the student, make it work? If you can, that's all that matters.

[Yoshiyahu]

Footwork and whole body alignment....


Some footwork in WC can be utilize to give you power behind a punch or uprooting technique to destroy your foes structure.

Some techniques combined with footwork can redirect force or turn force off.

using whole body techniques with your footwork against the mook yan jong and wall bag and heavy bag for strikes can train your power... Thus teaching you how to apply Wing Chun short power with whole body unity power.


WC footwork is primarily used for inclose fighting. The steps are to small or short to be use effectively in long range fighting. Once you bridge the gap thats when WC footwork should come alive.


Knowing when and how to use the footwork can make a big difference when sparring.

When in a long range situtation let your footwork be natural. When inclose use WC footwork for power generation and dissipating energy accordingly.