Originally Posted by
RenDaHai
There is an ancient principle used in pretty much all styles I have encountered.
'Da yi tiao xian', strike in a straight line.
Interestingly it does NOT mean to do a straight punch.
It means often the opposite, to strike directly from where your hand is to the target. For example, say my hand is above my head, the straight line punch is a chop, if I were to do a straight punch from this position I would have to first withdraw my hand along a curved path to strike straight. If I have blocked slightly to the outside, then returning with a hook to the jaw would be the straight line punch, since it is the straightest path to the target and back to my centre.
Very often doing an actual straight punch violates the straight line rule. Your hands cannot move well in straight lines because of the articulation of the joints, small circles generate power.
This is for styles like Shaolin in central China, but I think it is not out of place in WC.