Engagement with Wing Chun

[JPinAZ]

To spark some serious wing chun discussion, I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are on how we 'engage' with our opponent within the Wing Chun system. To keep it simple, for now I'll only define 'Engage' as going from no contact to contact with an attacking opponent.

Listing techniques alone won't cut it IMO. As WC practitioners, I would think we all should also be able to provide supporting concepts/principles/theories that back the techniques as it is commonly accepted that wing chun is a principle based system.

Also, if you don't like my simple definition of 'engage', feel free to include how you would define it along with your answer.

[anerlich]

I guess I'm looking to "bridge the gap" / enter, occupy the centre and control/restrict the opponent's limbs while striking at his center.

e.g. TWC entry technique, moving to the outside, my palm on his forward elbow, leading to a larp sao and my foot on his while punching him in the face.

[GlennR]

I guess I'm looking to "bridge the gap" / enter, occupy the centre and control/restrict the opponent's limbs while striking at his center.

Im much the same.... strike, deal with limbs if i have to, try to get his COG, stay in that "WC range"

[imperialtaichi]

Create opportunity and utilize the environment.

[wingchunIan]

depend on what the other guy is doing and what range we start from. Assuming that the opponent isn't closing range for me, then as others have said I too would look to close the range as quickly as possible. If the opponent's arms are central I angle if they are wide I'd go straight. If the ability to strike unimpeded is presented I will take it everytime but if not I will always look to distract / draw a response either using kicks, feints / mun sao or short blasts of force (pak, jum etc).
Tough question to answer without narrowing down the variables.

[jimhalliwell]

. If the opponent's arms are central I angle if they are wide I'd go straight. If the ability to strike unimpeded is presented I will take it everytime but if not I will always look to distract / draw a response either using kicks, feints / mun sao or short blasts of force (pak, jum etc).
Tough question to answer without narrowing down the variables.

I would not do this, ie "if the opponents arms are central I angle if they are wide i go straight"

Just because your opponent looks like he has a good center means nothing! you need to attack it! , test it, it may well be weak.Due to your training you could well have a better center than your opponent so use your training. While attacking center if he swings a hook due to your training your ready! I never go by what i see you should really work off what you feel all the time.imo

[EternalSpring]

I'm still not as far in the system as most of you, so dont be alarmed if my efficiency in movement isn't at it's most economical.

For me, and this is purely based on sparring rather than street fights or anything like that, i usually use side stepping and cutting in using diagonal lines of movement, if that makes sense. I'll add a kick or so into this as I enter kicking range/distance, but I dont like to hang out in that distance for too long. Once I'm close to the being within arms distance, I tend to throw a lower faster kick mainly for the purpose of quickly cutting the distance and either attacking or using mun sao. Before I enter this distance, I may also use a type of shuffle where i twist my hip to switch my lead and rear legs. I mainly do this because, at least at my level and the level of the people I spar with, this sudden shift from either "southpaw" to "orthodox" or vice versa changes the situation enough that moving in shortly after leaves the opponent with less time to really think of what he's going to do. At this point, I feel that I'm completely engaged.

sounds like a long process but it really only takes a matter of seconds when applied.

[jimhalliwell]

To spark some serious wing chun discussion, I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are on how we 'engage' with our opponent within the Wing Chun system. To keep it simple, for now I'll only define 'Engage' as going from no contact to contact with an attacking opponent.

Listing techniques alone won't cut it IMO. As WC practitioners, I would think we all should also be able to provide supporting concepts/principles/theories that back the techniques as it is commonly accepted that wing chun is a principle based system.

Also, if you don't like my simple definition of 'engage', feel free to include how you would define it along with your answer.

I would "attack his attack" ie punch him in the face!

[leeshing]

To spark some serious wing chun discussion, I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are on how we 'engage' with our opponent within the Wing Chun system. To keep it simple, for now I'll only define 'Engage' as going from no contact to contact with an attacking opponent.

Listing techniques alone won't cut it IMO. As WC practitioners, I would think we all should also be able to provide supporting concepts/principles/theories that back the techniques as it is commonly accepted that wing chun is a principle based system.

Also, if you don't like my simple definition of 'engage', feel free to include how you would define it along with your answer.

I think a simple answer cant be applied here there are to many variables awareness I believe is the best defence if your are in a position to sense something is wrong and you kinda know its going to kick off I would say leave why you can why engage at all but if not attack first dont wait to counter thats how you lose and sometimes all the training in the world wont help once the fear of a attack takes over I worked for many years on the doors and I have seen men built like brick Sxxt houses freeze and just not been able to do anything once it kicked off