Quote Originally Posted by JPinAZ View Post
IMO, comparing various techniques or hand shapes demonstrated in forms or pictures is rather pointless. As has been pointed out on many occasions here, doing that one can draw a connection between any 2 arts if they look hard enough. But it doesn't prove a connection. Besides, WC system is principle based, it's not about the techniques or hand shapes - those are just a bi-product. To make a fair comparison, you have to look at the technologies and concepts behind the arts, not a few similar shapes seen in a form or a picture.
I agree that looking at techniques or shapes as a point of comparison to show some so called connection between the arts does not really prove anything.

I do not know what principle based means or can mean. What I see is that wing chun comes with techniques shapes tactics strategies concepts principles and so forth and that they ALL are part of the fabric that makes up wing chun with all the parts being important and necessary. A concept isn't useful for example without technique, technique isn't useful without tactics and so forth.