Our Methodology - How we make you excellent!

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Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen's training system is a traditional model. During the Basic Training stage, the basics required for application of Wing Choon techniques are drilled into the student, imparting the skills required for proper execution of the forms.

Thereafter, from the first form Sai Fa Kuen (Small Flower Fist), until the last, the training methodology becomes iterative. Each and every form contains the entire system. Thus the first form is akin to a "executive summary" of the entire Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen system. It starts with simple techniques executed with fairly large movements to make it easier for the student to practice while developing the correct principles. Subsequent forms modify the same movements, blending and/or simplifying them, whilst adding more complex movements and applications. These extend also to every weapon form in the system, which use the exact same energy and movement as the empty hand forms. The student is taught the same movements in increasing levels of complexity throughout the course. The different weapons, while using the same movements as the empty hand forms, also each has a different focus and seeks to impart some new, essential skill or energy into the student. Sometimes these changes are felt immediately, for example, a student may do chi sao exercise, do a weapon form, and if he does chi sao after with the same partner he had before, the difference in feel will become immediately and overwhelmingly apparent.

Besides adding advanced techniques, subsequent forms in the system also provide feedback on the student's abilities or development during the earlier forms. For example, if the student's footwork is even slightly in error for some reason or another in an earlier form, the more advanced forms will show this error clearly, allowing a student to make corrections and thus also improve his earlier forms. The highly integrated nature of the Yip Kin Wing Choon Kuen system allows this.

PRINCIPLES

Hit With Borrowed Energy

All the techniques, movements and principles of Yip Kin Wing Choon are designed to achieve this principle. China is famous for its battles and wars which lasts weeks on end. In order to be effective in a battlefield, the soldiers had to find ways to conserve their energy and the best way to do so is to use the enemy's energy.

Energy

Energy is only applied where there's contact and a need. For example, when a punch is launched, it is largely useless until it hits the enemy. Therefore, energy used is only to move the fist to its intended target. It is non committal and its speed and direction is changeable. When it finds its target, a second energy is released in an explosive manner. This allows the practitioner to conserve energy and use it only when it matters most.

Economy of Action

The only objective of Yip Kin Wing Choon is to hit/subdue the opponent in the shortest time possible using the most minimal amount of movement, strength and energy. However in a fight situation, there are more instances where the hands/feet and/or other parts of the body comes in contact with the opponent.

Once in contact with an opponent, every move (of hands and feet, and even a step or turn) in Yip Kin Wing Choon is either an attack, or a set up for an attack. Attacks can be either strikes to vulnerable points on the body of an opponent where available, or an attack on the opponent's structure which results in him unable to attack or defend effectively. An example of an attack on structure is unbalancing the opponent. Where no direct attack is possible at any particular moment, techniques could be used to set up for an attack, by either forcing the opponent to over-commit or to simply bypass his defenses where possible or by other means.

The combat system contains no excess movement, every movement has an application, and every movement is only as large as is strictly necessary to complete its task. In a given situation where the practitioner has a choice of action, he is encouraged to use the simplest and most direct one.

All movements are non-committed in nature, i.e. power is not generated through weight-shift or a waist turn where the upper torso twists independently of the lower body. At no point is the principle of rootedness is compromised during contact.

Centerline Focus

The centerline is defined in Yip Kin Wing Choon as a vertical line passing through the center of the opponents body. Every action in Wing Choon Kuen has a focus on this centerline. The direction of force or energy is always towards this, or directly away from, this line.

The objective of this focus is for every action to have the maximum effect on the opponent.

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