Dear Sifu Dave,
I am curious as to the position of your right hand while throwing the punch. It seems to me that if his punch was on top of your left trying to Pak would mean you were reaching and not in the best position.
My right hand was in the wu sao position protecting my chest. I agreed with you that my defence is not in the best position. However, my training habit caused me to do the right pak sao. This is some thing that I have to correct.
I have tried to have my right hand in different positions, while throwing the left punch, e.g. near the hip. This was because in a fight I have no idea where my hands would be. My attack and defence would be totally depending on how my opponent was attacking me.
I would not be able to do a right pak sau to deflect his right hand, if my right hand was near my hip. It would be too far away to do any good.
You could have changed your left punch into something akin to a Biu Sau or simply used the existing punch to deflect the oncoming attack. However this would also depend on how high your arm was already, again not wishing to over-reach.
I have tried this move and it did work, providing my training partner is not doing a stop hit (interception) on me. This was because it was difficult for me to change the direction of my arm while punching forward. I could rotate my arm outward to deflect his punch, only if I have not committed my attack. My partner and my elbows would be very closed to each other.
Once I have committed my attack, I could not change direction, until it reached the target. By the time I was ready to change my attack, I would be hit.
However, if your right hand was in a position to be used like a Wu Sau, then one response would be to simply allow this right punch to come in and use the Wu to intercept it. You could then drop the left and re-punch, Pak etc. Or you could make contact with the front of the Wu and then turn into a Lop and use theleft “punch” to rotate into a Bong or use the original punch to, in combination with a Lop, to attempt to applyan arm bar. Of course this would only work if everything were working in harmony. If the opponent is using more of a Jab then it most likely wont as th retraction would be too fast. Another option would be to turn the left handed punch into a Taun, or if the energy from the overhand punch was correct a Bong\Wu Sau, and strike with the Right.
IMHO, training to use the non punching hand as a Wu would allow one to have a second line of defense which would be able to aapt to his over hand right and intercept and defend without losing structure. But that is just one idea. IMO it would be better to turn or step off to the side rather than to step back as you should already have the tools to defend against this type of attack. Also if you turn slightly or step off using the Wu you will be able to adjust your position in relation to his and make it more difficult for them to use their left hand wihtout having to adjust their position. However, if you step back without maintaining a bridge then you will be no better off than before. Also, keep in mind that once you start retreating it is that much harder to resume moving forward.
I will try and on work on this.
t_niehoff
The answer is: sparring.
If you learnt the techniques and then sparred without going through all the training steps. You will not only unable to apply what you have learnt in a sparring match. You will be fighting like an untrained kick boxer, human punching bag or a 5 years old child.
Trust me on this - I had over 200 sparring matches against various martial artists from beginners to black blets. During the first 163 sparring matches I fought like a human punching bag or a 5 years old child, while trying to applying my wing chun techniques. In the end I give up trying to apply any wing chun technique and just fight. I won some of my sparring matches without using a single wing chun technique. If I tried to use wing chun techniques, I got beaten up like a human punch bag. When I told my teachers and classmates about my experience. They all told me that I had not trained enough and I should be able to this and this. Well. I could not do a thing in those sparring matches, even against a beginner!
I was training 2 hours per day, 7 days a week. l also sparred with people for about 1/2 hour, three times a week. This was when I was very dedicated and had the time.
I finally figured out what was wrong with my wing chun and how to apply it by reading various articles on diffferent web sites. The head of my former wing chun organisation had not taught people properly. He taught people some techniques and expected them to apply them in a fight. The techniques would work, if you were fighting a dummy, who just stand here and let you hit him.
Know the technique is not enough. You need to be taught how to apply it, inorder to use them in a fight.
However, this is my experience and it may not apply to you.
You have obviously reached a very high standard in wing chun than me. My current level is only a beginner. Is it possible for you to show us a 20 second video clip of yourslef using your wing chun technques in a sparring match? Hopefully, I will be able learn something from you and also change my way of thinking.
wc fighter
Why not attack his leading arm with a pak sao, and punch him at the same time?
This way he can’t use his lead arm since you are controlling it, and if he attempts to use his rear arm to punch you, you can turn your punching hand into a bil sao, and punch him with the hand that was previously doing a pak sao?
The whole process took less than 1.5 or 1 seconds. I was not fast enough to change direction, inorder to attack him. The problem is not about how fast I am, but how soon I can change from one technque into other, after identify his technique. My reponse time is much slower than his action. Therefore, I got hit.
Thank you for all your help
Hitman
