I feel sad for Yip Man
He had to get good at something that already worked, musta taken a long time! 
Correct usage of fook sau
I have been disappointed by the impracticability of many descriptions of the usage of fook sau. As we know wing chun was designed as a practical art yet we still hear about fook sau being drilled flat, etc. In my lineage we emphasise the practical. Fook sau is brought out at a right angle to the ground. It is pushed up in a straight line (not away from the body) but parallel to the torso so that the beak hand protects the nose, mouth or chin and is a fist distance from these areas. Following this motion to protect the head the beak hand can rotate 90 degrees (the application of wu sau) to lunge forward in a strike or pecking motion to take out an opponent’s eye. I realise not many practice it in its correct form. But this in my opinion is the only practical way of performing it.
It is the Sui Lum Tao energy that is in each movement that simply moves the position of the hand
Back or forward makes no difference it is the positioning of the structure that is important, and your ability to apply the “root” to hold these positions
No there is only one forward energy in Wing Chun, this forward energy will still be present whether you are moving the position forwards or backwards, infact forget the concept of forwards and backwards, think position, think energy, the position changes but the energy is constant, therein lies our own brand of power
again forget about movement, think changing position, you may say that is exactly the same thing, no it isn’t, this is not a concept that can be explained easiliy over the net, it requires more solid and practical demonstration
[QUI have been disappointed by the impracticability of many descriptions of the usage of fook sau. As we know wing chun was designed as a practical art yet we still hear about fook sau being drilled flat, etc. In my lineage we emphasise the practical. Fook sau is brought out at a right angle to the ground. It is pushed up in a straight line (not away from the body) but parallel to the torso so that the beak hand protects the nose, mouth or chin and is a fist distance from these areas. Following this motion to protect the head the beak hand can rotate 90 degrees (the application of wu sau) to lunge forward in a strike or pecking motion to take out an opponent’s eye. I realise not many practice it in its correct form. But this in my opinion is the only practical way of performing it.OTE] [/QUOTE]
what lineage are you from?
Practical from the perspective of your understanding of practicality, which may not in fact be the most practical.
Fook Sau like most hands can be applied in a variety of fashions, depending on the circumstances.
- Both techniques are utilised by pushing firmly from the elbow, your mind should be focussing on the ridge of the hand down the forearm for both techniques.
- In form work especially Siu Lum Tao, this is the case as both techniques always operate along the centre line, with the push coming from the elbow.
- Not necessarily as a Fook can also be used to strike and contact the jaw and temple and the Wu Sao can also be used in arm breaking techniques, depending on how you position your feet and where your opponent is relative to you. As a lot of the Cheung Lineage students should know to operate out of the side stance is the effective way to fight, thus moving your centre line away from your opponent the Wu Sao then naturally firms up and moves forward 3 as opposed to the Neutral stance.
- Advantages .. .to perform the technique from the side stance gives you more options for either technique, plus it also gives you the ability of allowing your footwork, to become a lot more free. As soon as you free up your feet, Chi Sao takes over, in the true sense of Sticking Hands where you literally stick to your opponent, control, trap and knock the sucker out, regardless of what art these guys are from as the best application for Fook and Wu is to feel.
Disadvantages well it is not really a disadvantage but to some Martial Artists it is, you have to rely more on a counter attack and then build your offence from there. - Fook & Wu go in both directions depending on the form.
Hope this helps,
fiamacho
I have been disappointed by the impracticability of many descriptions of the usage of fook sau.
After reading your post, I share that disappointment.
As we know wing chun was designed as a practical art yet we still hear about fook sau being drilled flat, etc. In my lineage we emphasise the practical. Fook sau is brought out at a right angle to the ground. It is pushed up in a straight line (not away from the body) but parallel to the torso so that the beak hand protects the nose, mouth or chin and is a fist distance from these areas. Following this motion to protect the head the beak hand can rotate 90 degrees (the application of wu sau) to lunge forward in a strike or pecking motion to take out an opponent’s eye. I realise not many practice it in its correct form. But this in my opinion is the only practical way of performing it.
We have this too, but call it an inside tarn sao. It dies not appear in SLT but is in the dummy movements. We have an outside tarn sao too, but the hand configuration is different to allow better control of the opponent’s forearm.
It has a completely different energy and purpose from fook sao, which fiamacho described very well from a TWC perspective.
I can see anyone doing “fook sao” in the way you described getting elbowed in the face or temple a lot during chi sao …