[QUOTE=LoneTiger108;1077087]Sorry I haven’t got to this earlier, but work is overly busy and I’ve been dragged into other threads!!
Yes, I agree that Wusau is ‘known’ to have forward intent, but tell me what is intent?? Intent does not indicate in any way that the Wusau actually ‘moves’ forward. The reasoning behind most schools approach to the SBF set if to create an ‘immovable’ Wusau. If anything (and I coach this) whilst the Wusau remains immovable the body ‘itself’ moves forward. A surprise, snake like tactic if you will. For defense and avoidance, NOT attack.
If you’re talking of the section I think you are, that Wusau is revolving ‘with the body’ and Bongsau. It doesn’t move forward itself, the whole body is behind it moving forward.
I’m also interested in your thinking, as I am for many posters here Dave, so tell me exactly what is that section of Chum Kiu for to you?
Please also understand that my personal form does not look too much like anything I have seen on Youtube! When I’ve coached beginners it does, but once the idea and training from SLT go ‘into’ the other forms it looks a bit different fme. That is, if the SLT has also been trained, drilled and developed over time.[/QUOTE]
Hello Spencer,
I was also involved in other things so I did not reply sooner. I almost missed this entirely :o
I guess the easiest way to explain what I mean by “forward intent” is that all of our movement or techniques are moving forward, if even slightly. They do not sit still and only retract when the energy coming in to meet them is great enough to move them back. For example, when you do a Bong Sau, your arm is shaped and moved into position by the energy coming from the opponent, they make you do Bong Sau. However, if that energy (punch) were to be removed than your Bong would spring forward towards the opponent. We used to practice this a lot to insure that the opponent did not feel any pushing from the Bong Sau but that the Bong would spring forward when pressure was removed. IMO the Taun Sau meets the incoming force and deflects it by its shape. However, if the Taun does not meet force, or the force is wimpy or very small, then the Taun can become a strike and hit the opponent. However, this is not the same thing as thinking that a Taun is a punch, the Taun, Bong and Wu etc are specific shapes used to deal with attacks and are based on the amount of energy presented. However, when your opponent provides little in the ways of incoming force or an obstruction they they all have the potential to become a strike. It is this springy forward energy that represents “forward intent” to me at least. Hope that helps explain what I am thinking and where I am coming from.
Using this model, the Wu Sau always goes forward and only retracts when meeting superior force. What I mean by that is that the Wu will retract, but only does so when the force met is too great to maintain structure without collapsing. IME the Wu can be used as a very nice strke as well as a defense.
In the section we seem to be discussing: both the Bong and Wu extend forward, imo. Of course both are done in coordination with the body, one of the things taugh at CK level is the coordination of body structure and movement. My thinking is that both are retracted slightly and then extended again as the body turns. The goal would be, for me, to have the extension of the arms in connection with the turn or shift of the body. CK introduces the idea of combining the techniques with both a shift or turn as well as with a step. Both have slightly different methods to accomplish their goal.
I hope that makes where I am coming from a bit clearer.
Oh one other thing: Just as all techniques in WC, and many other arts, can be strikes that does not mean that is their purpose. Kind of like you can use a screwdirver, for example, as a weapon to stab someone. While the screwdriver can be used to strike, that is not what it is designed for and, while it may work, there are other tools better designed for the use of striking or stabbing. 