I am wondering if your centerline should ever really be crossed by an ‘attack’ or ‘defense’ that you initiate?
what do you mean?
what do you mean crossed?
If you attack not on the centerline then your attack will fall on one side or the other.
Do you mean attacking with say your right hand to your opponents left shoulder? Unless you dont move your waist for some reason, where-ever you attack will be on the ( your ) centerline.
Is this a question about your structure when attacking or defending?
Yes. Look at Pak Sao in SLT. It crosses the centerline.
isn’t that pak sau meant more as a way to slap or guide a hand off your wedge, then immediately returning to wu sau for a following strike?
Originally posted by rubthebuddha
isn’t that pak sau meant more as a way to slap or guide a hand off your wedge, then immediately returning to wu sau for a following strike?
That is one interpretation, but even so, isn’t slapping or guiding a hand off the wedge a defensive move that you initiate? Maybe I didn’t understand the original question.
Perhaps SLT shows concepts.Perhaps the pak sau does not cross the center.Maybe it is used in conjuction with the body and footwork and you change your centerline when used.Maybe the line it follows is from outside your centerline to the opponents centerline.Does enery ever go in any direction other than at the opponents center?
I wanted to leave the question a little open to see what the responses were. You guys were all pretty close to what I was asking.
Yenhoi, what you said is basically what I meant. I have noticed that in most applications, it seems that when your hand/punch/block/whatever gets to your centerline, you either stop or turn.
Highlander, good point, in SLT it does but when i see it demonstrated or used it always seems to be in conjunction with a turn.
I am a newbie mind you, so I am just trying to feel out the whole center line idea. Is it a Wing Chun no no to cross it with your own offenses/defenses?
Yin & yang, sometimes you have to cross your centerline in order to protect it.
Re: question on the centerline
Originally posted by red5angel
I am wondering if your centerline should ever really be crossed by an ‘attack’ or ‘defense’ that you initiate?
Short Answer:
attack: no
defend: maybe
Naturally, it depends upon the situation (like all things in Wing
Chun), but generally, you should never cross your own centerline
when attacking, at least with a punch. You shouldn’t really have
to. If you’re shoulders are properly squared, a punch down the
centerline should be more structurally sound than a punch not
along the centerline. In defense, it is sometimes good to cross
the centerline, but one should only do so if the opponent won’t
be able to capitalize on it.
A shorter answer: You CONTROL the centerline-attack or defense.
You hands can cross the center line- they do even in the SLT-
Note:
kao, gan, pak, reverse jut, fan(fak to some) etc…
yuanfen
Taking it back to the basics. That’s like slapping someone in the face with their own tan sau.
It doesn’t matter. Cross it or not cross it, it shouldn’t make a diffrence, do what you need too. Any movment you do in WC, even the a pac sao that crosses your center, you still focuss and forword energy/intent and what not all towords the center.
whippinghand sez
Taking it back to the basics. That’s like slapping someone in the face with their own tan sau.
Well- many questions are made out to be more complicated than they really are. Spending time on learning the slt in depth
provides a veritable fountain of information and insight, including the center line and its crossings and controls.
Originally posted by CanadianBadAss
It doesn’t matter. Cross it or not cross it, it shouldn’t make a diffrence, do what you need too. Any movment you do in WC, even the a pac sao that crosses your center, you still focuss and forword energy/intent and what not all towords the center.
What exactly are you focusing on the centre?
uhhh… everything.
Why not use the pak with some forward intention? When I use the pak as in SLT I’m most often in the sh!t and have lost my center…
In my opinion, you cant do pak sao properly WITHOUT forward intention.
The point of pak sao, like that of gong and bong, is to control both of the opponents arms with one of yours, so you can immediately hit with your other hand.
For example, if your opponent is punching with his right hand, and you pak with your right, your pak sao must not only contact his punching arm, but also control his left arm. If you miss his left arm, then he will hit with that. The pak has to go forward as well as sideways in order to contact the left arm with your pak arm.
With regards to the centreline, the hand may cross it, but the elbow does not. This is obvious from SLT.
Frank Exchange: I agree with the forward intent.
With regards to the centreline, the hand may cross it, but the elbow does not. This is obvious from SLT.
I tried to cross the centerline with the elbow just now but it was impossible for me. I am just to rigid (or maybe to muscular)… 
/Peace
I think you are pakking the other person’s triangle out of the way while staying within your traingle.
>>I tried to cross the centerline with the elbow just now but it was impossible for me. I am just to rigid (or maybe to muscular)… <<
They dont call me ol’ “liquid bones” Frank for nothing… 
However, if you have turned too far, when bonging, or paking, for example, then your elbow may in fact cross the centreline connecting you and your opponent. Then you would be in trouble, and need to regain the line, using your favourite tool from Biu Jee, or some smart footwork.
Or in my case, fearfully yelling “Chrrist!” and leaping back awkwardly.
On a bad day, of course.