Anerlich is correct about the fact that you can’t always be in a parrallel stance vis-a-vis your opponent (ie.- your have left foot forward and he has right foot forward) therefore maximizing your chances of getting to his blind side and using both hands against his right hand side (because his left hand and leg have been momentarily blocked out from being “in play”). In TWC we also have to train for the cross hand-cross leg position, which often requires a different approach and strategy.
Here is an easy way of explainining Rick Spains footwork to any one who is having difficulty understanding it.
Take a traditional boxing stance, now point the knees in a little more for stability on the unpredictable ground of the street and there you have it.
Now test it for yourself in chi sao.
I’ll say something for the stance is that it has good balancd in a forward/backward stance and makes it easy to sidestep.
If you feel that exposes someones blindside, watch boxing sometime.
The story of that footwork is that William Chueng stopped teaching it in 1983 when he felt he gave it away to cheaply.
He apparantly learnt it when he was in mainland China. from a relative of his as he was apparantly related to Chueng Bo.www.wingchunonline.com/aboutWC/lineage_02.htm
William Cheung did not stop teaching the footwork in 1983 - I’ve been his student since August, 1983 (almost 20 years) and believe me he has taught the footwork over and over again. As regards your last post the stance you describe is absolutely nothing new to me (Grandmaster Cheung always taught it). But more curiously: my post (which you presumably were responding to) was about the fact that going to the parallel blind side is not always an option - a different subject entirely.
Do you practice chi sao in that stance, as perhaps I heard wrong.
It was to my understanding that the system befan to change in 1983 but slowly and that it is now very much resembling hong kong lineage.
The story of that footwork is that William Chueng stopped teaching it in 1983 when he felt he gave it away to cheaply.
He apparantly learnt it when he was in mainland China. from a relative of his as he was apparantly related to Chueng Bo.www.wingchunonline.com/aboutWC/lineage_02.htm F54
I’ve never heard that William Cheung Chuk-Hing sifu is related to my sijo, Cheung Bo. The story doesn’t sound too believable, however, as Cheung Bo’s footwork is different in kind from William Cheung (Cheung Bo liked the shift, William Cheung, apparently, not so much…)
flavour54—im not sure what twc has evolved into…the version i learned is exactly like ultimate wingchunners…but i do know that one of william cheungs first students from australia is still around(around ,69 have to check my notes at home)…and he does regular yip man w.c.k…even uses the pigeon toed stance!!! that is what cheung sigung originaly taught, from what he said!.. this gentleman is still around but i dont think teaching anymore…he said that it wasnt until cheung sigung went back to china and than returned around 74 that he started teaching twc(cheung style wc)
i have to agree with rene—twc is structuraly nothing like cheong bo , koolo village wck or any small framed wck…!!
b
Beyond1’s assertion that William Cheung did not start teaching the TRADITIONAL WING CHUN footwork and central line techniques until 1974 is correct - he had vowed to Yip Man years earlier never to reveal any TWC while Yip Man was alive. Remember - Yip Man passed on in 1973.
May I ask for some personal background? Regarding the footwork Sifu Spain uses, your comments are pretty accurate at a high level of detail.
Where did you hear the 1983 story? After teaching it for nearly 10 years by that stage, the cat was out of the bag and had already set up his own kwoon.
Personally, I find all this “secret” and “giving it away too cheaply” stuff a bit of a joke in an age when any idiot can go into a gun shop and buy a lethal weapon, or take a box cutter onto a jet and kill thousands. There are only so many ways you can step - the keys are simplicity and biomechanical effectiveness, not complexity and the arcane.
I’ve heard unsubstantiated (AFAIK) stories about sigung training with someone from the HFY lineage on the Chinese mainland, but never the tale you’re discussing.
I don’t know whether the story of GM Cheung not teaching the “secret” footwork until 1973 after YM’s death are true - it IS the canonical WWCKFA party line - you have to take it on faith. However:
byond, I know one of GM Cheung’s better students from the 1960’s, Sifu David Crook from Canberra. He will tell anybody that GM Cheung’s Wing Chun was a BIG influence on the eclectic system he teaches now. But the WC he learned from Sigung had the pigeon toed stance and the bent-wristed bon sao, both of which are eschewed by (post 1973) TWC. So that lends some credence to the story.
David Crook has been teaching continually since 1969 and does so right now. He’s about to retire from his job in the Public Service but intends to become even more active in MA now. He was my first instructor back in 1977, giving me a fantastic introduction to KF, and I still train with him at least once a year.
my friends im agree about : strong atact to center line, that its one of strategys of wing chun style , but how some its weight or tall, or what opponent have traning before its not that impotrant , whats it important its to know what to do what you do in moment cose all positions of the level of bong sao can beat defence of opponent ,but must know beimo to atact center line from many sides ,or im dnt know good englich l. to traping opponent in wing chun pole if opponent atact ok cool (some jung man one old time go to find a beauty , after some time find one old man and ask my man where im can find the beauty ? old man says my jung friend you dnt walk hard any more cose beauty its all over close to you that close but you must learn and how can see it its that close but must can know to see ) about center line must know how can atact , and road to atact with pure positions , or you can tru all fight but newer tuch him . in animal syles of kung fu dnt have energy but power of hara on the level of instict must see little time intervals to be more speed in fight to see that intervals and to be on the level of executor or , many pictures in same time but not just hands but pure posions all boddy - just friendly tiger_1:)