Form Integrity
These are some of the things that Ive recognized (train of thought) from each training form: Sil Lum Tao, Chum Kil and Wooden Man that kept me from deviating from true wing chun structure and to maintain power while sparring in a full contact situation. This is what always seems to keep me in check while sparring (a blessed situation). Ill talk more about the Wooden Man later; have to get back to work.
Sil lum Tao: Form Integrity
To even begin the idea of real time application (clean & recognizable), you have to make sure that the upper extremities from structure to structure connects to and through your stance; and if your stance training focus on sinking energies, which helps keeps the hands very relaxed and responsive to physical reactions with structural integrity from a form/stance point of view. Each movement (application) of your SLT form should literally jam, wedge or slice its way right into your stance. Once you lose your stance in fighting, youre no longer doing wing chun.
Youre taught to reroute energies with structures in SLT, you cant do that without a good stance. The more you can control your balance (stance) while under pressure (fighting), the more you can stay calm and responsive with the idea of structural integrity/awareness; that keeps your opponent uncomfortable and off balanced when crowding his/her space. Dont think about footwork, just stay in your stance no matter what and let your feet move naturally; with or without the idea of bracing (stance alignment with upper extremities); depends on your offense or defense and what you decide to do with them.
The hands will automatically make room to move around, just from having a comfortable seat to sit in (good stance) and from the idea of training structural integrity/awareness. And if one can master the idea of, he goes fast then you go slow and in reveres; the same for, he uses hard energies, and then you use soft energies, while training in his/hers drills. Thats mastering the idea of timing and structural/transitional awareness. Its nothing like beating your opponent by being in the right place and at the right time.
Your hands and arms must have a very strong relationship with your stance (second nature) before the feet can recognize the hands in movement, hence inviting the connection to the early stages of body unity through your stance and upper/lower extremities, which helps promote the idea of: the feet following the hands (Chum Kil).
Ill do a lot of shadow boxing to always maintain a good connection between my feet and hands.
http://youtu.be/UQ66geARK1c
Also with free style movements in a two man situation which stress the best or proper structure within an open flow of energies (structural integrity).
http://youtu.be/i-l9Awtnd5E
Chum Kil: Form Integrity
Sil Lum Tao doesnt trust you to take one step in that form. It isnt very much more that one can say or do; as far as applications in this stage (CK) because SLT is the seed, and if you fu*ked that up (no mastery), then you need to start over. Dont just do SLT, but master it. The main thing for me when dealing with Chum Kil is mobility, speed and balance; while learning how to put fuel into your overall wing chun structures.
The most common mistakes wing chun fighters make are: they keep their feet and hands separated from their stance while engaging. They look all good before contact is made; with a great and impressive looking wing chun pose to boot. But, when contact begins, they forget to take their feet with them on entry; therefore cutting their stance/energy in half, and cant produce any recognizable wing chun structures from that point on because they lost their center of gravity -or- balance (looks unrecognizable and very bad).
The stance is the first thing you really need to master, waaaay before the hands. See, its like a tree, the thought or foundations/mastering ones center of gravity are the tree roots, stance and -or- the tree trunk (interdependent structures). Concentrate on this because this development causes a relationship between the applications or limbs using the proper energies from a stance point of view, as the trees roots follow the sway of the branches, forming the idea of body unity (moving stance) and while moving the feet naturally with the hands.
The hands are like the leaves. A soft leaf represents a healthy leaf, which tells the tree branch to swing and sway lively and freely. A hard leaf represents a dying leaf, which tells the tree branch to harden up for the winter -or- die. If your tree doesnt grow healthy (the right combinations of interdependent structures), the roots will never follow/support the sway of the branches (body unity/chum), yet alone, stay in season without reading the leaves (the right application when needed from reaction); meaning the feet will never recognize the hands.
When moving, your applications must move in the form of one, driving each structure together within its place as each intent/outcome of application is only derived through the energies of interdependent structures, and the feet follow the hands through body unity, this is why youre taught to do the Chum Kil form fast as possible without deviation once you learned it, and have it under control. Its like building a new relationship between your hands and feet through your stance, while never losing the mentality of SLT when moving; mentally/physically connecting the two forms together.
http://youtu.be/YH2RgRoiQ50n
jk