Thank you again mexenergy for explaining these things for me. Tell me if I’m wrong . . . but you are saying the same thing as Mr. Keith . . . that wc like any martial art has techniques and principles that help us or guide us in applying those techniques? My confusion is why it is called principle based when techniques are basis just like principles? Can you or anyone else explain to me how we know when the principles we use or how we interpret those principles are correct?
Thanks,
Ghost
If you take WC, & have a ‘qualified’ instructor, they should be able to explain these things. A good instructor is constantly telling you the right way. He should be aware of the correct principles and lead you in the right direction despite the fact you don’t know where you’re going. That’s why he’s they guide. The thing about WC is as your knowledge of the system grows, so does your comprehension, hopefully, and when the time is right, then your 'qualified instructor should light the path when it’s needed. If it’s too early in your training, you may not be ready if you don’t understand. As a beginner, none of this made any sense to me either. It’s through the training and guidance of the ‘qualified’ instructor who will light the path when it’s needed. Until you can establish a light of your own, hopefully.
Ghost,
Techniques are easy. You go to a school, watch someone do some moves, and maybe you think you got it. Now you go to APPLY it, and it does not work. Why? Just as someone came into my school a few years ago and, after watching, said “How can anyone block anything with a (bong sao)?”
He was right. As a technique alone, the bong sao is useless. But enriched with a principle (and martial attributes) to support it, the bong sao takes life! When two people are engaged, no one other than those two know the principles and attributes being applied there. It is only the technique that is visible.
You mentioned that all martial arts are principle based. Possibly, but remember that martial arts knowledge is transferred by someone. The problem occurs when they transmit their interpretation above the principle of the system. Their students will not know the how’s and why’s about what they do and will respond that they do something because “their sifu does it…”.
When martial arts is represented as a “techniques based” system, then it seems they have more techniques to compensate for every situation. This is where you might find the person training 15/20 years and have little kung fu. Finding principle is finding freedom. Not trying to imitate someone else’s experiences.
Wing Chun principles: Centerline - shortest distance between two points is a straight line; Facing - keeping yourself (shoulders) square with your target (not necessarily your opponents facing); and Hand Unity - equal hands and hand replacement.
Good luck in your Kung Fu…