Newsgroup: it.sport.arti-marziali
Titolo: [Wt/Wc] Articolo interessante...

What Drives Us
by Terence Niehoff
One who forms judgment on any point but cannot explain it clearly might as
well never thought on the subject at all.  Pericles (c. 495-429 B.C.E.)
The most fundamental aspect of wing chun kuen is its body-structure.  This
is clearly demonstrated in the wing chun kuen forms -- the opening movement
of each and every form is the hoi ma, the opening of the horse; and they all
begin with the same horse, the yee jee kim yeung ma.  This repetition
underscores that the yee jee kim yeung ma is the core body-structure for
everything we do.  Yet, some wing chun kuen practitioners maintain that the
yee jee kim yeung ma is simply a "throw-away" training stance; others that
it is a type of "neutral stance" that is meant to break upon receipt of
force into another, more practical stance.  In my view, the yee jee kim
yeung ma teaches us some things, including the four body or torso methods,
that are vitally significant as they are the foundation on which everything
else in our method depend.  They are part of what I call "the wing chun
process" -- the inner workings of our art.  These are the cogs of wing chun
kuen, which like the cogs of Swiss watch, interact to drive our method.  If
we lack these cogs, our method (watch) won't run as designed; if the cogs
don't work well, our method (watch) won't run as well as it could.  When our
ancestors chose the term 'ma' (horse) they were telling us something
profound:  that these were the things, like the horse in their culture, that
was the engine the made everything run.
It may be that the modern term "body-structure" is problematic; it carries
with it connotations of a certain fixed way of standing.  In my view, the
yee jee kim yeung ma is perhaps best described as body-mechanics, i.e., a
certain, specific way of using the body to receive and generate force.  The
body-structure illustrated by the yee jee kim yeung ma involves, in a
nutshell, the mechanics of using the entire body from the feet to the
fingers -- its bones, muscles, tendons and joints -- as a living, dynamic
spring, with one end of the spring rooted to the earth and the other in
contact with our opponent.  This spring stores and releases any force
exerted on it.  This is in accord with how traditionally the wing chun kuen
body-structure has been likened to either a stalk of bamboo (where the rings
in the bamboo are able to collect and disperse pressure) or as a bow (as in
bow and arrow).  Our body, like the stalk of bamboo or the bow, when flexed,
can store a great amount of energy, and then when it is suddenly released,
it instantly turns that stored energy into kinetic energy (motion).   One of
the essential points of the yee jee kim yeung ma is to introduce, develop,
and train ourselves to use this body-mechanic in everything we do.  The kuen
kuit advises us that "Siu Nim Tao Lien Yiu Sen Ma" (the siu nim tao trains
the waist, torso and horse -- it doesn't say that it trains us to stand a
certain way.  If we view the yee jee kim yeung ma as body-mechanics then it
becomes formless.).  Once trained, the mechanic becomes automatic and is
always operating.  Yet, you would not necesarily see it if you did not know
what to look for.
Consider this simple illustration of this underlying principle of yee jee
kim yeung ma:  snap your fingers.  Now do it again, but this time pause
immediately before you snap.  Examine that situtation.  The elasticity of
the tendons, muscles, bones, and joints of your  middlefinger and thumb are
all working together to store force (potential energy).  You can press
lightly or very strongly, but the "spring effect" remains.  When the thumb
releases the finger, the "bow" or "bamboo" is released and the stored
(potential) energy is instantly converted to kinetic energy which causes the
finger to strike the base of the thumb producing the snapping sound.  An
important consideration is that this release of "striking power" -- faat
ging (fa jing) -- involved no more than a "letting go".  The release is
powerful in and of itself (if you don't think so, try generating a 'snap' by
just striking your finger against your palm) but can also be augmented with
other mechanics.
The yee jee kim yeung ma shows us that by aligning our body in a certain,
specific way -- so that all its different built-in "springs" work together
for overall effect -- it can act just like the middlefinger in the above
example, using its inherent, natural elasticity to store a 'received' force
and then release it to devastating effect.  This aspect is traditionally
described in wing chun kuen as tun, swallowing (absorbing the force into the
spring), and tao, spitting (the release of the stored force), two of wing
chun kuen's four torso methods.  These two methods are no more than two
sides of the same coin.  With this understanding of the principle in mind,
things like the kuen kuit's admonishment to "stay or receive as he comes" or
the well-known "immovable elbow principle" are easily understood -- if the
body and/or bridge (our spring or bow or bamboo stalk) gives way or moves
away from pressure or force (e.g., sidesteps, turns away from, or steps
backward from the opponent), there can be no storage of force and hence no
ability to release it.  Hawkins Cheung even goes so far as to say, "It's not
wing chun if you take a sidestep or retreat from an attack."   In other
words, without this body-structure to swallow and spit force, it is not wing
chun kuen.  Similarly, we will see how many of the older wing chun kuen
terms, like jin choi (arrow punch), give us not-so-subtle descriptions of
the mechanics that are supposed to be going on (the body is the bow, the arm
is the arrow).
The better our wing chun kuen body-structure, the more rapidly and
efficiently we are able to store and release force.  Structure also effects
the types of forces used in storing and releasing energy.  To achieve and
maximize these body mechanics expressed by the yee jee kim yeung ma, one
must observe certain physical parameters.  For example, the entire body must
be in balance; we must be completely erect, not leaning forward or backward.
There must be no stiffness or tension anywhere in the body (tension destroys
elasticity.  Muscular contraction or exertion results in tension).  Our
knees must be slightly bent and directly below the hips.  The entire body
must be 'connected', i.e., linked as a unit.  And our weight should fall on
or near the balls of the feet (what is referred to as the Kidney-1 point in
traditional chinese medicine).   The reason for this 'weighting' is that the
arch of the foot is one of our most powerful natural "springs" (i.e., shock
absorbers.  Try this:  run in place.  You'll see how the arches can
"receive" great pressure.  When we use the mechanics of yee jee kim yeung ma
to receive pressure applied to our body-structure, that  pressure flattens
the arch -- i.e., loading the bow which is the arch - and our heels become
rooted.)
Unfortunately, the parameters of yee jee kim yeung ma are only a guide ("the
finger pointing toward the moon", the "moon" being the mechanics; strict
adherence to how one holds the finger misses the point);  no one can give
you this body-structure or mechanics or tell you how to do it, they can only
guide you (presuming they can do it themselves).  In the end, you must find
it yourself.  My sifu, Robert Chu, has developed a number of so-called
structure tests that help a practitioner to find and develop these mechanics
(see his article on structure,
www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/articles_root.html
 , for more details).
His "Structure Test #1" involves standing in yee jee kim yeung ma while a
partner presses strongly against your chest with his palm, as though trying
to push you backward.  The idea is to learn to feel the mechanics of yee jee
kim yeung ma (using your body as a spring, swallowing the force).  When your
partner can press with all his might (even leaning all his weight into you)
while you stand in yee jee kim yeung ma, relaxed and with no muscular
exertion, then you've begun to realize the mechanics.
This simple test is then expanded to include any of the various
bridge-hands; for example, one can practice standing in yee jee kim yeung ma
with a bong sao or tan sao extended while his partner presses strongly
against the arm's contact point (even with all his might).  Again the idea
is to swallow the force with this body-mechanics into your structure.  Then
the test be modified to include the various horses.  Once one knows what
they are trying to test, it is easy to come up with variations.
More advanced structure tests can involve testing the yee jee kim yeung ma
in all directions (pressing from the side, back, or combinations) and can be
extended to include 'spitting'.  For example, we can use the  original
postition as Test #1 but this time, we practice returning our partner's
force (from his press on our chest) through our body to expel them backward
(actually using their arm as we would our own arm in punching).
When I refer to the body, as in "body-mechanics", it includes the feet,
legs, torso, arms, and head.  In fact, in wing chun kuen anything we do
involves the whole body.  A tan sao, for example, isn't just the action of
our arm but is the action of our whole body.  Tan sao uses this "bow effect"
independently in its very structure and then  links it to the "bow effect"
of our horse.  By using "the immovable elbow" that fixes the "bow" at root
of the arm (the shoulder) and rounding the elbow, the arm takes on the
characteristics of a bow.  The wrist is typically bent so that it adds
strength to the arm-bow in the same manner as it would in a real bow.  The
bow of the tan sao is then coordinated with the bow of the body and horse,
giving the arm through the entire body the ability to receive and store
force.
This mechanic goes far beyond strong rooting and the ability to hold against
incoming pressure however.  It will effect everything we do at a fundamental
level while at the same time promoting all of them to a very high degree
that cannot be obtained without these mechanics.  I maintain that wing chun
kuen is not a formal collection of techniques but rather a trained skill.
And that this body-structure or mechanics is one of the core skills that
gives rise to everything else.
Consider speed (and one can substitute just about any "attribute" or
"quality") as it pertains to wing chun kuen.  Some wing chun kuen
practitioners intentionally try to develop their speed, doing speed drills,
try to develop contact reflexes, etc.  Such a focus is in my view
fundamentally mistaken; they are focusing on a by-product instead of the
underlying "process of wing chun kuen."  If one keeps their focus on the
underlying process -- developing the individual cogs (mechanics) and the
interaction of these cogs -- they'll find all these "attributes" and
"qualities" are simply natural by-products of the process.  Focus on the
by-products themselves means they have lost sight, or never had sight, of
the wing chun process.
wing chun kuen is a "structually fast style."  While our use of straight
lines and small circles contribute to being "structually fast", it is really
by using the elastic potential of our body in the wing chun kuen
body-structure that our action becomes immediate, just like the snapping of
our fingers.  I touch and make contact with an opponent -- his pressure or
force then loads my spring.  The shape of my bridge and horse is simply a
consequence of keeping (the spring) alignment.   No thought, no
deliberation, no pause, no stimulus then response, no reflex.  If he
releases -- bang, I'm already there.  Again, no thought, no deliberation, no
pause, no stimulus then response, no reflex.  It has nothing to do with
trying to move quickly or trying to develop speed or responding to what the
opponent does.  With these mechanics, I'm literally faster than thought.
Any action based on stimulus-response will naturally involve a 'gap' of time
between stimulus and response.  Our mechanics eliminates this gap, and in
fact, we'll be able to move within any gap that our opponent creates.  Using
these mechanics, my opponent's action is simply the first half of my action.
My opponent's actions and these mechanics give rise to my technique.  This
elasticity of my body-structure gives me the abiltity to move, hand and
body, in an instant with full power.
As in the finger-snapping example, power is stored and then simply "let go".
This "letting go" can be our opponent releasing or trying to disengage, or
can be initiated by us, either in removing (for example, trapping) an
obstruction or changing the line of the spring/bow (body) to a line of no
resistance.   When our  opponent engages us, his pressure is absorbed by our
bridge-hand and body (spring).  The "rebound" of that pressure caused by my
spring is then typically directed by us, with shifting (turning) or
stepping, into the opponent's "weak line" (where his balance is most easily
offset), compromising his balance.  This, in turn, will significantly weaken
him, and make him much easier to control.  In contrast, his pressure will
have made our balance and root stronger, increased our power with the
storing of his force, and given us the handle by which to control him.  This
aspect of moving to the "weak line" is introduced and trained in the chum
kiu form of wing chun kuen.  Contrast this with how some practitioners move
away or dodge an opponent's force -- it offers no control, doesn't make them
stronger, doesn't make the opponent weaker, and loses the wing chun kuen
timing.
Another significant consequence of this mechanics is that it will naturally
act to slow the opponent's movement and to tire him.  When I am in contact
with my opponent, he is quite literally sticking to a human spring.  Any
pressure he exerts or any movment he makes will encounter a springy
resistance that doesn't give way (the opponent is the thumb and we are the
finger).   The harder he pushes, the greater pressure he feels.  The faster
he tries to move, the more difficult he will find it to move.  The more
energy he expends, the stronger I become.
It is important to understand that this elasticity is not dependent on
muscular exertion.  In fact, muscular exertion or contraction actually
destroys our elasticity by introducing tension.  The only strength necessary
is that needed to maintain one's proper posture (alignment).  These
mechanics rely on our body's natural shock absorbers, like the arch, the
tendons of the knee and hip, the joints, the spine, etc. all working in
concert to receive pressure or force, and all working in concert to release
that force.  This explains why weightlifting is, at best, irrelevant, and at
worst counter-productive, to developing skill or power in wing chun kuen.
And it also explains why our method involves shocking the opponent or
creating tension in our opponent -- not only does the tension give us a
handle to control the opponent with but it takes away his ability to use
these mechanics against us.
As I said above, this mechanic of receiving and releasing force are only two
of wing chun kuen's four body or torso methods.  The other two body methods
are chum, sink, and fou, rise or float, and pertain to the mechanics of how
our body-structure can use gravity, similarly to how it uses our "spring
potential", to generate and receive force.   This is another core mechanic
(cog) that requires a great deal of investigation (perhaps another article).
Without going into it in detail, I want to point out that these four body
methods can be used separately or in conjuction with one another -- though
they are, like everything else in wing chun kuen, both inter-related and
interdependent.  As I said above, they are part of "the wing chun process"
and are the cogs that drive our method.  For example, we can use gravity to
'bend the bow' or to 'load the spring' when not in contact with an opponent.
When we offset our center of gravity and maintain the proper body-structure
(as described above), this offsetting of gravity will load the various bows
of our body, e.g.,  the hip, joints, and arch, and store that energy.  To
release it then becomes simply a matter of "letting go" of the stored
energy.  In this way, we can achieve speed and power greater than that
offered by muscular exertion.
This subject of body-structure or body-mechanics, including the four body
methods, is a very deep one, as it is integral to so much of what we do.
This article has just scratched the surface of this topic.  It should be
noted, however, that this mechanics is not restricted to a certain lineage
or family of wing chun kuen -- it is part of the core process of wing chun
kuen, and transcends lineage.  All too often, students and practitioners of
the art focus on techniques, shapes,  movements and attributes, and they
don't appreciate that these are merely the by-products of the process of
wing chun kuen, the physical expressions of the the inner-workings of our
method (or the cogs as I call them).   Changing perspective and instead
trying to grasp the underlying process or inner-workings of our art will, I
submit, lead them much further in terms of understanding what they are doing
and in being able to actually use their method.  The "inner game" transforms
wing chun kuen from a collection of formal techniques into an enlightened
art.  It brings your wing chun kuen alive, gives it personality, and gives
it depth, and gives it soul.  I leave it to you to investigate further.

 by Terence Niehoff
Un minimo di traduzione o un piccolo riassunto, no...???
;-)
       Maestro Mario Cosentino
             Juko Junior Club
http://web.tiscali.it/MarioCosentino
                    Milano

 ;-)
Un minimo corso d'inglese e un buon vocabolario mai??  ;-))   
Anche questa volta, comunque, ti sei perso qualcosa di molto interessante
e significativo! he he!!   :-)
cià  lob    
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questo articolo e` stato inviato via web dal servizio gratuito 
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 e significativo! he he!!   :-)
Che ne pensi Lob?
RoBiN

> Che ne pensi Lob?
Ne penso bene, necessitano indagini sul tale.
a presto   lob



davvero interessante.
ben ritrovato.
Stefano

 Ne penso bene, necessitano indagini sul tale.
Allievo di Robert Chu (allievo di Hawking Cheung mi sembra..)
RoBiN

 ben ritrovato.
Grazie.
Ti controllo sempre non dimenticarlo mai ;-)
RoBiN

 e significativo! he he!!   :-)
Non ne dubito assolutamente.
Voi cmq potreste fare un riassuntino...a meno che...non vogliate nascondere
qualcosa...
^______^
            Maestro Mario Cosentino
 
http://web.tiscalinet.it/MarioCosentino
 
www.juko-junior-club.it
                  ICQ 46225702
                        Milano
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 RoBiN
LOL, sono nei guai! ^_^
Non e' colpa mia, sono i pranzi da mamma', se per allineare il Yin Tang con
il Dan Tian devo appoggiare il mento sullo sterno ...  a me, piladelpìa
lait!
Ciao!
Stefano

 lait!
...spiegami un po' 'sta storia dell'allineamento?????
cią  lob


prendevo le mosse da uno degli articoli (molto interessanti; peraltro,
esplicitamente critici rispetto al lineage LT, almeno per quanto attiene
alla distribuzione del peso del corpo) segnalati da Robin
 
http://www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/articles_root.html
Ciao!
Ste