Wing Chun’s basic training methods cover several areas. Here are some of the key elements:
- Stance Training (e.g., Ving Tsun goat gripping Horse, turning stance/pivoting): This is the foundation of Wing Chun and requires feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, hips tightened, and elbows kept sunk to the body to maintain a stable structure. Stance training helps to increase leg strength and body structure/alignment, and is the basis for other Wing Chun techniques.
- Siu Nim Tau Training: As a beginner’s set of Wing Chun, Siu Nim Tau emphasises the stability of the stance, the stretching of the hips, arms, and back, and the standard position of the hand movements. The whole set starts from the opening of the stance to the end of the set, the whole body is immobile except for the hand movements, requiring the head to be straight, the body to be straight, the stance to be stable, the other muscles of the body to be relaxed, and the breathing to be natural. Little idea training helps to develop body coordination and stability.
- Techniques training: Wing Chun has a wide variety of techniques, including spreading hand, subduing hand, upper arm, guarding hand, slapping hand, punches, etc. These techniques require accurate and precise movements, which help to improve the flexibility and attacking power of the hands.
- Footwork training: Wing Chun’s footwork is flexible and varied, such as the turn of the stance, the circle step, the triangle step, etc. Footwork training requires close coordination with the hand techniques to maintain structural power generation and the agility of movement.
- Chi Sau/Sticky Hands Training: Chi Sau is a unique two-person training method in Wing Chun. Through close contact and perception with the opponent, the practitioner can quickly read the opponent’s movements and react to them. Chi Sau training helps to improve the practitioner’s reaction speed and ability to generate force from very close range.