Page 40 - Martial Science Magazine Feb/2015 #7
P. 40

UNBALANCED









                                                   By: Philip Nearing











                                                   A Comparative View of


                                                   Unbalancing Techniques

                                                   in the Wing Chun Wooden


                                                   Dummy Form






              The Wing Chun wooden dum- application of Wing Chun in fi- overlook other very important
              my is a bit like an abacus. On the  ghting situations, specifically, the  aspects of the dummy form, in
              surface an abacus appears a very  unbalancing of an opponent, and  particular, the numerous “un-
              simple device, a calculating tool  how we can practice these appli- balancing techniques” in every
              whereby  beads  are  slid  up  and  cations on the wooden dummy.  section of the form. Unbalan-
              down a series of rods enclosed  Essentially, the wooden dummy  cing is an extremely important
              in a wooden frame, but in rea- form is comprised of the hand  part of the Wing Chun system
              lity it is capable of solving very  techniques from the three emp- that is often taken for granted
              complex mathematical equa- ty handed forms of Wing Chun  and rarely given any explicit fo-
              tions. The shape of the mook  plus the footwork and kicks in an  cus in training. As Wing Chun
              jong, or wooden dummy as it is  applied format. The empty han- practitioners, we are often more
              usually translated, is also very  ded forms show the techniques  interested in blocking and stri-
              simple in appearance, a cylin- and the wooden dummy applies  king than the less obvious idea of
              drical trunk of wood with four  them in a fighting situation.   unbalancing. To fully understand
              “arms and legs” extending from  When training on the wooden  the value and usefulness of un-
              it. Yet through this simple piece  dummy one tends to focus on the  balancing an opponent it is ne-
              of equipment the Wing Chun fi- tasks at hand, i. e. blocks, strikes,  cessary to look comparatively at
              ghter can explore the deepest se- footwork, kicks and the proper  how unbalancing is used in other
              crets of the Wing Chun system.  application of yiu ma energy.  methods of fighting.
              This article is about the practical  In doing so, it is quite easy to  In throwing arts such as Judo,


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