This write up is from a previous blog I wrote on tai chi and wing tsun. As we progress in the tutorial, it becomes more and more important, that your WT training
is built around concept training, instead of techniques. Hopefully this article will start you thinking a bit about how to use the arms conceptually, instead of specific 'moves'.
Arms Like Knives
CONCEPT IN HISTORY
One version of WT's history is that the art evolved from the battlefield "double knives". These famous knives add to the legend of Wing Tsuns 'real practicality". Life and death struggles against other well trained opponents, armed with weaponry that was longer, heavier, and more powerful (broadswords, staff/spears, ball and chain, and other similar paraphenalia) developed the skills now used in modern WT. WT's butterfly swords, as they are sometimes called, had some specific advantages.
ADVANTAGES
One is in the variety of types of usages. Being able to quickly switch from hacking and chopping type movements, to slicing, slippery moves, as well as the ability to stick, control, or yield with one while attacking with the other makes you much harder to defend against. This versatility of switching from strength to speed, from jamming to slipping, as well as twice the attacks at once all made the double knives a weapon that was hard to stop. After all most weapons have very specific strengths. And being so specific also limits their application and make them relatively easy to defend against, at least in theory. Someone who can change tactics in the blink of an eye, is much harder to set up a specific defense against. Think of having a long rifle that is accurate at 1000 yards, and how limited it is when your opponent is in grappling range with a knife. Then think of the WT knife ( or fighter it represents) as a transformer type weapon. It can slice or stab, club or bind, deflect or slam. There can be double levels, double angles, or fakes and actual strikes. ( WT fighters actually try to attack with 3 limbs, since they use both arms PLUS the hip/knee shin to strike/offblance etc.) Whether or not the history and stories are correct is not so important. What we modern WT practitioners are interested in is the concept of multiple skills used in an aggressive defense.
THE 'FEEL'(USE) OF THE WEAPON
The mental pictures obtained by even relating to this weaponry can definitely help a trainee to visualise specific objectives towards achieving skills. Following are five basic examples. 1. Picturing a 'sword hand' strike to the neck implies the cutting/penetrating feeling that is often lacking in a beginners hand strikes. 2. Thinking of bypassing your opponents arms to get to the body is seemingly easier achieved by by thinking of your own limbs as knives, and then hacking, chopping and slicing as necessary when you meet your opponents arms (weapons). Most of us have problems in getting to our opponent, because on contact with their arms we tend to tighten up and try to use force. Seeing your arms as blades can help you slip through with a cutting motion. 3. Getting in close as fast as possible makes more sense when you think of double 14 inch knives going against a 7 foot long spear, or a 3 foot broadsword. If your opponent has good power and reach, you can often nullify this by getting to a range where traditional 'muscle power' doesnt seem to work well. Not many people can generate 'short power'consistently without training specifically for it. Also you will find that most people are very uncomfortable with the close range hits that WT tends to use most, ie. the range between trapping and elbow/knee range. 4. Using one arm to control whilst stabbing/slicing with the other is something that makes sense, if your opponent had only 'one' weapon. Most people, including professional fighters and strong athletes tend to use one upper limb at a time. Two against one makes better sense. 5. Lots of fighters have the most difficulty when it comes to transition movements. A basic example is two guys staying at kicking range and then one suddenly entering closer in with a hand strike. Often this seems to get through not because it is particularly hard to defend against per se, but because the mind seems to have trouble switching quiclkly enough. Another example can be seen when grapplers dive from hand striking range to grappling range. WT knives are prime examples of what I like to call 'misdirection weapons'. Like watching a skilled sleight of hand artist, you seem to keep getting caught watching the wrong limb, or expectiing it to go elsewhere. This skill of the knives is of course the same with WT's ways of entering, or bypassing the guards (i.e. limbs) to get to the 'director of operations'.
WEDGE
There are many more concepts that easily translate from the methods of knife or short sword to striking with your arms. Both offensive and defensive at the same time, WT knives (arms) are used in a number of methods that is the same whether you are with or without an actual weapon. The main concepts of a wedge attack is demonstrated in principle by simply putting the two knife tips (or interlacing the fingers of both hands into one big fist) and then meeting your opponents hand strikes with an actual wedge shaped defence/attack. I usually teach this as a snowplow defence, that guides snow(attacking arms) to the side while staying upon the actual road leading to the opponent.
Since this wedge actually covers more than a vertical left and right side, it is actually a cone shape rather than a plow shaped wedge. The following animation illustrating the idea is found on my teacher Ralph Haenels site, www.wingtsunkungfu.com It was designed by Gary Hughes of Vancouver, BC.
http://www.realisticselfdefense.net/img/wing_tsun_shield.gif
SPIRIT
When marital artists talk about swords, you often hear references to spirit of the weapon. This shows up when trainees pick up a sword and tend to try harder, lunge further, and train longer. This of course can result eventually in more skill development. The playing with weapons is similar in concept to that of young animals 'play fighting". Theoretically it is regarded as play, but it actually is practise for the real thing. Playing like this tends to develop a 'warrior spirit' as well. All fighters know that 'heart' is a major factor in battle. And practising with weapons is a way of connecting with this spirit.
MUSCLE MEMORY
My instructor, Ralph, told me that knife training can serve many purposes. The weight of the knives is sort of a weight lifting for martial arts in that it works the specific muscles needed. I was told that at the 'castle' they were hitting solid walls with the knives. If your grip of the knife was too loose, you would drop it on contact. If you held it too tightly, you would feel like your fingers/hand was broken and tend to also drop the weapon. The correct grip tension of course helps control the weapon. My interpretation is that for handwork, that the right tension gives one the unique WT ability to penetrate with your hits. We are not necessarily trying to slam, or to lightly jab, but more of a 'stab' with our punches. This type of 'hitting with a weapon' would help develop this type of penetration power..
TACTICS
The military effectiveness of wedge attacks to 'cut through' larger, stronger, and more concentrated forces has been documented throughout history. Surely there is much of value in this on a personal combat level. One is the macro version/one the micro. Many similarities will surface. Besides the wedge attack, military history teaches us some other tactics that we also see and borrow from the double knives. One is that the best defense is a good offense. Another might be the ability to attack on two sides at once, or to use the feint,draw, and attack from a different angle. Flanking, encircling, and just overruning the enemy with multiple attacks is classic double knife work. And of course there is the direct stab (i.e. the idea of getting to the leader to end it quickly). Cutting the head off so to speak, resonates with the way double knives are used. And having multiple weapons or more than one limb to be used like different squadrons/individuals gives one the ability to disguise the main intent.
CONTROL
WT's multiple skills, ranges, and the ability to switch rapidly as they read the situation, increases the effectiveness of your entire army by overwhelming the opponents usual mental process. Getting them to react because of the close range and extremely quick numerous attacks is a prime knives concept. You are forcing them to react, which means you are essentially leading them. In WT's method the idea is to force them to fight 'our way', which they are usually not so familiar with. This increases our chances of success greatly.
FUN
Last, but not least.....playing with the knives is fun!!! There is a reason why all those old Hollywood pirate type movies, right up to Johnny Depps 'Pirates of the Carribean' are so popular. Skills come from enthusiastic regular training, and this type of training is a blast!!! After all, children pick up swords and fight for fun. .....
Enjoy your training...work with the double knives and extend the concepts to your open hand training!!!!!
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