12 August 2008

Recently many magazine editors invite me to narrate the history of Wing Chun and some purposes of Wing Chun Kuen technique. I show no interest. Firstly, I do not instruct Wing Chun Kuen by means of books. I know the historical events through Grandmaster Yip Man or other antecessors. It is hard to distinguish whether they are true or false. Therefore, I can only talk about what I have heard with my own eyes. As to the theories and technique purposes, because different people have different physique and culture, it cannot explain in the same way. Domestic and foreign experts and masters who compose books to the market, and I believe most of them plagiarize with each other. However, when a great number of similar expressions appear on the market, people gradually believe they are the truth, which are later accepted by the public.

Except chopsticks and lotus seed paste buns which can be acted as weapons as I once said, there is till Bui Chi. Why? Because my opinion on the functions of Bui Chi differ greatly with opinions of most Wing Chun disciples. Several years ago, I drank coffer with Master Bo Kin Wah and another Taichi master in Delifrance, Hyatt Regency Hotel in Beijing Road. Related to Bui Chi, people generally believe Bui Chi is an attacking technique, while I believe Bui Chi shall mainly be a defeat technique. Master Bu felt quite surprised at that time and asked me whether this opinion is the instruction of Grandmaster Yip Man or my personal research conclusion. After my explanation, master Bu came to accept my opinion. Master Bo Jianhua is the excellent prentice of Master Liang Xiang. After being instructed for over forty years, his prentices enjoy high status in Wing Chun circle.

As to Bui Chi, I hear all day that Bui Chi is the most serious and profound technique. Focusing on finger tip, we believe we can defeat the opponent at one stroke with very serious effect. However, I believe that in the formal flight, both we and the opponent will not pay any sympathy and will go all out in every stroke. While whether strength can exert depends on function and routine practice. In actual flight, one really has no time to think about countermeasures and gestures keep changing. You really have no time to focus all your strength on your finger tip, then to make a fatal stroke to the opponent. In this condition, it is meaningless whether to focus all strength on Bui Chi.

Any Kung Fu has attacking and defending gesture. I believe the functions of Bui Chi are beating when attack, dealing with the emergency when defeat. The function of defend is more than the function of attack.

When practising "gwai jang" (the elbow in biu jee), the most difficult angle to generate power is vertically from top to bottom. When a practioner is able to generate power at this angle (after rigorous practice), generating power at all other angles (side / diagonal) is simple.

Demostration: Jeran Cho (click thumb to enlarge)