# Leg Checks and Sweeps



## futsaowingchun (Jul 1, 2015)

What this video teaches is how the basic opening of the 3 hand sets, Siu Nim Tao,Chum Kiu and Biu Gee and hidden or not so known leg checks and leg sweeps hidden in the forms..


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## Transk53 (Jul 2, 2015)

Interesting. Thanks for posting.


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## futsaowingchun (Jul 2, 2015)

Transk53 said:


> Interesting. Thanks for posting.



Your welcome glad you liked it..


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## Eric_H (Jul 2, 2015)

*Grabs popcorn and waits for John Wang's response*


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## yak sao (Jul 2, 2015)

We come from different lineages but I was taught this as well.


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## Vajramusti (Jul 2, 2015)

yak sao said:


> We come from different lineages but I was taught this as well.


-----------------------------------------------Easy to each and  learn

and there are counters to those moves.


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## PiedmontChun (Jul 2, 2015)

I watched it without audio at work, but familiar stuff. Reminds me of one of my instructors who likes to "check" your stance when in close by checking or jamming your front leg. We are taught to keep the weight on the back leg (WT lineage) so if the front leg is checked we are to not fight it and use that force to move ourselves around it.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 2, 2015)

Eric_H said:


> *Grabs popcorn and waits for John Wang's response*


Thanks for the OP to start this thread. The "leg bridging" is such an important skill, so far we have not had much discussion in this area yet. IMO, if your leading leg can contact on your opponent's leading leg, not only you can prevent his leg to kick you or knee you, you can also sense his intention and respond to it properly.

My teacher's bother told me that he would never move in without touching his leading leg onto his opponent's leading leg first. That's how important that "leg bridge" is used in the grappling art. It plays a very important part of the "entering strategy".






When you use "leg bridging", you start to use your

- back leg for your "rooting leg",
- front leg for your "attacking leg (use your leg to 'control' your opponent's leg)",

you have just stepped from the striking world into the grappling world.


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## wckf92 (Jul 2, 2015)

I was trained in this method as well. And I love it. It effectively jams your opponents lead leg; and it gives you the knowledge of his intent. He can't attack you with his rear leg (without altering his forward leg); he can't use his forward leg without a major shift in body weight and COG; and when applied properly, it positions you on his "outside" gate thus nullifying his other hand/arm. 
Lots of emphasis was placed on this training. Yes, there are counters; but only from someone who has training. (IMHO).  
Good discussion (so far).


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 2, 2015)

wckf92 said:


> there are counters; but only from someone who has training.








All attack has counters. Since "leg bridge" should work with "arm bridge", IMO, the best counter for the above "shin bite" is to:

- Use your right hand to grab on your opponent's right wrist.
- Pull your right leg back behind your left leg.
- Extend your left arm under his right arm.
- Spin your body to your right, and
- Put pressure on his right elbow joint.






It may be worthwhile to notice that when your opponent applies "leg bridge" on you, he tries to force you to make certain commitment so he can take advantage on it. If he detects that you try to lift your right leg and put all your weight on your left leg, his right "shin biting" leg can "spring" your left back leg when all your weight is on it.


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## futsaowingchun (Jul 2, 2015)

There a


Vajramusti said:


> -----------------------------------------------Easy to each and  learn
> 
> and there are counters to those mo





Kung Fu Wang said:


> All attack has counters. Since "leg bridge" should work with "arm bridge", IMO, the best counter for the above "shin bite" is:
> 
> - Use your right hand to grab on your opponent's right wrist.
> - Pull your right leg back behind your left leg.
> ...



Good stuff..this picture looks very familiar..


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## Buka (Jul 2, 2015)

When your base (leg, in stand up) gets compromised - oh, does that suck.


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## Transk53 (Jul 3, 2015)

futsaowingchun said:


> Your welcome glad you liked it..



For me it is always good to others exploration on different perspectives.


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## Xue Sheng (Jul 3, 2015)

futsaowingchun said:


> What this video teaches is how the basic opening of the 3 hand sets, Siu Nim Tao,Chum Kiu and Biu Gee and hidden or not so known leg checks and leg sweeps hidden in the forms..



I've seen these in other lineages, but I have a question, and I mean no offense; Do the majority of those that train Wing Chun remember them, use them and know how to defend against them?

I have done a combination of Chi Sau vs Push hands with a few WC people and they are hard to hit and very good strikers but more than once I have had to stop them and tell them to pay attention to their feet/knees and showed them where I was, why, and what could have happened had I not, and on one occasion I just locked the other guys foot to the ground by stepping on it and his structure was compromised.

But with this I am not saying it is easy to get there, having someone trying to punch you in the head, chest or anywhere else as you try, block, stick, redirect and maneuver does not make it easy


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## wckf92 (Jul 3, 2015)

Xue Sheng said:


> I've seen these in other lineages, but I have a question, and I mean no offense; Do the majority of those that train Wing Chun remember them, use them and know how to defend against them?



Not from what I have seen. In my opinion, WC leg skill is on a decline. This is not to say it is kept alive in some families; just that I think most focus on the hands.



Xue Sheng said:


> I'I just locked the other guys foot to the ground by stepping on it and his structure was compromised.



Stepping on the foot is a good skill/tactic, but takes solid training in WC footwork patterns/angles etc to pull off. If you stepped on this WC guys foot and he did not know how to counter...he could have been a newb(?) or he just doesn't know what to do in those instances...?


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## ShortBridge (Jul 3, 2015)

"Without feet, there are no hands."


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## Xue Sheng (Jul 3, 2015)

wckf92 said:


> Not from what I have seen. In my opinion, WC leg skill is on a decline. This is not to say it is kept alive in some families; just that I think most focus on the hands.



That is more of what I think it might be, all family and lineages aside, many seem to focus much more on the hands. And to be honest, if that is all you are focusing on and not thinking things below the waist beyond using it for structure, it is easier. 



wckf92 said:


> Stepping on the foot is a good skill/tactic, but takes solid training in WC footwork patterns/angles etc to pull off. If you stepped on this WC guys foot and he did not know how to counter...he could have been a newb(?) or he just doesn't know what to do in those instances...?



No he was not a newb, he was rather skilled, just seemed to have no focus on his feet/legs, and it was more than one person, all I consider quite skilled and well trained. and it is simply a slide forward and lock his toes to the ground with mine and apply pressure.



ShortBridge said:


> "Without feet, there are no hands."



True, but if you do not pay attention to your legs or the legs of the guy in front of you, then you can lose your structure and your ability to use your hands rather quickly.


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## PiedmontChun (Jul 3, 2015)

My instructors (a WT family) seem to have a big emphasis on stance and leg usage. We practice plum blossom stepping in a lot of our drills, stepping very close to, or stepping "thru" an opponent while sticking, forming some kind of leg bridge if we are in a dominant attacking position (versus having to move ourself around our partner due to their force). Some wicked stuff you can do when you are preventing someone from people able to turn or step while you are attacking them!


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## Vajramusti (Jul 3, 2015)

Foot and knee  work is not on the decline in my wing chun family-neither are the hands. Whole body "unity" is a crucial goal. Techniques flow from that.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 3, 2015)

Xue Sheng said:


> I am not saying it is easy to get there, ...


IMO, you can build "arm bridge" first. you then use it to hide your intention to build your "leg bridge". Of course you can also build "arm bridge" and "leg bridge" at the same time. That will require great timing.

Even if you may fail, you have just forced your opponent to react to your move so you can react to his reaction. That's what a "door opening" move suppose to do for you.

A low roundhouse kick aiming at your opponent's inside leading upper leg can give you a chance to set this up. The more aggressive approach can be just to "jump on it" by pressing your shin bone against your opponent's upper leading leg. You then slide down your leg along his leg and hook your foot behind his ankle. I like to call it "jumping spider".


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 3, 2015)

At 2.47, you call it "sweep". I prefer to call it "切(Qie) - cut". IMO, the

- "sweep" is a "forward" leg motion, and
- "cut" is a "backward" leg motion.

When you hook your foot behind your opponent's ankle, the

1. 咬 (Yao) shin bite - press your shin bone against the inside part of your opponent's low leg,
2. 撮 (Cuo) scooping kick - pull your opponent's foot toward you along the ground,
3. 粘 (Zhan) sticking kick - lift your foot up and remain contact when your opponent tries to escape his leg,
4. 踢 (Ti) foot sweep - sweep your opponent's foot off the ground,

are a 4 in 1 package deal.


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## geezer (Jul 5, 2015)

Xue Sheng said:


> I've seen these in other lineages, but I have a question, and I mean no offense; Do the majority of those that train Wing Chun remember them, use them and know how to defend against them?



I believe the better practitioners in my lineage (WT and NVTO) _frequently_ apply these movements and their counters. Including circling knee locks, huen-bo sweeps and throws and so on. My kung fu brother Jeff Webb is great with knee locks and sweeps.

I tend to avoid some of these techniques since I have bone fusions in my ankles and also have had both knees operated on.  I generally  don't mess with knee locking and counter locking. It just isn't safe for me. However, I do profitably employ huen-bo sweeps, leg checks, and leg-foot contact to read my opponent's intentions -- much like what John Wang was referring to in post #8 above.


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