# Deflecting Punches From The Side.



## mook jong man (Jul 13, 2009)

What techniques does your lineage employ to deal with punches coming directly from the side of you.
For instance just to simplify the scenario we will say it is a Karate type punch to the head or the ribs or indeed any straight punch.

You don't have time to square up using the Chum Kiu thrust kick or time to step so that you are facing the attacker.
We basically used about one of three different hand techniques in conjunction with a low or medium side kick .

 Bear in mind that this side kick is not a traditional part of the Wing Chun system but was added by my Sifu because it is a practical kick and easier for lower grades to do than the Chum Kiu kick which they would not learn for several years until they got up to the stage of  learning Chum Kiu.

Say for example we read the punch as being aimed for our head , we swing our guard across to the side , and then we do three things simultaneously.

 Our nearest arm raises up a Dai Sau underneath the punch and deflects it aiming to make contact at his upper forearm close to the wrist. It doesn't matter what arm he punches with , the Dai sau will deflect either , it just means that against one of his arms it will contact on the outside and on the other it will make contact on the inside of his arm.

Our other hand comes down to guard our ribcage just as though you have done a big parry (Pak Sau) down to your ribs. At the same time as you are doing these two hand movements throw out a low side kick to his knee or shin.

 This serves the purpose of striking him while you deflect his punch with your arm and also keeps him from getting into range with his punch just in case you have made a mistake in your deflection.

If the attackers punch is directed low to our ribcage area then we swing our guard across to the side , then we do three moves simultaneously again , with our nearest arm we cut down on his forearm close to his wrist ( just till your forearm is slightly lower than parallel to the floor). 

 Our other hand comes across like a big parry (pak sau ) to guard the side of our head , at the same time as you do these hand movements throw out a side kick to his knee or shin .

 Its important when you do the kick that it is in keeping with the Wing Chun principle of directness and economy of movement which means your heel goes straight from your stance to the target. 

Also in regards  to the hand positions all you have to remember is  that one hand is defending high and the other hand is guarding low or one hand is defending low while the other hand is guarding high.

The third technique is limited to deflecting against only a head punch and can only be used against the outside of his arm. So it would be your right arm vs. his right arm or your left vs. his left. 
In this technique the kick is not simultaneous.

We are using our own centre line punch as a counter punch to deflect his straight punch to our head.
As soon as you have deflected and made contact with your punch , bring your punch back into angle and drop your Fook Sau down on his arm , grabbing it .

As you do a short and sudden latch on his punching arm , throw a side kick with your heel up into his rib cage which will be open. Make sure you bring your spare hand across to guard the side of your head. 

The way you would drill the first two techniques would be to have your partner positioned directly at the side of you out of punching range so that he has to step in. Start off slowly deflecting high and low punches in sequence then later on against random high or low punches. Make sure you get that side kick out as soon as he comes into range.

 It goes with out saying that if in a real situation after you have completed these techniques  from the side that you should square up a.s.a.p and be ready to follow up as needed.


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## Tensei85 (Jul 13, 2009)

Lol, I won't go into all the details but generally we use the following.

Faat Sau (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) 
Gaan Sau (from high reference for face punches)
Gan Sau (for low punches or hooks)
Biu Sau (for face level punches)
Taan Sau (for mid reference punches)
Lap Sau from a Jong Sau position for Chung Choi 
Ton Sau (different than Taan Sau) for angled punches

That's a few, but for the most part I think there are a few variables involved including.

Energies
Positioning or Structures
Levels of attack and so forth that determine what counter based on reactional force is to be used. 

So we do have training devices for this scenario that are used mainly from a "Kiu Sau" platform.


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## mook jong man (Jul 14, 2009)

Tensei85 said:


> Lol, I won't go into all the details but generally we use the following.
> 
> Faat Sau (vertical, horizontal, diagonal)
> Gaan Sau (from high reference for face punches)
> ...


 
Do you use those techniques to intercept punches that are coming directly from the side ? Or are they more for attacks coming at you from front on.
Which of those ones do you use to stop attacks from the side ?


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## zepedawingchun (Jul 14, 2009)

High to the face, we would use our hip to shift in the direction of the attack, executing a biu da (combination biu sao to their punch and return one of our own).

Mid-level attack, most likely a tan da or a pak da, all the while shifting into the direction of the attack.

Low level punch (hook or uppercut), we use gan da, and again shifting into the direction.


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## Tensei85 (Jul 14, 2009)

mook jong man said:


> Do you use those techniques to intercept punches that are coming directly from the side ? Or are they more for attacks coming at you from front on.
> Which of those ones do you use to stop attacks from the side ?



They are either or, we have two different time frames that we utilize these techniques from either Deui Ying (facing) or from a Jeui Ying (Side) time frame. 

Then we have Kiu Sau drilling which reflects the nature of Deui Ying & Jeui Ying utilizing the techniques above mentioned.


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## Tensei85 (Jul 14, 2009)

Actually let me elaborate a little more on some of the Kiu Sau drilling formats that we utilize.

We start from a Bai Jong position which correlates the Deui Ying facing with a Leung Yi Ma stance from there we will have 3-4 or sometimes more partners to attack from each angle with enough people it would equate to the lines of a compass. Then we use the Jong Sau with a Chiu Min concept of turning to intercept the attack and utilize some of the various techniques mentioned above. That's only one example, other than that one we do have a sequence where we only have people on each side and behind that will throw an attack or grab or etc...

Then from that point we intercept based on the structure, energy used, angle etc... and counteract it with a structure such as mentioned. 

What I like to do best is as mentioned and everyone has a free for all, no sequence of who goes first, no set attack, and multiple attacks given.

Again these should be applied after the basic concepts and body mechanics are trained and integrated into the core.


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## Domino (Jul 15, 2009)

Nice read Mook, you need diagrams for the 20th century and write a book


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## Tensei85 (Jul 15, 2009)

Domino said:


> Nice read Mook, you need diagrams for the 20th century and write a book



Agreed, if Mook came out with a book I know I would definitely purchase it.


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## sesvet (Jul 15, 2009)

We have a drill where the partner stand from your side with one hand trapping your elbow to your body and the other hand resting on your shoulder with a punch aim to the side of your stance. When you feel the execution of the punch you turn towards your partner and do a outside fook sau to release his trap and at the same time block his punch to the face.
This is one of our chum kiu focus drills.


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