How important is foot work and rooting?

[Yoshiyahu]

I know call it protect your nutz stance...It comes in handy when someone is trying to kick you in the groin with a lifting a kick.

I actually was able to use it successful once when I told a Ex-Girlfriend something she didn't want to hear...Oh she tried to kick me and to her surprise I caught her foot with my knees...


At that point all of her anger was gone...because she realize she couldnt hurt me even when I wasn't aware of a strike coming.




Check this vid out Mystic Wolf...Here is a guy practicing the horse stance or Mabu...

He looks like he is in pain and hasn't be doing it for one minute. man i remember those days. After 20 Minutes I would start feeling pain..My Sifu would say...hold that stance. get down there...An similair to Si-Je he would say lower the stance the greater the benefit...stay down there an don't miss all that heavenly glory...lol...

He meant Chi by the way...lol...ha ha....I didn't understand those stances build chi...After six months doing those stances I looked at my legs...wow...the ladies like my thigh muscles too...An I never did squats or leg presses just stance training for long periods...

Sure we have sheep in Texas. But let me explain...
We live in the city. and the city is like...
uh... 100 miles in circumrunce, before anyone sees a sheep.
so, we had to adapt it to where people would understand in our area. And that was basketballs and volleyballs.
I would love for master jim fungs teacher to come to texas, but no one here would know how to translate.
And we couldn't afford to give him a place to stay, escpecailly if we couldn't understand him when he speaks.
no disrespect. we just don't speak chinese.
I think they both are the most awesome wing chun masters EVER@!!!@
And that's why I put the link to their website, because I think people should be able to see this. Mastary of basic stance, mastery of wing chun, in a fashion that people don't ever get to see here in the United states.

Sifu hubbie had to study abroad. And he brings the knowledge he learned to the states, to Texas.
But, to describe the basic stance as "shearing sheep", believe it or not, Texans don't identify with that here in the city.
lol!
We don't ride horses to school or work everyday, we're not cowboys. We're not alot of things that people think we are. We're just regular city folks working a job in the city.
Hell, the metroplex is about 100 miles in circumference (yes, I know i misspelled it!) it's a city bigger than most states in the U.S.
I ment no disrespect. I just ment that the phrase "shearing sheep" wasn't working too well in the city of the metroplex of dallas/fort worth, so ... we call it "basic stance" and make folks hold "balls" basket or volleyball depending on their size, to teach them stance.

 

[mook jong man]

Sure we have sheep in Texas. But let me explain...
We live in the city. and the city is like...
uh... 100 miles in circumrunce, before anyone sees a sheep.
so, we had to adapt it to where people would understand in our area. And that was basketballs and volleyballs.
I would love for master jim fungs teacher to come to texas, but no one here would know how to translate.
And we couldn't afford to give him a place to stay, escpecailly if we couldn't understand him when he speaks.
no disrespect. we just don't speak chinese.
I think they both are the most awesome wing chun masters EVER@!!!@
And that's why I put the link to their website, because I think people should be able to see this. Mastary of basic stance, mastery of wing chun, in a fashion that people don't ever get to see here in the United states.

Sifu hubbie had to study abroad. And he brings the knowledge he learned to the states, to Texas.
But, to describe the basic stance as "shearing sheep", believe it or not, Texans don't identify with that here in the city.
lol!
We don't ride horses to school or work everyday, we're not cowboys. We're not alot of things that people think we are. We're just regular city folks working a job in the city.
Hell, the metroplex is about 100 miles in circumference (yes, I know i misspelled it!) it's a city bigger than most states in the U.S.
I ment no disrespect. I just ment that the phrase "shearing sheep" wasn't working too well in the city of the metroplex of dallas/fort worth, so ... we call it "basic stance" and make folks hold "balls" basket or volleyball depending on their size, to teach them stance.

Nah I didn't take any offence , I found it amusing they didn't know what shearing a sheep looked like , damn city slickers .

I know what Texas is like I watched a very educational documentary about it called Walker Texas Ranger most informative it was too.

Ha , I'm only kidding you , every place gets stereotyped . Its like Australia , tourists get off the plane and think they're going to see kangaroos hopping down the main street , and that we all walk around saying " Crikey " and spend our time wrestling crocodiles .

People can have some funny perceptions of places .

 

[Eru Ilúvatar]

This is sort of on topic.. I was wondering how many of you people use or were thought to use the Yee gee kim yeung ma as a fighting stance? I was thought that the Ygkym is more of a training stance to train the adduction, structure etc., but not to be used in actual fighting.. Allthough I do kind of relate to the WT rationalisation behind it. I like Emin Boztepes analogy somwhere along the lines that it's like a charged bow ready to shoot as soon as the opponent is at a certein distance. This days I'm experimenting with these idea and it makes sense to me in a way..

 

[mook jong man]

In the Tsui Seung Tin lineage the YGKYM stance is our fighting stance and the stance we practice in chi sau .

 

[geezer]

This is sort of on topic.. I was wondering how many of you people use or were thought to use the Yee gee kim yeung ma as a fighting stance? I was thought that the Ygkym is more of a training stance to train the adduction, structure etc...

Actually, this would make a great topic for a new thread. So, I'm going to steal your idea, Eru, (I have no shame) and do just that. Eru, Mook, Si-Je, Yoshi, et al... please join me!

 

[Si-Je]

Nah I didn't take any offence , I found it amusing they didn't know what shearing a sheep looked like , damn city slickers .

I know what Texas is like I watched a very educational documentary about it called Walker Texas Ranger most informative it was too.

Ha , I'm only kidding you , every place gets stereotyped . Its like Australia , tourists get off the plane and think they're going to see kangaroos hopping down the main street , and that we all walk around saying " Crikey " and spend our time wrestling crocodiles .

People can have some funny perceptions of places .

"Crikey!" ya mean there's no Kangoroos to meet ya at the airport? lol! I know what ya mean, and the cool thing about Walker Texas Ranger is that they film it in Dallas and Fort Worth, so it could be "educational", lol! The clubs, courthouses, and resturants you could "preview" and visit them when ya "come on down."

But, it was just funny to see the look on people's faces when sifu explaines the stance with the "sheep shearing" visual.

As for using the basic stance used in SLT and "shearing sheep". We use it as a fighting stance. I stayed in that stance for my entire match at tournament. You get used to it and as a fighting stance, and it gives you as much maneorvoablility as you could want. As well as structure, power, and stability.

 

[Si-Je]

Is this how "advanced stance" is being taught?
We were watching the stepping and footwork here, and I was wondering if many were learning footwork this way.
We do it differently, but this thread has educated me in the fact that folks are doing stance and footwork differently than what we've been taught..

 

[paulus]

Is this how "advanced stance" is being taught?
We were watching the stepping and footwork here, and I was wondering if many were learning footwork this way.

He actually calls it "basic stepping" in the video, but we don't train our footwork like that. I'd have to agree with one of the comments on the video in that he closes his feet too much for my liking. Also, his head rises and falls as he steps, whereas in our class it was always impressed on us to keep our heads level as we move. I'm not saying either method is wrong, just that we do things differently.

 

[seasoned]

Is this how "advanced stance" is being taught?
We were watching the stepping and footwork here, and I was wondering if many were learning footwork this way.
We do it differently, but this thread has educated me in the fact that folks are doing stance and footwork differently than what we've been taught..

Si-Je, how are you?

Ma stepping is such a new concept, to people coming into the dojo, with desire, but no idea of movement in fighting. It seems that they, like a baby, have to learn how to walk, before they can learn to run. This basic step in the video, of moving the front foot forward and sliding the back foot up, over and over, helped me many years ago, to gain the muscle memory to own all of my stances. This is also how I teach new students. :asian:

 

[Si-Je]

Si-Je, how are you?

Ma stepping is such a new concept, to people coming into the dojo, with desire, but no idea of movement in fighting. It seems that they, like a baby, have to learn how to walk, before they can learn to run. This basic step in the video, of moving the front foot forward and sliding the back foot up, over and over, helped me many years ago, to gain the muscle memory to own all of my stances. This is also how I teach new students. :asian:

Oh, I understand that. I'm just realizing that other schools are teaching stance very differently than what Sifu hubbie's taught me. I didn't know about that until, well, today.
He taught me that stance completely differently from day one than what was being done in the video.

But the question of basic stance not being readilly useable in a surprise attack or from standing regularly really made me think, and make a little video.
Sifu has us stand normally and shift into basic stance, sometimes pushing us to where we have to step into basic quickly. It becomes very natural, we do this with our hands down too.


We went outside and made a little video real quick to show how versitile the basic stance is in moving naturally, and how quickly you can be rooted from a normal standing position going directly to basic stance. I tried to find more video's on youtube with stance work and couldn't find very many.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Well Personally I believe every Martial Arts stance can be used both as a training stance and fighting stance...The key is to learn how to fight in the stance. Doing Defense drills and sparring in stance will aide in this pursuit. Also working on foot work will increase your stability enormously.

This is sort of on topic.. I was wondering how many of you people use or were thought to use the Yee gee kim yeung ma as a fighting stance? I was thought that the Ygkym is more of a training stance to train the adduction, structure etc., but not to be used in actual fighting.. Allthough I do kind of relate to the WT rationalisation behind it. I like Emin Boztepes analogy somwhere along the lines that it's like a charged bow ready to shoot as soon as the opponent is at a certein distance. This days I'm experimenting with these idea and it makes sense to me in a way..

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Yea. I just watch your video...a new one eh...great vid...Yea in my lineage we do the C-Step and also the step forward where the back foot slides and the front goes forward. Simliar to guy in the video...The C-step or half circle step you also do in the video...where the back foot goes close to foot up front then swings around infront...As for Wong's head dropping...I think he is looking down because he doing an instructional video...When he does actual applications his head doesn't drop like that...Also he is taking really tiny baby steps at first it seems...

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39LLwh7fkpo"]Augstine Fong[/URL]

Lineage Footwork reminds me of Yours Sije...Click His name to see video.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTo3iSoMldU&feature=related"]Here is a Video [/URL]

Showing Wing Chun Front Step as well. We do a front step similiar to this...But the Feet distance are not right to me. Plus we add more thrust to our step to add more body power behind the punch. But its good to practice it slow and small as well as a powerful step too. I seen a step in Xing Yi Quan that reminds me of our Wing Chun Front step the way my Sifu performs it. We do it both small steps and forceful steps similiar in Xing Yi Quan.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-lDd-TId0"]Click on this video.[/URL]

(The First and Fourth Step he takes reminds me of WC front step.)

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijp92VkdDUU"]Also check out this Xing Yi Quan Video[/URL]

. Sometimes spelled Xsing I Chuan. Every time he steps forward and punch with out switching legs Is the step I am speaking of...Also the movie The Prodigal Son will share with you why the Steps are not that extravagant. The reason I found from practice is the Steps enable you move comfortably in small amount a room. Perfect for fighting inside. Also If your in a small space it works well too. Like in between two cars, In a small hallway, Inside a bathroom, In a alley way or even fighting in small space where you have furniture and stuff that you can bang up against and injury yourself if your not careful. So the steps are great for generating power, Neutralizing force, an give you exceptional mobility with in small amout room lets say up close and personal like toe to toe in trapping or grappling range!

Oh, I understand that. I'm just realizing that other schools are teaching stance very differently than what Sifu hubbie's taught me. I didn't know about that until, well, today.
He taught me that stance completely differently from day one than what was being done in the video.

But the question of basic stance not being readilly useable in a surprise attack or from standing regularly really made me think, and make a little video.
Sifu has us stand normally and shift into basic stance, sometimes pushing us to where we have to step into basic quickly. It becomes very natural, we do this with our hands down too.


We went outside and made a little video real quick to show how versitile the basic stance is in moving naturally, and how quickly you can be rooted from a normal standing position going directly to basic stance. I tried to find more video's on youtube with stance work and couldn't find very many.

 

[mook jong man]

He actually calls it "basic stepping" in the video, but we don't train our footwork like that. I'd have to agree with one of the comments on the video in that he closes his feet too much for my liking. Also, his head rises and falls as he steps, whereas in our class it was always impressed on us to keep our heads level as we move. I'm not saying either method is wrong, just that we do things differently.

I could not agree with you more Paulus , that bloke was up and down like a bloody yo yo. I also come from the head level school of thought , one helpful tip that was told to me was when you are practicing your Chum Kiu in front of the mirror look at your eyes and make sure when you step that your eyes are tracking a line straight across and not going up and down .

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Very interesting observation.

I could not agree with you more Paulus , that bloke was up and down like a bloody yo yo. I also come from the head level school of thought , one helpful tip that was told to me was when you are practicing your Chum Kiu in front of the mirror look at your eyes and make sure when you step that your eyes are tracking a line straight across and not going up and down .