Wing Chun – The Sticking Body, Short Strike Art

Wing Chun Kuen is a type of Southern Chinese martial art. The characteristics of Wing Chun Kuen are : sticking body, short strike, Short bridge, narrow stance and keen in short distance strike.

According to the Ming Dynasty’s General Qi Jiguang and his books on military strategy – Ji Xiao Xin Shu, traditional Chinese martial arts in 1560 were classified into two distinct types – the long fist art and the short strike art.

The Short strike art is called the sticking body, short strike art. It is also known as the short bridge method. The long fist art is known as the long bridge method.

The long fist art’s mechanics consist of moving forward or backwards with arms extended to keep an execution distance between the two opponents. The short fist art mechanics consist of “retracting the arm to receive and close in with a balanced central axis.”

In order to study and implement Wing Chun Kuen fully, one needs to study the following eight key elements of Wing Chun Kuen:

The Wing Chun mechanics, the Wing Chun power generation, the seven dynamic bows (the engine of the Wing Chun Kuen), the line of attack, closing in, receiving, footwork, and the Wing Chun Kuen techniques. There are four basic techniques of receiving. These four techniques are grouped into two couples.

Tan and Fuk are an ‘open and close’ receiving couple; Bong and Kei are an ‘upper body and lower body’ receiving couple. ​ These four basic Wing Chun Kuen techniques are intended for receiving the incoming attack instead of blocking or deflecting. 

The following figures represent examples of Wing Chun Kuen in action.

– Inner door elbow attack – Outside door sealing attack

Please note the close proximity to the opponent, which allows the Wing Chun practitioner to exploit a mechanical advantage over opponents that are not used to fighting at this range. 

The training methods of Wing Chun make it clear that it is a short range art. It is meant to be applied at “hugging range”, or what would be known in Boxing terms as clinching range.

At this range, the Wing Chun practitioner can make use of “torque”(spiraling) and short bursts of force, or pulses. Those accustomed to long range power generation will feel crammed and uncomfortable, and will be unable to generate sufficient power without the usual space required for “winding” the strikes.

This provides a distinct advantage to the Wing Chun practitioner, who specialises in short range power generation, sticking and sealing of the opponent’s offense. It is the equivalent of a BJJ fighter taking his opponent to the ground.

It would be foolish for him to fight a boxer in a stand up fight. Instead, he will take the striker down to the ground, where the Boxer’s skills are all but useless. ​ The following figure shows the Wing Chun power generation as in the Chum Kil set which is based on Torque and snap with a balanced center axis and ideal for sticking body, short strike.Ω 

For a more detailed analysis, please read the book: ​Beginning Wing Chun Kuen by Hendrik Santo