Wing Chun’s centreline power myth

When observing Wing Chun being used in sparring and demonstrations, the style appears to be characterised by relentless chain punching and forward motion. However, the intent of the style is something entirely different.

In demonstrations, there’s often a “stand and deliver” method shown. Two people facing off and the person with the stronger base and better, faster hands winning. For example, Chi Sao with lots of deflections, chops to the neck and minimal footwork.

Whilst winning the centreline position is definitely a core principle of Wing Chun, charging in head-on with powerful chain punching is not a hallmark of the style’s design. If it were, then Wing Chun would be considered a “hard style” based upon rigid, strength-based techniques. The truth is that Wing Chun is a “soft style” designed to avoid direct power-versus-power struggles.

Here are three reasons why power-based Wing Chun is at odds with the design of the style:

1. The legend of Yim Wing Chun

If we believe the legend put forward by Yip Man, the style was created for smaller people, and was initially designed specifically for a lady named Yim Wing Chun. In order for her to defeat her male opponents, the style needed to overcome size and strength disadvantages. If the legend is true, the style could not possibly have been designed around winning through power advantage.

2. Yip Man’s stature

Grandmaster Yip Man himself was not a large man. At around 5’3” and lightly built, he did not have natural advantages of strength or reach. All martial artists typically make the most of their particular size and strengths, adapting their style to suit. For Yip Man it was agility, speed and soft techniques that allowed him to overcome larger opponents.

3. Wing Chun forms

The main evidence is in the forms. Which of them is about developing head-on, straight line power? In particular, think about the way footwork combines with hand techniques. The answer is none. This first form (Sil Lum Tao) has no footwork. The second form (Chum Kil) promotes pivoting (or rolling power off) and stepping with angled arm movements away from the line of body movement. The third form (Bil Jee) includes footwork that is purely about pivoting and angles. And the wooden dummy form begins with making some direct contact, but immediately delivers a pivoting grab, followed by stepping around and engaging the dummy at various angles – never head-on.

In addition, when looking at Chi Sao practice, the concept of rolling power off with sideways movement is also there (in the Song Ma Tui Ma routine)

So how did we get here?

So why the present-day obsession with constant forward motion, as though Wing Chun can only drill through the centreline? When Yip Man asked his son Yip Chun to just focus on pivoting for three years, it wasn’t because it was easy. It was because it was important. It makes rolling power off your centreline possible.

Perhaps it is simpler just to take your chances with head-on attacking. Go for speed and power. Maybe even try to build up your body to maximise strength – as Bruce Lee did – and improve the odds. By contrast someone that has mastered soft techniques knows how and when to switch between delivering a hard, direct attack and a soft counterattack.

Soft techniques can and should be tested in sparring. If someone is proficient with these skills, attempts to engage or control their hands is virtually impossible. The defender’s hands melt away from any attempt to apply strength. An aggressor may try charging straight through the centreline only to find them fluidly move from harm’s way, counter attacking from a new angle.

Summary

In summary, practitioners can choose how to learn and apply Wing Chun, but it is worth knowing how the style was designed to work. We can choose to go simple and hard, or pursue a more sophisticated art. An art that doesn’t rely on being a six-foot slugger, but opens up options that remain powerful as you age. Options that allow you to face bigger opponents too, as would be the case in many self defence situations. The only catch is that soft techniques require a lot more training effort and take longer to master.

See also

• Being adaptive rather than Hard or Soft
• 5 rules of self defence
• Chi Sao reflex training

Article: Written by R Zandbergs, Created from Barry Pang’s seminars
Video: Filmed and edited by R Zandbergs
Main photo: Barry Pang demonstrating centreline strength with Bill Kordas (2024)