ABOUT TWO HANDED TRAINING.

 From day one, we are told that Wing Chun does not use two hands to defend because we use ‘Simultaneous Attack and Defence’.

As we all know and tell anyone that is willing to listen, Wing Chun is a concept-driven Martial Art.

 Therefore everything we are taught is a CONCEPT.

A suggestion not a rule.

Nothing is set in stone.

This can induce bewilderment, on one side of the coin nothing is wrong, on the other side of the coin nothing is right.

It is our job to think and decide.

The decisions we make will change from one situation to another and be dependent on context.

Tricky stuff this context stuff.

At the centre of Wing Chun’s “Fist Logic” we have a number of ideas/principles that are meaningless without context.

Simplicity. What is simple for one person is impossible for someone else so what do we teach?

Practicality. We do not know if something is practical until we use it, and only then if it works and we live to tell the tale.

Economy of Movement. Is ‘continuous punching’, a mainstay of our attack, Economy of Movement?

It is a minefield.

Another pillar of our Fist logic is ‘Simultaneous Attack and Defence’.

 From day one, we are told that Wing Chun does not use two hands to defend because we use ‘Simultaneous Attack and Defence’.

And it makes perfect sense.

 Until we forget.

Wich does not take very long.

By the way, it is never pointed out but we do not use two hands to attack for the same reason.

‘Simultaneous Attack and Defence’

But then we have Chi Sau, the Chum Kiu Form, the Biu Gee Form, the Mok Jan Jong Form and the Baat Cham Dao Form all two-handed exercises.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

There is a good reason for this two handedness, it is because even when we train we should try our best to be aware of and adhere to the Principles, to make them second nature instead of just a suggestion.

Paradoxically the principle in this instance is Economy of Movement.

We are not learning to use two-handed defences or two-handed attacks we are practising single-handed moves with each hand simultaneously, maximising our training time.

Our supervised training time, where we can learn new stuff or just get our homework marked, is a limited resource, so it is wise to maximise it.

Our solo training time is practically limitless.

Wherever possible do everything with just one hand, especially the Forms.

Think about it.

It changes everything, and it changes it for the better.