Master Tse’s Wing Chun Notes #3

What is the proper Wing Chun stance?

With a proper Wing Chun stance, called “Yee Ji Kim Yeung Ma 二字鉗羊馬”, the feet should be shoulder width, knees bent (but not going over the toes), the toes turned in slightly and the heels outwards but not too far. This stance creates a little triangle. Remember, there should not be tension in the knees as they should be relaxed. This is both a flexible and firm position. In martial arts, lower and wider stances are stronger but in Wing Chun we need to be able to move quickly in all kinds of directions as well as being stable. This is because Wing Chun does not try to use force against force鬥力. By moving in many ways, we can use an opponent’s energy against them.

This does not mean that Wing Chun is a weak skill. We still need to develop a strong stance as this is where our internal power comes from. When we use Faat Ging (power) 發勁it comes from our legs, through our waist to our hands.  Once we release power, though, we relax and we can go back to a relaxed stance. When we bend the knees and turn the toes, this makes the stance strong. Having the feet shoulder width makes the stance flexible.

Chinese call the stance “Horse馬” stance. A horse needs to be able to run fast but it also is strong. In Wing Chun we must not use force against force and use less energy to overcome stronger energy. So we need to catch the best angle and position to attack our opponent. Therefore the Wing Chun stance must be strong but flexible enough to allow us to move quickly in many different directions in order to avoid our opponent. This way we can get the best position to attack as well as defend.

Michael Tse