[Deb]

This will be so helpful! Thank you Sifu!

[Dustin]

Going to start off with a very common mistake here: The Bong Sao. It’s mentioned in the courses, but to emphasize it here, The Bong Sao is never a means of attack, nor is it a means of blocking. The Bong Sao is for transitional purposes only! Focus on using a Bong Sao in your training as quickly as possible. Transitions are when we are at our most structurally weakest, so do not linger in the Bong Sao!

[Dustin]

Apologies for the delay here.

This week, I’d like to bring up alignments. Part of what makes our structure what it is, is because of alignment. Our punches pierce because the punch is more than just the hand–it’s the entire body. You only get that by aligning everything properly.

For this week, focus on keeping the elbow behind your hand as much as you can. You’re not going to get it in a week, but do keep it in mind at the very least.

[Mike Shepherd]

Hello Dustin, and thanks for your explanations. I’m new here and just getting started and learning my way around. I’m curious on how a punch is aligned with your fist and knuckles. I apologize if this covered in the lessons I haven’t seen yet. I don’t see a way to post a pic yet to describe exactly what I’m talking about. Does the fist lead with the knuckles pointing forward on a straight line to the target?

Meaning if you held your right fist ready for a punch out in front of you and looked down at it does it form a triangle or look horizontal in a straight line to the target?

[Sifu Adam]

Hi Mike – Not quite sure of your question. But here is a video i did on the Wing Chun punch. Let me know if it doesn’t answer your question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVaZTsSJk_s

Also please ask future questions like this in the Ask Technical Questions thread in the Main Group

[Mike Shepherd]

Thanks Sifu,

The video explained what I was looking for. Sorry about posting that here, still trying to learn my way around here. Thanks again!

[Dustin]

So for this week, we’ll be talking about weight distribution.

A common mistake a lot of students make is being top-heavy. You don’t really encounter it in Siu Nim Tao as much (at least, not in the beginning,) as you do in, say, your Jong practice. For this week, I’d like you all to pay extra attention to where your weight is planted. Keep it back!

[Deb]

Not sure if this is a refinement or technical question… I noticed tonight that when I try to correct my ting yiu while doing SNT against the door jam with the block for kim sut, that when I straighten my lower back I start to lose my kim sut (almost dropped the block). These apparently are connected, but how?

[Sifu Adam]

When the pelvis tilts into ting yiu the knees want to go out and when the knees go into kim sut the butt wants to stick out. These are opposite energies we are developing the stregnth and flexibility to maintain. When you can maintain both its a sign that your structure is developing. So keep up the good work!

[Deb]

Thank you Sifu! 🙂

[Deb]

Hi Sifu. I had another “light bulb” moment tonight. Recently, I realized that while I was doing a slow SNT against the door jam with the block my left heel was actually coming off the floor a little and my weight on both feet was on the balls of my feet. Tonight, for whatever reason, I lowered my stance more and the weight came back and my heel went down! I’m sure there is something “structure”/”physics” related to this. Can you explain? Thank you!!! 🙂

[Sifu Adam]

Good work paying attention to your heel and looking to correct it! The lower you are in your root against the wall/door jam you lower your center of gravity and the less you feel push forward by the wall. This means you learn to stop fighting against the wall and attune your body to it.