Concept 1: Chain Punching

Chain punching is probably the most recognized weapon of wing chun. For those of you not familiar, it is a way of punching in which the fists overlap in a cyclic motion where the fists are oriented vertically and provide the defender with a method of repeatedly pummeling the attacker. Here's a video for your reference. Although it may look very awkward from conventional karate reverse punches or boxing's over-hand-right, it's very effective in overwhelming the attacker with a blizzard of fists.

If we look beyond "punching" and peek into the concept of chain punching, we can see a bigger idea - the concept of multiple attacks, in which we overwhelm the attacker with a flurry of hits. As such, functional WingTsun brings this to life by seeing attacks beyond chain punching and instead, go into "chain hitting" - fists, elbows, knees, feet, headbutts, hips, forearms, etc. Sure punches may do the trick (and under stresses of a fight, it's likely what a WT practitioner would resort to) but why limit yourself to just punches? Why not pepper the punches with some knees and elbows and finish it off with a right hook? If the way is free to do so, I say go for it. This also allows for unorthodox-like hitting (such as a flurry of straight punches or low kicks) as long as it follows the concept of chain-hitting.

Face it people, conventional chain punching does have its limitations - why not open our minds to other forms of attacks? That is what functional WingTsun is all about.