Knee Pressure

What is knee pressure? why do we stress it so much during class?

For the longest time, I had no concept of what knee pressure was really supposed to be. Of course, I did what was told in class - to squeeze the knees slightly during the IRAS (Internal Rotation Adduction Stance) - but really, I had no idea what the end product was supposed to be. I just hoped it would somehow develop into whatever it was supposed to develop into.

Behold - chi sao! This is when I started to feel the strange benefits and reactions of knee pressure/stance work. The two go hand in hand - without knee pressure, you can't maintain a strong stance..especially in our awkward wing tsun ways (feet parallel, upright body position, let alone - pigeon toed!).

And now, just looking back, knee pressure is not something about squeezing the knees together. It's more of a reaction to an attackers stimulus that compresses the legs/knees together. It seems to do a few things:

1) it lowers the center of gravity - especially in our upright stance, we can still maintain a lowered center of gravity.

2) it encourages our body to drop into the ground, rather than lift ourselves upright (related to above point).

3) It stresses relaxation - can't really replicate the effects of knee pressure unless you're relaxed.

4) It protects the groin area - as the knees close in together, they hinder the path for an attackers leg to strike the groin.

5) anything else you'd like to add?

Best part is, as you get better, the "physical requirements" of really bringing those knees together dissapear and what you are able to get is an end product w/ the benefits of knee pressure but without the pigeon toed look. You are able to replicate this while standing completely naturally. How cool is that?

Isn't that how fighting should be? - natural?..not stiff and locked into our classical ways (eg. a pigeon toed stance)?

Until then.

Useless Moves?

Almost anyone can pin point moves/techniques, either in kata, kumite, drills, etc in which they deem useless but kept either for tradition, because "sifu says", or simply "just cuz". Whatever the case, it's pretty obvious that many feel that this is the case. Look at MMA - it's boiled down to a grappling art, some kickboxing and you're set! What happened to phoenix eye, tornado kicks, the cat stance...OR..even..the crane kick?

Wing Tsun touts being an efficient fighting system. Efficient as in how? That takes advantage of the shortest distance to reach its target? Efficient in not having to kick high? Efficient in being practical? Efficient in being one of the faster arts to learn/use?

But are there techniques in the system that is really redundant, or really not that practical, even though it may have practical implications? For all those "chunners" out there, take a moment to step away from the "WING CHUN IS THE BEST" perspective and examine what moves do we use too much, or not needed?

Is it tan sao? Is it bong sao?

I think we use bong sao way too much.

I also think we stick too much.

I don't think we need to stick at all nor do I think we need to use bong sao.

But to get to this level, we do NEED both?

What do you think?

Until then.