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Wing Chun Guarding Arm – Wu Sao

Wing Chun Kung Fu Guard

There is much debate about the wing chun kung fu guarding hand.

Different lineages of wing chun generally demonstrate different arm positions for their guard.

Why, should there be so much disagreement with a simple arm position.

A protective guard is hardly used in a real combat situation.

Try it out!

Someone shoulder butts you as you walk past.

You turn and he pushes you back with a single arm push.

As you step with his force, he throws a punch which you block.

You are not aggressive so you decide to be defensive.

He throws several more punches and you block them easily.

On the third punch you block and counter with several punches and a take down.

Where was the guarding hand?

It wasn’t used at all!

In a real street situation, if somebody harasses you the last thing you should do is put up you guard.

This will tell your opponent all there is to know about you and how you fight.

(art of war) “to defeat your enemy, you must know everything about him”

If my attacker faces me with a guard, I will know what style of fighter he is.

This is actually what I want, but I don’t want to give him information about me.

A fighting guard is conceptual in wing chun kung fu

If you opponent is a huge guy, your guard will be higher to protect you head and brain.

If your opponent is smaller than you, you can afford to lower you guard.

So, you see, a wing chun guard should be very adaptable.

The wing chun guard does have a deficiency, though, as do all guards.

In wing chun kung fu, the Guard protects our Centreline.

Therefore, our flanks can be open to attack.

Most other martial arts guards tend to protect their flanks but leave their centreline exposed.

Another example:

A person walks up to you and accuses you of chatting up his Girl.

He throws 3 punches at you.

You step back and block each one with Bill Sao and then finish off with 5 wing chun punches.

Where was the Guard?

As you can see, a guard is hardly used in a real situation.

In Competition, guards are used all the time.

If several perpetrators are attacking you simultaneously, you will use both arms to protect your head.

Sifu Garry is an expert in street survival, street tactics and the psychology of fighting.