About the Different Branches of Wing Tzun

All branches of Wing Tzun have in general the same type of forms and the same tactical and strategic principles. Differences occur in the applications of these forms and principles, in the angles of the techniques and in the type of feeling and power used. Some schools believe a rough and tough approach at the start, and a refined softer approach later, is the way to go. Others disagree and prefer the soft approach right from the start. Kenneth Chung has written a good article for the Internet regarding this soft approach. In a way, "soft" is also a misnomer because Wing Tzun actions are not just powerless and limp. The Wing Tzun touch can be soft or firm but is always sticky, sensitiveand connected. Arm actions are minimal though short range power is quite substantial. All branches stress these latter ideas. If there was one key idea in Wing Tzun, it would be the correct use of structure and the unity of the whole body to neutralize an opponent's force. The principle of the wheel is very much related to Wing Tzun both in a micro and on a macro scale. The wheel is not soft but the idea of how a wheel rotates with the force is the concept of soft. One Hong Kong master by the name of Tsui Shan Tin says the longer he is in Wing Tzun, the more he sees the mechanics of the art as related to an interacting bunch of spheres.