New Material
Don’t let a rough day or running late keep you from coming to class. We’d like everyone to show up perky and on time, but the most important thing is that you simply come to class. Every time you show up, your skills will progress.

Advancing
Your next grading should be 4 months from now. Level 3 was about perfecting and smoothing out the basics, but Level 4 gives you many new things to work on.

Set a good example. When demonstrating a technique for a junior student, go slow and don’t show off.

You should be getting better as both a Wing Chun defender and general attacker. When attacking others, make sure to make eye contact before attacking. Attack deep enough to force the defender to really defend it but don’t use full power unless that's what the defender asks for. Also be careful to not get hurt. The attacker is the only one in danger in many of the techniques.

As a defender, your maturity should show. Don’t be timid with your steps whether stepping away or toward an opponent, pick up your feet and be bold without exaggeration. When punching, make sure you are in range to go right through the opponent but pull your punches and kicks so you don’t quite make contact. You are expected to be in control of yourself at all times. 

Download the Level 4 Worksheet
The Excel format worksheet lists everything on the Level 4 grading and has boxes beside each item. The idea is to chart your own progress towards your grading goal. First, print off the worksheet (changing the name to your name first). Every time you practice a skill, I suggest you put a checkmark beside that skill. When all items on the worksheet have a good number of checkmarks, you can be pretty sure you are ready to grade.  It makes it much easier to be sure that you are ready to grade and haven't left anything out.


Level 4 Notes
Your techniques should start to flow. When first learning a technique, your defense will have pauses while you think what to do next. Now take out all the pauses and breaks. A pause gives the opponent an opportunity to counterattack. Don't give them that opportunity. Smooth does not mean fast. Deliberately go slow when eliminating pauses. Once it’s smooth and precise, you can go faster or slower.

Complete Advanced Shil Lum Tao – This will take a little getting used to, particularly the added steps, but not too hard to learn. Remember to practice Basic Sil Lum Tao too and know the differences clearly.

Advanced Stepping – this should be review. Check with Sihing Bill if you’re unsure of anything. Back stance is neutral stance at 90 degrees to normal neutral stance. Remember to circle in and step straight back to get to back stance, don't just pivot. Twist your torso on t-step as opposed to exchange step. Make sure you know the difference between t-step vs exchange step.

4 advanced arm movements – fairly easy combinations of the simple movements we’ve done all along. Both wrists end up together on double armed movements. DO practice these.

Ban Sao Lap Sao #1 w/trap
This drill requires that you step correctly, keep forward intention always and keep the rear guard pressed forward enough and "conscious".
#1 stepping from fwd stance to same side fwd stance about 3 inches forward and back on a 45 degree angle

Outside Trap  - when punch is extended and blocked, drop punch to trap partner, then exchange step, step in and punch on other side. Partner keeps forward intention while they are trapped, exchange steps at same time into bon sao wu sao block on other side and drill continues.

Parallel Arm Chi Sao #1 & #2 – mostly review. Practice, practice, practice. Remember to always keep forward intention, don’t pull down on your partner’s arm and don’t block past the center line. 

Cross arm chi sao predetermined – make sure to step enough, follow partner’s lead, don’t let forward stance turn into back stance. Don’t jut sao past your center line.

3 Lop sao kick routines – This is new material, but not too complex.
#1 – From right side neutral, opponent is in cross forward stance. Side step lop sao kick, step in pak sao punch.
#2 - From right side neutral, opponent is in cross forward stance. Twist to right, lop sao kick with same leg pak sao punch
#3 - From right fwd stance, opponent is in cross forward stance. Step up lop sao kick, pak sao punch

3 kicking patterns – This is new, but easy. Just needs practice. Focus on visualizing the opponent when done in the air. Always kick where the opponent would actually be or move to.

Intermediate 4 way dissolve – This is a new way to do 4 attacks you’ve already got used to doing other ways. You may find these techniques are now actually easier.

Lead round punch – small step back, rotating the whole body so lead guard becomes pak sao, kick with inside leg. Then either a) step down behind other foot, step out with other foot on 45 with wu sao punch, then turn in and follow up or b) step straight in with punch, follow up.

Do not reach with the pak sao, let your step make your whole body turn so that you catch the wrist of punching arm with pak sao. Then bring inside leg up and arc in and front kick. The kick should follow a crescent so that you kick on new center line so that kick comes in at about 30 degree angle to opponent, not straight in at front of opponent.

Option b) is more aggressive and dangerous, so followup must be faster. Don't extend rear guard to wu sao if stepping straight in for followup.

Rear round punch – T-step bil sao front kick, step down step out on 45 degree angle w/ wu sao punch, turn in and follow up. Trust your bil sao to hold the attack. The bil sao is extended towards the attacker with center line facing point of contact (you do not face the opponent's wrist as with some other defenses). Your center line faces the point of contact and your bil sao will make contact with opponent's arm somewhere on your forearm, not necessarily wrist to wrist. Front kick should fly out as soon as in t-step, then turn leg in air so you can step out on 45 degree angle and face wu sao as you wu sao the attacking arm out and punch on central line at same time.

Lead front kick – t-step pak sao kick check punch follow up. Most students find this easier than the basic step back and gum sao since it is faster and you don't lose contact. However, by staying closer, it is more important that you maintain control and contact with opponent. The kick should flow out as soon as you are in t-step (as a combination). Don't worry about what to hit with the kick, the opponent's thigh might be the only viable target but that's OK.

Rear front kick - t-step other way pak sao kick check punch follow up. The kick should flow out as soon as you are in t-step (as a combination). Don't worry about what to hit with the kick, the opponent's thigh might be the only viable target but that's OK.

6 Combative Techniques
1) Straight punch (use any defense that works well for you, remember simple is good).
2) Round punch (use 4 way-dissolve method unless you are very comfortable with another)
3) Double-round punch (pak sao t-step bill sao front kick step out wu sao punch turn punch follow up)
4) Front kick (t-step pak sao step in check punch follow up)
5) Side kick (step back to fwd stance (no further!) low ban sao sweep down the arm with other hand, step in front kick follow up. The sweep with the hand should open the opponent’s legs, putting them off balance and allowing an easy groin target front kick.
6) Round kick (Tan sao pak sao, stepping in and facing kick, twist to throw inside front kick step in follow up). Stepping in with the tan sao pak sao should catch the kicker’s knee, driving it back down and opening them up for a groin target front kick. In first version of this defense, you step to side always. In more aggressive version of this defense, you step in as early as possible at best angle to catch knee and drive it back down, putting opponent more off balance before the kick can get any power at all. 

4 Self Defense Techniques – Cross wrist grab – T-step tan sao pak sao, step in tan Sao turns into punch while pak sao checks

Parallel wrist grab – bil sao on outside, grab back of grabber’s hand, T-step and roll hand in wrist lock & check elbow kick out back of knee hold wrist lock all the way to floor

Double wrist grab (3 variations) – 1) crossed tan saos, turn one tan sao over into bil sao step forward check punch follow up
2) try to do #1 but meet resistance bringing hands up, so go down instead, circle both hands check cheun sao step in follow up
3) step back (and lower center of gravity) to back stance while both hands up left over right or right over left with lead elbow facing opponent, side kick step down circle down to jut sao check punch follow up 

4 Grappling Techniques – Arm Bar (simplest from straight punch or double push)
Wrist lock (from knife stab or parallel wrist grab)
Elbow lock (from downward knife stab)
Shoulder lock (from bear hug or full nelson)

4 Ground Techniques – 1) Circle leg block to one knee and punch (use the circling momentum instead of hands to bring you up each time, make big circles with legs).
2) tan gerk side kick (don’t react too quickly, let kick come in a bit)
3) tan gerk side kick with sweep (scoot up as necessary to get in range for the sweep, pick up the leg and really kick in to back of knee, kick through and use momentum to help you roll over to deliver round kick to head and possibly roll onto back of opponent)
4) tan gerk side kick to back kick (Remember to always look at opponent as switching from side kick to back kick)

8 Stick blocking techniques Pak Sao, Tan Sao, Gan Sao, Ban Sao, Bill Sao High Ban Sao Gum Sao, Jut Sao
8 Staff blocking techniques – Pak Sao, Tan Sao, Gan Sao, Ban Sao, Bill Sao Gum Sao, Ban Sao, Jut Sao

General Reminders:

-          Your goal is not just to do techniques, but to do them smoothly and precisely. Give the opponent no opportunity once you start a defense.

-          Use the circle drill to find out what you need to work on. When surprised by an opponent, you will handle some attacks easily but be flustered by others. Work on the trouble areas until they're mastered too. True confidence comes from handling surprise attacks.

-          Use proper positioning and your techniques will be stronger without using physical force.

-          For all blocks, block on the center line, don’t go past center. In combination 2-armed moves, keep wrists together.

-          simple is good. At this level, you can do fancy stuff and hit hard. Choose not to. Don't do elaborate takedowns or go too fast. Too much speed makes it sloppy and you lose control.

New Arm/Leg Techniques
Tan Gerk  - Like a Tan Sao, but with your leg from ground defense