Dynamic Defense Wing Chun Academy, best Kung Fu in Victoria

Levels: Level 5

Remember that advanced techniques are not necessarily better than basic techniques. At this level, improve your self-control, distancing and timing. Advanced techniques are harder to learn, but give you more options in dealing with an opponent. Wing Chun is not a big fancy mess. It is a simple, effective self defense system so keep it simple and direct.

Use grading comments to correct and improve techniques. There is a fair bit of new material for level 5. Take the initiative to practice the new material after class, in private classes and with other senior students on non-class days. Don’t feel intimidated by the new material. You’ve already done great to come this far.

Level 5 Grading

Chum Kil (1st section)

Wooden Dummy (10 techniques)

8 Random Cross arm chi sao slips
4 attacks, 4 defenses

Double arm chi sao predetermined
(palm strike from tan sao)

Bong sao lap sao drills #2, #3 with inside and outside traps

Entry Technique:
- 2 parallel slips
- side step bil sao punch
- heun sao step in and slightly to outside pak sao punch
- 2 cross arm slips
- pak sao punch
- heun sao jut sao step out (on 22 degree angle) bil sao punch

Kicking in advancing pattern (3 patterns using combinations of front, side, round kicks)
- in the air, do a defense that results in the chosen kicking combination to pursue, followup on attacker
- always finish up with full followup and make sure you are totally aware where the imaginary attacker moves and kick/punch in the correct location

Advanced 4-way dissolve (solo)

8 combative techniques:
- straight punch defense.
- round punch defense.
- double round punch defense.

- front kick defense.
- side kick defense.
- round kick defense.
- spinning back fist defense.
- spinning back kick defense.

5 self defense techniques:
- cross wrist grab
- parallel wrist grab
- double wrist grab
- bear hug
- double choke (from front)

2 Weapon defenses:
- knife thrust
- horizontal club attack

5 grappling techniques:
- arm bar
- wrist lock
- elbow lock
- shoulder lock
- neck control

Weapons
- stick disarm drill
- Louk Dim Boon Kwun staff form 1st section (9 moves)
- 3 applications with an attacker
(downward diagonal fwd, downward diagonal rev, horiz fwd)

all requirements from previous levels

(not on grading, but should be able to do these slips)
Parallel arm chi sao (8 random slips - single arm)
(no energy, fok sao down, fok sao across, tan sao up, tan sao across, jut sao down, bon sao up)

Download the Level 5 Worksheet
The Excel format worksheet lists everything on the Level 5 grading and has boxes beside each item. There are 2 pages. The first page allows you to track your training progress on each skill. The 2nd page allows you to take notes on each training 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 5 Notes
Smoother techniques, reading opponent attacks and using more of your tools in follow ups. Work on smooth technique with no breaks. Smooth does not mean fast. Deliberately go slow when eliminating pauses. Lots of random drills develop the ability to read attacks. Relax your mind and don't react until it's clear what's happening. Once you learn a defense well, take out all the pauses and breaks. A pause gives the opponent an opportunity to counterattack. Start to mix in elbow strikes, take downs and joint locks in your finishing counter attack to use your full range, but remember, sometimes the 5 punch followup is still best.

Don't overcomplicate things and exercise control with all counterattacks to keep it safe.

8 Random Cross arm chi sao slips
1. Attack, lead hand flips to create opening on center line, then step forward check with rear guard as palm strike with lead & followup
2. Attack, same as above but opponent pak saos the palm strike, go with pak sao energy, stepping out to side with outside leg, inside leg chambers as lead guard changes to gon sao, step down at partners 45 degree angle, punch low where gon sao creates opening and followup
3. Defense for Attack 1. As you feel palm strike and check, step out & back to side neutral on inside, press rear guard fwd into wu sao & punch with other hand, then step in followup.
4. Defense for Attack 1. As you feel palm strike and check, step other way to outside side neutral allowing palm strike to slide along tan sao pak sao block, step in punch followup.

5. Attack, step across to side neutral as lead guard lap saos, then step fwd with check punch, followup. Lap sao hand does the punch, keep rear guard fwd.
6. Defense for modified Attack 5. Attacker does step & lap sao, but then throws round punch without a check. Defender sidesteps with lap sao energy, then turns center line to face attack with tan sao punch followup.

7. Attack, latch on, step up with rear leg, lap sao front kick check punch followup. Use lean to generate lap sao, not arm movement.
8. Defense for Attack 7. Small step to go with attacker's lap sao fwd and to side, t-step tan sao pak sao kick followup.

Double arm chi sao predetermined
Stand neutral to neutral with partner, starting with one partner bon sao fok sao, the other partner tan sao fok sao, rolling the bong sao to tan sao as your partner rolls tan sao to bon sao, staying on center line. The most important element to double arm chi sao is maintaining forward intention in both arms independently and controlling the center line. Do not let energy relax or go to side in any part of roll, always keep energy flowing forward in both arms as you roll and as you do defense or attack. Split your mind so each arm reacts to what it feels independently. Do not try to do anything to the other person, just keep forward intention on both arms. If you do this, you will strike into any opening without thinking about it. Forward intention is what keeps you from getting hit and it is what brings your strike forward.

For this level, the predetermined drill is to roll and randomly step forward and do low palm strike when at tan sao position. The partner should step back with leg on same side as you step forward and block with jut sao, then step forward and punch high. As punch comes, first partner steps back to neutral and blocks with tan sao with good forward intention, then rolling continues. With good forward intention, a tan sao on center will deflect a punch at the centerline (head height). Both partners should initiate the palm strike randomly from tan sao position while rolling.

Bon sao lap sao drills #2, #3 with traps
This drill requires that you step correctly, keep forward intention always and keep the rear guard pressed forward enough and "conscious". The trap is forward, not downward.
#2 stepping from side neutral to fwd stance
#3 stepping side to side in side neutral

Outside Trap - when punch is extended and blocked, drop punch slightly to trap partner (trapping forward, not down), 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.

Inside Trap - when partner's punch is extended and blocked with bon sao wu sao, extend bon sao to bil sao and trap both arms (trapping forward, not across), 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.

Advanced 4 way dissolve – At this level, the techniques and attacks change. On the round punches, you go to the outside for counter-attack and the round kick and side kick replace the front kicks.

Lead round punch – pak sao pak sao cheun sao front kick w/ inside leg 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. You may need to take a side step on second pak sao if you feel the punch is a little too close to your head. Make sure to keep elbow in on cheun sao so it doesn't look like a bil sao.

Rear round punch – T-step bil sao heun sao to outside front kick, step in and follow up. By going to outside, you have safer follow up and more control. The attacker should give you continuous pressure so that your bil sao doesn't completely stop all the energy of the punch. That makes it easier to meet the attack and then let the energy continue through as you heun sao.

Round kick – side step tan sao pak sao combo, circle leg in front kick to groin step in follow up. Tan sao and pak sao should be extended equal amt so that pak sao catches knee of kicking leg and drives it out and down as it comes up. This will open opponent for east front kick to groin, leading to follow up. The front kick should flow smoothly out as you block kick.

Side kick - Step back to fwd stance, low ban sao w/rear guard in place, sweep down & out with rear guard, front kick step in follow up. It's hard to resist stepping all the way to back stance, but only step back to fwd stance & extend ban sao to make contact early with kick and push it out & smoothly transition to sweep down and out with rear guard. The sweep is meant to drive kicking leg out, opening the opponent for easy front kick to groin.