4 Fighting Principles of Wing Tzun

The Fighting Principles is Wing Tzun are a very simple concept to apply in fighting. If you understand the fighting principles & Wing Tzun "Centre Line Theory" you will be able to answer your own questions in training Wing Tzun.

The 4 Fight Principle are:

1. If the Way is FREE go forward and STRIKE!
2. Stick with what comes
3. Give way to the greater force
4. When the opponent retreats Follow through and fill the GAPS!

Let take a look at each principle separately. Starting with the 1st principle "If the way is FREE go forward and STRIKE!"

As we know from the Centre Line Theory for the Wing Tzun guard we put our arms in the in front of our body to create the geometric structure of a wedge. The rear arm Wu-sao creates the height, the front arm Man-sao creates depth and from elbow to elbow from each arm are creates the width of our wedge.

When an opponent steps forward to attack, this triggers both arms simultaneously to push forward to the opponents nose and strike. The Way was FREE. This is when we skip the 2nd & 3rd principle and jump straight to the 4th principle "When the opponent retreats Follow through and fill the GAPS!" This principle utilises the Wing Tzun footwork (Advancing Steps) & hand attacks to crash the opponent with continuous punching (Chain Punches).

Now if the opponent manages to throw an attack say a straight punch after he steps forward, because the wedge moves forward the arms will intercept the attack.

This is when the 2nd principle is applied "Stick with what comes" instead of withdrawing our arm that intercepts the attack like a boxing jab for example, the arm keeps the forward pressure from pushing the wedge forward. As the attack in being deflected along the wedge the pressure suppress the arm compressing the limb in accordance to the Laws of Leverage deforming the arm into a Wing Tzun Technique i.e. Tan-sao, Bong-sao, Pak-sao etc... 

Every Wing Tzun technique also creates a wedge so once the technique is deflected it springs forward applying the 1st principle again.

While this the 2nd principle is being applied by an arm the 1st principle is still being applied by the other arm.

Now if the attacks pressure on the limb is greater than the forward pressure of the technique or more to the point the wedge, this causes a mechanism in the Wing Tzun Stance IRAS to rotate like a turn style pushing the upper body to the side away from the attacks' direction. This is the 3rd principle "Give way to the greater force".

When correctly applied the punch will strike at the same time the technique and rotation have been completed.

Again the after the first 3 principles have happened in 1 arm and the other arm has applied the 1st principle then it is straight to the 4th principle "When the opponent retreats Follow through and fill the GAPS!"

While crashing with Wing Tzun Chain Punches and Advancing Steps each punch and step are applying the 4 Fighting Principles.

I remember the principle by thinking:

• 1st = Wedge
• 2nd = Techniques
• 3rd = Turns
•  4th = Footwork & Chain Punches

Applying the principles like a Flow Chart

Remember each arm is applying the fighting principles independently from the other and the same goes for the footwork in Wing Tzun. This is why Wing Tzun is a system NOT a style. A system applies the same concept in all areas whether it is in the arms or the legs, fighting Vertical (Standing)or Horizontal  (ground fighting) it's all the same when using Concepts & Principles!

By Sifu Darren Wilson
2nd TG EBMAS Wing Tzun