A brief mention of energy drills

While the primary focus of this blog is boxing and supplemental training, I also like to add in bits and pieces about traditional martials arts, in particular, Wing Chun and Southern Chinese Kung Fu.

A common energy drill found in Wing Chun (and borrowed into the realm of JKD/Jun Fan Gung Fu) is the Lop Sao Cycle drill. While most are familiar with the standard drilling of this traning method, most are not familiar with a number of the 'switches' that move the stance from left to right.

The Lop Sao Cycle involves the use of a bong sao (wing arm block) to dissolve a straight punch and then a lop sao/da (pulling arm/punch) is used on the 'dissolved' punch a counter punch is performed. The lop sao defense is then employed by the other person and the lop sao cycle repeats.

Ways of doing the switch include:
1.) counter pulling the pulling hand
2.) slappling away the pulling hand and returning with a chop
3.) using a tan sao da to create a switch.

My descriptions of these techniques are probably not all that great, but you get the general idea of what I am talking about. If you are training wing chun with an instructor, ask him about the swicthes and he will probably known what I was referring to and provide the proper instruction. (hopefully)