Wing Chun

"Punches Due to the emphasis on the centerline, the straight punch (straight left / straight right) is the most common strike in Wing Chun. However, the principle of simultaneous attack and defense (simplified Chinese: 连消带打; traditional Chinese: 連消帶打; Cantonese Yale: lìhn sīu daai dá; literally: ""linking cancel and attack"") suggests that all blocking movements should be accompanied with a simultaneous strike when possible. This allows for the opponent to be put on the defensive faster, and thus allowing the Wing Chun practitioner to defeat the opponent quicker by countering as soon as possible (ideally on the opponents first strike). Other explicit examples of punches can be found in the Chum Kiu and Biu Ji forms (both uppercut and hook punches), although these punches may appear to be superficially different they are simply the result of the punch beginning from a different origin position while following the same fundamental idea, to punch in a straight line following the shortest distance between the fist and the opponent. When executing the punch, one must relax and not use the shoulders or activate the trapezius muscles. The punch comes from the center, Kyun Yau Sam Faat (simplified Chinese: 拳由心发; traditional Chinese: 拳由心發; Cantonese Yale: kyùhn yàuh sām faat; literally: ""punch starts from the heart""). This maxim (punching from the centre of the chest) is used primarily in training, however in application the punch can originate from any location. Wing Chun primarily encourages using both ""Low Elbow Power"" (power generated from thrusting the arm forward viciously at the target using the Triceps muscle, while keeping the elbows pointed down), along with ""Hip Power"" (power generated from a quick ""rotation"" of the hips). The combination of these two methods of power generation results in a powerful strike."