The centreline.

If you understand what we mean by the term “the centreline”, and how the centreline works, you’ll make a big leap in understanding how Wing Chun - the centreline game - works. Your movement should be informed by an in-depth study of the centreline. In brief, how you receive somebody else’s force, and how you issue force on somebody else effectively depend on how you use the centreline.

What is the centreline? It’s a vertical line that runs through the centre of a person, from top to bottom. It’s the vertical axis of rotation – the “X” axis. Think of how the Earth spins on its axis and you’ll have a clear visual idea of how the vertical centreline works (although, as we know, the Earth is tilted on its axis). I use the words “centreline,” “axis,” and "central equilibrium" interchangeably. For our purposes, they mean the same thing.

A good Wing Chun man will use his centreline to, amongst other things, demolish the obstacle in front of him. He will use the centreline to close in and demolish an opponent whilst misdirecting his opponent and skilfully dissipate his opponent's force. He will also use his centreline to receive an opponent’s force and softly and craftily lead his opponent into a tactical trap. A master of Wing Chun will welcome incoming force with an iron fist inside a velvet glove, cunningly and softly setting up the person on the other side of the equation into a disastrous position.

When you meet a master, you won’t be able to go forwards, or backwards, up or down…it's an unnerving and unsettling place to be.

This is an extract from my recent book "Wing Chun Bones." Get in contact for more details.