Fight on the blind side: William Cheung (white uniform) and Eric Oram square off (1). Oram attacks with a hook punch to the head, and Cheung defends with a pak sao block (2). Cheung moves his arm to the outside of the strike with a cheun sao block (3), then slips to his opponent's blind side and attacks the exposed ribs (4).

of principles that all of the movements are based on and are guided by. Each technique is a spontaneous response to a situation. We learn how to identify a situation from this perspective, then let the technique "come out" which best supports the principle that applies to that situation.
In an attempt to save the reader the same frustrations I experienced early in my martial arts training, I wanted to share some of the most important guidelines upon which the wing chun system is based. There are more than what is discussed--however, the principles presented here could be applied to virtually any system, and not strictly Wing Chun. To go any further, the principles would be more inclusive to the wing
chun system.
The following are ten examples of the fundamental principles which underline the Wing Chun fighting strategy:

1) Never kick higher than the waist.

The primary reason for this idea is balance--the shorter the time the kicking leg is off of the ground, the more time can be spent on the ground, providing a balanced stance.
Another reason is target vulnerability. The longer and higher the leg is off of the ground, the groin is potentially vulnerable to an attack. With a low target kick, the leg returns to the ground faster and can quickly continue its protection of the groin.

 The supporting leg is also vulnerable to attack while the kick is in motion.

2) Maintain your balance.

Balance is everything. Period. Without it, nothing else really matters. Power in blocking, punching, striking and kicking all begin with good balance. Leverage (especially in upright systems) comes from balance. Without balance, the proper energy cannot be pushed up from the stance and released through a given movement.
An effective stance is also a mobile stance. The balance should be part of that mobility. If the balance is always there, one can freely interrupt one's movement at any time, and flow into virtually any other movement--and have constant access to the energy/power of that movement. This freedom is crucial to success in fighting.
Avoid any unnecessary leaning or overextention of your stance-- it will only slow you down and make you vulnerable to being knocked off balance.

3) Protect your centerline.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

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