Put your opponent on the defensive: William Cheung (white uniform) and Eric Oram square off (1). Oram attacks with a lead-arm straight punch, and Cheung side-steps and executes a pak sao block (2). Cheung immediately launches a front kick to the body (3), then pins his opponent's lead arm and lelivers a straight punch to his head (4). The rapid attacks put Oram on the defensive and leave him no time to think about attacking.

 

detect the most immediate threat. If it is anything other than the nearest threat, it will, by comparison, take longer to reach you. This gives you more time to react.
If your eye begins on the lead /nearest elbow, your periphery should be in full awareness of the other three points: the opposite elbow and both knees. If you detect through your periphery one of the other three points coming in, then your eye should immediately jump to the the elbow or knee of that limb.
If you have contact with one arm (through blocking or trapping), then your eyes should jump to the next nearest threat--you can feel the limb, so your eyes are free to look elsewhere.

7) Put the opponent on the defensive.

You know the old saying, "sometimes the best defense is a good offense." For the most part it is true--you can't win by being strictly defensive. One of the best ways to stop an attacker from attacking, is to attack them--put them on the defensive. This forces the attacker to deal with you, rather than continue trying to hit/hurt you. Now they must defend themselves--or get hit.

In wing chun, we strive, whenever possible, to actually block and hit at the same time. This allows us to put the pressure back on the opponent immediately.

8) Attack your opponent's balance.

Balance is everything. Period (see principle #2). Always maintain your balance, and use it to attack your opponent's balance (get them to lean, over-commit, over-extend, etc.). Without balance, the opponent cannot move, block or strike effectively.
In wing chun, we achieve this primarily through the control of the elbow. If you control the elbow, you can control the opponent's balance.

9) Learn to recognize an opening for an attack.

It is one thing to say, "put the opponent on the defensive." It is another to know where to hit, with what and when. Whatever your system, you must know--really

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