Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Si-Fu (Clive Potter):

In my time I have seen many different ideas of how the Ving Tsun kick should be
executed. Here is the explanation as per the Wong Shun Leung method.

In some styles of Ving Tsun, I have seen the kick practised as in Fig. 1. They lift
the leg and then kick forward nearly if not parallel to the floor. (A to centre
and then centre to B). This method is not direct as the path of the foot does not
go straight to the target, but goes up and then forward. This method also creates
another problem in the stability of the kick. According to Newtons Third Law of
Motion, for every force there is an equal and opposite force otherwise known as
recoil. When executing any strike, be it with the foot or hand, it is important to
understand in what direction the equal and opposite force is travelling. Does it
give us more stability or create less stability? With the Ving Tsun punch it rises
as it goes forward, creating an equal and opposite force that drives down and roots
our stance more into the floor. Quite a few styles of Kung Fu employ this method of
structure like Tai Chi, Southern Dragon, Five Animal Style to name a few I have in
contact with. Five Animal Style call it the ground force. However, executing the
Ving Tsun kick as in the method shown in Fig. 1 created an equal and opposite force
that travels backward into the air in the direction of C therefore applying a
force on the kicker that would make them travel backward from the target. The
result of this is the kicker becomes unstable in the stance and some of the force
they wish to apply to the power of the kick is absorbed into the recoil as the
kicker is pushed away from the target.

In Fig. 2 the kick is executed with the leg kept at the same length the knee does
not bend at all (r1, r2, r3 in Fig. 2). This method I have also seen in some
methods of Ving Tsun and has been referred to by that method as the rising kick.
Though this creates a more stable stance as the equal and opposite force travels
more into the ground than in the Fig. 1 method, the actual strike does not
penetrate the target with the force it could do, as the direction of the kick on
impact is more upwards and therefore has the effect of stroking the target.

Fig. 3 is the method used in the Wong Shun Leung method of Ving Tsun. The foot
travels in a straight line from the floor to the target. This is the most direct,
most efficient and therefore fastest method. The path of the foot describes what in
trigonomical terms is the chord of a circle. Whereas a tangent is a straight line
that touches the circumference of a circle just once, a chord of a circle is a line
that cuts a circle in two places. The difference therefore between Fig. 2 and Fig.
3 is that the kicking leg, being the radius of the circle, has to bend in Fig. 3 so
the radius is shortened and then lengthened again as impact with the target is
about to occur (r1, r2, r3 in Fig. 3). This causes the foot to travel in a straight
line from where it is on the floor to the target. With this method, physics helps
ground the stance as the equal and opposite force is now being directed into the
floor in the direction of C in Fig. 3. The harder the kicker kicks the target,
the more the equal and opposite force drives his stance into the floor creating a
stronger and more stable stance on impact.

Wong Shun Leung always demonstrated these various methods of kicking at any of his
seminars that involved him explain Ving Tsun kicking methods. He would kick a wall
as in the method shown in Fig. 1 which would drive him back from the wall as he
kicked. He would then kick using the method shown in Fig. 3 striking the wall very
hard, but his stance could be seen to remain stable and strong as impact occurred.
The photo shown above of Wong Shun Leung is that of him demonstrating the various
kicking methods at his seminar in the UK in St. Albans at my school in 1990.
Feet Position
We also need to study the angle of the foot and leg as it moves and kicks from its
position on the floor directly to the target.

Fig. A shows the stance in the position for moving forward and looks at the kick
foot angles from this position. The body is facing forward and the feet are turned
in a little and parallel.

When kicking many people, especially if they feel too close to the target, they
tend to twist the foot much too early to the position it should be when it is in
contact with the target. In fact, they do this right at the beginning of the kick
as in Fig. B2. This immediately opens up the groin and makes it vulnerable to any
incoming force such as an opponents kick.

Fig. B1 shows the correct method. Like in punching where the elbow covers the
centreline, in kicking the foot and knee first cover the centreline as they travel
forward towards the target.

Knee Position
What is very important as we kick, is the stance. If we kick without our hips up
and forward as in the correct Ving Tsun stance and have the shoulders leading
instead of the hips, we will find we are then leaning forward slightly as in Fig.
A1. In such a stance it is the knee that rises and leads first, making the shin
more venerable for intercepting any incoming kick as in Fig A2.

With the stance in the correct attitude with the hips up and forward as in Fig. B2,
it is the foot that leads and any incoming kick can be stopped with the foot as in
Fig. B2.

In kick boxing, they block with their shins and to do this, they spend much time
conditioning the shins to be able to withstand blocking kicks. In the street where
people may be wearing boots, the shins would take a lot of punishment if they
blocked a kick with a heavy boot on the foot! The Ving Tsun method of stopping an
incoming kick with the foot leading is a safer method and circumvents the need for
shin conditioning.

Feet Positions
Figures 1 and 2 show kicking from two popular positions of stance, the stance when
stationary and the stance when moving. Both Figure 1 and 2 are based on the
scenario that the opponent is in range or is coming forward with a kick so stepping
first to bridge is not necessary. Figure 1 shows two alternatives of standing
stationary with the feet positioned as R1 and L1 where R1 is pointing at the target
and would be the kicking leg or as R2 and L2 where L2 points at the target and
would be the kicking leg. (In all these three diagrams, R is for the right foot and
L is for the left foot.) In Figure 1 R1 is the kicking leg and is driven by L1
pushing forward to generate the force and therefore negates the need for shifting
the body weight to L1 before kicking as the forward force then compensates for
gravity trying to upset the stance on the side that the foot has left the ground.
This means that if the attacker is initially standing outside kicking range, he
needs to make two actions. (1. to step forward to bridge the gap and 2. to then
kick.) As we drive forward with L1, we only need one action to kick therefore we
are able to stop the attackers step rather than his kick. If we shift our weight
before we kick, then we are also creating two moves and will consequently be
kicking the attackers kick instead of his step. Of course, if the attacker is
within range then driving forward with L1 to kick with R1 is the quickest way to
kick as shifting our weight tells the opponent what we are going to do before we do
it as they are able to see our shoulders move to the side a little. When the kick
is completed and the foot placed on the floor L1 must move to L3 to re-configure
the stances stability.

In Figure 2 the concepts are just the same, but we are already in a stance moving
forward and we kick with R1 by driving forward with L1. Again, when R1 has reached
R2 and is placed on the floor, L1 moves to L2 to re-configure the stance.

In Figure 3 the situation is that of one where we are doing the attacking from a
distance more than one step away from the opponent. Of course, if we just step
forward in a straight line and kick, we would be clashing with the opponents force
coming towards us. Thus we have to find a clear line in my creating an angle using
dummy footwork. Many years ago I used to try and attack with a kick straight down
the centre from a distance of more than one step by reaching a long way with the
kick. Of course, this over reaching made my stance very unstable. I remember Wong
Shun Leung talking to me and Anthony Kan in Anthonys back garden explaining to us
that we should not kick until we are first in range to kick. He then showed us the
footwork as in Figure 3 which creates an angle for entry than does not clash with
the centreline. His favourite technique when doing this was to attack with a kick
and a man sau all at once. If the opponent tried to block the kick, the man sau
would strike. If they tried to block the man sau, then the kick would strike. If
the angle of moving from L1 to L2 is as narrow as possible, hopefully it will trick
the opponent (especially if they are a karate, Tae Kwon Do or from another style
works more in straight lines) into thinking we are moving in, in a straight line.
By the time they realise we are not, it is too late for them.

Attack Angles
Of course if we attack as in the last paragraph, the opponent is not always going
to stand there and let us kick them! Here illustrated is one example of a scenario
and how we might deal with it using Ving Tsun dummy footwork. If we attempt to move
into kicking range via use of an angle as described in the above paragraph and
therefore move from 1 to 2 in the Attacking Angles illustration, the opponent may
move or kick from A to B to intercept us. As he does this we immediately change our
direction onto 2 to 3 and move in again driving off from the back leg in direction
of 3 to 4 attacking perhaps with our hands as we have shut down the kicking
distance.

Naturally, there are many, many more scenarios of kicking and kicks from different
angles. Mostly I treat kicks with the same philosophy and approach as I do the hand
actions for example like punching, I will kick from wherever my foot is to the
target. I have used the footwork of the Attacking Angles illustration to find a
clear way in to attack with the hands. Another way for entry is to attack directly
up the centreline until we obtain contact with the opponent and to then deal with
changing angles to attack depending on the feel of direction of the opponents
forces. Like everything in Ving Tsun we must choose the method that works best for
us and develop that for efficiency.

Attack Angles
Of course if we attack as in the last paragraph, the opponent is not always going
to stand there and let us kick them! Here illustrated is one example of a scenario
and how we might deal with it using Ving Tsun dummy footwork. If we attempt to move
into kicking range via use of an angle as described in the above paragraph and
therefore move from 1 to 2 in the Attacking Angles illustration, the opponent may
move or kick from A to B to intercept us. As he does this we immediately change our
direction onto 2 to 3 and move in again driving off from the back leg in direction
of 3 to 4 attacking perhaps with our hands as we have shut down the kicking
distance.

Naturally, there are many, many more scenarios of kicking and kicks from different
angles. Mostly I treat kicks with the same philosophy and approach as I do the hand
actions for example like punching, I will kick from wherever my foot is to the
target. I have used the footwork of the Attacking Angles illustration to find a
clear way in to attack with the hands. Another way for entry is to attack directly
up the centreline until we obtain contact with the opponent and to then deal with
changing angles to attack depending on the feel of direction of the opponents
forces. Like everything in Ving Tsun we must choose the method that works best for
us and develop that for efficiency.