A Talk of Wing Chun Quan between Xie Guozheng and Xie Guohui
Our teacher Lin. Ruiwen was a doctor. He became one of Yao Cal's disciples at his age of 29 studying Wing Chun Quan together with his brother, Lin Ruibo. Ruiwen with his taller stature had been playing the Quan more powerful and vigorous showing his forceful strength in pliancy and softness having got better control in fighting.
We had learned Wing Chun Quan from Lin Ruiwen for 40 years already. Our thoughts and understanding of Wing Chun Quan are as the following. There have been many people learning and practicing Wing Chun Quan in Foshan City. Several schools of the Quan and lots differences between them do exist for several years. The main difference would be either harder or softer in practicing all the movements of the Quan. Mr. Lin always emphasized the great importance of inner pliable strength in practicing with one's body quite flexible and loosen totally as pliable as a spring. The focus in practicing Wing Chun Quan is not the fierce force but the inner pliable strength. Dynamics and fulcrum must be considered and practiced in daintily. The point attacked by your force is always asked to be artful in nicety, Sending out any force with inner pliable strength should be with one's wrist and the point his wrist force is hitting skillfully and accurately.
There is a sort of Kung-fu of the Quan named Xiao shou (eliminating the attack made by the rival's hand) since "xiao" means eliminating. "Xiao shou" refers to the skill in eliminating the attacks sent by your rival. It is much more difficult than attacking. Xiao Nian Tou (small idea) being one of the three sets of the Quan is Xiao Lian Tou indeed. "Xiao" means the primary stage in practicing, "Lian" means practicing and "Tou" implies being the first. These three Chinese characters means that beginners should have their practices of this fistic routine first.
Marked Traits of the Lin Ruiwen
School of Wing Chun Quan
1. Jiu Quan (a kind of boxing in relaxing all the joints of your arms and shoulders): Make the joints of your arms more flexible in agility being much easier and faster in sending out your Jin (forces) and in devoting in onset. It is a basic Kung-fu of Wing Chun Quan.
2.Tan Yao (relax your waist by laying open your Qi nearly over all): Keep the center of your gravity onto your waist. Keep your Shou Qiao (forming a bridge by your hands) flexibly in sensitive agility in your upper part with changeful footsteps to be easy and excellent both in stepping forward and backward in line with all the demands for attacking or defending.
3.Quan Quan (circumvolve your fist drawing a circle):
Circumvolve your hand drawing an angle of 360 in the air making your wrist much more relaxed, flexible and powerful having your attacking in lots of different varieties. Prcticing this movement regularly to and fro, you can finally feel your Qi (your interior breathing and strength) flowing through onto your fingertips. It is generally considered that arriving at the stage in practicing Kung-fu for a player will be ranked highest among the Kung-fu in attacking and defending sent respectively by his fingers, palms and fists.
Lin Ruiwen's Wing Chun Quan is built up on the following basis: Xiao Lian Tou (little practicing head), Xun Qiao (searching for a bridge), Biao Zhi (marking fingers). The typical weapons of this school are Wing Chun Er Zi Dao (two letters falchion), Liu Dian Ban (six and a half points) Gun (pole) and Ren Zhu Chuang (a kind of pegs made of bamboo in tenacity) while all the Wing Chun weapons combined with the three mentioned above have made its system well-knitted. The strength in Wu Zhou Wei (spurted out from the position of your elbows timed by a number of five) Duan Qian (short bridge) would ease some straight attacking sent by you mak ing the Tao Lu (the sets of Kung-fu movements) better than the old in compact proficiency as well. Soft and fair goes far. You keep your forces moving sidelong to eliminate the straight hitting sent by your opponent and have your softness to overcome any or all hard coming attacking. Your waist and your Ma (stance) should be associated together in one keeping your stepping forward or backward in a most agility extending in good taste and in decency so that you could win your opponent easily.
The Set of Xiao Lian Tou
Note: You should begin with this set
1. Kai Zhuang Ma (opening peg with your horse-riding stance): Jiu Quan (hold tight your fists) Tan Yao (relax your waist with your Qi spreading over), Xia Shi Zi (downward cross), Shang Shi Zi (upward cross) and then Zhou Quan (get all your movemen's over)
2. Ri Zi Chong Zhong (hit with Quan Zhang, that is circumvolve your palm at an angle of 360 degree) and Shou Quan (get over)
3. Fo Zhang (Buddha palm): play the above movement for three times then Pai You (pat you right part) Tan Zuo (spring your left hand upward) turn your attacking to Zhi Zhang (straight palm), Quan Zhang (circumvolve your palm) and Shou Zhang.
4. Dun Zhang (hitting with your palm in frusta as half-squat stance): Practicing it in four directions, left, right, backward and forward, Sha Zhang and Shou Zhang.
5. Shuang Tan Shou and Shuang Fu Shou: Shuang Biao Zhi (double hitting with your fingers like sending two darts), Shuang Fu (double pronting) and Shou Quan.
6. Zhi Zhang: hitting with your left palm first attacking your right side and flipping your left side then turn your movement into Zhi Zhang (planting palm) to your front, Quan Zhang and Shou Quan. The movements in left and right styles are the same.
7. Tan Fu Zhou (move your hands with your Qi spreading over and pronate them then): Tan Fu for three times, circumvolve your hand drawing a half circle turning into Heng Zhang (by-blow) hit out then Quan Zhang and Shou Quan. The left style and the tight shall be the same.
8. Pang Shou: Gong (bowing) first and then Ba Zheng also having a joined name, Gong Zheng. Hitting by Di Zhang (palm from the bottom of your body ), Quan Zhang and Shou Quan.
9. Xiao Shou (cutting your opponent with your palm in left style and the fight for three times each and than take Lian Huan (interlinked) San Chui (three hammering) hit your opponent from your upper part, the middle and the lower and, Shou Quan.
10.Shou Shi(stop the movements and return to your initial stance)
The Set of Xun Qiao
1. Kai Zhuang Ma (start on your horse-tiding stance like a stake): Jiu Quan (holding tight your boxing), Tan Yao, Xia Shi Zi, Shang Shi Zi and Shou Quan.
2. Ri Zi Chong Zhuang: Gui Zheng, Dui Xin Zhi Chu (attack your opponent's breast where his heart is located with your straight hitting), Quan Zheng (circumvolve your palm) at an angle of 360 degrees and Shou Quan.
3. Shuang Xun (double seeking) Qiao Shou (have a bridge stance with your hands): Do Gui Zhen for three times, turn your wrists forward in the upper direction and the down.
4.Jiao Zheng: Zhuan Ma (change your horse-riding stance), Yao Jin (make forces by your waist) and do Jiao Zheng in the left direction and the tight for three times respectively.
5. Gong Tan Shou (bowing and punching your palm): Do Yi Bang (one arm) Yi Tan (one spreading), circumvolve your hand in the left direction and the tight for three times respectively being the same.
6.Tan Fu Shou: Do it for three times and then take Zheng Ma (horse-tiding stance facing your front), Sha You Zhang (chop your opponent with your right palm), Pi Zhong Lu (punch in the middle line) and Shou Quan while the left style is the same as the tight.
7. Gao Di (higher and lower) Pang Shou (arming with your hands): Do Zhuan Ma, Cuo Jiao (subdue your opponent with your kicking), Qi (raise) Gao Di (higher and lower) Bang (arms) Jing Ma (advance your horse-tiding stance) for three times, Jian Huan (interlinked) San Zhi Chui (three straight hammering) and Shou Quan. The left style is the same as the right.
8. Shuang Bang (double arms) Tan Shou (make your hands spring up): Do Zhuan Ma, Cui Jiao, Qi (start on) Tan Bang (make your arms spring up) Jing Ma (advance your horse-riding stance) Di Bangand Jing Ma for three times, Shuang Fu (double bending down) Shuang Tui Zhang (double pushing with your palms) and Shou Quan. The left style is the same as the fight.
9. Pai Zhang (pat your opponent with your palm): Do Zhuan Ma, Pai Zheng Zhang (pat your opponent with your palm face to face) in left, tight middle, upper, middle and downward directions each in three hitting with your fists and Shou Quan
10. Shou Shi (stop your movements returning to your initial stance).