The Art of Fut Sao Wing Chun

Fut Sao Wing Chun is a southern style of kung fu with a different lineage than the more popular Yip Man Wing Chun style. It originated from a Doaist sect and then through Great Grand Master Si-Jo Hsu Yun. Hsu Yun inherited the system and passed it along as a Buddhist system. Henry was the first non-monk to inherit what we call today Fut Sao Wing Chun. Fut Sao Wing Chun consists of four primary sets the first being Siu Lien Tao. Siu Lien Tao teaches the fundamentals of the system along with the major theories of the style. Some examples of these theories are the elbow in, immovable elbow, center line theory, facing principle, body structure, how to root and develop elbow power. The second set is called Chum Kiu or bridge seeking form, which continues along the lines of the Siu Lien Tao but adds on extra elements such as waist power, angle of attack and defense, stepping, mobility, learning how to move the root, linking and delinking the structure, short range power (jing), discarding energy and the use of kicks (chi gerk). Up until this point the student has all the necessary elements to become a competent fighter and can now be introduced to chi sao which incorporates all the elements of the Siu Lien Tao and Chum Kiu. Once the student has mastered the SLT, CK forms and chi sao, one can be taught the third form Bui Jee or Thrusting fingers form. Biu Jee introduces techniques such as finger and elbow strikes, low horse. Many of the moments in the Biu Jee are applicable to the pole form which is why the Fut Sao Biu Jee form is a precursor to our long pole form. Training of the low horse allow one develop the explosive power necessary to transmit energy for long distances such as the tip of a long pole. Certain exercises like chi qwan or circling pole are taught to help develop similar movements that are found in chi sao. The next and final set is the Siu bot Gua. The SBG form is mainly concerned with mobility by practicing stepping in 8 directions. It culminates all the sets learned thus far and combines them with sophisticated stepping. While all this time all the other sets concentrate on linear and angular attacks the SBG set concentrates on circular footwork and stepping. When one combines the line and the circle one is complete. Besides traditional four sets we also have the weapons (long pole and pig skinning knifes). Unlike the Yip Man knife form which consists of 8 different movements consisting of chopping, stabbing and slashing, the Fut Sao knife form has an infinite number of moments. All the movements in the Fut Sao knife form consist of cutting motions only with no stabbing or chopping techniques. The reason for this is because Fut Sao Wing Chun stems from a Buddhist teaching that promotes the preservation life and not taking it. Our knife form is mainly used to maim and not kill an opponent. There is also a very long and complex wooden dummy form which consists of 16 sections. The wooden dummy form teaches one how to use proper structure, angles and footwork while close to an opponent and also shows one how to transmit their energy into an objects mass.