Understanding Structure – Sil Lim Tao Stance

Understanding Structure

Sil Lim Tao Stance

YEE GEE KIM YEUNG MA

Yip Man Stance

Lik Chong Gerk Jang Sang

Whole body structural alignment

1. Ankles5. Shoulders
2. Knees 6. Neck
3. Hips7. Elbow
4. Spine8. Wrist

Cantonese Translation:

Kim Sut – Knees In.  Creating the lower triangle with legs.

Lok Bok – Dropping shoulder.  Isolated, relaxed shoulder.

Lok Ma – Lowering Horse.  Sinking / rooting the stance.

Jang Die Lik – Elbow under strength.  Stabilising and sinking the elbow.

Fong Song – Relaxed extending arm.

Ting Yui – To straighten the back.  Flattening the lumber area of the spine by stacking the vertebrae’s.

Dung Tao – Upwards lifting head.   The straightening of the  neck and head at the top end of the spine.

Tei Gong – To make solid.  The lifting of the anus muscle and tilting of the pelvis to engage the hips – uniting lower triangle (legs) with upper triangle (body).

Tie Seung San – Uplifting upper Body – the sensation of the upper body being held up by string resulting from Dung Tao, Ting Yiu and Tei Gong.

Ting Bok – Straight back shoulders.  The back held back isolating the shoulders and forming the upper triangular structure.

Nim Lik – Force of idea / Intent.  Mental focus in the application of structure.

San Ying – Body Structure.

Lut Sau Jic Ching – Forward  springing force.

Gung Lik – Trained Strength.  Maintaining the correct arm position / angle.

Tseung Kui Ma – Elbow position maintained (fist distance from body)

Mai Jang – Forwarding of elbows inward and forward.

Man Sau / Wu Sau – Correct hand positing using relaxed use of tendons / ligaments to give structure to arm.

Lik Chong Gerk Jang Sang – Power originates from the heals – meaning structural power through the alignment of the 6 major joints.

Copyright @ Craig Sands

A detailed overview explaining each of these elements within the Wing Chun Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma stance is provided within the article "Relaxation versus Structure Dilemma - Article 2" here: Link