The Daily Insight – 10-25-08 – Knowledge Of Science Can Be Useful To A Kung Fu Man – Part 05

Knowledge of Science can be useful to a kung fu man Part 05

This article will demonstrate how knowledge of science can be useful to a kung fu man, by using science to discuss a weakness of the Wing Chun system. This particular weakness of the Wing Chun system is largely responsible for the opinion held by some people, that Wing Chun is not an effective fighting style.

One of the techniques of the Wing Chun system is called a “Tan Sau”. The picture below shows a computer model holding it’s arm in a Tan Sau.

A Tan Sau is formed by extending the hand out palm upwards. When the hand sticks out palm upwards, a triangle is formed by the hand, the elbow, and the shoulder, as shown in the next picture.

 

A Tan Sau does not have to be exactly like the example picture. The hand can move any distance out from the body, as long as the arm retains the form of a proper Tan Sau as demonstrated in the next picture.

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The Tan Sau is a blocking technique. According to this author, the Tan Sau is designed to be used against what might be called a straight arm attack. A straight arm attack would be an attack in which the attackers arm was extended straight out, as shown in the next picture.

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When a person attacks with a straight arm attack, the straight arm will usually be swung like a baseball bat. The next picture shows an overhead view of the model in the pose above, and another model playing the part of the opponent.

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Then a picure of the straight arm after it has swung thru an arc to strike the opponent.

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The second article of this series talked about the forces defined by the science of physics. The second article stated these forces were invisible, and that a living human body creates and uses these invisible forces as part of the process of living. It was stated that according to science, the human body or parts of the human body could be replaced by the invisible forces acting on the human body.

Since human beings need some way to communicate about invisible forces, the science of physics decided that invisible forces would be represented by an arrow called a “vector”. The two important characteristics of a vector are the magnitude or size of
the vector, and the direction of the vector.

The next picture shows the straight arm in the ready to attack position.Vector arrows are placed behind it to represent the invisible forces acting on the straight arm.

The vector arrows form a 90 degree angle with the straight arm. An object that is at a 90 degree angle to another object is called perpendicular, so the vector arrows can be described as being perpendicular to the straight arm.

What would happen to the invisible forces acting on the attacking straight arm as the straight arm attacks? According to this author, the forces acting on a straight arm can be treated as if they remain perpendicular to the arm, as demonstrated in the next few pictures.

The vector arrows remain perpendicular to the attacking arm throughout it’s arc of motion.

It was previously stated that the Tan Sau was a defensive movement that was designed to counter a straight arm attack. A Tan Sau would of course share many characteristics of the straight arm attack, since a Tan Sau is also formed by the human body.

The Tan Sau could be replaced by the invisible forces defined by the science of physics, just like the straight arm attack could be replaced by the invisible forces defined by the science of physics. The invisible forces acting on a Tan Sau could
also be represented with vector arrows, like the invisible forces acting on the straight arm attack were represented by vector arrows.

According to this author, the forces in a Tan Sau extend straight out from the end of the Tan Sau as shown in the next picture.

The invisible forces defined by the science of physics can be manipulated by the laws of addition, subtraction, etc. To cancel out one of the invisible forces defined by the science of physics, a force of equal magnitude but exactly opposite direction would be required.

For example. If the attacking straight arm discussed previously were to attack with 20 pounds of force, in order to stop the attack, the Wing Chun Tan Sau would need to exert exactly 20 pounds of force, from the exactly opposite direction as the incoming attacking force, in order to completely cancel out or block the attacker’s incoming 20 pounds of force.

The next picture shows the straight arm attack and an opponent performing a Tan Sau defense. Vector arrows indicating the invisible force in the straight arm are drawn in behind the straight arm. One vector arrow is sticking out in front of the straight arm to represent the entire attacking force. A vector arrow is sticking straight out from the Tan Sau, which is perpendicular to the straight arm attack.

This picture demonstrates how a Tan Sau stops a straight arm attack according to the science of physics. The vector arrow representing the invisible force of the defending Tan Sau, is coming from the exact opposite direction as the invisible force from the attacking straight arm, so the forces would cancel each other out, which would mean the attack was blocked or stopped.

The demonstration picture used the location of the straight arm before it had actually begun to attack. What happens when the location of the straight arm changes, as the straight arm swings through it’s arc of attack?

The next picture shows the attacking arm partway through it’s arc of movement, with the Wing Chun defender in the same location as in the previous picture.

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Perpendicular vector arrows are shown behind the attacking straight arm, along with a single vector arrow in front of the attacking straight arm, which again represents the cumulative attacking straight arm force.

The Tan Sau vector arrow is not exactly opposite of the straight arm vector arrow. Because the Tan Sau vector arrow is not in the exact opposite direction of the straight arm vector arrow, the Tan Sau would not exactly cancel out the invisible forces in the attacking straight arm.

For the Wing Chun practitioner in the previous picture to block the attacking straight arm with his Tan Sau, the Wing Chun practitioner must realign the Tan Sau so it is exactly opposite from the attacking straight arm force vector.

The body of the Wing Chun practitioner has been moved in the next picture so that the angle of the force vector arrow of the Tan Sau, is directly opposite the force vector arrow of the incoming straight arm attack. The Tan Sau in the next picture would successfully block the incoming straight arm attack.

Now that a simplistic explanation for how a Tan Sau counters a straight arm attack has been presented, the weak point of the Wing Chun system mentioned at the beginning of the article can be discussed.

Some people feel that Wing Chun is not a very good fighting system, because Wing Chun practitioners are often defeated by western style fighters.

The reason that Wing Chun practitioners are defeated by western style fighters is not because the Wing Chun system is ineffective. The reason that Wing Chun practitioners are frequently defeated by western fighters, is that western fighters use western boxing techniques that the Wing Chun system was not designed to deal with.

Western boxers use a technique called a roundhouse punch. A roundhouse punch is performed with a curved arm as demonstrated in the next picture.

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A roundhouse punch follows a curved path to it’s target. According to this author, that means that the invisible forces acting on a roundhouse punch, behave differently than the invisible forces acting on a straight arm attack.

Instead of perpendicular force vectors acting on the roundhouse attack, like the perpendicular force vectors acting on the straight arm attack, according to this author, the force vectors acting on a roundhouse attack are at an angle to the arm, in approximately the direction the fist is pointing, as demonstrated in the next picture.

The next picture shows the roundhouse attack after it has moved partway through it’s arc of motion.

The angles of the vector arrows have all changed. The movement of the roundhouse punch through it’s arc of motion changes the angle of the fist. Because the invisible forces acting on the fist have changed to a new angle, the force vector arrows need to be changed to the same new angle.

The next picture shows the roundhouse a little further through it’s arc of motion.

The angle of the fist has changed again as a result of traveling further along the curved path of the roundhouse attack. The angle of the vector arrows was changed to match the new angle of the fist.

The next picture shows the roundhouse attack at the end of it’s arc of motion.

The vector arrows have once again changed angles, so they correctly match the new angle of the invisible forces acting on the fist at it’s new location.

According to this author, the angle of the invisible forces acting on a roundhouse attack, change constantly as the roundhouse attack curves through it’s arc of motion.

The next picture shows the Wing Chun man using a Tan Sau to defend against the roundhouse attack.

The Wing Chun man has positioned his body so that the force vector arrow associated with his Tan Sau, is in the exact opposite direction of the force vector arrow of the incoming roundhouse attack. This Tan Sau would effectively block the roundhouse
attack at that moment in time, because the Tan Sau force vector arrow is exactly opposite the force vector arrow of the incoming roundhouse attack.

The next picture shows the roundhouse attack partway through it’s arc of motion, and the Wing Chun man again defending with a Tan Sau.

The body of the Wing Chun practitioner has been moved so that the force vector arrow of the Tan Sau, is in the exact opposite direction of the new position of the force vector arrow of the straight arm attack. The Tan Sau would effectively block the roundhouse attack at that moment of time in the picture, because the force vector arrow of the Tan Sau is exactly opposite the force vector arrow of the incoming roundhouse attack.

The examples and explanations of the Tan Sau defending against a roundhouse attack, seem the same as the examples of the Tan Sau defending against the straight arm attack. Whether the attack is a straight arm attack or a roundhouse attack, the Wing
Chun practitioner moves his body until the force vector arrow of his Tan Sau, is in the exact opposite direction of the direction of the force vectot arrow of the incoming straight arm or roundhouse attack.

The example pictures and explanations make it seem like the Wing Chun Tan Sau should effectively block either a straight arm attack or a roundhouse attack.

The real life fighting losses by Wing Chun practitioners to western boxers though, shows that the Wing Chun Tan Sau cannot effectively block the roundhouse punch of western boxers.

Why can’t a Tan Sau effectively block a roundhouse attack? According to the simple theoretical explanation provided in this article, a Tan Sau should be able to block a roundhouse attack as effectively as the Tan Sau blocks a straight arm attack.

The exact answer to why a Tan Sau cannot effectively block a roundhouse attack is complicated, and requires using the science of physics for the complete explanation. The exact answer is not needed in order to understand why the Wing Chun Tan Sau is not effective in blocking a roundhouse attack.

The simple answer to why the Wing Chun Tan Sau cannot effectively defend against a roundhouse attack, is that a roundhouse attack moves faster than a Tan Sau can move.

Because of reasons that can be fully described by the science of physics, a point on the curving path followed by a roundhouse punch, will always change location at a speed much faster, than the point of the force vector at the end of a Tan Sau can change location. It does not matter how good the Wing Chun man is or how well trained the Wing Chun man is. According to the laws of physics, the Wing Chun Tan Sau can never move fast enough to block the faster moving roundhouse attack.

Individuals that know something about Wing Chun or physics might have a problem with this article. This article has left out other explanations for how the Wing Chun Tan Sau is employed and functions.

This article has purposefully discussed the application of the Wing Chun Tan Sau in a simple theoretical way, to help the comprehension of readers with no knowledge of physics or Wing Chun.

This author agrees that there is another explanation for the way that the Wing Chun Tan Sau is used and functions, besides the simplistic explanation provided in this article.

This fifth article in the series titled “Knowledge can be useful to a kung fu man”, has provided more evidence to support the claim of the title of this series.

This fifth article demonstrated how knowledge of science would help a kung fu man understand in a scientific way, why Wing Chun fighters have problems when fighting western style boxers, or any other fighter that uses a curving, roundhouse like attack.