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<blogEntry id="2107">
	<title><![CDATA[Wing Chun and Aikido - Continued...]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[So I just had my second class yesterday.  I seem to be picking things up pretty quickly, comparatively...but then, after Aikido, just about *anything* seems easy.  :-P

Among the "cognate" principles/underlying similarities to Aikido that I have been finding include Wing Chun's:

- "immovable elbows" (keeping one's elbows down)
- reliance upon breath for power (kokyu)
- staying relaxed
- "bridge" ("unbendable arm")
- trapping the opponent's joints
- blending/deflecting instead of blocking strikes
- protecting the centreline

Differences between the two that I foresee having difficulties with:

- not using one's hips for power (so as to not telegraph one's strikes)
- a closed, square stance instead of hanmi (ironically, both arts claim similar premise to back up why their stance is more martially-effective compared to the other; Wing Chun's claim is that the one-foot-forward fencing stance with an arm extended leaves one susceptible to trapping, whereas Aikido's is that it leaves less openings)
- my Wing Chun instructor's penchant for telling his students to tap into their emotions --- particularly their rage, their "dark side" for power --- something I would prefer not to do; but then, I'm also Aiki-biased.  That or I've watched too many samurai movies and would rather leave emotions out of combat as much as possible...   

As for whatever bad habits I might accumulate out of my little experiment in cross-training --- that still remains to be seen.]]></body>
	<date>09-19-2005</date>
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