Centre Line Theory

[Cynikal Mantis]

Cang and I touched upon this, so I decided to write what I know please add your comments.

Chinise martial arts tend to borrow techniques and princeiples from one another, even though so many of the arts being taught secretley. Shaolin arts are based on the principals of stances, gates attacks, and defences. Stances are the backbone of every style its the foundation we build on.

Gates are the pivitol point around which stances, attacks and gates are based. They provide the best position for a martial artist`s tactic. Gates are the angle of engagement employed by us in a combat situation.

Styles that fight using sweeps, circular movements and moving from outside of opponets defence to the inside are called circular styles. These styles are:-
Tia Chi
Snake
Dragon
Alternativly a practicioner may use circular defensive movements incoparated with linear attacks to areas outside the defenders gate( between the opponts arms)Theese styles are:-
Pak Hok
Tiger
Northen Paying Mantis(although centre line elements show)
The last school of gates keeps the hands or elbows on the defenders centerline and traps incoming attacks so a direct attack to the opponts centerline ios possible.Theese styles are:-
Wing Chun
Pak Mei
Southern Praying Mantis

The centre line can be discribed as an imaginary shaft that runs through your body. Starting at the crown running down to your spine, and down to the groung. If you can see this centre line as a pole, then it is the axis around which your balance moves.A force reaching your center line will unbalance you so its important you defend your center line at all times.

These styles were more or less created about the same time but at different temples. The center line styles are either southern or mostley southern in origion.

In conclusion centerline styles lack flash but pak incredible punch. They are soley for practioners that dont wish to fight............................................. ...

[Cang Long]

Cynikal Mantis this is a quote from the thread "my first learning experience under Grandmaster Garrett Gee" by Gary aka mario bava
originally posted by mario bava
The book 'Mastering Kung Fu' suggests that Ming military personnel and Shoalin monks were influential in the creation of Wing Chun, and having experienced the methods of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun, this makes a lot of sense to me. I can see a miltary flavour in the training methods of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun, both physically and philosophically. The Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun lineage contains concepts and ideas that reveal direct battle field experience, and that actually explain in great detail where the centre-line theory actually comes from. Most people state that the centre-line is 'always the shortest distance from one point to another'. But Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun can actually give a detailed explanation as to the creation of the centre-line theory as opposed to giving a simple reason for it's existence. The centre-line theory is the result of direct battle-field experience of the Ming soldiers over 300 years ago. The spear was one of the main weapons used in war-fare, and the technology and mechanics of spear fighting were fundamnetal in the creation of the centre-line. This technology can be found in the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun concept of Ng Jan Chiu Min Jeui Ying - the five battle arrays of Wing Chun. In the first battle array, Bai Jong, a particular exercise contains movements that directly contain spear-fighting concepts that teach a practitioner to function on the centre line. This exercise is unique to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun and is called Bai Jong Baat Bo Jin. This exercise contains 4 basic techniques that are used in conjunction with 8 body methods to express the centre-line in relation to time, space and energy factors. Only the experince of this concept will reveal the origin of the centre-line theory.

[Op108wc]

Bai Jong Baat Bo Jin – Origins of the Centre-Line

http://www.hungfayiireland.com/12html.htm

[Cang Long]

How does centerline theory apply or not apply in the video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=240522209212974029

[RAB]

I think the center line applies but wasn't applied by the players. It looked to me that the players were just playing and having fun.

Neither one use a traditional, or recognized guard that is known to me. The guy with the cross used a hybrid guard used commonly in Europe during 17th century. However, the tip of the blade should point towards the opponent at at a downward angle. He didn't do that because of his foot/shoulder position. He also used his arm as opposed to his wrist and gravity.

What he did do was to strike down when his opponent struck across. The cross was the axis of the centerline. That would have been the closes thing I saw in regard to the centerline.

[Cang Long]

It looked to me that the players were just playing and having fun. For what reason do you suggest that?

[RAB]

They were smiling, using pads, talking a bit, single attacks, no death blows, no one came in. It's like playing tag....did i miss anything?