Fighting

Student: How soon do you think it takes before one can defend themselves with wing chun?
Sifu Cruz: I'd say anywhere from 7 months to 1 year.

Student: What are the key tools you need in order to defend yourself?
Sifu Cruz: Definitely having a center line punch. It's like your American Express card, don't leave home without it. You also have to have the guts to move in.  But that's pretty much it.

Student:  That sounds a little to simple.
Sifu Cruz: Wing chun is simple, its direct and efficient.  The world looks a little bit different, once you know how to punch. Believe me, the centerline punch is a loaded weapon.

Student: What's the mentality that you need when your fighting?
Sifu Cruz: One of the principles in wing chun is that of decision, when the time comes, you have to decide right then and there if you should fight. If you have any hesitation, then definitely don't do so. If you decide to fight, then at that point and time, unleash hell.

Student: In this day and age of lawsuit happy America is that a good idea?
Sifu Cruz: Wing Chun is about common sense.  And you only use your wing chun when its a life and death situation. Obviously, if someone made fun of my mama, that wouldn't fall under life and death. At the same time, if someone pulled out a knife at you, you can't assume he pulled out a knife to cut some bread.

Student: You said in addition to center line punch and moving in, guts plays a very important role, can you explain?
Sifu Cruz: Yes, in my opinion guts is probably harder to learn then working on relaxing. Remember, guts is not the same as being animalistic and just charging in. When you see other martial arts fight, its not uncommon to move back to avoid an attack.  Wing Chun never moves back, we either side step the force, and then immediately move in. Most people aren't use to the idea of walking towards someone shooting at you, but that's sorta the mentality involved.

Teaching

Student: What made you finally decide to teach?
Sifu Cruz: 3 things really, first and foremost I had to make sure I can walk the talk. 2nd, thing is that you can't be a student your entire life, in order to improve ones skill in wing chun you need to teach.  Finally, I didn't like how Wing Chun is being represented in the Chicago area.

Student: What do you mean by Wing Chun being represented?
Sifu Cruz: It may look like a duck, and walk like a duck.  But I'm telling you its not a duck.  I don't mind that people teach differently, that's there choice.  But don't call it wing chun, when it goes against every theory of what wing chun is. I'll leave it at that before I start creating some bad karma.

Student: What's been the toughest thing about teaching?
Sifu Cruz: I remember one of the first things my Sifu taught me, was don't talk about evil. This is pretty tough, since I'm pretty opinionated about allot of things. Especially in the world of wing chun, there's so much smack being talked about. Thus, this is something I'm trying to be good at.

Student:  Is it easier to teach those with experience or not?
Sifu Cruz: I believe its easier to teach those without experience. Wing Chun doesn't depend on muscle, and from my experience those students that have come into the school, are very reliant on it. In addition to that, even after showing them the proper way to do things, old habits are hard to destroy. Basically, unlearn what you've learned.

Student: Is wing chun easier to learn for men or women?
Sifu Cruz: Women are natural for this art. Women don't depend heavily on muscle, and pickup the soft part of the art quickly. Overall, I believe women have an easier time learning the concepts behind it.

Student:  How closely do you follow your Sifu's teachings.
Sifu Cruz: As for the curriculum which he has, I follow the main things such as stance, punch, 1st form to the T (in that particular order). The only major thing that I've changed is that I don't introduce the kicks in the first year.  Other than that, I pretty much teach the same way he taught me.

Student: With all the variations in wing chun form, do you think its necessary to be aware of the different ways other lines do it.
Sifu Cruz: Let's say Yipman taught allot of people the art of wing chun, and think along the lines like a school setting. Even though, you might have learned from Yipman, I would venture to say, there are those who got a C- from him and there are those who graduated with honors. Frankly, I'd like to learn and get my information from the guy who got an A+ from his studies, wouldn't you?

Student: So are you saying one way is better than the other?
Sifu Cruz: Let me give you an example, if I wanted to master the stock market, I'm sure there's allot out there who has opinions on how to do that, now I can combine all there information and do with that, or I can just talk to Warren Buffet and learn strictly from him. Bottom line, there's many ways to skin a cat, but there's always one way that's most effective.

Student: What if you don't have the best teacher available?
Sifu Cruz: You ride a cow, till you find a horse.  When the student is ready the master will come.

Student: What is it about teaching that you enjoy so much?
Sifu Cruz: I don't believe I could've asked for a better core of 1st generation students. These are hardcore individuals the simply want to learn the art. Just like my students I enjoy seeing the progress they make from day one.  Thus, as the teacher and the student share the journey of improvement, I believe this is what I enjoy the most.

Student: Do you think wing chun is easy to teach?
Sifu Cruz: Wing chun is the most difficult art to teach.  I really believe you have to know what your doing, in order to teach good wing chun. If you don't know what your doing, it could eventually lead to injury.  Take the center line punch for example, I can't tell you how many students I've seen who pop there elbows because they were taught wrong.

Student: How would you describe yourself as a teacher?
Sifu Cruz: I would have to say, when it comes to wing chun I'm a perfectionist. I can't stand to look at bad wing chun. And, I demand the best from my students. Like I said, my core students are hardcore individuals, so I guess I rub them in the right way. I'm not sure how my approach would be accepted by those who are only casual martial artist.

Ye Ge Kim Yeung Ma

Student: What's the purpose of YGKYM?
Sifu Cruz:  In the beginning its to help locate your center of balance

Student: Originally I was taught that YGKYM could be used to block a kick to the groin, is this true?
Sifu Cruz: The stance was not designed to block a groin kick at all. Believe me you'll get hit, if you believe this to be the case. YGKYM gives you the greatest mobility, and thus your skill will prevent you from being hit.

Student: Why do we start off left over right when crossing over?
Sifu Cruz: If you go right over left, with the cross over, you'll end up crushing your heart.

Student: You said YGKYM is about finding your center, can you mention some of the adjustments that you need to do, if your feeling pain in certain areas?
Sifu Cruz: The only natural discomfort that you should feel is right above the knees.  And that eventually goes away within less than a week.  However, if you feel pain in your lower back, that usually means that your hips are not tucked in. If you feel pain in your upper back, then when your pulling your hands back to make it square, your over doing it. If you feel pain at your outside ankles, this usually means that your squeezing the knees inside, instead of letting it go in the direction of your feet. Finally if your thighs are exhausted, that probably means your sinking too much.

Student: Why do we do the stance pigeon toed?
Sifu Cruz: 3 reasons really, its easier to shift when your feet are pigeon toed. Also, By having them pointed in ward, its more natural position to tuck in your hips. And finally, your creating a pyramid stance.

Student: How come I've seen some people break the rules of YGKYM?
Sifu Cruz: YGKYM is the blue print to finding your center of balance, eventually once you've done that, you can literally be in any position.

Student: How do I know if I've found my center of balance?
Sifu Cruz: In the beginning, the only way to find out, is just to stand.  It takes about 45 minutes to find out if you've found it or not. So, say for example you've watching Survivor, and after 15 minutes, you've got a slight discomfort in the ankles.  Well, that basically means you haven't found your center and you have to make adjustments. On the other hand, 45 minutes have passed, your sitting in your YGKYM stance all find and dandy, with no discomfort at all, then that means you've found it.

Punch

Student: Can you talk about the mechanics of the punch?
Sifu Cruz: My Sifu had the best description of how the wing chun punch looks. Its as if your sawing a piece of wood, back and forth. Thus, the elbow is leading the motion.

Student: So there's no use of the shoulder at all?
Sifu Cruz: When you apply the punch, the shoulder extends about 1/2 an inch. This allows for the full release of power. However, if you over do that then you end up over extending and your no longer square.

Student: How many drilling motions are there in the punch?
Sifu Cruz: There are a total of 2. The arm rotation accounts for the horizontal movement, while the wrist action is the vertical. Without both combined, you'll end up over shooting one of the motions.

Student: So does that mean you shouldn't over emphasize the snapping of the wrist?
Sifu Cruz: The mechanics of the punch are such, that if done properly, you don't need to emphasize the snapping of the wrist.

Student: Should the punch be fully extended?
Sifu Cruz: Yes, the wing chun punch involves the full release of energy as its source of power.

Student: Should I squeeze my fist at the end of the punch?
Sifu Cruz: The fist should stay relaxed from beginning to the end. If you tense up at the last second of the hit, what you do is kill the natural release of force going towards your opponent. Its almost as if your trying to run over somebody, and at the last second you put on the brakes.

Student: How long does it take to condition the hand?
Sifu Cruz: 1 year for punching, 5 years for palm, and 10 years for fingers

Student: How do you punch with more power?
Sifu Cruz:  The harder you try to punch, the less power you'll have for it. Power comes from timing and positioning. Its hard to imagine, but if you trust the structure of how the punch was designed, it will definitely work.

Student: When dealing with wall bag training, should I hit it hard or not?
Sifu Cruz: The key to wall bag training is that you should do it consistently. Hitting the wall bag hard will eventually lead to damage. Its only necessary that you tap the bag, but consistently everyday.

Student: Why do you just tap it?
Sifu Cruz: It involves the idea of chi packing. Imagine your bone being a bottle, now when you try to fill it with water, and turn the faucet on at full strength, much of the water pours out of the bottle, instead of going into it. However, if you lower the pressure of the faucet to the right amount. All of the water enters into the bottle. That's the idea behind just tapping the bag.

Student: What's the most common mistake with the punch?
Sifu Cruz: This usually makes me cringe, but the popping of the elbow. This eventually will lead to damage with the tendons in the arm.

Student:  How do you correct this problem?
Sifu Cruz: What I normally do is have him feel the proper motion of the punch. Thus, I have the student place his hand about 6 to 7 inches away from the sternum (which represents his centerline) and the correct starting point. After that, I normally take my hand and against him, and ask him to push against it, using his elbow.  Most of the popping usually occurs if he punches at the same level, thus a wing chun punch rises from the sternum to the neck area, causing the opponent to be uprooted.

Siu Lim Tao

Student: How important is first form?
Sifu Cruz: SLT is the text book of wing chun.  Almost all the moves can be found within the first form.  Without a deep understanding of first form, as well as knowing the way to do it correctly, you'll never develop the internal power.

Student: How often should I do first form?
Sifu Cruz: If you can do it everyday, that would be great. Obviously, the more you practice something, the better you'll be in it.

Student: Does that mean I should practice it 3 to 4 times a day?
Sifu Cruz: That's not necessary. Practice it once a day, correctly and that'll be more than enough.

Student: How long should I do first form?
Sifu Cruz: If you want to develop just the physical aspect of it, 15 minutes should do. If you want to get the mental benefits from doing it, then you should do it for 45 minutes, but no longer than that.

Student: Can you give an example of mental benefit?
Sifu Cruz: Mental development involves that of emptiness, quietness, sinking, and softness. Take softness for example, in the beginning when your a beginner your mind is rigid, thus your mind and body act as one. Thus, most beginners are very stiff in there movement . Eventually, in time and practice, the mind learns to calm down, and the body then follows and becomes soft as well.

Student: Can you talk about the last application in SLT, the tuet sau, is this used to deal with an arm grab?
Sifu Cruz: Wing Chun is not about fighting the force.  Why use the tuet sau motion, when you can just simply punch him.

Student: Regarding the hau jeong motion, or the rear gum sau. Is this or is this not used to deal with a bear hug from behind.
Sifu Cruz: I guess, if the situation was a case of someone just barely grabbing you, yes this would work.  But, in reality if someone where to grab you from behind, and put a little effort into it, there's no way the rear gum sau would hit. The rear gum sau application is designed for a front shoulder strike.

Student: After fok sau, you apply tan sau in the 1st part of the form, I don't see this with many other lines.
Sifu Cruz: When Sifu Fong showed us tan sau after the fok, this is the only tan in the entire form, that actually shows the application of it. When Sifu Fong was first shown the form, I believe Master Ho did in fact have a tan sau after the fok. Eventually, Master Ho changed cause he felt that the tan created unnecessary tension after the fok, however Sifu retained the tan in his form.

Student: You said, that Tan sau after the fok is the only one that shows the true application of it, can you explain further in detail?
Sifu Cruz: Tan sau is a mere flip of the wrist, but the application has to be from a touch.  While in theory it looks like someone can just punch straight and then I can just apply tan da to counter. In order for it to work, the touch must be there and then the flip applied.

Student:  Why do we do fok sau 3 times in the first part?
Sifu Cruz:  3 times is representative with how important the move is, thus between the tan, bong, and fok family. Fok sau unlike the other 2 cannot be seen when being done.

Student: Should the tan sau be flat or not?
Sifu Cruz: Tan sau should be flat, its just structurally stronger when its flat.  The tan is representative of a bridge between you and your opponent. Have you ever seen a bridge connect 2 areas being up? Of course not, unless your talking Dukes of Hazard.

Student: What's the purpose of the fun sau motion, is it to practice a double chop?
Sifu Cruz: Actually, the double chop which you refer to after the lan sau, is not really meant for learning to chop at an opponent. But teaches the practioners to use his hands in opposite direction and then to bring it back in.

Chi sao

Student: In one word describe what chi sao is all about?
Sifu Cruz: Control

Student: I've seen so many variations on how people do chi sao, what's the right way?
Sifu Cruz: If you see hands flailing, leaning backwards and bad structure, lots of muscle, and a tennis match of hits back and forth, just do the opposite and that's the right way.

Student: Why describe the right way in this manner?
Sifu Cruz: Because, from my 9 years of seeing other people do wing chun, the majority of individuals chi sao this way.

Student: And, this isn't the idea behind chi sao?
Sifu Cruz: If chi sao is performed in this manner, its simply like every other art, and it becomes a case of sparring.  There's a reason why chi sao is called, sticky hands.

Student: So, what makes it sticky hands?
Sifu Cruz: Sticky hands teaches you how to neutralize the force. In the beginning you learn tan, bong, and fok.  These motions give you techniques on how to deal with the incoming force. For example, if 5 lbs of pressure comes into you, you can use any of these motions to neutralize the force and match the 5lbs of pressure.

Student: I still don't see how that creates a stick?
Sifu Cruz; Say for example a bird is resting on your arm.  In order for the bird to fly it must push off your arm with 2lbs of pressure.  However, let's say at the exact moment the bird tries to apply the pressure on your arm, you match the 2lbs of pressure to the T. If your able to do that every time the bird pushes, the bird will never be able to leave your arm.  Thus, you have the stick.

Student: So is there a term for sticking power?
Sifu Cruz: Actually, there is. Its called Chi geng = sticking power. The moment you touch hands with someone you can tell whether or not they have the ability.

Student: So, what if they do have chi geng?
Sifu Cruz: The difference of having it or not is leaps and bounds. From my experience, you have to have chi geng to know whether or not your opponent has it as well. If for example you touch someone who doesn't have it, then you know this is an individual who simply relies only on technique to block.

Student: So how long does it take before you develop chi geng?
Sifu Cruz: Hard to say, I've touched hands with people over 15, 20, 25 years who still don't have it. Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will. The key is to learn the mechanics of chi sao properly. If you can't even chi sao evenly on both sides, then there's very little chance that you've got sticking power.

Student: Is sticky hands practical to use in a real fight?
Sifu Cruz: Yes. The key thing to remember is that sticky hands is an ability that you have.  The problem with most wing chun practioners is that their trying to make contact and create a stick. Instead, what they should be doing once the opponent is within range is an attack.

Student: How come I don't see many kicks thrown when doing sticky hands?
Sifu Cruz: If someone is doing chi sao properly, its nearly impossible to even throw a kick. Chi sao isn't a circular motion, but a constant drilling motion towards your opponent. The moment you lift your leg, your opponent can feel this and catch you off balance.

Sifu Fong

Student: How long have you known Sifu Fong?
Sifu Cruz: Over 5 years now, I believe. The first time I met him was at a Seminar at Degerberg Academy.

Student: You've met most of the existing Masters, why did you choose to study with him?
Sifu Cruz: Skill and knowledge. He's like a walking encyclopedia of wing chun. But the thing that stuck out the most, was he was the rare master in wing chun who didn't trash talk or get into the politics.

Student: How often do you see your Sifu?
Sifu Cruz: I normally attend his annual seminar which he holds in Arizona, once a year. Last year we finally hosted a seminar for him. This year, we plan to repeat the seminar in October once again. But our future plans is to have him here in Chicago 2 to 3 times.

Student: Any other comments about Sifu Fong you'd like to make?
Sifu Cruz: If you open the phone book, you'll see a listing of hundreds of masters. However, just like there's only a handful of people like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and other elites. Very few really are in fact masters. If you were to look in a dictionary and see how master is defined, Sifu Fong literally would be the best description of one. Not only from his ability in the art, but also how he holds himself out as a person.

Beyond the fighting

Student: You talk of how wing chun benefits you beyond fighting, can you explain further?
Sifu Cruz:  All martial arts can be used beyond fighting, such as forms of exercise to benefit your health, or maybe give you confidence.  Just as a quick example, the 13 principles of wing chun can be applied to everyday life.

Student: Is it worth devoting so much time to a martial art?
Sifu Cruz: In the beginning stages, martial arts seems to be only about fighting and defending oneself. And, without a doubt self preservation is key. But, if you never use your wing chun to defend yourself, it can be used in so many other ways to enrich your life.

For example, several years ago, I got into a bad car accident.  Basically, I was on the highway, I had to make a sudden stop, and I was rear ended by a car.  Since I was on the highway, the cars behind me were traveling anywhere from 40 to 50 mph. The moment I got hit, I just released the brakes, and went with the force. My car barely had any damage, but the both cars behind me, were totaled.  Their cars suffered from the full impact of the hit. Now, it was because of my Wing Chun ability that I was able to react the way I did. Thus, even if you never have to use your wing chun, the abilities you gain, like Jedi reflexes, maybe some day it might be used to save you or your family. Then if that's the case isn't it worth it?

Student:  Can you explain how guts can be applied to everyday life?
Sifu Cruz: Well, in everyday life one is faced with some kind of problem, whether big or small.  And, most individuals would rather forget about there problems, and just say it doesn't exist.  But the reality is until you deal with the problem. Its always there or worst yet, it gets even bigger. Wing chun is a gutsy martial art, in that we never step back, we always move in and attack the opponent. Thus, you need to have the guts when a problem arises and deal with it at that point and time.

Student: Can you speak of the health benefits that wing chun can offer?
Sifu Cruz: Well, a perfect example is when you get old your bones start to get brittle and weak.  But, take Master Ho for example, I believe he's like 77 years old, but if you feel this guy's arms, its like freaking steel. And, without a doubt it has nothing to do with drinking milk..

General

Student: Cross training is pretty big now, do you feel it to be necessary?
Sifu Cruz: If your chi sao is good, it answers all questions.

Student: If that's the case, then why do so many martial artist cross train even with wing chun?
Sifu Cruz: There's allot of wing chun out there, but notice I didn't say, there's allot of good wing chun. Personally, while the art maybe growing in popularity, those who really know are few to come by, and those who can actually digest the information properly are rare as well.  Thus, if your chi sao is lousy, then you have to cross train.

Student: Can it be used on the ground as well?
Sifu Cruz: Everything you apply while standing up can be done on the ground as well. Just remember, when your on the ground, play your game, in other words don't wrestle your opponent while your down.

Student: Doesn't it help to know more than one art?
Sifu Cruz: Fighting is all about playing your game. Let's say you know 10 styles, 1 of them is wing chun.  However, the person your fighting has only studied wing chun. That means he's mastered 1 thing, while you've learned the basics of 10 styles. Its impossible to master more than one style in your life time. Who do you think will then win?

Student: Do you feel Wing Chun is evolving?
Sifu Cruz: I think wing chun is evolving. But doesn't evolving mean that it should become better?  If that's the case, I don't believe the direction of wing chun is headed towards a good place.

Student: Why do you feel this way?
Sifu Cruz: Wing chun is a difficult art to teach, at the same time, in theory it should be easy to learn.  But grasping the ideas, being able to digest the information is not as easy as it seems. I would say the students of today, who eventually become the teachers of tomorrow, are walking away with C- or D+ in their understanding of wing chun. And frankly, if that's the case, what you keep getting with each generation is a more watered down version.

Student: Why do you think so many variations of wing chun exist today?
Sifu Cruz: Recently, I attended a seminar from my Sifu. He would show us a drill, and then have everyone else work on it. However, I took the time to look around and see everyone do the drill. Frankly, it surprised me on how everyone interpreted the drill to be. Its almost as if my Sifu asked everyone to draw a picture of a cow, and after he showed them how to do it, everyone else drew something else. Thus, that's how I believe the variations come about. The inability for the student to fully digest what's being shown.

Student: Do you really believe wing chun is the ultimate martial art?
Sifu Cruz: I'll have to quote Vader on this, "you don't know the power of the dark side."

If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to ed@windycitywingchun.com 

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Copyright 2004 Windy City Wing Chun Gung Fu Federation, Inc.