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| Application of "Drawing in the Ebow" |
| Traditional martial arts of the south of China, commonly known as Nan Quan (or Southern Martial Arts), can be divided into two types by regional reach, namely Fujian Quan and Guangdong Quan. Within the Guangdong system there is a well known branch called Dongjiang Quan (Note 1), more commonly referred to as Kejia Quan. This branch consists of, for instance, Longxing (or Longxing Moqiao), Baiwei Quan and Zhujia Quan. Their training and performance set forms generally employ arm attacks in the four directions and direct up and down movements. In particular, their requirements of delivering forces to the forearm and locking of the arm have certain similarities with Ving Tsun's "drawing in of the elbow". However, in terms of application, there are differences, not unexpectedly as a result of different theories and experiences. There are many reasons for their similarities, including common origins in ancient times, regional influences throughout their histories of development, and also idea exchanges among the various schools. This in itself is an interesting topic to examine. My lineage as it is passed down to me has a number of applications and interpretations that are unlike other styles. The major difference is that, in my style, when in contact with an opponent, one applies a rather unique threatening pressure on to the opponent, which does not appear to be associated with any specific movement. I call this threatening pressure "a force pointing to where the body faces". It is a technique to deliver a force via the use of bodily actions which are united as a whole (i.e. Whole Bodily Force). This force points at the opponent, goes from low to high, and is ready to go through the opponent's body axis. The technique comes from the Ving Tsun concept of "body always facing the opponent". It is no mystery at all. If you use the legs and the waist area and up via the arm to generate a bodily force, you will easily notice this forward pointing force as soon as you draw in your elbow. Drawing in the elbow therefore is key to moves requiring effective combination of the use of skill and force. It is also an important element in Ving Tsun's offensive as well as certain defensive moves. |
Let me use a simple sequence of events to illustrate the use of "drawing in the elbow".
- The ability to "maintain when encountering any incoming attack and go forward when an attack retreats" encapsulates the requirements in Ving Tsun's advanced techniques. To achieve this, a necessary condition is to be able to "shoot directly forward as soon as contact is lost".
- The ability to "shoot directly forward as soon as contact is lost" is an overarching requirement in exhibiting reflexes in the arm in the short distance (arm's length). To achieve this, one of two necessary conditions is to "deliver forces over a full length of an arm". It is the source of power in the reflex.
- The ability to "deliver forces over a long bridge" is a characteristic of Ving Tsun's close quarter force delivery. It enables attack or defense or both at the same time. This ability's own characteristic is that "the arm does not draw back before striking forward, and forces come from the elbow" (Note 2). In other words, it is "drawing in the elbow". The reason of doing this, is to provide a necessary condition to deliver "a force pointing to where the body faces".
- With the conditions required to deliver "a force pointing to where the body faces", as described above, it is important to add, that because the distances are so small and because the time allowed for the moves are so short, any force generated by the arm alone in a strike is rather local and limited. It is, first of all, because a single arm can only generate limited acceleration, thus limited force. Secondly, there is also a torque created by the reaction force resulted from making contact with the target. This acts to turn the striker's body and upset his balance. Those who tend to strike with the arm in this way, be it intentional or habitual, have to put in more effort to counter the resulted torque and try to maintain their balance and posture, through locking up their shoulder joints and muscles and using friction on the ground.
Are these efforts necessary? It is clear, from an offensive point of view, that these are extraneous efforts which can only waste or reduce the intended power in an attack. On the other hand, when a strike is coordinated with drawing in the elbow so that the whole body is united as one, the bodily force delivered in this way can be enormous. This "whole bodily force" can be directed by the arm in part or in whole at the target depending on one's intention. The reason of this high efficiency is that by drawing in the elbow, the striking force now travels close to the striker's own body axis, hence reducing the torque that results from the reaction at the point of contact. Similarly, in a defensive scenario, any incoming force can be efficiently directed and absorbed via the elbow, upper body, waist, hip and legs and on to the ground. "Drawing in the elbow" is therefore a critical part of an important system capable of generating, absorbing and off-loading forces. |
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Note 1: In the Guangdong province of China, river Zhujiang is fed by Dongjiang, Xijiang and Beijiang. The head of Dongjiang is in Guangdong's Heyuen city, neighboring Meizhou and Shanwei in the east, Shaoguan in the west, Huizhou and DongGuan in the south, and Jiangxi in the north which Dongjiang flows through. The above areas are where Guangdong's Kejia population are mostly found. The martial arts popular in these areas are generally called Dongjiang Quan.
Note 2: The phrase "the arm does not draw back before striking forward, and forces come from the elbow" is put together out of experience in the development of Ving Tsun. This experience, or saying, is in fact rather loose. Although it correctly points out the importance of using the elbow to deliver "a force over a long bridge", it can give a false impression that the force originates in the elbow. So do note the difference and avoid misplacing your training effort away from the important development of bodily forces.
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Author: Cliff Au-Yeung Kim Man
Date: Feb 28, 2008
Last Revised: Mar 20, 2008
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