Evolutionary Martial Arts

高级徒弟 水平二
Gāojí Túdì Shuǐpíng Èr
8^th Grading – Advanced Disciple Grade 2

Upon graduation, the student will be awarded a

Brown Sash of the Second Degree

Well-acquainted with the renewed challenges of advanced training, the student is ready to take their striking to the next level. In preparation for the high-level striking required of their final grading, more new striking methods are introduced here, including the 豹Bào (Leopard) Style, incorporating 豹拳 Bào Quán (Leopard’s Paw) striking. for the student’s traditional development. Kicking takes another step up as well, involving loopkicks as a development of flexibility and mobility, and also scissor variants of rising kicks and jab kicks. This is a lot of fun, and affords the student a new level of athleticism in effecting multiple kicks with one movement. While such kicks are rarely applicable to usage against real violence, they offer many benefits in agility, explosive plyometric power and (not least) sheer enjoyment. As a cardiovascular exercise also, they’re hard to beat. There is more on that note to come in the next grading, too.

镖手 Biu Sao (Darting Hand) is one of those rare methods that is so useful it could almost become a martial art in and of itself. As the student will be learning the third and final core Wing Chun Form, 镖指 Biu Ji (Darting Fingers) for their next grading (3rd Degree Brown Sash), Biu Sao features prominently in the syllabus work of the upper-level advanced student so as to prepare them for learning and internalising that Form well. 上格 Shàng Gé (Upward Block) and 下格 Xià Gé (Downward Block) also offer some more powerful and destructive methods that work wonderfully in conjunction with the parries and traps already covered.

长棍 Zhǎng gùn (or simply “Long Stick”) training opens up at this stage. While undertaking their First Degree Brown Sash training, the student learns about angles of attack and using a 短棍 duǎn gùn (short stick) to explore the concept of a weapon as an extension of the arm. Now, with this firmly in place, we can extend the range of our weapons training to include longer sticks, often called staffs or staves. New stances become necessary, as well as new body movements to generate power. Blocking methods are considerably different with the long stick and new possibilities in conjunction with kicking and even biomechanical manipulation come to light.

The curriculum of 擒拿 Qínná (Biomechanical Manipulation) again takes precedence at this level, with further exploration of chokes including 袖車絞 Sode-guruma-jime (“Sleeve Wheel Choke” – Ezekiel Choke), 三角絞め Sankaku-jime (Triangle Choke), 肩固めKata-gatame (“Shoulder Hold” – Arm Triangle Choke), 十字絞め Jūji-jime (“Cross Choke” – Cross-Collar Choke) and Bulldog Choke. Students also incorporate 内股 Uchi-mata (Inner Thigh Reap) into their arsenal of throws, and explore counter-throwing against all intermediate-level throws and takedowns. With the striking and biomechanical manipulation of this level in mind, the student must show a good understanding of our Closest Target Principle.

轻功 Qīnggōng (Agility and Mobility) goes hand-in-hand with the back-to-back sparring of this level (which now incorporates medium-contact striking), with a heavy emphasis on the quality of the practitioner’s quadrupedal movement in ground mobility, as well as another method which is useful for effecting a hasty escape from a bad situation. Escaping bad situations will never be far from the student’s mind at this stage, as back-to-back sparring now incorporates medium-contact striking, and all sparring includes bouts with multiple opponents.

寻桥 Chum Kiu – the second Wing Chun Form, entitled “Seeking the Bridge” is a key feature of this grading. As before, its performance must be flawless. In keeping with the theme of this Form, this grading focuses not only on the methods employed in sparring and training, but on the transitions between them. It is these transitions that are a major point of competency for the student at this level. Excellent transitions separate the good from the great.

The advanced student at this level should demonstrate an excellent attitude to learning, seeking out new knowledge and understanding independently, discussing this with their Sifu and incorporating it into their practice. They should demonstrate a discerning approach to this by absorbing what is useful, adapting what can be improved upon and discarding what is unworthy in preference of more effective or beneficial practices.