The importance of the Ving Tsun Forms is often underestimated. They are seen as a collection of techniques and sometimes wrongly put in a hierarchical order which implies that the 2. Form (Chum Kiu) is superior or even better than the 1. Form (Siu Lim Tao) etc..

The forms shouldn’t be seen as seperated fields but rather as parts of a whole. If one part is missing the Ving Tsun of the practitioner would be incomplete. The different forms complement one another and help to overcome certain deficits.
As already mentioned in other articles the 1. form predominantly trains the use of the elbow. The 2. form combines these arm movements with turning of the body, pivoting, kicks and footwork. The wooden-dummy-form trains these techniques in other combinations again whereas it also trains the right distance and synchrony. In addition to that the dummy provides a special feedback of ones force. This kind of feedback cannot be simulated by a partner. Furthermore, you are able to train without any pressure or stress and with your own tempo. Therefore, the dummy-form provides a training which is indispensable.

The 3. form (Biu Jee) deviates in parts from the principles of the other forms. It indicates with it’s techniques that everything goes in combat and frees your mind from thinking only in categories of techniques or sequences.
Besides mastering the long pole as a weapon other features like punching power, driving force and precision are trained with the pole. With the training of the knives you master to handle weapons with blades (knives/swords) and you gain an insight of the seriousness of a fight with blades or weapons and thereby train a certain aggressiveness and will power.
Because of the fact that the principles of the 3. form and the form of the knives differ from the other forms they are taught later in the learning process. Nevertheless, they are essential parts of Ving Tsun.
The several techniques and sequences of movements of the form cannot be interpreted 1:1 into combat situations. The complexity of a fight cannot be covered by rehearsed situations. A combat depends on a lot of different factors and is therefore unpredictable. All forms train a certain behaviour which is advantageous in a combat situation according to the Ving Tsun philosophy.
In the course of my own Ving Tsun training I learned to appreciate the forms. They provide all tools necessary for fighting but without a teacher who can explain them and without guided partner training (from exercises to sparring) you cannot grasp the meaning of the forms.
Therefore, it is necassary to have a good teacher to learn Ving Tsun properly and you have to experience Ving Tsun and feel it while training with this teacher to build structure. The forms help you to correct occurring mistakes and help to improve your techniques if you received the right information.
With this article I like to thank my Ving Tsun teacher, Philipp Bayer, for making Ving Tsun accessible to me and making it a part of my life.


Guido Tan