Are you in or out of range? When training in Wing Chun you should never stay in mid-range during a fight. Mid-range is where both you and the assailant can strike, punch and kick at each other. Let’s put it this way—why would want to exchange blows or have your assailant be at their optimum when attacking? You wouldn’t. Wing Chun’s specialty is close-range combat. Your fighting ranges need to be tight to optimize all that Wing Chun has to offer. Because of this, you should either close the distance to be on the inside of “in-fighting” or stay out of the assailant’s range of attack. Maintaining correct fighting ranges in Wing Chun combative causes many great opportunities as the assailant is forced to fight on your timing. Making sure you’re in-range for fighting, but out of range to your opponent’s blows is key. As the assailant attempts to close distance, you want to close—just as quickly as you can. They will end up overshooting their intended target.
This overshoot of the assailant creates a close quarter combat situation which is ideal for the Wing Chun practitioner. If the assailant decides to back up and create distance then the Wing Chun practitioner will attempt to destroy and cause damage to every limb thrown at them by the assailant by means of attack. After causing damage a Wing Chun practitioner will then close distance and “eat” their way into the assailant’s centerline vitals.
Some assailant’s—if knowledgeable about your skills—will keep backing up and will rarely attempt to throw strikes so that they do not get damaged. These assailant are attempting to escape your attacks and create their own timing. Don’t let this happen. Any control of any aspect of the fight is crucial to keeping the Wing Chun practitioner as safe as possible and maximizing the damage to the assailant. Very fast low to medium long range kicks to the ribs, organs, groin, ephemeral arteries and knee’s are employed to cause damage and hesitation in the assailants movements. This hesitation or pause is all a Wing Chun practitioner needs to take back control.
Close Quarter Fighting Ranges in Combat with Wing Chun
Never stay in mid-range. It’s purposeless. Instead, bait, time, and trap the assailant using close-quarter in-fighting combinations that trap, redirect, and allow you to end the fight decisively.
When the fight is no longer close-range make your assailant pay dearly for drawing out the fight by destroy and striking at areas that will cause the maximum amount of pain while maintaining the height of your defensive and offensive Wing Chun tactics.
