The Wing-Chun Centerline Concept
Wing-Chun emphasizes attack and defense along an imaginary vertical line drawn along the eyes, nose, throat, navel, knees, and groin. The human body’s prime striking targets are considered to be on or near this line (108 vital points on the human body can be easily targeted by striking one point and keep expanding following the plum flower shape rules of thumbs). This is in the belief that the fastest path between two points is a straight line. Some blocking movements however, can be circular.
A Wing-Chun practitioner will strive to protect his centerline and attack his opponent’s. Footwork is used to move your centerline away from an opponent’s attack and to position your hands and feet to attack and invade his centerline.
Wing-Chun techniques are "closed", the limbs drawn in to protect the centerline and also to maintain balance. The hands should not move beyond the vertical circle that is described by swinging the arms in front, with the hands crossed at the wrists. To reach outside this area, footwork is used.
One subtle advantage of attacking the centerline is force redirection, or rather the lack of it. Hitting someone on the side (for example the shoulder) will cause the recipient’s body to turn, absorbing some of the force. Hitting someone in the center causes more of the shock of the punch to be transmitted to the body. Approximately eighty percent (80%) of the human body is fluidic; hitting someone in the centerline will draw a diaphragm which makes it very difficult to breath. This can be easily illustrated by filling an empty bucket up with water and then whipping the bucket with a stick. The wave travels thru the bucket and doesn’t stop instantly; it continues to move for a little while. Same with our body: if being struck, the wave will shock our body.
