Wing Chun Footwork

I wanted to bring up the subject of footwork. In watching people doing the rooting exercises in Chi Sau, everyone is doing some triangle, but that seems to be it. Footwork is one of the most important parts to the art, and is the base for the hand skills. There are a total of ten different types of footwork drills that we do in a free format, not to mention the footwork found in the forms, dummy, and swords. Another rule to remember is that footwork is kicking, and kicking is footwork. What this means is that kicking is needed to break down a person's structure. This can be done via means of low-level kicking such as in sweeping, or in the chambers from the kicks. Drills such as circle, ninety degree, reverse, forward entry, and rear entry are designed to attack a person's structure. Wing Chun footwork is not like boxing footwork, in that boxing weaves in and out, rather it is to take the other person's line. When someone first trains in Wing Chun, the first thing learned are the timing drills, which utilizes footwork (turning), interception, and counterattack, all done precisely at the same time. It then builds from that, to include the other drills. Over time, feet and hands need to develop interdependently, meaning that the one supports the other. In an internal art, power is no derived from the movement of the body, but from the Dan Tian. Fa Jing comes from intent, and if done correctly, a one inch strike is as powerful as a long range strike. Ultimately, footwork serves to transfer the root from one point to another, and to destroy the other person's bridge and structure. The hands serve the feet in that once the structure has been attacked or taken, the hands can finish the job.