The Writings of WW Stevens

Month: November 2023

Terminology is Important, But Not That Important

One of the easiest arguments to find yourself having in mixed martial arts circles is not about ring control, or the right way to handle the calf kick, it’s about what you call that one move. And it can be a fun argument to have, but sometimes people take it a little too seriously and you’re left wondering if everything is okay at home. You may think, “It’s just a word, the move is the same.” Or you could be thinking, “You need to say it right, you need to understand what you are communicating.” And yeah, two things can be true. So what is up with martial terminology?

Terminology Gives Us Common Language to Recognize Complexities

By having more standardized words, we can differentiate between similar movements, tools, and concepts. At a beginner level, this is not too important, but as one moves into intermediacy it becomes more necessary. Details make the difference between a jab that connects and a jab that really hurts. So if you have a word to differentiate the two, you are ahead of someone who just understands the jab as one or the other. This extends to all aspects of martial arts. Footwork requires finesse, fight strategies need detail, even workouts need differentiation. 

Terminology Allows Us to Communicate How We See a Topic

By exploring terminology, we can understand how different arts and teachers treat certain tools. For instance, we have the armbar. In English speaking arts like Catch, we generally call it an armbar, showing that the lock attacks the arm by straightening or “barring” it. It is a simple and effective way to explain the concept. The details will change from technician to technician, so don’t get bogged down when you first learn it. The same is true in BJJ, even in Brazilian it translates to armbar or armlock. In arts like Judo, it is termed juji-gatame, or ude-hishigi-juji-gatame.

We can learn a lot just from this single term. “Juji” is the same kanji for “jujika” or “cross”, which can denote the right angle one takes to the opponent’s body, but also the manner in which the arm is outstretched. The next part is even more interesting, “gatame” is used for pins and certain locks. Most joint locks in Judo use the term “garame”, but certain joint locks have the term “gatame” instead. So why is that? Well the principle is that locks like armbars (juji-gatame) and head and arm choke (kata-gatame) can be used to effectively pin an opponent as well as submit them. On the flip side, “garame” means to entangle or twist. On top of all of this, “ude-hishigi” (arm break) denotes that this movement is a type of arm submission, that it causes pain. Look at how much information and context is contained in essentially four words. This is just one movement and we can see what the priority is in each art.

Terminology Can Cause Separation Due to Interpretation or Similarity

Unfortunately, sometimes we get so focused on terminologies that we forget to actually focus on the techniques. Terminology can cause conflict among groups that at the end of the day, doesn’t even matter. You may call it a double-wristlock, I call it a figure-4, and someone else calls it a kimura. At the end of the day, we’re all ripping some guy’s arm out of its socket. But how much time is spent arguing over these words? What’s more important is discussing details of the movement or technique. You can call it whatever you want, but if you can’t do it, it doesn’t matter. As helpful as terminology is, it is just a tool for communication. It is not the Gospel truth.

Terminology Can be Used to Create In-Groups and Out-Groups

This phenomenon is particularly frustrating. I have seen it most in kung fu circles. To give an example, in Wing Chun we have a drill called chi sau. It’s a sticking hands game used to teach the trapping range. At the beginning stages you are just trying to learn how to feel your opponent and stick to them to trap or strike. As you advance you start including footwork, head movement and Wing Chun’s full range of tools. Advanced chi sau is not sparring or fighting, but it is closer than beginner chi sau. Where I train we just call that advanced chi sau or sheung (double) chi sao, but in Cantonese it is often called “gor sau.” But we’re already inundating the students with all sorts of terms from a language they don’t know. We don’t need to overcomplicate something that can be said in English.

Some other Wing Chun schools don’t like that and have implied that my Wing Chun is bastardized or inauthentic. And it’s not that I don’t know words like “gor sau,” just that I don’t use them in general parlance. But I can actually fight with my Wing Chun, so they can keep gor sau.

Terminology is a Tool

When we focus on the terminology, we can learn a lot about the art or curriculum we are studying. As a self-professed word nerd, I really recommend that people dig into the terminology of their arts. You can learn a lot about the art, the history of the art (which most people forget), and it can even improve your form.  But I also have to caution against getting focused on what each person calls it. Unless you are the developer of a school’s curriculum, it’s not your job. Don’t argue whether it’s a “head and arm choke” or “arm triangle”. It’s both. It’s neither. No one cares, go train.

Chi Sao is Grappling for Striking; What Can it Teach Us?

When people research Wing Chun online, the first thing they probably see is two practitioners playing the game of chi sao. It might seem like an overcomplicated game of patty-cake, but what it is really simulating is the moment of clashing. Chi sao is the term used for a large series of sensitivity drills and a game that comes from the same starting position. By staying in this moment, we develop sensitivity in our arms and legs so that we can navigate past our opponent’s limbs to strike. We’re learning to feel what the eye fails to see.

In all striking arts, we have to deal with reaching our opponent and not getting hit. Wing Chun seeks to do so with the art of trapping: seizing an opponent’s limb to capitalize on an opening.

Chi sao is all about navigating and seizing limbs, creating openings and going for the kill. Chi sao, like all trapping, is grappling. It is generally grappling with the goal of striking.Wing Chun as a whole has a spectrum of lots of grappling to no grappling. Some schools grapple, some only seek to punch. Chi sao obviously has its uses in striking contexts, but what can it bring us in the broader context of fighting? I put it to you that chi sao is an excellent addition to any grappler’s hand fighting. 

Below are some techniques that can be employed in chi sao that benefit hand fighting. For the purposes of this article, I am using the terminology of Wing Chun. This is not to complicate, but rather to give grapplers an avenue into understanding a bit of gung fu, as well as give some practitioners of Wing Chun a more expanded view of their toolbox.

Sheung Lop Sau

(Double Pulling Hand)

Wing Chun’s method of arm drag might feel a little bit stiff compared to Folkstyle or BJJ, but that’s because Wing Chun focuses on losing as little balance or opportunity as possible. Nonetheless, I highly recommend taking a look, as it may improve your arm drag opportunities.

A standard entry for the dai lop sao comes from the nucleus of chi sao. When our opponent pushes our left limb, we sneak our right hand underneath, like a snake. Once this happens, we snatch their right arm with our right hand and add our left hand to the effort.

A more dynamic set-up for this can be drilled as a defense against a collar tie attempt. When your opponent reaches forward, shoot out your right hand like a spear to clash against it and bring your left hand to the tricep. With one hand to grip each section of the arm, turn and snatch that arm to the ground.

Huen Sao + Tok Sao and var. With Tan Sao + Jut Sao

(Circling Hand + Lifting Hand) (Dispersing Hand + Yanking Hand)

In Wing Chun, we have a tool called the huen sao (circling hand). This is a flick of the wrist that sends an outstretched hand flying. We often use it to take the inside line and hit. In this example for grappling, we will use the same concept.

We’ll take the huen sao to their lead hand and send it outward, as they look to recover space, we’ll shoot that hand under the armpit with a tok sao (lifting arm), thus giving us the underhook.

This basic concept can be improved by performing a defensive tan sao + jut sao with the other hand. A tan sao is a simple open hand wedging motion. Jut sao refers to pulling or yanking towards your core. Think of a tan sao like offering some candy to a friend, and the jut sao is you snatching it away. So while you navigate past their lead hand with your huen sao, you can shut down the back hand with the tan sao and even turn it into a wrist tie with the jut sao.

Pak Sao + Fuk Sao

(Slapping Hand + Bowing Hand)

This one comes in handy when defending against a wrist or elbow tie. For the sake of demonstration, let’s say your opponent reaches for your left hand with their right. This is where you apply a right pak sao (slapping hand) to the inside of their arm and shoot your left hand forward to latch a fuk sao (bowing/hooking hand) on their neck.

Sheung Jut Sao + Sheung Tok Sao

(Double Yanking Hand + Double Lifting Hand)

This is one is not reacting to your opponent, but rather just attacking an opening and moving into the clinch. Many grapplers keep their hands forward, but lower toward the chest/belly, in order to handle attacks to the head as well as shots to the legs. If you are facing an opponent who routinely keeps their hands low, you can capitalize by seizing their arms with two jut saos. Think about grabbing at the fat of the thumb, where it coincides with the palm. After this, shoot your hands underneath their armpits to get double underhooks.