Let’s talk Cheun Mar (Part 1)

 

Is it Cheun Mar or is it Biu Mar?

 

 

It was brought to my attention a while ago that a couple of our videos where I am teaching Cheun Mar (Turning stance), seem to be showing Biu Mar (Arrow stepping) and vice versa, here it is important to remember that in fact this is the same thing..

 

What I mean is, when you turn the hips, we turn from a forty-five degree angle to a forty-five degree angle, always, that’s it, never beyond, and where your attention is will determine which stance this is called.

 

If you were to face a wall and keep looking at the same spot as you turn the hips from angle to angle:

 

This is a Turning stance.

 

If you do the same action with the hips but turn your head to look from one side to the other:

 

This is Arrow stepping.

 

So in short, from the waist down this is the same stance, only defined by which we we’re looking.

 

There is of course another train of thought we could use and that is one of motion.

In a photograph, both of these stances would look the same apart from the Arrow stepping is stepping, and the Turning stance is turning (ERR obviously!).

 

When stepping with perfect technique it is important to minimise any access transferring of weight, in order to do this we must…

 

Going forward, simply lift the front foot while pushing off with the back foot.

Going backwards, simply lift the back foot, (and while falling) push off from the front foot.

 

Watch this clip and notice the lack of body movement while stepping.

 

No shift in bodyweight

 

The back foot needs to be turned out (to support a turning stance) but the front foot just needs to be comfortable (not straight though and definitely not beyond this point).

 

I hope that makes sense?

 

Here is a clip on another topic regarding the Biu Mar and how to turn toward the outside.

(Please forgive the sound quality)

 

In Part 2 of this blog I will explain the angle of the back knee and its importance to the whole structure of this stance.

 

In fact, it will be Grandmaster Ip Chun explaining this via one of my very personal and very old video clips from Hong Kong in 1993, so do please look out for this at wingchun.online

 

Thank you