Chum Kiu: Wing Chun's Art of War Book by Jason Korol

In his latest book, best-selling author Sifu Jason Korol gives you an in-depth private lesson. You’ll come away knowing how to think logically not only about Wing Chun’s ingenious second form, Chum Kiu, but also knowing the keys to application and smart practice too. As always, Sifu Jason brings the critical knowledge of the past to life and shows how incredibly relevant it is today. The form is presented in step-by-step detail with essential commentary included so that you’re trained “mind and body” as it should be. Just knowing the movements but not the reasons behind them kills the aliveness of the system. It makes it all a dead routine. But done right, the forms of Wing Chun are masterpieces of instruction and development of skill.

You’ll discover Chum Kiu as never before by learning what “seeking the bridge” truly means. The erroneous assumption that the “bridge” is only physical contact with the arms of the opponent has led to massive application problems in Wing Chun. It is this, yes, but not merely and only this. It's so much more. In fact, Sifu Jason shows how Sun Tzu’s classic Art of War is the proper interpretative guide for how we’re to understand Chum Kiu’s primary concept. The bridge we’re seeking is control of the enemy. One of the critical lessons of war and, therefore, Wing Chun, is to avoid a pitched battle…that is, going straight into enemy fire with reckless aggression. That's an easy way to get clobbered. On the contrary, bridge control is the concept of gaining tactical and positional advantage, which may or may not include crossing hands with the enemy. The nearly ubiquitous misunderstanding of this concept has led many to treat this brilliant system as if it’s a kind of kamikaze fighting system.

Thus, Sifu Jason shows you how to achieve tactical and positional superiority in fighting. The answers are in the form, after all…that is, if we know what we’re looking at. Getting this right will open your eyes to how amazingly effective Wing Chun’s simultaneous attack and defense systematic truly is. It will also ignite your passion for the form. The author’s enthusiasm for the wisdom of the past, applied today, leaps off every page and will be sure to encourage you in your training. And, critically, it will open your eyes to how important these lessons from the past are as we move into an ever more unpredictable and violent future. True martial art has often been replaced by unthinking hyper-traditionalism on one side and too much sport emphasis on the other. Getting it right is more important than ever and to that end we need to know Chum Kiu - the moves and the mind of it. But, of course, there's more...so much more. You'll also discover the keys to real footwork that you can rely on in cluttered environments (real self-defense doesn't happen on mats or in rings/cages). And properly understood, Chum Kiu will teach you how to absorb force from your enemy at close-range and use it against him as well as provide the foundation for incredible power. It's all here. Shifting, footwork, power, tactical wisdom and more. This is a volume you can't miss.

Sifu Jason Korol is the owner of Greenville Academy of Martial Arts, the author of over a dozen books, and regular columnist for Wing Chun Illustrated, the world’s premier Wing Chun magazine. Between his school in South Carolina, YouTube channel, and online classes and books, he’s reached millions of students throughout the world with his unique blend of wisdom, humor, and common sense realism.