When Bruce was in Hong Kong training in wing chun he learned much from its principles. In chi sao, he learned how to use his structure with pressure, and how to be like the water behind the dam. Whenever a crack or hole opens, the water bursts through since it doesn’t have to search for the break because the mass of its weight seeks the point of least resistance.
Likewise, whenever there was an opening or a weakening in resistance, Bruce would go through not unlike the water behind the dam. Bruce called this, “non-intention”. Bruce used analogies to explain his non-intention -- one was in describing bamboo. “What made the bamboo dangerous” said Bruce, “was that if you bend and suddenly release it, it will snap back.” The bamboo was innocent. It didn’t have to think or decided to strike.
Let’s consider this a moment. When the pressure is released, Bruce’s hand would shoot or “spring forward”. The sudden release of pressure is the “servo-mechanism” at work, it is not the power of decision.
Let’s say that you and I are in crossed hand positions, applying pressure toward one another. Suddenly, I move my hand away causing your hand to spring forward, filling the void. Your hand strikes my chest. You have just hit me, but without having to think or decide. You have hit without intention. Like the water, you burst through the opening; and, like the bamboo, you snapped forward.
Now keep in mind that Bruce was well trained in this concept. It was a principle that he thoroughly understood and used all of the time. It was what made him so incredibly fast in his initial movement. When Bruce moved, he did it without decision, or intention. When he moved, he moved from instinctive action: He didn’t create the action. But, what he did create was something highly unique when he applied this core principle of non-intention to his off-fighting.
Going back to the cross-hand position. If your hand is loaded with pressure exerted straight at me, and I move my hand away, you will strike me provided that your pressure is aimed directly at me. Try this with a friend using the pressure and you will see that your strike is “immediate”.
Try it again, only this time without using the pressure. Instead, just touch your partner’s hand with yours so that you will feel it when he moves his hand.
What happens when he moves his hand away is that you will register the movement, a message will be sent to your brain, and returned back to your hand to strike. And, all of this takes time. Way too much time.
Notice that when you used the pressure you were joining cg’s, yours to his. And when the pressure suddenly released your hand shot in without any thought, whatsoever. I should metion that your body should have moved in behind your hand. If not, practice it until it does, using a step drag movement. It is important to step up with that back foot and not let it lag behind.
Now let’s take this apart for a moment. . .
When you and your partner were in contact and pressure was exerted you had shared a modified center of gravity.
In other words, when you leaned into him, you joined your center of gravity to his. Now, even the slightest movement on his part will be felt by you because your cg is combined to his. If he moves in such away to create an opening or weakness, you simply become the other half of his movement. You will burst through the point of least resistance toward his central line, the place where your pressure is aimed.
Now then, when your hand filled the gap. . it moved forward. In other words, your hand moved before your body. . . (Bruce’s axiom, “hand moves first”).
Of course, you moving hand caused your cg to change. Becaus you are sensitive to the change, your body follows the hand at the critical edge of change. With the body following the hand, it is the body that delivers the power, not the shoulder and arm.
The power can come from several sources or combinations, thereof. First, is the “falling step”. As the body is unbalanced and falling forward only two things can stop it. Your foot stepping forward, or your fist hitting target. This is Jack Dempsey’s “falling step” that Bruce made a thorough study of. It is also a big part of the secret to the “one-inch” punch that Bruce made famous.
Another power source comes from the bow action of the hip, as developed in the wing chun structure.
A third source of power comes from the combination of the two, and/or adding rotation.
Notice that the “falling step” principle is kindred to the altering of the cg when the hand is moved forward. The body will follow naturally if permitted.
The hand moving forward and falling is the so-called “Hammer Principle”.
You can see that the release of pressure causes the hand to “spring” forward with the body following. This was core knowledge to Bruce. It was at the heart and soul of his method.
The hand moving first before the body contradicted the methodology used in karate and other gung fu styles where the larger muscles of the trunk and legs are required to move before the hand.
Lets move on to off-fighting. Because you are not in contact with your opponent there will be no pressure until such time contacgt is made. However, the principle of “hand first” when initiating still applies.
As the hand moves forward, it alters the cg, and the body follows. In describing non-intention, Bruce said, “Be like a set of keys lying on the edge of a table. When the table moves, the keys fall. They don’t think to fall, or prepare to fall. They just fall.”
The key word in this analogy is “fall”. By falling into the movement you are initiating another important principle, that of the “running hand”. Here, the hand is already in movment: It doesn’t start from a dead stop.
Naturally, because the hand is moving your cg is being altered slightly forward. As you reach the critical edge, that point where the cg is changed, your body drops and loads into the movement.
This intitial movement is not a lunge, rather a drop requiring far less muscle contraction.
By the time the short lever of the arch of your foot is initiated for a plyometric effect you are already well on your way toward target.
When you strike you will be using one or a combination of body forces for explosive power.
For power, go ahead and hit the heavy bag with your lead hand. The effect should not be that of a left jab, as in boxing. In Bruce’s method, if you use the bow action of the hip, a directional line, and a sealed structure you should blast the bag backward.
If there is a wall four or five feet behind the bag, the bag should easily be driven and banged into the wall with force. What makes this power, is the directional movement backed by the falling of the body and loading of the hip.
Learn to do this with the speed of non-intention and you will have a serious weapon and tool. Here you will no doubt recognize the principles of the “one-inch” punch at work, only now they are being applied to the straight lead.
In explaining all of this, I am hoping to provide some idea as to the origins of Bruce’s knowledge and how he adapted or modified it to his own method. His ability to assimilate and modify knowledge was his genius.