The Complete System - 4 Boxing and 2 Weapons Forms
Wing Chun Forms
Forms provide a structured way to practise the movements, positions and principles that underpin our training. At Somerset Wing Chun Kung Fu, the syllabus progresses from the three empty-hand forms through the wooden dummy and traditional weapons forms.
Forms are not treated as an end in themselves. Students use them alongside partner training and practical exercises to explore how the movements and principles work under changing conditions.
How Forms Connect With Partner Training
The lessons and skills gained from the forms feed back into Chi Sau and other partner training.
- Siu Lim Tao builds structural strength and correct position into the techniques.
- Chum Kiu provides movement and correct alignment of the students and their weapons to the opponent.
- Biu Tze provides recovery techniques for lost position and alignment.
- Dummy allows solo training to refine the skills.
- Knives adds whipping energy to the techniques and wider angles into the opponent.
- Pole training develops raw power in the techniques.
Mindset
Don't think: - “I'm learning a sequence of Wing Chun techniques.”
Think: - “I'm learning how Wing Chun wants my body to organize itself.”
The forms are therefore less like a catalogue of fighting moves and more like foundational training. Later exercises—especially partner work and eventually sparring—test whether those principles actually function when another person is moving unpredictably.
Further questions are answered in our FAQ page and the connection of forms with the history Wing Chun is covered in our History of Wing Chun page.
What do the Tree Empty Hand Forms Teach
- Siu Lim Tao teaches you how to build the Wing Chun body and answers the question - “How should I organize my body?”.
- Chum Kiu teaches you how to move that body. - “How do I move while maintaining that organization?”
- Biu Tze teaches you how to recover and adapt when the situation isn't ideal. - “What do I do when that organization is disrupted?”
1. Siu Lim Tao
Siu Lim Tao (小念頭) is the first and foundational empty-hand form. The name is often translated as “Little Idea” or “Little Thought.” It is not primarily a fighting routine; it is a way for beginners to build the body mechanics, structure, attention, and habits that later make Wing Chun techniques work.
Siu Lin Tao Teaches:
1. Structure and posture
2. Relaxation
3. Centreline awareness
4. Basic hand shapes and movements
5. Coordination of stance, hips and torso, elbows, forearms and hands,
breathing, visual attention
6. Developing the elbow positions relationship to the body and centreline.
7. Forward intention
The movements are deliberately slow so that these relationships can be learned and allows thousands of repetitions for developing correct body habits.
2. Chum Kiu
Chum Kiu (尋橋) is generally the second empty-hand form, following Siu Lim Tao. It is often translated as “Seeking the Bridge.”
Siu Lim Tao largely establishes your basic structure and hand mechanics, Chum Kiu introduces movement of the structure.
What Chum Kiu teaches:
1. Moving your body while maintaining structure
2. “Seeking the bridge” The “bridge” refers broadly to contact or connection with an opponent's arms/body.
3. Footwork
4. Whole-body coordination
5. Turning and facing
6. Kicking on the move
Chum Kiu teaches the beginner that the hands shouldn't be treated as completely independent weapons. The goal is coordinated movement rather than simply throwing the arm toward a target.
A movement may involve:
feet → legs → hips → torso → elbow → hand
3. Biu Tze - Emergency Recovery
Biu Tze (鏢指 / Biu Jee, depending on the romanization) is generally considered the third and most advanced of the traditional empty-hand forms, after Siu Lim Tao and Chum Kiu. Sometimes called Gau Gup Sau - First Aid Hand.
The name is commonly translated as “Thrusting Fingers” or “Darting Fingers.” and teaches the student to recover and adapt when the normal structure has been disrupted.
What Biu Tze teaches:
1. Recovery from a bad position than freezing when your normal structure has been compromised.
2. Emergency/close-range actions - “What can I do when the ideal Wing Chun position isn't available?”
3. Elbow and body coordination - The practitioner is learning how to reorganize the body quickly.
4. Recovering the centre - Biu Tze explores situations where you cannot simply maintain the perfect centreline position.
5. Short-range power and acceleration - Many Biu Tze movements are performed with more dynamic movement than beginners typically use in Siu Lim Tao.
4. Muk Jang Jong - Wooden Dummy
The Dummy form consists of 8 Sections, only the first 2 are balanced Left and Right. The other 6 would need to be drilled from a Left and Right start, in order to fully cover the form (14 sections).
The dummy is the never tiring training partner who stands there all day whilst you practice your techniques.
Take note that the dummy doesn't move so you have to, you have to accommodate this in your understanding and training on the dummy.
In application execution with a live opponent you may not need to move as much and the techniques delivered high or low on the dummy can be inter-changed on an opponent.
5. Bart Cham Dao - 8 cutting Butterfly Sword/Knives
They help develop the delivery of power beyond the physical extent of the hands.
The delivery of the cutting edge of each weapon is similar to the action of cracking a whip.
The usage of the Bart Cham Dao training expends and improves power delivery to more than that which was developed in the previous boxing forms.
The Bart Cham Dao form is traditionally divided into eight sections. Its movements explore angles, cutting actions, footwork and applications that can also inform empty-hand training.
The usage practiced can be applied to empty hand techniques or any weapon, either double or single weapons.
6. Pole Form - Luk Dim Boon Kwun - The Long Pole Form
Building on and adding to the work in the Bart Cham Dao form the Luk Dim Boon Kwun training increases the practitioner's source of raw power by developing the muscles in the wrists, arms, upper back, lower back, waist and legs in order to enhance the power delivery chain and develop shock and raw power into the hand/foot strikes.
The form is relatively simple and provides a functional weapons skill but in addition the supplementary training to be able to do the form well is where there is real work and benefit to the dedicated practitioner
