Pah Chum Do – Eight Slash Knives

This weapon provides training in mobility and further enhances precision in movement. Practicing the knives is comparable to practicing the pole and dummy techniques. The principle is to overcome the opponent with fast, simple, straightforward strikes. The horse stance must be extremely mobile, agile and the energy forward requires total body commitment and coordination. The weapon enhances the application and exertion of chi (aka qi) with the wrist and forearms, which improves your skills in hand combat. Because the weapons extend your energy range, your ability in Chi Sau and combat will be vastly improved.

In order for the knives to be effective against longer weapons, the emphasis is on footwork and controlling the centerline, which will improve your overall Wing Chun kung fu tremendously. Understanding and mastering the nature of each technique will lead to greater insights into the principles of economy of motion, recovering the centerline and unity of footwork, hip and hand movements.

Few Wing Chun families can claim the knowledge existent within our family in all aspects of Wing Chun; the knives are seen as the treasure of the system. The knives give the student the attitude of relentless pursuit until the opponent is incapacitated.