Bridging and gates

[Noob]

Can someone please explain a little on the concepts of "bridging" and "gates"? I know they're simply to describe fighting concepts in a generalized way, I'd just like to know the meaning.

 

Our Sifu meantioned a bit of bridging last night stating that Hung Gar puts emphasis on firstly making contact with your opponent either by arms/legs or both, and then "letting loose" from there..while keeping the contact. Hence the closeness of Hung Gar.

 

I'm sure different martial arts may call these different things, or maybe there's an even better name for it in Kung Fu. I'd just like to know if the above is generally what bridging is, and if gating is possibly striking in accordance to where the opening the "bridge" created is?

 

Any comments would be appreciated.

[xiong chuan]

Noob, here is a link with detailed descriptions and pictures.

 

http://www.wahnam.com/KungFu/mural4gates.htm

[Noob]

Wow, that's really informative! Thanks a lot!

[xiong chuan]

Four Doors Four Gates

 

http://www.tigerandcrane.com.au/photos7.htm

 

http://www.tigerandcrane.com.au/images/ph-4gates.gif

 

The areas of the body to which an attacker may strike, or a defender may block, are divided into the four gates.

 

The above illustration shows that the body can be divided into upper, middle, lower and sub-gates.

 

Below the knee, or sub-gate, a leg check will be used to effectively block, since an arm/hand block to this lowest gate will put the defender off balance and out of stance.

 

In ATAC Kung Fu, punches and kicks to the upper three gates can effectively be blocked by hand techniques. Reciprocally, attacking punches and kicks are applicable to certain gates

 

e.g. side kick - middle gate

 

Chinese front kick - sub gate

 

Tornado kick - upper gate

 

The doors of ATAC Kung Fu represent the directions from which an attack or defence may emanate:

 

e.g. FORWARD or TO THE FRONT

 

REAR or BEHIND

 

TO/FROM THE LEFT SIDE

 

TO/FROM THE RIGHT SIDE

[dingyuan]

Well for the "bridging" concept all I know is that it is used a lot in Southern Chinese styles mainly Hung Gar and Choy Lee Fut, it seems to be some kind of curve you made by your arm while making a punch. ( Correct me if I am wrong I never study Southern style ".

[Drunken Monkey]

hmmm, xiong chuan,

 

so you couldn't type things from your own learning about this.....?

 

anyway

 

from a wing chun perspective.

 

four gates.

 

the body is divided down the middle by a 'centre-line'.

 

the body is also divided into upper and lower by a line across your navel.

 

two lines, divides into four gates.

 

(top, bottom, left, right)

 

this is a ver basic view of things and doesn't take into account a 'middle section' or 'inside/outside'

 

but

 

in most cases, good elbow position and common sense takes care of this.

 

bridge is simply the forearm.

 

specifically, it is the connecting/meeting of forearms.

 

knowing the 'type' of bridging can help you see how/when to control the bridge.

 

it is just a way to help describe to you what is/can be happening.

 

i.e

 

during a drill i can tell you to meet on top of the bridge then steal from underneath and it shouldmake sense without me having to actually tell you what to do.

 

it allows you to see things as concepts/ideas without refering to fixed moves.

 

combined with the four gates.

 

i could tell you to meet the bridge on top from the outside, steal from the outside, hit with free hand, switch hands to control and hit, then circle to take the inside.

 

only half mentioned one move but you should know what i'm talking about.

[Noob]

Drunken Monkey, thanks for the reply - it really helped a lot. Now I'm pretty sure I can completely grasp what my Sifu is referring to with a bit of practice.

 

Thanks again, and all replies are appreciated!

[Drunken Monkey]

er....

 

if you're doing hung gar,

 

then sometimes they also refer to 'face',

 

which doesn't really fit in what i've said before.

[Noob]

Hmm, I haven't heard of "face". In any event, this information gives me a good ground and a general idea as to what I should be asking my Sifu in regards to the above.

[MenteReligieuse]

Hmpf, I thought gates were just openings, or zones to strike an opponent in/had to guard from opponents. And "bridging" those gates were simply succesfully striking them...