Grandmaster Tse’s Wing Chun Note 517  

We need to be able to stand in Yāt Geuk Jōng 一脚樁 (One Leg Stance) correctly and not just try and kick; we therefore need to practise it. Standing on one leg appears easy, but actually there is more to it than that, and we need to consider the whole body. If we do it right, then we will develop our Gūng Lihk 功力 (Internal Strength), which is very important.

When we stand on one leg, we lift up one leg so that the thigh is at waist level, and it should be completely relaxed. The standing leg should be slightly bent, and we should feel the weight on it and feel comfortable. The upper body will lean back a little to counterbalance the raised leg, but we should not lean back very much. The position of the hands is up to you, as long as they are correct Wing Chun hands. Then we should feel the whole body is steady and balanced.

When we kick, we must be balanced, and the hands must also be able to attack and defend in whatever way we need. Most of the time, we will train the Yāt Geuk Jōng when doing Síu Lihm Tào 小念頭 (Wing Chun’s first form). If we are just standing, then we will choose something like Tāan Sáu 攤手 (Opening Hand), Wuh Sáu 護手 (Guarding Hand) or Fuhk Sáu 伏手 (Resting On Hand).

The hardest part of the training is holding the leg up and keeping the position. As we get tired, the leg will start to drop. If it is only a little bit, then that is OK, but if it is a lot, then we should change the legs around. It is OK to change legs when we get tired, and then eventually the legs and balance will become much stronger.