Interesting Yip Man picture

[NoSword]

Of course the lean is compensated for. If a lean isn't compensated somehow then you just fall over. Now what exactly is perpendicular to the ground? I don't see it.

The line from the top of his head to between the middle of his feet. His back goes behind this line and his knees go in front of it, but these two points are aligned. The difference from some IMA stances is that his perineum is ahead of this line and pointing forward, like a scorpion's tail.

If he were 'leaning' in the sense that I'm talking about, his center of gravity would rise; his body would become fragmented and you could push him over with nearly no effort. In the picture his body is unified. Although you might be able to push him with sufficient effort (unlike some IMA stances which can be virtually immovable), you would move his as one solid chunk, like rolling a shopping cart. His structure wouldn't change. It's a stance built for mobility, not for stability. I see some of the same ideas employed in Systema.

This relates to the old tucking-untucking debate which I won't get back into here.

I could argue this point further but it's a hard distinction to convey without a physical demonstration. If you don't see it the way I see it, that's all right.

AK

[chud]

So what do people think of the bio-mechanics of YM leaning slightly back as he is in the picture?

That backwards lean is common, I was taught it early on when I dabbled in Wing Chun.
I think it is done because they work in such close range and they're trying to keep the head back so they won't get hit.

[daniel pfister]

In the picture his body is unified. Although you might be able to push him with sufficient effort (unlike some IMA stances which can be virtually immovable), you would move his as one solid chunk, like rolling a shopping cart. His structure wouldn't change. It's a stance built for mobility, not for stability.

By leaning back, his structure depends upon the strength of his abs.

Is it more mobile? Mobile in the sense of being able to lean back, or is there another way?

[Eric_H]

The guy is old, thats why he's got bad posture.

If you look at his pictures from when he was a bit younger, you don't see it as pronounced.

That's not a development... that's just age doing it's dirty work.

[chimerical tortoise]

The line from the top of his head to between the middle of his feet. His back goes behind this line and his knees go in front of it, but these two points are aligned. The difference from some IMA stances is that his perineum is ahead of this line and pointing forward, like a scorpion's tail.

If he were 'leaning' in the sense that I'm talking about, his center of gravity would rise; his body would become fragmented and you could push him over with nearly no effort. In the picture his body is unified. Although you might be able to push him with sufficient effort (unlike some IMA stances which can be virtually immovable), you would move his as one solid chunk, like rolling a shopping cart. His structure wouldn't change. It's a stance built for mobility, not for stability. I see some of the same ideas employed in Systema.

This relates to the old tucking-untucking debate which I won't get back into here.

I could argue this point further but it's a hard distinction to convey without a physical demonstration. If you don't see it the way I see it, that's all right.

AK

I think you hit the nail on the head here... there is the illusion that he is leaning but I am fairly sure it is an external appearance. IME re: the perineum, the 'tuck' brings the tailbone into alignment with the thighs as a cohesive unit. It is still very centred, and if done right there is a much better resilience to oncoming force than from what might on the outside appears to be a spine that is more perpendicular to the ground.

[Taichiturtle]

Interesting! I thought I'd seen the pic before - didn't realise it was an old thread. Used to do Ba Gua with weights strapped to my wrists. My Sifu told me his Sifu used to train with iron rings on his forearms. I used them for chi Kung, circle walking and (some) form work.

[Tesshu]

It's also a little known fact that Yip Man's right forearm was a good 6 inches longer than his left arm, which gave him a slightly bizarre 'Reach Advantage' over his opponents.




.

HA! Very little known. LMAO

[D_Glenn]

Wow! Here's another picture I found. Looks like it's from that same set of photos:






.

[Bao]

And that pic is even more leaning...

[Graculus]

Yes, but please check the original picture (as noted earlier):


(From this website: http://kungfucinesekaratedomattia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/kung-fu-yip-man-5.html)

Once they start photoshop, some people just can't seem to leave it alone.

Graculus
http://ichijoji.blogspot.com

[IMAS]

The guy is old, thats why he's got bad posture.

If you look at his pictures from when he was a bit younger, you don't see it as pronounced.

That's not a development... that's just age doing it's dirty work.

Leaning back is what happens when practitioners do not rotate their thighs inward or medially, and this is not squeezing the knees inward as some people practicing. So this is not a age related thing.