Short-hand notation for Wing Chun

lansao

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Hello again,

I just created a new thread another subject but I spent the day thinking about these particular topics and wanted to get them all posted as soon as possible (hungry forum fists).

In practicing Wing Chun, I've found it useful to take notes on particular transitions between structures. As such, while taking notes, I gradually fell into a note taking convention. The convention I followed banked slightly on my musical background (studied composition) and was useful to me in large part because of how closely the art seems to relate to music theory/practice (here's a thing I posted in my blog about Wing Chun & Music). It isn't perfect because it isn't really possible to apply discrete variables to movements that exist within a continuum without applying serious calculus. That said, as a reminder of broader movement it really served it's purpose and was often supplemented with minor additional notes.

I've attached a PDF describing the notation (Word docs aren't allowed) and am curious about two things:
  • Have others in the found themselves developing a shorthand for note taking?
  • How would other lineages modify the attached document to incorporate their taxonomies?
  • Do any practitioners have general feedback on the notation and/or ways to improve it?
Thank you all and look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. If you would like the Word format, let me know and I'll message you a box link.

~ Alan
 

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Gerry Seymour

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Hello again,

I just created a new thread another subject but I spent the day thinking about these particular topics and wanted to get them all posted as soon as possible (hungry forum fists).

In practicing Wing Chun, I've found it useful to take notes on particular transitions between structures. As such, while taking notes, I gradually fell into a note taking convention. The convention I followed banked slightly on my musical background (studied composition) and was useful to me in large part because of how closely the art seems to relate to music theory/practice (here's a thing I posted in my blog about Wing Chun & Music). It isn't perfect because it isn't really possible to apply discrete variables to movements that exist within a continuum without applying serious calculus. That said, as a reminder of broader movement it really served it's purpose and was often supplemented with minor additional notes.

I've attached a PDF describing the notation (Word docs aren't allowed) and am curious about two things:
  • Have others in the found themselves developing a shorthand for note taking?
  • How would other lineages modify the attached document to incorporate their taxonomies?
  • Do any practitioners have general feedback on the notation and/or ways to improve it?
Thank you all and look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. If you would like the Word format, let me know and I'll message you a box link.

~ Alan
Okay, I literally couldn't stop myself from trying to put a melody to that sample sequence, Alan. If you give me an "ear worm"...:mad:
 
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lansao

lansao

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Okay, I literally couldn't stop myself from trying to put a melody to that sample sequence, Alan. If you give me an "ear worm"...:mad:

Haha! Yesss. I have a tune that I hum for each of the open hand forms and it makes me feel like a musician again. Is it good? Bad? Who knows. It's fun and I think useful too.

~ Alan
 
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lansao

lansao

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Okay, I literally couldn't stop myself from trying to put a melody to that sample sequence, Alan. If you give me an "ear worm"...:mad:
I have a few more excel files that I can share if you're interested. They include a documented Sil Lum Tao and a list of all of the two hand combinations (or single hand transitions) as well as four hand combinations (or two hand transitions) (assuming front-facing stance).

The combos are in the literal sense (~16 root hand positions gives us 256 (16^2) two-hand combinations and 65,536 (16^4) four hand combinations). I randomly sort the combinations list from time to time and practice the sequences, backfilling applications that I may not have considered previously.

Let me know and I'll share a box link via private message.

~ Alan
 

Gerry Seymour

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I have a few more excel files that I can share if you're interested. They include a documented Sil Lum Tao and a list of all of the two hand combinations (or single hand transitions) as well as four hand combinations (or two hand transitions) (assuming front-facing stance).

The combos are in the literal sense (~16 root hand positions gives us 256 (16^2) two-hand combinations and 65,536 (16^4) four hand combinations). I randomly sort the combinations list from time to time and practice the sequences, backfilling applications that I may not have considered previously.

Let me know and I'll share a box link via private message.

~ Alan

I appreciate the offer, Alan, but they wouldn't be meaningful to me. I have only a passing familiarity with WC. I enjoy the topics that are discussed in the WC forums, as most have application to other arts.


Gerry Seymour
Shojin-Ryu, Nihon Goshin Aikido
 

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