Siu Nim Tao

(The Little Idea For The Beginning)

Let's setup our stance:

Feet together!
Hands!
Close hands into fists and raise to your sides at ribs height
Knees!
Bend the knees slightly, knees should be bent vertically over the feet, not bent inwardly
Yap Gerk!
Toes pointing outward
Bong Gerk!
Heels pointing outward and then bring your feet to shoulder width position.
The names you will see below in bold are the techniques that we call out in class. Always start by using
the left hand first then repeat the techniques using the right hand.

Sentence 1: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
Crossed Double Tan Sau (Palms move forward in front of the body – middle)
Crossed Double Gaan Sau (Arms directed down in front of the body – low)
Kwun Sau (Rotation of the arms with palms returning to your face height – high)
Close hands into fists
Sau Keun (Pulling fists back to your sides)

Sentence 2: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
Keun (Forward centre punch)
Tan Sau (Open palm facing the ceiling)
Huen Sau (Circling hand/arm)
Sau Keun (Pulling fist back to your side)

Sentence 3: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
Tan Sau
Huen Sau
Pak Sau (Pushing/Slapping hand)
Wu Sau (Protecting hand/arm)
Relax the hand and push forward keeping the elbow inward
Huen Sau
Pak Sau
Wu Sau
Relax the hand and push forward keeping the elbow inward
Huen Sau
Pak Sau
Wu Sau
Pak Sau
Bring relaxed hand back to the centre
Palm strike forward
Turn hand over to Tan Sau
Huen Sau
Sau Keun

Sentence 4: Left hand first

Gum Sau – Left hand (Pinning/Pressing hand/arm)
Gum Sau – Right hand
Double Gum Sau (Striking behind the body)
Double Gum Sau (Striking in front of the body)
Double Lan Sau (Bar arm, left arm placed on top of the right arm, hands hanging over the elbows)
Double Fak Sau (Whisking arm)
Return to Double Lan Sau (Right arm placed on top of the left arm, hands hanging over the elbows)
Double Jum Sau (Sinking hand/arm, using both hands)
Double Tok Sau (Lifting hand/arm, using both hands)
Double Jut Sau (Jerking hand/arm, using both hands)
Double Biu Sau (Darting Fingers, using both hands)
Double Gum Sau (Striking in front of the body)
Double Tai Sau (Rising arms)
Close the hands and rotate to Double Gum Punch
Sau Keun

Sentence 5: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
Pak Sau
Centre (Bring open hand to the centre)
Cheung Sau (Spade hand)
Heun Sau
Sau Keun

Sentence 6: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
High Tan Sau
Jut Sau (Jerking hand/arm)
Gaan Sau (Splitting/dividing arm)
Tan Sau
Heun Gwut Sau (Circling/Scraping hand/arm)
Forward pushing Palm Strike (Level with your tummy and central to your body)
Tan Sau
Heun Sau
Sau Keun

Sentence 7: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
High Bong Sau (Wing arm, placed in front of the body for correct defence)
High Tan Sau (Palm facing your face)
Low Tan Sau (Drop the hand in line with your stomach)
Low Palm (Fingers pointing to the floor, striking at stomach height)
Tan Sau
Heun Sau
Sau Keun

Sentence 8: Left hand first, then repeat with the right hand
* Gaan Sau/Tan Sau (Left arm in Gaan Sau position with right hand in Tan Sau positioned on top of the
left arm just above the elbow)
Right hand turns over and wipes the left arm to bring the right arm into Gaan position and the left hand
in Tan resting on top of the right arm just above the elbow.
Repeat movement *
Right arm in Gaan position
Left hand in Keun (Punch) position
Keun (Forward left striking punch)
Keun (Forward right striking punch)
Keun (Forward left striking punch)
Keun (Forward right striking punch)
Crossed Double Tan
Double Kau Sau (Hooking arm)
Rotate into fists and pull both fists back to Sau Keun.

Fun Facts:
Siu Nim Tao is the first and most important form in Wing Chun Kung Fu. It is the foundation or "seed"
of the art, on which all succeeding forms and techniques depend. Fundamental rules of balance and
body structure are developed using this form. This form is structured into 8 sentences.