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General Information:
Bil Jee form is the third empty hand form of Wing Chun kung fu. Until recent times this form was a carefully guarded secret even within the Wing Chun community. Grandmaster William Cheung led the way in making the form available to all when he wrote the book "Wing Chun Bil Jee the Deadly Art of Thrusting Fingers".
Bil Jee translates to "Thrusting Fingers" which aptly describes the most notable aspect of this form. The powerful and quick thrusting finger strikes of the Bil Jee form are at once amazingly simple and profoundly complex. The Bil Jee form, will specifically train finger striking with short bursts of arm movement, concentration of energy and correct breathing. The added reach of the Bil Jee technique is a valuable tool in the Wing Chun practitioner’s arsenal, a tool that is correctly held in reserve for emergency situations only!
Many styles of martial art utilize a finger jab technique of some sort because of the extended reach afforded. The major difference in the Bil Jee technique is the method of delivery. When the fingers make contact in a Bil Jee strike the wrist must pivot in one direction or the other as the finger tips pivot into the target. This pivoting action protects the joints of the fingers from absorbing the brunt of the force. Without this pivoting action severe injury to the joints is the likely result.
In Shil Lim Tao we learn Bil Jee strikes horizontally, in Chum Kil we learn a vertical Bil Jee. In the Bil Jee form we practice both methods in four directions, up, down, inward and outward with each hand. In all for directional strikes the pivoting of the wrist is employed. When striking downward the wrist pivots upward, when striking upward the wrist pivots downward. For the inward strike the wrist pivots outward, and for the outward strike the wrist pivot is inward.
Bil Jee utilizes both long and short-range attacks incorporating the use of elbows and Bil Jee strikes in combination as well as kicks. There are a total of eight kicks performed in the Bil Jee form. The techniques are comprised of four distinct kicks, in two combinations, practiced on both left and right sides. A Kan Sao front kick, Bon Sao low sidekick and a Quan Sao low cross heel kick and front kick or optional low sidekick.
Like the Chum Kil form Bil Jee sheds more light on the footwork of Wing Chun. This form utilizes the neutral side stance, the forward stance, and the front step, the T-step or side step and further use of the circle step. It also introduces the use of the full back step, which is performed going forward in the form. Through practice of the Chum Kil and Bil Jee forms the intrinsic footwork of Wing Chun becomes ingrained in the practitioners muscle memory. This affords a freedom of movement without conscious effort enhancing the practitioners ability to avoid fighting force with force while at the same time obtaining a position of advantage. This is an essential skill in the practice of Wing Chun.
5 Stages of Combat:
In Traditional Wing Chun combat is viewed in 5 distinct stages, before contact, contact, exchange, pursuit and retreat. The relative distance between the practitioner and the opponent determines stages one to three. The fourth stage pursuit can be employed at any of the first three stages. The fifth stage retreat is a tactical maneuver to regain a favorable position. All five stages of combat can be seen in the Bil Jee form.
Ability to Interrupt Movement:
The ability to interrupt movement is an essential part of Wing Chun training. We would prefer to sacrifice speed and power while executing movements in order to reserve this ability. The superior balance gained through the 50/50-weight distribution of the neutral side and front stance, as well as the stepping techniques utilized in the Bil Jee form aid in training and maintaining this ability.
Vital Targets:
There are many targets vulnerable to a Bil Jee strike. In general Bil Jee strikes can be delivered to any part of the upper torso and neck due to the large number of pressure points in these areas. Some specific targets particularly vulnerable on the upper torso would include the floating ribs and solar plexus area, especially the zyphoid process (I know about this one first hand because I was hit there by a Bil Jee strike with very little force and it hurt for six months). On the neck the sterna notch, larynx, and mastoid process are all extremely vulnerable areas to attack with the Bil Jee strike.
On the head the most vulnerable target would be the eye. To strike the eyes successfully requires speed and accuracy. In my opinion, to hit the eyes with a Bil Jee is quite simple. Often an opponent will literally walk right into it. For this reason I highly recommend safety glasses while training this technique and discourage its use in sparring practice. However, due to the extreme sensitivity of the eye, in a self-defense situation if the target is available, I say strike it! The morality of your decision can be debated once you are safe from harm.
Conclusion:
Wing Chun has been called "the Science of in Fighting". A very accurate description, since all the techniques are based on sound scientific principles of physics and leverage. If Wing Chun is viewed as a science than Bil Jee could be considered the calculus of the system. Sure it’s higher math but it’s not out of reach. There seems to be a propensity with some to either spiritualize the form with numerology and superstitious mumbo jumbo, or hold it up as a pinnacle of training unavailable to mortal martial artists. Fortunately for us mortals, that is just not the truth.
