Siu nim tao is performed with the student standing in one position and practicing the arm movements of wing chun. Once the movements are correct, the student focuses on employing the heightened awareness developed by attaining correct posture/stance to move the body with thought, rather than muscle. This concept may be very difficult to grasp, particularly among those who put an emphasis on muscular strength as a source of power. People argue that it is impossible to move without using muscles. Even if that is true, the fact is that that a skilled practitioner will feel that they are not using any muscle at all, and more to the point, the easiest way to achieve real power with wing chun is to try to move that way.

Of course, one cannot fight effectively from a stationary position, so in chum kiu we learn to apply the arm movements from sil lum tao, along with pivoting the body and stepping. Much emphasis is directed to maintaining correct tai gung, (drawing energy up through the spine and centre of the body, and using that energy to expand the joints), while performing the form. The movements in chum kiu are more easily recognisable  as fighting techniques.

Biu Jee builds on the skills developed in the first two forms and adds another dimension by twisting the vertebra on the spine to create a vortex type force. The human body is extremely powerful when moved in this way, and the effect of bil gee can be devastating. Other qualities are also learned, such as being able to transfer force to the extremities of the body.

Put simply the mook jong can be used as an extremely realistic opponent to practice the moves of wing chun on. The way the arms give, and the general springiness of the dummy, replicate the responses of an opponent. A reasonably long form is performed that covers many possible applications of wing chun techniques. When a student is skilled, the dummy feels like a training partner that is happy to stand there all day as one practices on them.

The skills developed up to this stage are now applied to weapon training. The butterfly knives, (bart jarm do) represent any weapon that can be wielded with one hand, and the long pole, (Lok Dim Boon Gwun), represents a weapon that would require two hands. The desired affect is that the weapon becomes an integrated extension of the practitioner’s body.