Isaac Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by a force. In the martial art of Wing Chun, a neutral and relaxed posture is adopted, which metaphorically could be compared to an object at rest until an external force (the opponent) acts upon it, at which point it responds. It is essential to maintain a stable center of gravity to generate maximum force against the power acting from the outside. Therefore, the philosophy of Wing Chun preaches that it is an art of self-defense and reaction rather than offense.
Additionally, acceleration, as presented by our scientist, is governed by the second law of motion, which states that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. In Wing Chun, force and acceleration originate from kinetic energy through the legs and core, transferring it to the arms and hands. Thus, body mass plays a vital role in the acceleration of a strike.
Finally, the law of action and reaction establishes that two objects apply forces to each other of equal magnitude and opposite direction, meaning for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In Wing Chun, this law can be used against the opponent, as using the opponent's force against themselves can conserve one's own energy and simultaneously unbalance them. An example of this is the pak sao technique.
