Peace

Principle: Judgement of Distance: Vibration Sensitivity

In bare-knuckle fighting, "toe to the line" is the starting point, and fighters must be three feet apart. A set area must be crossed before physical contact occurs. The "Irish stand down" was a classic bare-knuckle combat that depended on punching and "taking" punches.

Unlike the "stand down," Chen Taiji has the saying, "If you can hit me, I can't hit you; if you can't hit me, I can hit you." Chen does not trade punches. It uses hand, leg, arm, and body maneuvers to gain the appropriate positioning to deliver power.

However, there is a sensitivity that judgment of distance practice creates concerning the "sucker punch." It promotes a keen unconscious awareness of the approach and use of deception or distraction by those who might throw an unprovoked attack without warning.

Think of it as a vibration motion sensor that detects small vibrations caused by movement, like footsteps. It essentially "listens" for subtle changes in motion rather than directly seeing them. This sensitivity triggers an alarm or other action when detecting a certain vibration level. How the student develops this sensitivity is discussed under Peng for pushing hands.