How is your wing chun training coming along… Have you continued with your classes ..more importantly are you practicing outside of classes. This is what differentiates those that see wing chun as a hobby and those that treat it as a serious path..
Either way is fine. You will get out of it what you out in… Some may find it hard because they dont have a training partner, there is a fix to this. As I have mentioned before, the best place to start is the wing chun dummy.
ITs the main trainining tool . However you dont need to use it right now. You can improvise. -Broom Handles and a post ..but look online there a some great resources that show you how you can make one. Initiate family members or even friends to sit in…just think of fun was throughout your day where you can pick up some wing chun kung fu training time.
Bruce Lee was famous for coming up with new ways to train Now I’m not saying to go to those lengths-but its just an insights on how little things can help and build up to a larger training experience.
Training can get boring But you need to grind it out and you find little tidbits that help with your training progression. Be creative with your training routine, it well get you more motivated You need to define a systematic routine so that it becomes habit. Passion can only get you so far. Its fuel will burn out. You need a more practical approach then you will get real results. In time you will see this habit be part of your everyday life.
Because of this you will see your training improve and go from strength to strength.
One of the most important things people get wrong when performing chi sao is that they do not get their hands positioned correctly and this bad practice with a partner can cay se your skills to slip and erode what you have been taught.
A classic example of this is performing wing Chun chi sao and having sore shoulders. This is mainly becomes of one of two things. Your opponent is hanging on your hands and arms pushing you down or you are driving our hands by the shoulders and by the elbows. Your body will tell you if you are doing it wrong.
Remember everything in wing Chun training revolves around the shoulders. The elbows are not where you should be focussing yor energy. This is contrary to popular belief.
Usually we are used to our shoulders carrying the burden.
The idea is to have great fluidity.Relax the shoulders , the elbows drive the arms forward.
This is where you should be practicing on sil lim tao… The wing chun system was smart enough to teach you the basics early on so if you hit a stumbling block you just go back to basics. Moving forward from the elbow towards your opponent.
Have energy in your arms , but be loose you dont want to be too rigid.
The idea of wing chin is to adapt your own style and enhance your strength s, as well as adapt to your opponent. That is why you need to master this, so you can automatically gauge the feel and energy required to defeat your opponent. The idea is not to meet your opponents energy head on force on force you need to deflect it use it against him and find an opening.
This is very similar to an aikido technique where it uses the opponent’s momentum against them. I am far from an aikido expert the principles are similar.
One of the best ways to practice chi sao is obviously with a fellow student.
However if you are at home and no one to train with the best advice would be to proactive your wing chun training forms to get the positioning right and the movement. The wing Chun dummy is also an excellent training tool for chi sao.You learn how it should feel, you can then move to correct the position to enhance your training.
One of the first things you learn as part of your wing Chun training as that martial arts is used for defense never for attack.
As you become more proficient in your training you learn that how to defend you, attack and handle general self-defense. You become comfortable with being able to handle any situation that arises.The question is when will you be required to put what you have learned into practice. As a beginner the thought f getting in a fight would have been terrifying.
Now with some level of proficiency your confidence has grown.With your inner confidence you wont need to prove yourself in a fight. Confidence has been cultivated in your kung fu training and you are a more calm person.. When confronted in a situation that requires you to use your skill you know you will be able to handle yourself.
Usually you will be confronted with someone who will verbalize you, they may be full of steam and want to mouth off. It will only take one phrase, one word by you to get things more physical.. they are looking for an outlet and not thinking. It may be easier to let them blow off their steam if they are some distance away let them talk all they want. If thy approach you ,, be aware of their distance.. Can they reach you to attack you?Do you feel threatened?Be aware of your environment to see if you have any room for movement. Be conscious of your environment.If you can calm the situation down where you can walk away -thats fine. If not- be aware.Is there are group of them? If they touch you -be ready to react. Your chi sao and wing chun dummy training will come to you effortlessly.You should defend not attack.. You dont want to hurt someone unnecessarily- there could also be legal repercussions.
As basic as it looks , once you master the wing chun dummy, it can see your training and development go from strength to strength
The wing chun dummy or Muk Yan Jong form, is an essential part of your wing chun training.
As there are many Chinese kung fu styles there are various kung fu wooden dummys
The Wing Chun wooden dummy is the most popular form of wooden dummy. The Wing Chun dummy uses an arm and leg configuration designed to cultivate fighting skill and chi simultaneously The form is performed against a “wooden Dummy “, which is made ups of a thick wooden post with two upper arms, a lower arms and a representing an opponents body in in various positions and the lines of force the body can give out.
Although representative of a human opponent, the dummy is not a physical representation of a human, but an energetic one. Wooden dummy practice aims to refine a practitioner’s understanding of angles, positions, and footwork, and to develop full body power. It is on the wing chun dummy that the open hand forms come together and understood completely.
The Hong Kong wooden dummy is a wall mounted version of the Wing Chun Wooden Dummy that hangs using two wooden slats through the body of the wooden dummy. Older versions of the Wing Chun wooden dummy were originally placed in the ground. Yip man created the modern design to fit the needs of his apartment.
The wooden slats on which the muk yan jong is mounted has a springiness that is similar to a human opponent’s involuntary reaction and allows the user to practice absorbing energy into his/her stance. Due to this springiness, this type of dummy is considered an “alive” dummy. Therefore the older version of the dummy is called a dead dummy because it is not mounted.
A lot of people I meet interested in wing chun training or any martial arts or even on taking a class. However the number one thing that holds them back is that they think its too late, they say to themselves “I’m too old, I don’t want to make a fool of myself etc….
This is quite common and one of the reasons that hold people back from learning or expanding into the martial arts. I remember when I first started I was 22 and though I was tool old to learn My instructor was in his 40’s and I thought he had spent his entire life from perfecting the art—he was that good. It was only until later that I found out that after spending many years of doing various martial arts it was only when he was in his early thirties that he started wing chun and devoted all his training around the art.
Soon he was training full time and dedicated his life to becoming an instructor and delve even deeper to become a very knowledgeable practitioner of Chinese medicine. All beginning with the basics of wing chun training
Looking back and I remember the classes had a wide range of ages. From guys in their late teems/early 20’s to guys in their 30’s 40’s even 50’s just starting out, trying to figure out the wing chun dummy. (This frustrates those of all ages).
I suppose the beauty of wing chun is that it does not require any special skill prowess.You dont have to be flexible to do the splits – execute flying kicks..it is very much a grounded art-literaly. The techniques are very low impact and easy to learn. If anything wing Chun training will help your flexibility, helps with weight loss and improve confidence.Alot of people start wing chun for fitness. They see it as a way to have fun and get fit..and it is.
When people ask me about wing chun and why it was the art I chose to pursue, they are usually bombarded with hundreds of ways that wing chun training has helped me…sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me and people are left overwhelmed, sorry they asked or just freaked out by this kooky zealot.
So in the cold light of day with time to actually slow myself down I thought would write about just 3 immediate benefits you will receive from Wing chun training.
1) Fitness. Yes this may sound a little obvious but the actual movement and exercise during a wing chun class will help with your flexibility – stretching your muscles and joints. This is a big side effect for me I didn’t know how unfit I was until I started to train regularly.The ability to toes my toes is a bonus. Exercise also relaxes you and helps you cope with stress.Mental health is also benefitted.Some like going to the gyn, but i like some purpose to my training.
2) Self defence This goes without saying . Learning a martial art is about being able to defend yourself from an attacker and develop the basic skills of a fighter. Depending on how far you want to progress, you can become an elite tournament fighter or just devote the right amount of energy into it that will enable you to defend yourself in an altercation should the need arise.
A benefit if this is an increase in confidence. Learning to fight to put it bluntly in today’s society is seen as quite the macho skill. Learning this skill will have an impact on how you perceive yourself, some of those latent fears will disappear and also once you learn this, you will soon discover there are other skills you can learn outside of martial arts that previously you have been too scared to pursue. That’s true in any endeavour and having confidence in yourself is the number one key for a happier life.
3) Its easy to learn wing chun. its low impact you wont be stressing the body.
Conditioning is required. That will cause a bit of soreness when you start, (especially when training on the wing chun dummy) however when you get into your routine you will learn that Wing Chun encourages a more graceful approach to martial arts.Its not reliant on brute strength. Therefore this is a skill you can enhance and develop even in later life.It like learning a trade that stays with you for years
Sparring is something that all martial arts use. There are numerous sports, such as boxing and wrestling that use sparring as well. sparring helps your technique. By practicing with other people, students learn their arts better and become more apt at performing the techniques quickly and efficiently.
If you are studying wing chun training or any kung fu training in a reputable school, you’ll find sparring to be very exciting as well as beneficial to your training. The instructors will be there to make sure no one gets hurt. Students use full head gear and body gear for safety during the sparring sessions.
Depending on your skill level and martial art you are studying, you may end up using no protective gear. Students that are very skilled wont normally need protective equipment, as they are good enough with sparring and their techniques that they can go a few rounds with other skilled students and not make any type of contact at all.
Martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that focus on grappling, make the most use of sparring, as it is needed to properly execute the techniques. Martial arts that focus mainly on grappling use joint locks and submission techniques, which will need to be practiced quite a bit before they can be used effectively during a competition or even as self defence.
During sparring, students go back and forth, competing with each other and testing each other. The rounds will vary, although most last several minutes. Students will also receive help and insight from their instructors to let them know how they are doing and if they need to change anything they are doing. Instructors can also see how you are progressing and where you need improvement.
Sparring can be done on your own. If you are sparring by yourself, you’ll use equipment such as punching bags, tackling dummies, wing chun dummy, or other forms of equipment that will help you with your martial art. The foam or rubber dummies are most often used with grappling techniques or punching on the ground, as they represent the opponent that you are trying to pummel into submission. The wing chun dummy is obviously for wing chun, but can be used for other martial arts.
Sparring is great to hone your skills. Students are fun to spar against, especially if they are at a higher level of skill than you are. Sparring can be used to your advantage. The longer you spar and practice your moves – the better you will get in your training, speed, and the execution of your skills.
One of the most important things people get wrong when performing chi sao is that they do not get their hands positioned correctly and this bad practice with a partner can cay se your skills to slip and erode what you have been taught.
A classic example of this is performing wing Chun chi sao and having sore shoulders. This is mainly becomes of one of two things. Your opponent is hanging on your hands and arms pushing you down or you are driving our hands by the shoulders and by the elbows. Your body will tell you if you are doing it wrong.
Remember everything in wing Chun training revolves around the shoulders. The elbows are not where you should be focussing yor energy. This is contrary to popular belief.
Usually we are used to our shoulders carrying the burden.
The idea is to have great fluidity.Relax the shoulders , the elbows drive the arms forward.
This is where you should be practicing on sil lim tao… The wing chun system was smart enough to teach you the basics early on so if you hit a stumbling block you just go back to basics. Moving forward from the elbow towards your opponent.
Have energy in your arms , but be loose you dont want to be too rigid.
The idea of wing chin is to adapt your own style and enhance your strength s, as well as adapt to your opponent. That is why you need to master this, so you can automatically gauge the feel and energy required to defeat your opponent. The idea is not to meet your opponents energy head on force on force you need to deflect it use it against him and find an opening.
This is very similar to an aikido technique where it uses the opponent’s momentum against them. I am far from an aikido expert the principles are similar.
One of the best ways to practice chi sao is obviously with a fellow student.
However if you are at home and no one to train with the best advice would be to proactive your wing chun training forms to get the positioning right and the movement. The wing Chun dummy is also an excellent training tool for chi sao.You learn how it should feel, you can then move to correct the position to enhance your training.
A lot of people I meet interested in wing chun training or any martial arts or even on taking a class. However the number one thing that holds them back is that they think its too late, they say to themselves “I’m too old, I don’t want to make a fool of myself etc….
This is quite common and one of the reasons that hold people back from learning or expanding into the martial arts. I remember when I first started I was 22 and though I was tool old to learn My instructor was in his 40’s and I thought he had spent his entire life from perfecting the art—he was that good. It was only until later that I found out that after spending many years of doing various martial arts it was only when he was in his early thirties that he started wing chun and devoted all his training around the art.
Soon he was training full time and dedicated his life to becoming an instructor and delve even deeper to become a very knowledgeable practitioner of Chinese medicine. All beginning with the basics of wing chun training
Looking back and I remember the classes had a wide range of ages. From guys in their late teems/early 20’s to guys in their 30’s 40’s even 50’s just starting out, trying to figure out the wing chun dummy. (This frustrates those of all ages).
I suppose the beauty of wing chun is that it does not require any special skill prowess.You dont have to be flexible to do the splits – execute flying kicks..it is very much a grounded art-literaly. The techniques are very low impact and easy to learn. If anything wing Chun training will help your flexibility, helps with weight loss and improve confidence.Alot of people start wing chun for fitness. They see it as a way to have fun and get fit..and it is.
The wing chun dummy and its 108 movements are designed to help you think on your feet and apply the practical techniques of the wing Chun training system.
Learning the moves, as you become a more experienced student enhances your skill, technique and understanding of wing Chun.
Although looking at it with the beginners eyes and you see a practitioner or your instructor run through the movements they seem to be a random set of moves that make no sense.
It seems like just an exercise in beating around a wooden post.
As you develop your wing Chun kung fu so does your appreciation of the wooden dummy. It has within it a sequence of moves for th whole wing Chun system.
You will see how your new techniques are adapted to the wing chun dummy, reinforces your training. So sequences on the wooden dummy are designed to simulate an actual attack with an opponent. Although the wooden dummy is static it facilitates the concepts you’re learning. These concepts teach you to apply it in real life situations. You will learn how to position yourself to your opponent. These concepts are critical to any confrontation. It teaches you to be in the correct position. If out of range you are ineffective, to close you’ll the prone to attacks.
Also when you get to more advanced intermediate levels the rhythm of which you flow through the moves of the wing chun dummy becomes more important. An experienced instructor or master will be able to tell how well you execute the moves of the dummy just by the sound. There is rhythm to it, so its not static. It’s not supposed to sound like a metronome. There are elements that are slow and other parts that speed up..
Going through the wooden dummy moves is like telling a story. When you begin it tells a story of engaging your opponent and throughout the moves , how to counteract and instigate further contact until the end he completed the sequence and defeat your opponent.
More importantly the wooden dummy is there to help you during your training and when you have completed all your levels of training. He is your companion throughout your trials and tribulations of you training. Wll be your teacher throughout your training.
The most effective kung fu training techniques are usually the most basic. For many centuries at h Shaolin monastery kung fu was taught in the same way to its many students. The basics have remained focus on Flexibility, stamina , strength and endurance.
This involved many exercises that focused on conditioning your body during many grueling drills.
I remember when I first started out as a green martial artist I was paired with a partner who was much more advanced.Initially the drill was to defend against a round punch- then block. At the time my weak puny arms would deliver the punch , only to have my partners strong conditioned arms block and follow up.
Even though this was a simulated attack – I still remember the how much my arms hurt when they where blocked by the arm of a well conditioned opponent.
Even though this was a defensive strike his arms felt like steel rods, so the harder I would strike the more pain I would inflict on myself! It got to the stage where I would slowly through the punch rather than give it the full intention it deserved. At the end of the class my arms had been battered and bruised and even had some swelling.
The lesson here is that your kung fu training does not begin with the fancy kicks punches and Bruce Lee moves.It starts with the foundation. Your body, your conditioning and your ability to strengthen your arms, legs and stance to repel your opponents attack. Fitness is the number one key.strengthening the arms and legs. Also key is developing flexibility in your muscles, sinews and joints.
There are many kung fu exercises such as the horse riding stance and other postures that facilitate this conditioning. I guarantee you that having this solid foundation will give even the novice practitioner a huge advantage even against a more experienced fighter.
After you develop your kung fu training you will no doubt come across concepts know has hard kung fu and soft kung fu. This is in combination and essence of the yin and yang of kung Fu. Which roughly translated means each part both of kung fu having elements of the other. Hard kung fu as you may be aware id the fighting , striking punching etc.Hard kung fu exerts external power and force. The other – lesser known is soft kung fu. This is less physically strenuous and focusing on developing internal energy and power.
This can be seen in tai chi. Where movements are slow elegant and patient. Meditative in nature it requires a lot more concentration. A complete kung fu training regime will have elements of both soft and hard kung fu- there are very much complementary. The hard kung fu requires physical fitness and exercise, conditioning of the body so you have the endurance to fight but also the strength to execute punches kicks etc.This is known as the Yang or aggressive element of kung fu. If you where to focus purely on this part of your kung fu you will burn out quick. It also has a latent side effect Chinese medicine tells us that too much yang creates internal heat which manifests itself physically and emotionally.You will find it difficult to relax and be short tempered and easily aggravated. The soft kung fu element of kung fu training relates to mediation and developing your internal energy.Practice helps cultivate your yin energy. This balances the aggressive yang practice creating the harmony for your emotions and body.An overdose of Win will lead to stagnation and sloppy movement.Getting the balance is very important. Too much veered towards one has negative implications –where you need the other top counteract. This is the basis of Chinese philosophy and something to me mindful in your kung fu training.
Today I was at a martial arts shop that had a great chat all things martial arts. I remember early on in my wing chun training that I would go there and marvel at the weapons, the training tools like the punching pads and the wing chun wooden dummy. We where talking about Ip Man 2 the movie about the legendary wing chun grandmaster. Without doubt the most influential man in the last century when it comes to wing chun. When he opened the doors in to his school on Hong Kong to his students he set the path that would lead his students to eventually take it to the world.Chief amongst them was Bruce Lee.There was also William Cheung and Wong Shong Leung.
We also got talking that previous this moment traditional wing chun or any kung fu training was a practice that was taught under very harsh conditions. In its most extreme case if you have seen Uma Thurman’s training routine in Kill Bill 2 you will know what I mean.Very little was taught early on and the training was extremely hash. The intention was to ensure the students stamina discipline and dedication.. also reference Danny Laruso in the Karate Kid.
It I very feasible that the only thing you will learn in your first year could be a basic form. It is really since it has been introduced to the impatient western society that kung fu training styles where designed for quick lessons and quick adaption Now don’t get me wrong the training standards still need to be high and you must apply yourself.
Be grateful that not only we have access to this training- it is no secret that the old school kung fu community where livid when Bruce Lee started teaching this stuff to westerners. Be grateful that the teaching methods have became advanced through time and more modern so you can pick up your kung fu style in the most efficient of time.
Wing chun is centred on the taoist principle of taking the middle road. Basically you should no go to extremes, success is based on balance. If you are in the middle of the road you can see both the left and right paths, but if you venture too far to one side you may loose sight of the other~Being in the centre of the path allows you to see both sides of the road if you go too far to the one side you lose siht of the other}~Travelling along the middle ground you see both left and right sides, if you veer too far to one side you may loose sight of the other~Being in the centre of the path allows you to see both sides of the road if you go too far to the one side you lose siht of the other} . This can also be interpreted as the concepts of hard and soft principles- or Yin and yang of your kung fu training Yin ( the feminine/soft side) focusses on diverting the flow of energy where yang (the masculine/hard side ) seeks to resist any opposing energy flow and be more aggressive.Yang is seen as the aggressive striking moves.
Subsequent generations of wing chun training practitioners have refined the system further , but always keeping to the simple almost scientific principles of the art: the centre line theory. (protecting and striking at most major pressure points ) -economy of motion (keeping every movement as simple as possible ) and the self explanatory principle of combined or simultaneous defence and attack.
The centre line theory is viewed as being the most definitive part of the wing chun training system, since there are many attacking strikes that seek to obscure the vision of an aggressor . The centre line is also defensive, since your own vulnerable points are protected by centre attacks.Wing Chun is an art of self defence, the wing chun practitioner is never seen as an aggressor.The situation may require the need for aggressive attacks if faced with multiple assailants. In this situation wing chun practitioners find the use of finger strikes, elbows and knee kicks to be of great value.Even a great wing chun master can be overwhelmed by a multiple attack, you should always look to strike and make your escape as he main objective..
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