Wing chun is probably one of the most well known kung fu systems in the world, mainly due to the exploits of Bruce Lee, who popularised King Fu, especially Wing Chun to the western world.
But you don’t need to have the talent, strength or skill of Bruce Lee to learn Wing Chun. In fact as legend has it, Wing Chun was taught to a humble village girl in China from a Nun of the Shaolin Temple. Wing Chun was created for Women.
Formulated base on a series of manipulating body mechanics Wing Chun does require brute strength. These are taught at the very beginning of your wing chun training.
The most basic yet most important form for beginners is the shil lim tao form. This is where the foundation concepts and ideas of the wing chum system are learned. The basic stance and defensive guards of Wing Chun are taught here.
Next form is Chum Kill also known as bridging the gap- where advanced footwork is introduced and attacking moves and strategies. Bridging the gap refers to the gap between you and your opponent and how to make up that ground in an attacking manner to nullify and win over your opponent. Be mindful of your distance from your opponent as the real threat is when they are close. Remember ’stick and stones will break bones but words never harm.
You must ignore name calling in an altercation its a ruse to provoke you-your real focus should be on the physical threat. The space between you and your opponent is neutral ground. Bridging the gap between you and your opponent require a specific strategy as you are engaging towards a physical threat. You learn how to make up this ground with Cum Kill.
Bill Jee is the most advanced form in the Wing Chun training system where you train to strike with your fingers. The basic idea is that fighting with this technique amongst other thinks increases your range to strike your opponent and targets specific areas. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing so his advanced technique is offered for informational purposes only.
The one thing that distinguishes Wing Chun from other styles is Chi Sao. This is a sparring technique where you apply the hand forms learned by the previous wing chun training forms and apply them to a sparring/ fighting situation. The sticky hands technique teaches how to guard/attack by the feel of your opponents arms.
Wing Chun fighters should have both wrists interlocked with each other in a specific position to break through the others defences. You Block your opponents attacks by sticking to their wrist, controlling their attacks and setting up your own.
It is a lot more involved than this, however it is a critical part of your wing chun training.
Finally you have the Wing Chun Dummy to contend with. This simple wooden dummy provides infinite amount of concepts and strategies to practice from-and can take a beating only thing I would warn is to work on your conditioning. The wing chun wooden dummy or Muk yan Jong will last a lot longer than you during a training session ..but not sure if your arms can take the Wing chun wooden dummy and its solid base and solid arms However it is an invaluable tool and an essential component of any students wing chun training.
There are a number of reasons to start learning a martial art. I know when I began wing chun training it was more out of fitness and a side effect would be the ability to kick but. I didn’t really enjoy going to gyms with their beefy muscle walking around just grunting at your direction.
Others learn wing chun kung fu to build confidence. Which is ideal. Learning a martial art or any method that offers security and a sense of pride. A lot of the times we live or lives in fear, what is going to happen with me? This holds true in all aspects of our lives.More to the point i have found that it is the biggest bullies that seek to impose their physicality that are the most fearful and insecure.They are usually bullies and seek to be the strongest.
However I side effect I found whilst doing my wing chun training was that the more I learned the more comfortable I became with myself.Out with friends i was calm and relaxed. Whenever there was someone acting inappropriately –usually drunk and calling names before I would get upset and felt a great insult and had to prove my self by a physical demonstration of strength so I didn’t lose face.
However as I developed my skill and came confident in my abilities I came to realise that it I was the only one I had to prove anything to.drunken stranger does not determine how i behave, i have the confidence to ignore all negativity that comes my way. To be totally superficial, did I need to prove to the world that I was able to beat up a drunk who didn’t know better.I had the confidence in myself that i could defend myself and other around me.. I didn’t need to start an unnecessary altercation to prove anything. I had the inner confidence and did not have the need to prove my self to anyone. That is the gift wing chun training gave me.
Taido is a martial art founded in Japan by Seiken Shukumine.
Taido has its beginnings in old-style Japanese martial arts. Fearing that Japanese Budo, particularly karate, were not adapting to meet the needs of society, Shukumine developed a style of Karate called Genseiryu in 1953.
Later, Shukumine grew to see karate as narrow and static. He decided that the limitations of karate lay in its linearity. In 1964, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the boundaries of karate and established Taido.
Shukumine meditated on how to make techniques more adaptable and universal. Taido’s techniques offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, aerial maneuvers, fast and effective footwork, and a changing body axis. In Japanese, Taido means “way of the body.”
Why is Taido different from karate? Taido techniques employ changes of the body’s axis in order to facilitate simultaneous defense and kicking techniques. Taido also relies on the use of footwork to take strategic angles and distance to the opponent. This footwork is functionally connected to the body mechanics that form the basis of each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create strong techniques and determine the spatial relationship with the opponent.
Taido’s strategy is based on immediate reaction to dynamic challenges instead of pre-determined algorithms of aggression and defense. Taido’s movements are also designed for improving health and longevity.
Taido’s original objective was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methodology and classical values to the evolution of the martial arts. According to its creator, Taido’s ultimate objective is to enable its practitioners to function at a high level in society.
There are five essential principles in Taido. Keep your mind as clear and uncluttered as the polished surface of a still pond. This way you will understand the heart of your environment. Having a responsive attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be confident. Body and spirit must be united. Hold yourself with dignity and you need never fear insult. Invigorate your spirit from the source of energy deep in your abdomen. With the right intention you will never be threatened. In every thing you do, follow the correct precepts you have practiced. Following these principles, you react quickly. Be adaptable in your movement and keep freedom of physical movement. The right methods will prevent you from being defeated.
Taido includes five classes of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending jumping movement, lever-like movement characterized by tilting the body’s axis, horizontal spinning movement, and gymnastic movements.
These movements are connected with punches, kicks, and other attacks. The last category, called “tentai,” includes gymnastic movements, for instance back-flips, which makes Taido exciting to watch. Taido has a special mehtod of footwork, which is called unsoku, as well as non-stepping locomotion, called unshin.
Tournaments in Taido include sparring, forms, and Tenkai, which is a mock combat between one “hero” and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges award points to the teams in a similar manner as is done in figure skating.
Even after this explanation, unless you’ve actually witnessed Taido, you probably still won’t have any solid concept of what Taido is about. Also, merely watching the techniques doesn’t show you what Taido is necessarily about. To truly get any budo, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.
Of course, Taido is changing art, so no explanation can really encapsulate everything that Taido is. Everyone eventually develops their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and skills. Taido students practice responding creatively. This is not a martial art that will stand in one place for long.
Though most students practice in Japan, Finland, and Sweden, there are also schools in the USA, Australia, and several other European countries.
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