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.
One of the first things you will learn from your Wing chun training is the constant repetition of drills and an almost fanatic implementation of its concepts. Wing Chun is unique as it is a martial that does not involve physical strength to be effective.It can be argued its the opposite. Having a relaxed mind and disposition is a key element to your wing chun training. Being relaxed in mind and body allows your thoughts to and movements to flow efficiently . Being too rigid will slow your moment and be too robotic – which is unnatural.
Being too rigid slows you down, which goes against a fundamental aspect of wing chun. As it is a dynamic art and primarily involved in close quarter fighting, have a quick reaction & smooth reflexes is essential. It also allows you too feel your opponents oncoming attacks. (By the way this is a CRITICAL concept when learning the wing chun wooden dummy- But I digress) Sounds confusing? Well this is a key concept of chi sao- which is the wing chun “sticky hands ” sparring technique.This teaches to defeat your opponent through the feel of their hands rather than using your sight.
Having this sensory acuity allows you to fight by your sense of touch -if your opponent has a weak defence you can power through. If they have a strong defence you use wing chun techniques to manipulate that strength and find a way through. Now this is a skill that will take your whole wing chun life to master. However to be successful you need a combination of a relaxed, natural, comfortable form and having enough energy to repell any oncoming attack.
Through correct wing chun training and execution of its concepts you will be able to deflect and attack your opponent with minimal effort. As you develop your wing chun techniques you will learn to confidently and calmly apply your technique. You should be relaxed and calm both in your thinking and your movement. Indeed because of your constant drilling and practice , having this relaxed disposition you will react automatically , without thinking and calmly execute what you have learned from your wing chun training.
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