The WT Vehicle

The WT curriculum is made up of 3 primary components:

1. Lat-sao
2. Chi-sao
3. Forms training

Yes classes will be comprised of other exercises, but these 3 make the foundation of the WT curriculum and other drills are simply variations of the above 3 core components. Now, it is said that what makes WT so different from other wing chun/ving tsun schools is the lat-sao and chi-sao sections. These are pre-determined sections that are taught to student's at their specific grading level. This idea provides some advantages:

• Students progress in a logical manner,
  
• Students create a foundation required for the next level
• Instructors have to teach ALL aspects of the WT curriculum, not just those that he/she likes to do or can successfully pull off.
  

Of course there are disadvantages too (eg. increases costs, very business oriented, not inline with traditional student/disciple way of teaching, etc)

Yes this is all fine and dandy, yet under the idea of functional Wing Tsun - the idea is to defend oneself, to knock a guy out, to pummel the attacker to the ground so that you can escape. In essence then, chi-sao, lat-sao and forms training only helps you punch someone better, harder, and faster. What that also means is that WT is, in the end, nothing at all. Wing Tsun is nothing more than the path you have chosen to learn how to knock someone down. It has no say on how you knock a person down, or what techniques you pulled off to make it happen. As long as you're safe and the attacker is down - you, my friend, have just exemplified the meaning of functional wing tsun.

The style of wing chun (or any martial art for that matter) has nothing to do with the ends, only the means. If you can't get to the end of the tunnel, use a different vehicle. If you do get to the end of the tunnel, what do you care about the tunnel anymore?

As such, comparing one style to the next is not a question of which one is more effective, but which is more effective in teaching the you how to defend yourself?