The Saying Goes...

...that strength beats a 1000 techniques.

There is truth to this and it's probably one of our own enemies - our own strength. It's an innate survival tool - our body tenses, our jaws clench, our limbs stiffen up, we grab, we hold, we clench. The use of strength is a natural phenomenon in the battlefield, in mating, in surviving..

But when it comes to wing tsun training, it's also our weakness. Strength, whether it's our own or that from our opponent can be used against us. Either our own strength stiffens us, allowing us to be manipulated by the attacker or we let the strength of the attacker overcome us.

It's not easy to let go of our own strength, in addition, to using our opponents strength.

it just goes to show how difficult wing tsun application truly is. The stance, the angles, the structure - sure to get yourself out of harms way in a scrap may take only a year of training, but to fight with wing tsun will take several years of dedicated training. Not half ass, casual training that the majority of take part in (myself included).

Strength is the enemy...only at first. But it's also a good thing. Once you got the angles, the structure, the stance right, then strength can added. It's not something to shy away from.

Once you got the structure, the angles, the timing,and the strength - all you really need is a good step and punch. That's it.

Until then.

HIIT The Rounds WT Style

Have you ever tried rounds of shadow boxing? If not, i strongly recommend it. It's freaking exhausting stuff. Really give props to them boxers out there that really know what killer training is all about.

I would recommend you pick an exercise that you like to perform (but i say, skip the chain punching since you do it all the time) and now perform them in separate rounds. For example, a typical routine might be:

1) round 1 - hooking punches

2) round 2 - lifting punches

3) round 3 - biu sau

4) round 4 - knee strike

Each round will last between 30-60 seconds depending on your fitness level and you will have a rest period of 30-60 seconds in between rounds.

Get your timer on and for each round go as hard and as fast as you can for the full minute. Alternate hands as you like so you do work both sides.

Repeat rounds 1 to 4 for a total of 2-3 times. Let me know what you think!

Until then.

It's All In The Forms

Here's a quick run down of the learning process of wing tsun kung fu and probably any other martial art. I would say much of this lost, and hence, why many believe forms training is useless. I do see where they are coming from, but I also think they only see part of the truth.

1) Learn the forms: this introduces the body mechanics, "contortioning", positioning and muscle memory

2) Understand the forms: Application, principles, ideas of the forms are introduced, explored and developed.

3) Let go of the forms: Release your body of the restrictions imposed by the body positions found in the forms, of the muscle memory developed in the forms

4) Immerse yourself in the forms: Much like immersing yourself in a hobby, in a concept, in a philosophy, in a movie, etc. where you can recite any line in a movie, play a song on your guitar on demand, explain to others what's so great about the latest cell phone technology - it's really about exposing yourself again and again to something, of which you know it inside and out. You want to do this with your forms training - do it so many times, so often, that you can "recite any verse of the form on demand"

Only then do you really "know" the forms and I think, at this point, it would be where real free forms sparring can be explored. Many don't have the patience for that and it's not like one has to do that to be a good fighter. But in the chinese kung fu world, it's the most effective path for full expression of real kung fu at the free fight scenario.

As you can tell, that narrows it down to quite a dedicated few. Are we that dedicated? are you? am I?

Until then.

Basic Instincts

Here's a video of UFC in its infancy. Back then, it was all about one style versus another - it was before "MMA" ever existed. UFC 2, I beleive. And in this video it has a wing chun guy versus a karate guy.

Now, the point of this video is to look at how "instinctual" grappling seems to be or even "primal" if you will? What is it about grabbing onto someone in the fight scenario that just seems so..well..natural. You don't think about it, you just do it.

It just goes to show, how the grappling arts take advantage of this instinctual urge. It comes easily to anyone and those that aren't skilled, really set themselves up when they "grab by reflex".

Definitely makes the striking arts harder to be more skillful at now that grappling is so popular. Doesn't mean it can't be done, but it's harder knowing that the person in front of you may not be afraid to grapple you.

And, add to that, that as much as you wouldn't want to yourself, you are very likely to grapple back.

Not good.

But what do you think makes it so easy for us to want to grab onto something under stressful conditions?

until then.

Wing Chun Defeats MMA

Interesting - Wing Chun fighter in a MMA setting, against a MMA champion. As they set up the fight, the announcers show his wing chun skills during training. Looks like wing chun to me! But how does this translate when the bell rings?

Here's the video.

I now open discussion to you..

Until then.