tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30142040067392337462012-02-12T21:24:29.314-08:00Follow the path of one man's journey in his search for fully functional expression of the Wing Tsun Kung Fu system of self-defense. Updated every other Monday. Contact me at byam@functionalwingtsun.comGrasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.comBlogger2801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-46901105259150936982012-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:002012-02-05T15:32:55.820-08:00

It has been said many times, that if you're going to fight, you have to go ALL OUT. You have commit to each punch, to each strike, to knock your opponent down. You can't enter a fight half-heartedly, otherwise, you might as well use that burst of adrenaline and run the hell out of there.In the movies, the kung fu teacher or main character would demonstrate a level of skill where he or she can

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-52033936138809755202012-01-29T14:24:00.000-08:002012-01-29T14:34:00.549-08:00

I was forwarded this very interesting article from a WT colleague of mine. The article can be found here. It essentially breaks down the positives and negatives of fighting in the ring/octagon/sparring vs. self defense. He uses a good example of a popular MMA fighter, defending himself in a street fight only to realize that the attacker pulls a knife out and slashes him up. Notably, he talks

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-58688540287792157192012-01-15T20:46:00.000-08:002012-01-15T20:56:03.446-08:00

In my last post, I talked about the idea of chain hitting. I would like to extend on that a bit further. Whether it's training wing chun or even observing others at the boxing gym, it seems that the first hit is always the hardest and then the second or even the third hit is substantially weaker.Why is that always the case. Or, another common scenario is the one-two hit, where the second hit is

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-26088098064000835692012-01-08T23:28:00.000-08:002012-01-08T23:37:08.634-08:00

Chain punches are almost a radical way of fighting. the method of the throwing the punches is quite different from conventional styles of combat and goes against the natural feel of what a punch may seem to be or should be.It's the primary (and some feel it's the only) weapon in wing chun and drills, either partner drills, or solo drills require a lot of chain punches being thrown. Once you're

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-88065686919459689242011-12-04T23:17:00.000-08:002011-12-04T23:22:01.666-08:00

Well THIS JUST IN - i came across this not longer than 5 minutes ago and thought i'd share it here.It's a behind the scenes look at the upcoming movie that my WT colleague, Anselm Meyer, is both executive producer and also starring in...QUANTUM SHOCK.in the behind the scenes clip, is both Anselm and my Si-Fu warming up with some friendly and unscripted chi-sao - nicely edited and playing to music

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-25768843975841950232011-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:002011-11-20T20:11:43.819-08:00

How do you get the most of your partner training? Some train for fun, others train seriously, others train in preparation of realistic self-defense, others purely for the social aspect of being in a club.With that comes with a variety of intensity from various partners - some punch hard, some punch fast, some punch really weak, some have bad form, some don't give you the right stimulus for the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-47960073576649825822011-11-13T15:48:00.000-08:002011-11-13T15:58:49.937-08:00

there is a very strong lesson here expressed in my Si-Fu's latest's blog post - it really comes down the importance of training slowly. When trained in this fashion, you're programming your body to feel every twitch, every muscle fibre, every tweak in all joints, etc. involved in performing a punch, a defense, a step, and on it goes.If you've ever trained this way, it's REALLY exhausting

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-50904917086271823552011-10-23T19:16:00.000-07:002011-10-23T19:43:57.650-07:00

Okay guys, here are my thoughts on this video. But if you have no idea what i'm talking about then, you'll want to check out my initial post on this topic.A few things I want to say up front:Yes, this isn't a real fight. I think everyone knows this, and the first one to admit that would be Sifu Gary Lam (i would expect). it is just chi-sao, but in the realms of wing chun, especially at a seminar

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-89872447008334723512011-10-17T00:17:00.001-07:002011-10-17T00:17:27.598-07:00

A fellow WT colleague of mine (you can find his blog here) sent me some very interesting links regarding the recent "challenge" match between the very well known Sifu Gary Lam and Simon Benozzo from "Miko Kung Fu".There is a video of the incident here.And a response from Sifu Gary Lam's camp.And a response from Miko kung fu.So what are your thoughts? My comments to follow.Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-76135855378460745042011-09-25T18:19:00.000-07:002011-09-25T19:13:00.138-07:00

Signed up with a boxing gym about 4 weeks ago as my primary means to stay in shape. Before then, I've been doing your typical workout routine - weights, resistance training, supersets, etc. My intention for joining the boxing gym is simply to change up my workout routine. My current routine consists of going to the boxing gym 3 to 4 times per week, with one day focused on weight/resistance

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-37675110771637403522011-09-11T17:29:00.000-07:002011-09-11T17:49:59.361-07:00

Remember this guy? He's Shawn Obazi - the wing chun man! And if you don't remember him, check out my other post here.And guess what? He's fighting and using his wing chun..or is he?I'm sure the comment threads are all over this - about how crappy his wing chun is or what not, but guess what? he's getting in the ring and fighting other styles - already doing more than the wing chun guys out there.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-9273177538767949412011-08-28T21:27:00.001-07:002011-08-28T21:38:37.112-07:00

Over time my training has evolved, and the lessons and message from my Si-Fu has evolved as well. For me, it went from traditional or typical wing tsun training (eg. chain punches, weight on back leg, chi-sao, head up, etc) to a change in frame, where wing tsun is chinese boxing - it's something that is alive and heavy handed and the entire body works together...while this is differentiated from

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-56326205544878085092011-08-21T12:35:00.000-07:002011-08-21T12:52:49.705-07:00

Had the chance to catch Donnie Yen in the Legend of the Fist. To sum it up, I rather enjoyed it quite a bit! This movie continues where Bruce Lee left off in the Chinese Connection (you know, the movie where he beats up an entire karate dojo). Donnie Yen plays Bruce Lee's character in the Chinese Connection, Chen Zhen, but the movie takes place 10 years after the events of the Chinese Connection

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-3375017615997444672011-08-07T21:03:00.000-07:002011-08-07T21:11:16.278-07:00

Hi all - I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers out there and to those that comment on my post! I'm not leaving or anything but just wanted to say thanks!I always read your comments and always find them thought provoking or sometimes funny - whatever the case, it's always great to hear thoughts and ideas from you.Best part ever - I have yet to experience a comment thread bashing as to

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-19317243953070721162011-08-01T15:51:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:02:28.332-07:00

I finally had the chance to catch Ip Man 2 on Netflix. As you already know, I am a fan of the first Ip Man movie. So what are my thoughts on the second one? Obviously, not as good as the first one. But why? What went wrong?For one, i didn't really care for the story line. The first movie established Ip Man as a reputable fighter among the schools, and this sequel told that same story again but

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-22869275607647604902011-07-17T22:50:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:58:13.974-07:00

This weekend, our WT school had an outdoor class. Although various points were discussed, such as keeping the centre of gravity low, keeping elbows low, exagerating whole body movements, etc, there was one point that I felt hit home with everyone.The idea was that our training must be at a level above and beyond what is actually needed - increasing your skill level so much, only because when you

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-73852208973662197712011-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:002011-07-03T21:53:39.266-07:00

How do you recognize good wing chun? What do you look for?Is it the form? the positioning of the hands, elbows, feet, etc.Is it the speed?Is it in the complexity of the drill or moves? Or maybe the simplicity?For me, it's something that is very difficult to describe. It's an intention to hit. An intention to knock out the other fighter - a level of full commitment in the attack, and fearlessness

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-52827751629127213162011-06-26T13:01:00.000-07:002011-06-26T13:11:12.565-07:00

As much 'flack' as I give wing chun on here, there is something that I love about this style. It's not really a particular move or that it's designed for realistic fighting.While those are all good things, that's not what I'm talking about.What i love about wing chun is that, in it's application, there is no form to it. There is no martial arts stance or distinguishable position of the arms or

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-3335639632831920882011-06-11T12:46:00.000-07:002011-06-11T13:18:45.963-07:00

let's put aside all the things that people think are typically wing chun's weakness (limited weapons, 'trapping' doesn't work, close range fighting only, no ground fighting, traditional, etc).I would say that there is a major 'weakness' in wing chun training that is overly missed. What could this be? You're probably making the mistake as you trained last week in class.It's your training partner.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-85512750596901773962011-05-29T22:38:00.000-07:002011-05-29T22:46:37.818-07:00

I studied about 4 years of Shito-ryu karate. I really loved it and it really opened my eyes to the benefit of martial arts, and more importantly, the benefits of having a good martial arts school. The class was very traditional - much of the moves were taught in Japanese, there were bowing etiquette we had to follow, etc. The class consisted of a lot of basics training (stance, punches, blocks,

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-49496049957476836722011-05-22T23:23:00.000-07:002011-05-22T23:25:08.784-07:00

Well..maybe he doesn't know wing chun. but check out this clip - all the way through, there are some striking similarities. in fact, just imagine it's not Steven Seagal and what would you think he'd be teaching?Also exciting, the guy he's training is MMA fighter, Lyoto Machida.Enjoy the clip here.Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-53397633827196087712011-05-08T15:49:00.000-07:002011-05-08T16:00:16.930-07:00

Over the last few months, there has been much attention to Hong Kong Airlines having their flight attendants learn wing chun. Here's a clip of the attendants learning the first wing chun form. On the surface, this is great publicity for wing chun and very cool to have the attendants learn such an amazing self-defense system. It's simple, designed for close quarter combat, and was created by a

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-9768895451510401672011-04-24T21:27:00.000-07:002011-04-24T21:43:23.519-07:00

In my last post on Self-Defense vs. Competitive Fighting, we looked at arguments as to how self-defense is very different from competitive fighting, and ultimately, competitive fighting cannot be translated to street self-defense.Interestingly (and sadly), this was 'proven' recently when an amateur MMA was killed trying to fend off robbers. But when you think about it, do you think your wing chun

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-22464397881741269012011-04-11T16:15:00.001-07:002011-04-11T16:16:02.403-07:00

My good WT colleague of mine brought this topic up: the difference between self-defense vs. competitive fighting.They are no doubt very different things - but are they different enough to say that skills developed in the ring (or octagon) cannot be transferred into the street fight scenario?Let's assume the answer is yes. To me, the major difference between the ring and the street is that there

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-7318463696836837532011-04-03T23:15:00.000-07:002011-04-03T23:30:13.922-07:00

The Leung Ting organization boasts thousands of schools across so many countries. Because of this, it also gets a lot of flack from martial artists saying that their curriculum is drawn out, designed to suck money from the students and fatten the wallets of Leung Ting and Keith Kernspecht. While this may be true, i don't think you can be too quick to draw this conclusion.Sure, it the world of

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-26278726024014079192011-03-27T22:29:00.000-07:002011-03-27T22:44:40.735-07:00

I was forwarded this video a few days ago. Upon his first viewing, he noticed that the flow was good but he questioned how powerful these attacks can be delivered.I had to watch the clip a few times to see if there is the "potential" for power or if it's simply a very well rehearsed and choreographed demonstration. For some, it might be easy to quickly judge and say, "yah that's crap" simply

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-82529821067769718852011-03-13T23:38:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:49:47.741-07:00

Here's a link a fellow WT colleague sent me - what are you thoughts on him? he may have skill and what not..but right off the bat, doesn't he come across the type of guy that may know the technical/theory but really can't apply it?Also, the whole white guy submerged in chinese clothing, atmosphere kind of offends me. Should it? Maybe not. But it does. To me, it's an easy way for him to gain

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-8134923715131407522011-03-06T22:28:00.000-08:002011-03-06T22:34:15.280-08:00

Last week i had the pleasure of working with an old kung fu brother of my ("Si-Hing"). This guy started his wing chun training many years before me, completing that system and then moving over to the "WT" system under my instructor. He has continued his learning outside of the kung fu school over the last few years and has focussed on his own training, training with other students and teaching.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-52378976214247217822011-02-27T18:22:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:49:17.135-08:00

Sorry for not posting last week! My modem died and it took a good week or so to get a new one ordered. I can't believe how dependent i've become on "the net" now - can't pay the bills, can't watch tv or stream music to my media centre..and of course, gotta rely on my old penthouse magazine for the occasional lonely night. Too much info? :)Ok back to business..I was forwarded this clip from a

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-32628883838071845422011-02-13T16:48:00.000-08:002011-02-13T16:53:34.021-08:00

The concept of "inch power" in wing chun is the delivery of a strike within an inch or a few inches away of its target. Demonstrated by Bruce Lee and many other wing chun artists, the "inch punch" pretty much sums it up and always gets an "ooh" or "ahh" from the crowd.Now, there's a difference between the delivery of inch power - for demonstration purposes, it's more of a push so that it "pushes

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-5199303018305356642011-02-06T22:21:00.000-08:002011-02-06T22:30:37.918-08:00

This was asked in one of the forums I occasional visit. Is it okay, or "right" for martial arts to evolve?At first glance, i think yes. It has to.But then, I remember how in my past martial arts, so much emphasis is on passing tradition, or performing a kata as our ancestors meant it to be performed, or how Sifu's Sifu's Sifu used to do it.There's also perception that such traditionalism is

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-21201990034790116852011-01-30T22:46:00.000-08:002011-01-30T22:50:39.436-08:00

The other day, a lady friend asked me about kung fu schools that teach to children 4 years old and up. After consulting a few friends in the kung fu circles, they weren't able to find any that taught younger than 6.it got me thinking - what age is appropriate to learn wing chun? I know some have kids classes - but is it motivated by money or for actual well-being of the students?Can kids

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-54100982807611663242011-01-23T20:21:00.001-08:002011-01-23T20:26:37.962-08:00

In the WT lineage (that i'm aware of), it seems that the double butterfly knives forms and applications is the cream of the crop. It is the stuff that only the masters of masters get to learn (and who can afford it). As such, not many have been taught the butterfly knife form - at least this is my understanding and part of the WT curriculum. I've only heard rumours of what the costs would amount

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-52795640406701130362011-01-16T19:26:00.000-08:002011-01-16T19:46:34.517-08:00

NetFlix has been introduced into Canada, albeit a very weak selection of movies. Well, I had some free time one day and thought i'd give it a shot since they're offering a free month trial. One of the movies was Ip Man in HD.The service worked great, but more importantly, it gave me an opportunity to watch this movie again and this time with closer scrutiny that the first time. It is an awesome

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-78194947102922246082011-01-02T22:49:00.000-08:002011-01-02T22:54:43.036-08:00

Happy new year everyone! i hope you all had a wonderful break filled with good eats, drinks and laughs :) The past two months have been incredibly hectic as I've been busy with home renovations, latest developments at work and keeping up with the demands of the holiday season. I've neglected my wing tsun training, working out and pretty much been out of the loop!Anyway, i'm back and I'm welcoming

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-54342514185687698662010-12-20T16:37:00.000-08:002010-12-20T16:50:51.821-08:00

With more and more people taking up kick boxing or MMA-like martial arts these days, a common defensive move they are taught is the 'boxer's cover up" where the arms are held up to the head, protecting it from getting hit and letting the forearms take the blows.This is a very easy move to teach and implement. It also caters to our natural instincts as well. Gone are the "karate" days where

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-37698764623788181912010-12-05T10:18:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:29:07.192-08:00

One of the signatures of wing chun is its sticking hand drill. It develops tactile reflexes, body structure, stance, coordination of footwork and handwork, and provides a relatively safe environment to increase the intensity without full-out sparring or fighting.But what's the problem with sticking hands?For starters, there's the idea that sticking hands is a measure of fighting skill. I always

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-78428094129706533892010-11-16T20:58:00.000-08:002010-11-16T21:22:27.034-08:00

Saw an interesting comment from my last post that really caught my eye. The person leaving the comment was female and this sentence caught my attention:"In my limited experience, I'd say it is the teachers. And to some extent the ego of men."I think there is truth to this - not the extent that the ego of men must huff and puff to show the ladies in the class how good their kung fu is...but in the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-62306186441012783062010-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:002010-11-07T12:54:53.053-08:00

In my limited martial arts experience, I've joined karate clubs, kung fu clubs, some tai-chi and now wing tsun. One thing i've noticed over the years, is the lack of women in wing chun classes, compared to say Karate, or Taekwondo. Why is that? What is it about wing tsun that results in such low numbers for women? the whole marketing of wing chun ("created by a woman"), would attract the women

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-57137467574053276282010-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:002010-10-31T22:45:39.239-07:00

This video was posted with the comment as "one of the best WC clips I've ever seen.." and "...kind of like old school boxing"your thoughts??I thought it was two blokes messing around starting off with wing chun, as the tension increased, so did their wing chun techniques..and resorted more to something else..

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-84852021295847764672010-10-24T21:36:00.000-07:002010-10-24T21:44:19.190-07:00

Some of you may be aware of the Meyers - Briggs Strength Finder tool. In essence it is a series of questions designed to reveal your strengths and then to match you up with a career that capitalizes on these strengths.Unlike conventional advice/wisdom, where we're told that if we work hard enough at anything and we will be good at it, strength finders believes that if you work hard at what you're

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-54486078097280197642010-10-17T22:27:00.000-07:002010-10-17T22:43:57.924-07:00

I'm sure many of you have come across this video. It has surfaced upon the wing chun forums and the general consensus is that it's choreographed and the head pull downs are unrealistic and a lot excessive movement, but overall, decent considering it choreographed and a young girl only at the age of 15 doing the demo.So what are your thoughts?Regardless of whether it's choreographed or not, it

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-72400501357253266762010-10-11T00:30:00.000-07:002010-10-11T00:40:04.162-07:00

I was browsing through the latest wing tsun blogs and came across Kyklosphaira's post about "Kung Fu Fitness". In case some of you are not aware, the author is also a student in wing tsun kung fu and soon to be medical doctor. So his observations aren't unfounded..Interestingly, he brings up the concept of physical fitness and wing tsun kung fu...which, in wing chun circles, is an area of

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-21951656952714458322010-10-05T22:19:00.001-07:002010-10-05T22:21:10.276-07:00

So check this video out for SLT fighting applications.It gets better (read "funnier") as time goes onThere's room for interpretation, and there's room for different lineages, etc...but there are just too many wrongs even with that in mind..

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-40185946936132978152010-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:002010-10-03T20:59:34.918-07:00

Met someone the other day. He has a great interest in Chinese kung fu, in particular Tai chi, Bagua and other, what many would say "internal arts". He was very enthusiastic and overall a very nice fellow. What was interesting was his emphasis on the power of chi and the cultivation of chi and other internal aspects of chinese kung fu. He then went on to describe how such force was delivered

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-50939486853820620662010-09-19T21:47:00.000-07:002010-09-19T21:54:00.289-07:00

A powerful punch requires not a strong chest, not strong shoulders and not neccessarily strong triceps. Instead, a powerful punch will need a really strong back! The back muscles are what really supports and explodes the punch, along with the legs. Notice the guys that have a powerful punch? The ones that you know have BOOM - they all have very developed lats. It's just the nature of punching.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-21777233885837634912010-09-14T21:34:00.000-07:002010-09-14T21:37:36.511-07:00

Been on a 3 week hiatus, given work duties, then a trip out of town and then back to an incredibly difficult grind after labour day..which brought me back to class last Monday and boy did it feel AWESOME! Of course, you can sure feel the skills being a bit rustier than usual, but just as quickly as they left, they come back pretty fast too. Miss being hit (haha, did I really say that?) and I

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-73457900409830982102010-09-12T21:31:00.000-07:002010-09-12T21:40:00.999-07:00

The wing chun system prides itself in its simplicity, so then why the heck is it that wing chun is taught in such a complicated way? The end product is supposed to be simple, but the concept of step and punch can be analyzed to death. It seems that students of the wing chun system has a tendency to over analyze the crap about everything - tan sao should be this, but mean that. Or that the centre

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-78982376457995494052010-09-07T21:57:00.001-07:002010-09-07T22:09:26.320-07:00

..connects with their students.Although I can't brag about my extensive (or lack thereof) years of martial arts experience, I can look back at a handful of teachers and think back to what made them really good teachers or simply, mediocre instructors (albeit, exceptionally skilled in their respective art).It comes down to the teachers ability to connect with their students. Although on the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-19631278385421075482010-08-22T21:04:00.000-07:002010-08-22T21:16:55.326-07:00

...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.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-65967860205217040802010-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:002010-08-15T21:33:43.602-07:00

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

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-66414293508431572562010-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:002010-08-10T21:57:04.292-07:00

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 memory2) Understand the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-745603363870218342010-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:002010-08-08T21:09:56.142-07:00

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

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-79188860633387837472010-08-01T13:34:00.000-07:002010-08-01T13:43:25.615-07:00

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.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-2004722666620963312010-07-20T22:45:00.000-07:002010-07-20T22:52:32.044-07:00

I had the pleasure of running the latter half of class on Monday night. In that time, I wanted to make a special point - that the partner attacking the wing tsun student is incredibly crucial to the wing tsun student's progression.There must be an emphasis on the attacking partner that s/he must attack with intention of hitting, with the proper distance of hitting and with the emotions of hitting

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-22784311749024393392010-07-18T18:09:00.000-07:002010-07-18T18:19:19.105-07:00

I came across this chain punching video. I like the idea, but to me, the drill kind of defeats its own purpose.I mean, how often do you come across a guy who resists your chain punching with tan sao/bong sao?Let me know your thoughts!Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-46670137489996705962010-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:002010-07-13T22:11:39.479-07:00

Many argue that "trapping range" (probably defined as the distance between punching and elbow distance) rarely makes an appearance during a fight. It can be pictured in one's mind that punching and clinching/grappling is what primarily occurs - most likely a mix up of the two (clashing distance, breaking distance)..but then you might have the occasional kick...but rarely would you imagine someone

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-50445551156125751002010-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:002010-07-11T21:40:00.614-07:00

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine the other day talking about the exercise benefits of kickboxing. This person was referring to cardio kick boxing and then she made mention, that the good thing about this is that she'll be able to kick some real butt too. That's where, of course, I interjected and mentioned that just because you can hit a bag doesn't mean you can fight. on goes

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-11497187078342586282010-06-29T20:44:00.000-07:002010-06-29T21:21:19.505-07:00

in my last post, I talked about how the Siu Nim Tao form in the wing chun system was actually an "incomplete" form as result of a teacher's death, where they passed away before having taught the entire form to their students. Or also a result of physical restrictions - for example, small training place limited the movements they could do, so the students never really learned parts of the form

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-21775233271560448922010-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:002010-06-27T22:38:25.859-07:00

Thanks to my wing chun brother, Tony for forwarding this. It's a lengthy interview, but definitely worth your time if you're into wing chun.Here, the person describes the time before Yip Man wing chun and he describes how the Siu Nim Tau form that we have all come to know within the Yip Man lineage is not complete at all. It's only a portion of the original form, as a result of the timing of the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-18686342626547535122010-06-22T21:52:00.000-07:002010-06-22T21:56:38.878-07:00

i don't know if my Si-Fu would teach me after having revealed this to you. Please keep this as our little secret.This is the deadliest move ever in all martial arts history.WOW - REALLY?Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-29877587176697839782010-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:002010-06-20T15:54:38.132-07:00

So I'm planning to catch the latest Karate Kid movie starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, unfortunately the timing's been bad and will have to push it to next week hopefully.In the mean time, I thought it'd be cool to check out the original Karate Kid that got every kid in school back in the 80's amped up about signing up for karate. I watched the entire movie from beginning to end, but this

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-31869487147272880092010-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:002010-06-13T15:59:05.610-07:00

Here's an interesting question for you - how do you know that the wing chun that you're learning is the real deal and not some watered-down or elementary form of wing chun?The same can be said of any martial art I suppose - karate, taekwondo, kung fu, etc. What makes a style real or not, and more importantly, would the person seeking real wing chun even know what real wing chun is when he or she

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-38830527487861040072010-06-08T22:10:00.000-07:002010-06-08T22:32:07.402-07:00

Came across this video of a seminar held by ex-WT Victor Guiturrez on a wing chun forum. You know what? This video got flamed big time. I was really dissapointed. Many took the assumption that since he's training with partners and with no footage of free fighting, that this guy knows sh*t all. I liked what I saw here. There was un-orthodox attacks (in the eyes of wing chun), there was an emphasis

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-46630300103174605612010-06-01T21:24:00.000-07:002010-06-01T21:27:39.704-07:00

Just saw a commercial for the Karate Kid! Man, i dunno........I loved the original Karate Kid - the story was something people could relate to, the characters awesome and Mr. Miyagi was like the best karate teacher in the whole wide world. What i even liked more about it was how "Daniel-san" was good at karate but not THAT good..he just knew the basics really well. No spinning kicks, no flashy

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-70225030156675481282010-05-30T21:20:00.000-07:002010-05-30T21:25:54.877-07:00

During chi-sao, you're training with your partner. I repeat..YOUR PARTNER..not your attacker. As such, there's tendency to be nice to the partner - how do you train a fighting art with someone as to not hit that person all the time?In some wing chun class, the attacks are controlled and eventually turn into "slaps" which isn't good.but the other extreme, the attacks turn into "push" so as to

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-13886205011718326582010-05-23T21:13:00.000-07:002010-05-23T21:13:00.615-07:00

One of the "problems" with MMA...it's easy to forget how many bad MMA guys are out there when all we see is Pride and UFC..Anyway, gotta good chucklehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm9APLkGy7M

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-34815530328191878192010-05-18T23:33:00.000-07:002010-05-18T23:38:41.521-07:00

To apply wing tsun, you have to liberate yourself from all restrictions of the wing tsun kung fu style. If you don't, it is not real kung fu. You have to liberate your stance, so that you are not in anyone one stance - not 100/0 or 0/100.You have to liberate your arms so that you can hit, instead of block, struggle, grapple, stiffen up.You have to liberate your mind so that you do not feat being

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-82899701546394831652010-05-16T21:24:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:25:39.031-07:00

HA! You've made it to week 16!!the question is can you throw a 1000 awesome chain punches???Time to find out now!Your test this week, throw a 1000 chain punches full blast, full power - see how far you get without running out of gas!until then

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-24986877244670094472010-05-16T21:18:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:23:58.351-07:00

This past saturday, a small group of us had attended a seminar held by my Si-Fu, Ralph Haenel - the topic: The Core Concepts. In essence, the core concepts are 10 factors that must be satisfied during training in order to make your wing chun work. Many systems understand or are exposed to say 5 of them, some get 2 of them and so on, while other martial arts see the other 8. The stuff we practiced

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-64288737605450605712010-05-11T21:35:00.000-07:002010-05-11T21:37:33.792-07:00

How are your shoulders feeling? probably not that bad by now ;)chain punch as hard as you can for 30 seconds, followed by 20 second rest. Repeat this 20 times.Follow up with vertical fist push ups (with fist protectors or not) 4 sets of 10 reps.Followed with forward step, alternating legs, for 10 minutes. Good luck ;)

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-9669512936534578682010-05-09T13:48:00.000-07:002010-05-09T13:56:58.099-07:00

So this year was my return to the Sun Run having skipped out last year. What an amazing day, the sun was shining, the people were incredibly friendly and there was a lot of energy all around. I have no idea what my time was but I managed to conquer the run without having to walk. BUT, there was a price I had to pay. My left knee was incredibly sore by the final stretch and the only thing that

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-29964482098594550092010-05-04T20:03:00.000-07:002010-05-04T20:10:11.526-07:00

Kyklosphaira sent me this clip of some bare knuckle brawls. OK, i'm not gonna say this technique is wrong or they don't know how to fight etc. The reality is these guys got the guts to get in there and just give it their all. Pretty crazy if you ask me.I would like to bring you attention to two things:1) Notice how the dynamics of fighting change when it's bare knuckle fighting. There's something

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-58666707715065060952010-05-02T21:06:00.000-07:002010-05-02T21:09:25.693-07:00

OK, this one i'm going to have to thank my kung fu brother, Tony for forwarding this clip to me. It really is amazing and scary at the same time.The video clip is a cop vs. an exboxer hopped up on ANGER. A gun couldn't even stop the boxer.If that's the case, what good is our chain punches?Here's the clip.Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-62002384588854491602010-05-02T21:02:00.000-07:002010-05-02T21:06:23.853-07:00

Hello everyone! These weeks are getting harder and harder for me. After my journey to six pack abs workout and hiit training, it just gets really really difficult stamina wise and mentally as well to hammer out chain punches...but..here goes..1 rounds consists of:double punches (one fist aiming at throat, one at lower abdomen), stance stationary, blast as many as you can in 30-60 second intervals

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-31890230637491258972010-04-25T20:14:00.002-07:002011-04-26T13:28:14.882-07:00

Get satellite tv service from top satellite dish providers likedish network and dish latino.In the YouTube world, wing chun will bring you the following major types of videos:1) Instructor/teacher drills and explanations2) Demonstrations (this includes commercials, or any pre-arranged sequences)3) Free sparring Let's focus on the 3rd category. Although many would want to believe otherwise, wing

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-10895387032197236692010-04-25T20:14:00.001-07:002010-04-25T20:14:49.918-07:00

This week is very straight forward but may not be that easy.Set the timer for 10 minutes and chain punch away until it beeps at you!

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-31872440613754619222010-04-20T21:23:00.000-07:002010-04-20T21:23:00.289-07:00

Very simply. What's wrong with this picture? or what's right with this picture?This picture was pulled from a blog where Robert Downey Jr. discusses his wing chun training.And yes, I realize that this is just a snap shot and that such a snap shot provides no real context to the actual move, nor fairly represents any form of wing chun skill. But what if he was posing for it? Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-48417307742999459262010-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:002010-04-18T22:05:00.329-07:00

This is in response to some feedback I received regarding my last post. Apparently, changing behaviour or, apparently, my recommending the changing of behaviour to sexual assault victims is actually offensive to victims. I had no idea! From what I understand, it implies that their attack was their own fault.Let me make it clear that I have no intentions of implying that.That said, there is no

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-41877042090331198732010-04-18T20:42:00.000-07:002010-04-18T20:47:32.133-07:00

Hello gang! Week 12 is going to be an interesting drill...don't worry, not as fatiguing. Now, take the position advancing stance position (left leg forward, right leg back) and be ready as if to throw your first chain punch.Let's say you're going to throw a punch with your right hand.Now I want you to imagine how the energy is generated from the ground and continues all the way up along your body

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-40062333570513909752010-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:002010-04-13T21:04:07.250-07:00

I've been following the news lately and within the recent weeks or days, it seems there's been a string of sexual assaults and/or attempts all located within the fairly safe and busy area of Vancouver. In all instances, the report is that the man assaulting these women is described to be someone in his teens. This is a good time to refresh some good habits of self-defense beyond the actual

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-24082292278757190982010-04-13T20:51:00.001-07:002010-04-13T20:53:51.006-07:00

My apologies for not getting this to you sooner folks! I've been incredibly busy with work, my two blog sites, and other projects...it's been a lot of fun, but, unfortunately I missed this post.OK, the week is simple.Find a hard surface like a cement wall, tree, or even floor.Depending on how soft/hard your fists are, begin to tap the surface repeatedly for a total of 100 counts. Then switch

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-82355901399444927962010-04-11T20:34:00.001-07:002010-04-11T20:42:22.203-07:00

Common in many martial art styles is the idea of inflicting pain onto the other person. "oh that's painful!' "ouch!" or "oohh! that's gotta hurt!"There are certain parts of the body that is very susceptible to pain, where there are certain areas that contain concentrated bundles of nerve endings. Pressure points, joint locks, and bony areas are great for this. But there's a problem with this.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-30615975512695573692010-04-06T21:54:00.000-07:002010-04-06T22:01:44.053-07:00

Four videos are brought to my attention:1) Choy Lee Fat - to me, each move is incredibly powerful. Probably one of the best looking one's I've come across. That said, i'm not CLF expert.2) Choy Lee Fat - this one is bag work using CLF moves. New video to me, interesting to see how power is released into the moves. 3) Wing Tsun - many of you have seen this before. Fast hands.4) JKD - I'm sure many

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-47634925192986916462010-04-03T21:05:00.000-07:002010-04-03T21:39:44.425-07:00

For those within the wing chun circles, there are two camps - one that is for weight training and another against weight training. Let's take a look at reasons for weight training/workout and wing chun:1) Increases muscle mass, therefore adds to punching power2) Health benefits from working out contributes to overall body health3) It does NOT slow one down (look at the sprinter!)4) Trains

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-84676639796631551342010-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:002010-04-04T22:19:10.608-07:00

Welcome to week 10!! only 6 more weeks to go - it just seems to have flown by! this week's theme: 300 training!The drill is simple:300 chain punches300 hooking punches (alternate each side)300 lifting punches (do 150 lifting punches with right arm, 150 punches with left arm).Until then!

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-73982167924708707572010-03-30T22:02:00.001-07:002010-03-30T22:08:21.301-07:00

Vancouver, for some reason, does not like mixed martial arts. I don't know what it is, but they don't. The MMA expo was initially approved to be held in Abbotsford, but was recently cancelled as they felt that it would draw too many gang members.So they moved it to Vancouver. Where, it has now been cancelled due to insurance coverage issues. Apparently, they don't want any man-to-man touching. In

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-11163503025435234612010-03-28T21:19:00.000-07:002010-03-28T23:42:09.518-07:00

Before I get into this week's drill - I've been getting questions lately regarding the resistance bands I've been using in my "train with me" campaign on my other blog, Mighty Fit Grasshopper. Well, I've also been playing around with it for WT training and it's been a lot of fun. I am in the works of developing an amazing training program using those bands! So stay tuned!In the mean time, you can

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-12868420126933870462010-03-23T20:28:00.000-07:002011-09-11T17:40:41.432-07:00

Here is a clip of a MMA competition try out. A wing chun guy was not allowed to compete and here's the video. What do you think? 1) it's really too bad how this guy is reacting. Reminds me completely of those American Idol rejects.2) it's pretty apparent that MMA has shifted away from fighting any style to fighting only in "MMA-style" What are your thoughts?you can find the video here. Until then

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-13664285681142966182010-03-21T21:50:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:52:40.683-07:00

WEEK 8!!!!!!!HALF WAY!!!ok...the drill is simple.Set the timer for 15 minutes. Start it up and throw punches till it gets to you zero. Do not stop, but if you need to, slow down, but keep going!Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-78547550275578486512010-03-16T20:38:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:46:30.834-07:00

Just came across this video as I was visiting the wing chun forums. The guy who posted asked us wing chunners "can you make what you do work in this?"and this video was posted.And as much as I question my own skills, progress and abilities...i'd have to say this video is not impressive at all, not intimidating, and is rather stupid. and the answer to the question, is yes. I can make it work. The

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-87604394006320043032010-03-14T22:09:00.000-07:002011-04-26T13:28:45.142-07:00

Well this past Friday marked the opening of the Para-Olympic Winter Games for 2010. It was an amazing ceremony. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it, but they have my 100% support no doubt.Speaking to many, it's a common feeling that should anyone lose a limb, their world is over. It really is amazing that these athletes can compete at such a level with their "handicap." to them, they don't

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-88191144559231009922010-03-14T22:03:00.000-07:002010-03-14T22:07:45.231-07:00

Daylight savings has really screwed me up and it's only an hour! ha! On that bombshell, here's week 7: chain punch challenge drill!Step and double punch (one punch high, one punch low - one aiming at throat, other aiming at lower center of the lower abs). When you complete the step and double punch, repeat the double punch (alternating hands between high punch and low punch) 50 times. Repeat the

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-28183165823284130472010-03-09T21:15:00.000-08:002010-03-09T21:35:14.060-08:00

Last Monday night, I had the pleasure of working with my Si-Fu one-on-one for a good 35-45 minutes (I really don't know how long it lasted, to tell you the truth). It was a mix of lat-sao, chi-sao, stress, physical endurance, punch training, and resistance training..all in one. You tell me of any other training that does all that at once? It is probably the most efficient hybrid form of training

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-86741689575174550272010-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:002010-03-07T20:47:17.201-08:00

Wing chun is characterized by straight-line attacks, simultaneous attacks and low kicks. There aren't that many different moves in the system beyond, stepping, chain punching, tan sao, bong sao, kao sao and fuk sao (for the most part), front kick and side kick. That's it! I've been able to summarize all the weapons of the wing chun system in one sentence. Very unlike the karate I've been exposed

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-7541854175546819312010-03-07T20:34:00.000-08:002010-03-07T20:38:55.888-08:00

So are your arms about to fall of yet?? this week - we change it up again1The drill:1) Step and punch aiming high, throwing 50 punches. Rest to catch your breath. 2) Step and punch aiming low, throwing 50 punches. Rest to catch your breath.3) Step and punch aiming at your centre, throwing 50 punches. Rest to catch your breath.Cycle through the three drills for a total of 6 times.Have fun!Until

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-1569273032793017572010-02-28T21:32:00.000-08:002010-02-28T21:39:46.251-08:00

One month down - how are those arms feeling??ok, this month we switch it up to include the legs now.The drill:Part 1: Step and punch - one step and throw 20 punchesRepeat and do that 25 times. Part 2: PlankYou can do this on carpet or, for those conditioned, to do on hard floor or tile. Go into the push up position (elbow locked or have slight bent) and instead of the palms touching ground, make

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-17235713997421632142010-02-23T22:11:00.000-08:002010-02-23T22:19:53.749-08:00

Wing Chun is close-distance fighting or "phone booth" fighting. I don't believe this, although it seems that i may be in the minority on that. Sure we may not have long swinging punches or high roundhouse kicks, but does that define whether a fighting style is close-distance or far?What is more important is commitment - commitment to your attack, faith in your structure, faith in your skills, and

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-1683805545257997032010-02-21T22:10:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:10:00.274-08:00

Ever wondered how you would beat a wing chun guy? I'm not asking from the perspective of a wing tsun student, but from an outsider of the wing chun system. Knowing what you know now of WT/VT/WC, how would you defeat the guy?For me, I would try to capitalize on their eagerness to close the gap, playing with the distance to keep them either waiting for me to come in or for them to come in too

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3014204006739233746.post-70823885142011876152010-02-21T20:17:00.000-08:002010-02-21T20:19:57.039-08:00

Ok, week 4 - chain punch challenge (oh my, a month almost done!)Similar to week 1: One round consists of:75 chain punches/side = 150 chain punches totalRepeat for a total of 10 roundsRest for about 30-60 seconds, or to catch your breath. Until then.

Grasshopper 2.0http://www.blogger.com/profile/01433114142225544938noreply@blogger.com0