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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Week 5: 1000 Chain Punch Challenge

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 punches

Repeat and do that 25 times.

Part 2: Plank

You 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 sure it's the fists (in vertical fist position) touch the ground.

Hold the position for 45 seconds

rest for 1 minute

Repeat for a total of 4 times.

Have fun!


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Wing Chun is Close Distance Fighting

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 faith in your punching power. You have one shot and that's it.

Perhaps, from a distance, because we commit so much into our attacks, that we appear to favour close-range fighting. But if we can extend this commitment to other attacks, perhaps longer range or almost "reaching" attacks - as long as they're committed, they will work.

I believe that the reason why the wing chun fighter suffers defeat is because of the fear to commit. We get too comfortable in a "sticky hands" range and not into the attacker. We also get too comfortable 'touching" our opponent but not really going in to hit the opponent.

It requires us to "let go" and just go for it. Who cares if we get hit? We are bound to get hit if we don't.

Go big or go home. There's a point where you just gotta trust what you got..whatever you got...and go it..commit to the hit.

Until then.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

How To Beat a Wing Chun Guy

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 early.

Using distance and circular punches to offset their straight line attacks. I'm sure i'll get a few fists in the face, but would hope for one awesome knock out punch.

If the distance is too close, then to grab, hold and take down.

Of course, this all said, knowing what I know now of what a great WC/VT/WT practitioner can do, I'm pretty sure I'll be knocked around pretty bad.

Until then.

Week 4: 1000 Chain Punch Challenge

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 total

Repeat for a total of 10 rounds

Rest for about 30-60 seconds, or to catch your breath.

Until then.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

On and Off

There's a concept in wing chun training that I came across describing a recurring issue with wing chun training, called "on and off."

Essentially, "on and off" can be characterized when students do a drill and, upon closer observation, you can see that it's "off" or "lazy" during the transition of the drill from the point it starts but "turns on" at the end of the execution of the drill.

For example, take the simple straight punch. You can even try it. Take a moment and do a few punches in the air.

You'll think it's not too bad, i'm sure. But when you keep doing it, i want you to ask yourself, "did the punch have the same intent in the punch at the end of the punch as it did when you started the punch? how about when the punch was half way to the target?"

usually, when the punch starts, it's already "off" but then it becomes even more "off" or "dead" half way through the punch and then as you reach the end of the punch it turns "on"..in a sense where you really then throw the intent of the punch. But, really, the intent was not consistent throughout the entire punch.

From this, we can learn that we should create that intent to hit and MAINTAIN that intent throughout the entire punch from beginning, middle and end - so that essentially it's "on" the entire time.

For those who follow the WT lineage, this can be applied to lat sao. Usually when both partners start off in the basic pak-sao/punch drill, it's "off" until contact is made and then it's "on" again, and we think "yea, this feels good!" but really, it's not.

Next time try to keep it "on" all the time during the pak-sao/punch platform so that the punch's intent, as well as speed, form and structure, is always there from beginning, middle and end and the same goes with the pak-sao. You'll find, quickly, that it's more exhausting both physically and mentally.

Until then.


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Trouble With The Wrong Guy Part 2

If you missed my original post, you can find it here. I just wanted to talk about this video. I thought this was a very good clip, so thanks to whoever shot this and posted it on youtube.

There's no doubt in my mind that this guy has a karate or martial arts background. I say Karate only because of his eagerness to use a reverse punch, but I could be wrong. What I love about this clip is how the "victim' stood his ground the entire time, never broke eye contact and just placed his hands in front of his groin area, to protect it.

Now, he has guts. i don't know if I would've let the assailant come so close to me..and that many times..but this guy definitely was calm and assertive. He was not aggressive, he did not egg the attacker on. He just stood there..and from that, there was a confidence to it.

That's what self-defense is about. It's not necessarily about being to spin kick some guy in the head or slam him to the ground. It's about holding your own, and when the time calls for action, you can deliver..right then and there. There is no cage, the "attacker" isn't going to be always be the MMA fighter..the attacker can just be some whack job puffing and huffing their chest..but the question is how do you/we react??

Yes, sure if you can fight in the cage, then the skills will translate to the street (at least, that's the idea). But, at the same time, the street's measure of victory is not a knock out, is not a choke..it's just getting out of there.

I don't want to rant about self-defense vs. MMA..

I just want to point out that self-defense as self-defense only can be very practical and successful on the street..and at the end of the day getting your ass out of a dangerous situation is all that matters...not whether you choked the guy out.

Back to the video, props to this guy. And what an idiot that "attacker" is..typical young kid trying to show off to his friends. He deserved getting punched in the face. And the "victim" did a great job on remaining calm and acting only when he needed it.

Until then.

Week 3: 1000 Chain Punch Challenge

Already, we are at week 3 of the 1000 chain punch challenge! Now if you haven't already, please check out my "train with me" section of my other blog, Mighty Grasshopper. The feedback has been great and the comments have been a lot of fun to read. Although you can do the 1000 chain punch challenge exercises on your own, they are meant to supplemented with the Journey to 6 Pack Abs Program that I'm doing.

Ok, here's week 3:

Instead of the usual chain punch, where you just start blasting away the punches. Think of just punching one at a time, full power, but be sure to maintain PROPER form so that you do not hurt yourself.

So your punch count will be 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-10-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-20 etc. with short pauses between punches. You can shorten the duration of the pauses, but be sure that each punch is full power and fully extended and that you do NOT go into the normal chain punch speed. If it gets sloppy, the slow it down again with longer pauses between punches.

So you're going to do a total of 5 rounds, where each round will be a 150 punches. Take a quick breather between rounds, maybe 5-10 seconds.

Until then.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Waves System

Have you guys seen this before? i came across this randomly as i was "youtubing". to some it can be quite the exaggerated movements, but still, there are similarities to the wing chun i'm familiar with. I think many can confuse it for just being fancy moves, but applying these ideas to as simple as a right hook or straight punch can make the right hook or straight punch quite devastating.

It's all about movement of the joints, really letting them become flexible and free. Initially, it's usually the muscles that are tense and not used to the movements that prevent us from being so flexible. But that's about 20% of it. the other 80% of it is simply our own mind - we don't let ourselves free. Either we're too shy, or don't know how to let loose...having that flexible force, that natural movement in the legs as well as the arms really depends on our mindset.

Here's the clip

Until then.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Trouble With The Wrong Guy

I want you guys to watch this - it's a little long, but the ending may surprise you. There's no doubt, from the "victim's body language" that something was going to happen. I think for the average viewer, the victim is in trouble from the get go..but i think for the self-defense expert, he tells a different story.

Great lessons here.

let me know your thoughts!

for the video click here

Until then.

Week 2: 1000 Chain Punch Challenge

**BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE POST AFTER THIS FOR LATEST POST***

OK, here's your 1000 chain punch challenge exercise for week 2:

  • Chain punch for 5 minutes straight.

That's it. Try to make sure they're all full speed and fully extended, as I've described in my video here. If your arms start to fail, then just make sure they're fully extended, focusing on using your back muscles to throw the punch, as well as your elbow.

in the works - how not to throw chain punches..stay tuned!

Until then.


Saturday, February 6, 2010

Knife Defense

This was brought to my attention by a fellow FaceBook friend. Here is a video of Grandmaster Keith Kernspecht demonstrating some knife defenses. This FB friend actually asked us for our thoughts (keeping it respectful) and it's no surprise that the majority of the comments did not agree with the tactics demonstrated here.

Here's what I think of the video - i think it's not the most effective methods for knife defense, in fact very different from what I've been exposed to by my instructor (who's Sifu is Kernspecht himself). In fact, it's probably very dangerous to try pulling these moves against a weaponed attacker.

That said, I do think that the exercises he's showing are great for making your tan-sao, bong-sao, etc more effective. It emphasizes complete relaxation, compromised positioning and ideas of attacking. it's hard to say if he's teaching this as a method for knife defense, or simply using the knife as a practice tool to train bong sao/tan sao and has explicitly told his students that these are not knife defenses.

anyway, what are your thoughts?

for the video, click here.

until then.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

How To: Throw The Proper Chain Punch

Learn how to set up dish network hdtv with the satellite receivers at InternetLion.com.

Here's my first attempt at posting on YouTube. It's my very own milestone event! I've done a quick video on how to throw the proper Wing Tsun chain punch.

It's not HD quality or anything but it'll do.

This chain punch video was originally for those doing the 1000 chain punch challenge with me, but I don't see why this couldn't be used just for a reference for those also practicing wing tsun.

If you are watching this and are not currently schooled in Wing Tsun, I do not recommend learning from a video. Best to get instruction in person.

For my video, you will find it here.

Until then.

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