Advanced Wing Chun Sparring

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..

Strength Finder

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 good at, then you'll be good at it.

Take the idea of your typical "bad singer" at an American Idol audition. This lady walks up to the audition floor and gives it her all. She's taken years and hours of singing lessons, performance and practiced day in and day out. She has no tune, can't hold a note and doesn't get through the audition. Can't blame her as society says if you practice hard enough, you'll be great!

Strength Finder, instead, believes that if you focus on your natural strengths and talents, with the same amount of practice, singing lessons, etc., then you'll sky rocket in achievements.

In this instance, think Celine Dion with her natural talent + hard work = real amazing results.

Think Michael Jordan - natural talent + hard work = 6 NBA championships. Do you think I would get 6 NBA championships even if i worked as hard as he did? probably not.

Applying this to WT - as much fun as it is to try different things during class, to explore different options and test our limits, we can't forget to see what exactly is our strengths. Are we naturally fast, strong or good at take downs? maybe quick with our footwork?

once these are determined, to take the time and really make them your own, to put in the extra hard work to take what you're already good at to an even higher level.

You will product better results focusing on your natural talents rather than spending all your time on fixing up what you're not good at...at least according the Meyers Briggs strength finders assessment.

Until then.

15 Year Old Wing Chun Girl

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 seems that her ability to transition from movement to movement quickly and more importantly, smoothly and creatively is just awesome! Many at higher levels don't have that creativity and just resort to chain punches..even at a demostration level. To add, many move stiff, heavy and choppy...even at the demonstration level.

Her ability to move the way she does can only help her down the road assuming she's aware of the difference between choreography, a cooperative partner and reality. And I'm pretty sure she does. How do I know? If she's putting that much effort into a demo youtube clip, she must take her training fairly seriously and realistically. IF not, well, i hope she has the right teacher to show her the way - there's a lot of potential there.

Probably moreso than the WC'ers out there that only move strong and stiff, yet think they move smooth and relax and even on a demonstration level...and also think they're excellent fighters.

I say good on her. Great video and would like to see more from her!

Until then.

Kung Fu Fitness

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 controversy.

Some say that such training is unrealistic, slows one down, makes you less flexible, etc.

While the other camp argues that such training is good for stamina, overall health, more powerful punching.

Here was a video i posted using resistance bands and wing chun training. you can already see in the comments section, of the two types of thinking in play.

I believe that the wing chun principles of staying relaxed, using the opponents energy against him/her, etc is all true. But why not be fit while doing it?

Until then.

Sil Lum Tao Fighting Application......NAWT

So check this video out for SLT fighting applications.

It gets better (read "funnier") as time goes on

There's room for interpretation, and there's room for different lineages, etc...but there are just too many wrongs even with that in mind..

Do You Believe?

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 either by his instructor or his instructor's Sifu and so on.

As I was just listening to him describe his insights, I wondered if i believed in the concept of Chi cultivation? I suppose I do, either because of my previous martial arts experience, exposure to traditional chinese medicine, and I suppose, the concept of life energy is pretty evident everywhere..even in "western science" (although they may not apply this concept in similar ways).

But do I believe of its use in the context of fighting? I don't think so. I'm sure, if you were to analyze it, you could RATIONALIZE that chi cultivation is in other arts, it's just that they don't know it, but i just think it comes down to hitting harder, better timing, harder training, etc. Not really about how long you stood there and would breathe, etc.

In the context of fighting, chi cultivation is good...but don't let it get in the way of the other stuff like actually sparring, of actually taking hits, of hitting the bag, etc. Remember the 80/20 rule? What is that 20% that produces 805 of your results?

Would chi cultivation be in that 20% or would physical training be in that 20%? maybe sparring?

What do you think?

Until then.