Can you recommend me legit Wing Chun channels on youtube?

[kehcorpz]

I want to learn about Wing Chun and get a bit an impression of what it's all about, like how the movements are
and what the philosophy behind Wing Chun is.
But on youtube there are always people which suck and simply try to create a following. This is why I ask if you
know good teachers on YT and can recommend them. I don't want to end up watching stuff from some kind of "wing chun master" who then turns out to totally suck.

 

[MAfreak]

haha then at first stay away from everything of the ewto (european win tsun organisation) and this kernspecht guy, this is just for ripping off people. i don't know a specific youtuber, but if you google for the "fight quest" episode about wing chun, you get a good first look on the principles.

 

[Phobius]

I think we should avoid lineage bashing, if it can be called that. As for avoiding Kernspecht you are right in terms of he is costly. Ripping of people is a judgement I am not keen in making, but I would not pay him personally.

But even Kernspecht is free of charge on YouTube.

 

[MAfreak]

problem is, that they teach crap. its dangerous to everyone who thinks to be able to defend themselves in serious situations.

 

[Flying Crane]

Find a good teacher with whom you can train face-to-face. Don't try to do it by YouTube or over the Internet.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Folks, allow me to butt in here and remind you all that MartialTalk does not allow fraud busting.

 

[Anuka]

If you just want to get a feel for how the art is, just don't take anyone's word as gospel on youtube. Sadly, since anyone can do it, YouTube is full of beginners who are excited to share the art, but don't know it well yet. That doesn't mean you can't get an idea of what the art is about though.

 

[Marnetmar]

OP if I were you I'd shell out some bucks and pick up some of Robert Chu and Eddie Chong's DVDs.

 

[geezer]

I'm no fan of their anti-grappling program, but I had the opportunity to work with Emin Boztepe back in the late 80s and once or twice since. He learned under Kernspecht and he could really fight. In fact I'd recommend that the OP check out some of Emin's old stuff on Youtube.

 

[Punchy]

Add Alex Richter to your list. He has some how cast videos that explain some Wing Chun Concepts.
He is very well spoken and does a good job of explaining things.

 

[geezer]

Add Alex Richter to your list. He has some how cast videos that explain some Wing Chun Concepts.
He is very well spoken and does a good job of explaining things.

Alex is another guy who trained under Kernspecht's EWTO. So did my si-dai Jeff Webb who I currently train under. He has great respect for the way the EWTO breaks down and presents the WT material systematically and logically ...even more so than my old Chinese sifu, LT.

From my own perspective, at times the curriculum seems overly complicated. I just don't have the ability to retain so many complicated "chi-sau sections" and so forth. But others seem do do very well with this program.

 

[wckf92]

I just don't have the ability to retain so many complicated "chi-sau sections"

How many are there?

 

[futsaowingchun]

How many are there?

depends on how much money the sifu wants to bleed from you...

 

[geezer]

How many are there?

I can't remember what I had for breakfast and you ask me that!? Jeez, let's see... Chi sau sets alone? ....Seven sets for SNT and Chum Kiu. Those I've got down pretty well, then another batch for Biu Tze ...which I seldom get to practice in their entirety since my students aren't up to that point, then some wooden dummy sets which I don't get to do except when I'm visiting other sifus... so I'm perpetually foggy on that stuff.

For those of you who don't train "Chi Sau Sections" here's an example from some former WT guys who do something pretty similar to what we train. Actually darn similar since it all comes from LT's WT and Kernspecht's EWTO curriculum. Notice that it's actually a pretty complex and scripted series of exchanges:

On the other hand, if you have the concepts down, do you really need all that stuff? ...Sure, I get that the sections teach ways to deal with the energy you receive, but after a while it seems like you don't need them any more. They are kind of like practicing prepared dialogues to learn a second language. Any of you guys ever take Spanish in high school? In my day it began with scripted conversations like: Hola, me llamo Juan y como te lamas tu? --Hola Juan, soy Paco. Mucho gusto en conocerle.

After you get to the point where you can actually hold a real, spontaneous conversation, practicing prepared dialogues seems really boring and pointless. Oh, sure, they will help you clean up your grammar, but I'm more interested in being able to order a beer. Uds. ya saben. Que vale todo eso si ni puedes pedir una cerveza bien helada. Y al demonio con los ejercicios de gramatica.

 

[geezer]

@futsaowingchun ...Hey Fut, did you ever train in a lineage where they used this method? One good thing about it, at the beginning at least, is that it helps you learn how to move efficiently with an opponent's force. Depending on the force you receive, there is absolutely a right way and a wrong way to deal with it. The "sets" put you in specific situations that you might not otherwise get into very often with your classmates when doing random chi-sau and they teach you the most efficient solution to a given "problem".

This is a good idea, to start with. The problem is that if you teach a concept-oriented approach (which I strongly believe in), you should eventually move past the need for this kind of scripting and be able to figure out ...or feel your way out on your own.

 

[wckf92]

I can't remember what I had for breakfast and you ask me that!? Jeez, let's see... Chi sau sets alone? ....Seven sets for SNT and Chum Kiu. Those I've got down pretty well, then another batch for Biu Tze ...which I seldom get to practice in their entirety since my students aren't up to that point, then some wooden dummy sets which I don't get to do except when I'm visiting other sifus... so I'm perpetually foggy on that stuff.

For those of you who don't train "Chi Sau Sections" here's an example from some former WT guys who do something pretty similar to what we train. Actually darn similar since it all comes from LT's WT and Kernspecht's EWTO curriculum. Notice that it's actually a pretty complex and scripted series of exchanges:

On the other hand, if you have the concepts down, do you really need all that stuff? ...Sure, I get that the sections teach ways to deal with the energy you receive, but after a while it seems like you don't need them any more. They are kind of like practicing prepared dialogues to learn a second language. Any of you guys ever take Spanish in high school? In my day it began with scripted conversations like: Hola, me llamo Juan y como te lamas tu? --Hola Juan, soy Paco. Mucho gusto en conocerle.

After you get to the point where you can actually hold a real, spontaneous conversation, practicing prepared dialogues seems really boring and pointless. Oh, sure, they will help you clean up your grammar, but I'm more interested in being able to order a beer. Uds. ya saben. Que vale todo eso si ni puedes pedir una cerveza bien helada. Y al demonio con los ejercicios de gramatica.

Hmm, interesting. Thanks. Sorry to drift off topic with this.
So, are there corresponding leg sets too? And, did LT create these and inject them into his overall curriculum?

 

[geezer]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks. Sorry to drift off topic with this.
So, are there corresponding leg sets too? And, did LT create these and inject them into his overall curriculum?

LT created the basic curriculum back in the seventies. I was first exposed to it starting in 1980. In the following years it kept getting expanded and elaborated upon, especially by th EWTO group. And yes, they do train a lot of leg sets, but that's mostly in their "Lat-Sau" program. A bunch of soccer players, ya know. I just try to keep my feet on the ground and not fall over.

 

[LFJ]

I want to learn about Wing Chun and get a bit an impression of what it's all about, like how the movements are
and what the philosophy behind Wing Chun is

Well then, you will be very confused looking things up on Youtube. There are many lineages of Wing Chun and often what they do directly contradicts one another.

A better plan might be to do some research on what lineages there are and who belongs to what lineage. Then read about each, and then go further into whichever lineage you find interesting. Then once you get a general idea of what their about, move on to another.

This way you are not bouncing around between lineages without knowing it and confusing yourself with mixed ideas.

 

[geezer]

In addition to doing a little background research as LFJ pointed out, see if anybody legit actually teaches a version of WC,VT,WT, etc. in your area. If you are lucky enough to find a school, or several different schools, go and visit a class. "Sifu Youtube" is no substitute for direct participation.

 

[kehcorpz]

Why does it sound as if all WC gurus are from Germany? Kernspecht sounds german. The Boztepe clip which I watched also had a german commentator.
Do they not have their own gurus in the USA?

The problem which I see with studying WC lineages and such is that first of all I'm limited by what's even available to me. I can only go to places which are somewhere
in my area. This means even if there's a fantastic teacher too far away for me it doesn't help me.

What if for example a teacher doesn't have credentials or if you ask him who he learned under he just gives you a name of some other guy who nobody heard of. Then
what? Does this mean that you can already forget about someone like that who learned under Joe Blow?