Do you need to be able to do push-up and be strong in order to practice Wing Chun?

[bogdy23]

Hello,

So, long story short, I`m fat, and I have a heart condition. It's not a super bad heart condition, but it needs to be mentioned. In order to do wing chun do you need to be able to be strong do push-ups and all those other things that other martial arts need.
Or is it martial art that you do In pairs with other people, and there aren't any great physical hurdles you have to passed in order to learn the system and be able to defend yourself in a streetfight?
Also, I have a mental illness. I take sedatives, which make me slower to react. What are my options? Is Wing Chun learning the whole system enough to beat any criminal, underworld, gangster wise guy who comes asking for it and doesn`t leave me alone?

 

[geezer]

Hello,

So, long story short, I`m fat, and I have a heart condition. It's not a super bad heart condition, but it needs to be mentioned. In order to do wing chun do you need to be able to be strong do push-ups and all those other things that other martial arts need.

Being young, fit, athletic and coordinated helps in any martial art, but NO you do not need to be all those things to learn and benefit from martial arts training ...Wing Chun included.

Or is it martial art that you do In pairs with other people, and there aren't any great physical hurdles you have to passed in order to learn the system and be able to defend yourself in a streetfight?

Ummm... you can learn without athleticism, but if you want to fight, you need to practice fighting too, and that's not for everybody. Martial arts will not give you magical tricks that make you like a superhero. If you are not a fighter, it's better to get as good as you can and also learn how to avoid fights. Then you have options!

Also, I have a mental illness. I take sedatives, which make me slower to react. What are my options? Is Wing Chun learning the whole system enough to beat any criminal, underworld, gangster wise guy who comes asking for it and doesn`t leave me alone?

No, that's why things like guns were invented. Or, as an alternative, I try 1. Avoiding bad situations and dangerous places and, 2. Not acting like a dick most of the time. With that approach, I haven't gotten beat up since high school. Mostly.

 

[bogdy23]

Being young, fit, athletic and coordinated helps in any martial art, but NO you do not need to be all those things to learn and benefit from martial arts training ...Wing Chun included.

Ummm... you can learn without athleticism, but if you want to fight, you need to practice fighting too, and that's not for everybody. Martial arts will not give you magical tricks that make you like a superhero. If you are not a fighter, it's better to get as good as you can and also learn how to avoid fights. Then you have options!

No, that's why things like guns were invented. Or, as an alternative, I try 1. Avoiding bad situations and dangerous places and, 2. Not acting like a dick most of the time. With that approach, I haven't gotten beat up since high school. Mostly.

Because of my mental illness i can`t own a gun. I`m not from the US. SO i need some sort of solution of how can i learn to handle mysefl. I`m not a dick I`m polite but other people are dicks and untill they see me pissed of they don`t stop. These are the kind of people I want to kick out all of their teeth.

 

[Fungus]

untill they see me pissed of they don`t stop. These are the kind of people I want to kick out all of their teeth.

I do not think this is the best motivation to learn MA, it can get you into legal trouble as well. Though kicking teeth is likely better than shooting someone.

That said, from your description, perhaps techniques that rely on mass and beeing a tank may be more appropriate. You can generate power from speed, but it is also possible to generate some power from from putting your body behind. If you can't become a cobra, maybe you can be a tank? The best way to find out what your strenghts are is probably to start some fighting class with some contact, and you can figure out what is your weakness and strength, then compensate your weakness by using what you have. We all have weaknesses of different kinds. I spent at least a year pondering about mine.

 

[geezer]

Because of my mental illness i can`t own a gun. I`m not from the US. SO i need some sort of solution of how can i learn to handle mysefl. I`m not a dick I`m polite but other people are dicks and untill they see me pissed of they don`t stop. These are the kind of people I want to kick out all of their teeth.

I hope you are speaking figuratively about your imagined career as a karate-dentist. I agree that those kind of really offensive people are all too common, and a lot of people have the same emotional response you do. Sometimes I do. That's why there are so many movies, TV series and videogames with a strong theme of vengeance and retribution.

Whether or not those kinds of fantasies are productive, providing a cathartic release, or are harmful and encouraging our violent impulses has long been a topic of debate. Either way, anyone who cannot and does not want to control such impulses in the real world probably should not train martial arts, own weapons, or move freely and unsupervised among the public. In short, the type of individual dead set upon vengeful violence and mayhem needs help that martial arts can't provide.

 

[Hot Lunch]

I`m not a dick I`m polite but other people are dicks and untill they see me pissed of they don`t stop. These are the kind of people I want to kick out all of their teeth.

What's stopping you from "kicking out all their teeth?" The fact that you can't?

I don't know the details of your mental illness, except what you said about not being allowed to have a gun. If you can't be trusted with a gun, why would you be trusted with martial arts training?

 

[bogdy23]

What's stopping you from "kicking out all their teeth?" The fact that you can't?

I don't know the details of your mental illness, except what you said about not being allowed to have a gun. If you can't be trusted with a gun, why would you be trusted with martial arts training?

It`s not about trust. It`s about being left alone. The mental illness has come from bullying I can`t take it I need to be left alone

 

[Hot Lunch]

It`s not about trust. It`s about being left alone. The mental illness has come from bullying I can`t take it I need to be left alone

It is. A gun can be used to defend oneself, but you're not allowed to have one. Why? Because there's a concern that you might use it when it's not justified, based on your mental illness. The same logic applies to martial arts training.

Why not go to the gym and workout? A bench press is far easier to do than a pushup, because you can choose the amount of weight you're using. Get yourself an athletic physique. People will leave you alone then.

 

[bogdy23]

It is. A gun can be used to defend oneself, but you're not allowed to have one. Why? Because there's a concern that you might use it when it's not justified, based on your mental illness. The same logic applies to martial arts training.

Why not go to the gym and workout? A bench press is far easier to do than a pushup, because you can choose the amount of weight you're using. Get yourself an athletic physique. People will leave you alone then.

Well, I`m gonna head-on and ignore your advice in total because I think it`s stupid. Why am I not allowed to defend myself? The question remains: can you do Wing Chun without being in shape? Simple yes or no? Do you have to do stuff like push-ups and other hard things, or is it more you just hit a bag or the Wing Chun dummy, and practice with others?
Thank you

 

[Hot Lunch]

Well, I`m gonna head-on and ignore your advice in total because I think it`s stupid.

Yep... being told to hit the gym because you're "fat and have a heart condition" (your words, not mine) is stupid advice. You might want to rethink who the stupid one is.

Why am I not allowed to defend myself?

Ask the authorities keeping you from having a gun. They're the only ones, besides you, who know the answer to that question

The question remains: can you do Wing Chun without being in shape? Simple yes or no? Do you have to do stuff like push-ups and other hard things, or is it more you just hit a bag or the Wing Chun dummy, and practice with others?
Thank you

Your motives for wanting to learn Wing Chun are a bit concerning.

 

[bogdy23]

Yep... being told to hit the gym because you're "fat and have a heart condition" (your words, not mine) is stupid advice. You might want to rethink who the stupid one is.

Ask the authorities keeping you from having a gun. They're the only ones, besides you, who know the answer to that question

Your motives for wanting to learn Wing Chun are a bit concerning.

I know I`m not the stupid one. And second, you can`t read, so rethink who the stupid one really is. I said that is just stupid advice and that I shouldn`t learn martial arts.

Second, I`m not too keen on getting a fit diet and all of that. I just need to know if I`m out of shape ( and because I take sedatives that make me slower in reaction and thinking time ) can I do wing chun?

Stop ruining my post. If you can`t answer what I`m asking, then just restrain yourself.

 

[Hot Lunch]

Second, I`m not too keen on getting a fit diet and all of that.

 

[mograph]

I know I`m not the stupid one. And second, you can`t read, so rethink who the stupid one really is. I said that is just stupid advice and that I shouldn`t learn martial arts.

Second, I`m not too keen on getting a fit diet and all of that. I just need to know if I`m out of shape ( and because I take sedatives that make me slower in reaction and thinking time ) can I do wing chun?

Stop ruining my post. If you can`t answer what I`m asking, then just restrain yourself.

Sure, you could take classes, and maybe your teacher would keep you in the class.
In other words, sure, you could "do" Wing Chun.

... but would you be any good at it?

Taking classes in an art is not like buying a car. You don't just buy it and drive it. So just taking classes doesn't mean that you can actually defend yourself. You need a good teacher, you need discipline, and you need dedication in order to develop technique, skill, and the ability to actually fight an uncooperative opponent who wants to injure you..

Regarding fitness, if you've read enough posts here, you know that you need endurance to fight, not just technique, and certainly not just signing up and taking classes. There's no guarantee that a few punches will intimidate an opponent, much less disable them. Maybe you'll just piss them off.

"Not keen on getting a fit diet?" As I wrote, you need discipline and dedication. You need to do things you don't feel like doing. A lot. Exercising, eating right, when you don't feel like it is necessary.

It's too bad that you're being bullied. Maybe, sure, you've got this image in your mind of how you'll "show them" with your Wing Chun. But that's a fantasy, unless you actually have evidence of your successes in those situations. In order to fight, you have to train to fight. Repeatedly.

It sounds like you're looking for an easy martial art, one that doesn't require you to get in shape, and actually would be effective against an opponent in the street. Can you understand why such a question gets negative responses?

Get in shape.
Do the hard things.
Develop discipline.

 

[Fungus]

Why am I not allowed to defend myself?

Fair enough. Or course you are, also we don't know your story, and illness aside, may MEDICATIONS, in particularly sedatives are the ones that normally means you also aren't allowed to drive car by taking them. That's simply because in a stressful situations slow reactions can give bad outcomes. I can imagine guns is the same.

I reacted mainly because wanting to kick teeth, if it's just an expression of an emotion that is fine, but to do it is another thing.

 

[Fungus]

Second, I`m not too keen on getting a fit diet and all of that. I just need to know if I`m out of shape ( and because I take sedatives that make me slower in reaction and thinking time ) can I do wing chun?

Stop ruining my post. If you can`t answer what I`m asking, then just restrain yourself.

Beeing out of shape, or slow is to my knowledge nothing that should stop you from training, on the contrary is is good excercise. Going to the gym can be boring, I can agree on that. Just join some MA, and if you have fun and can endure classes regularly, your shape will improve with time, without beeing boring.

The only thing I've heard, is when people joing the club, and can't behave during fighting, and for example show aggressive behaviour or don't listen to instructors, those can typically exclusion from the club. But beeing "fat", in bad shape, illness or taking medication is hardly a ground from exclusion.

I do kyokushin but our instructors often tell beginners that you just come and do your best. Some people can do many pushups, some not. Also if you find it very hard, doing them on your knees is a good start! No matter where you start, if you are dedicated and come to trainings, you will improve.

 

[Hot Lunch]

It's too bad that you're being bullied. Maybe, sure, you've got this image in your mind of how you'll "show them" with your Wing Chun. But that's a fantasy, unless you actually have evidence of your successes in those situations. In order to fight, you have to train to fight. Repeatedly.

And THIS is the part that many don't understand. Even professional fighters - boxing and MMA - are exceptionally physically fit, because they know that their training alone isn't enough to win matches.

 

[Gyakuto]

Maybe, sure, you've got this image in your mind of how you'll "show them" with your Wing Chun. But that's a fantasy, unless you actually have evidence of your successes in those situations. In order to fight, you have to train to fight. Repeatedly.

This has reminded me that my motivation, as a 12 year old boy, to begin Karate was a ‘I’ll show them’ desire as I suffered some minor bullying at school! After a few months of classes and hard, diligent training (including ‘getting a fit diet’), with night time fantasies of challenging the bully to a duel, in my homemade, cheese cloth keikogi, on the school playing field, I realised that it was not the moral thing to do, plus I’d’ve received a thorough beating in front of the whole school

Ah…happy days…

 

[drop bear]

Are you capable of doing push ups loosing weight and getting strong?

Because in life. That will generally be a net benefit.

 

[Gyakuto]

Are you capable of doing push ups loosing weight and getting strong?

I think I am. Why do you ask?

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Heya, I have a mental illness too and until recently I was a bit overweight, I thought I'd share my thoughts with you.
First, I'm afraid a diet is where I would start. If you're overweight and have a heart condition, then your most dangerous enemies are things like heart attacks and type 2 diabetes. Fight the real enemy! If it helps, my recommendation goes to the 5:2 diet. You eat as normal 5 days a week, and on two nonconsecutive you only eat 200-400 calories. Look it up, it's the one I'd recommend as it's actually quite easy to follow. Adherence is very, very high with this diet. Give it a shot.
Second, you have to realise that a lot of the stuff about using martial arts to overcome stronger and fitter opponents is delusional at best. Some of it is outright fraud. Why do you think judo has weight classes? Because stronger athletes tend to win! Wing chun is supposed to have been invented by a woman who used it to overpower some baddies. This is probably quite simply a legend though.
Third, get approval from your doctor before you start any program of physical training, such as martial arts, particularly as you have a heart condition. Martial arts are fun and interesting and I hope you give it a go.