astrobiologist
Brown Belt
Hello. I am new to Wing Chun. I have not yet found a school or an instructor. I have simply been reading and watching videos about WC. It seems like Wing Chun could be a very effective style. I had posted something to this effect on a forum at **************. A member responded with this...
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrackFox
Have you tried many martial arts that emphasise clinch range fighting against a fully resisting opponent? There's very little evidence to support your assertion, so I'm wondering what frame of reference you're using to assess Wing Chung's effectiveness.
The assertion he spoke of is that Wing Chun seems like an effective style. I responded with this:
There aren't many martial arts that emphasize in-fighting almost solely. However, taking an analytical look at Okinawan, Japanese, and Korean martial arts one will see elements similar to wing chun emphasized in the techniques and forms. Students studying the Seisan Kata of Isshinryu such as myself may see that they are preactising the Wing Chun bong sau and tan sau techniques during the second set of techniques they perform. These together are also similar to the inside-to-outside block/strike of Shotokan and Tang Soo Do. They are effective for a quick block/parry and a strike.
From my reading it sounds like there could be a lot of "evidence" for the effectiveness of Wing Chun, but for the most part it is hear-say. I wonder if your "evidence" for backing up why you think Wing Chun is not effective is also hear-say. It can be pretty difficult to determine what stories you hear in the martial arts are true and which aren't. My reasoning for seeing Wing Chun as effective is that I see simple, strong techniques which are not committed. I see a style where the emphasis is for getting away from the flashy", baton-twirling we see in a lot of martial arts. Wing Chun has a focus on using a minimal energy to deflect, trap, or strike. I'm not saying that Wing Chun is the ultimate martial art. Indeed, I don't really even practise this art myself. All I'm saying is that I see a system for close range fighting which appears to have effective techniques.
I wonder what system you think must be better. Maybe Krav Maga, Modern Army Combatives, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu? I think if you actually take a look at these arts and many others you'll see that many of the principles for in-fighting are similar (not the grappling, the close range fighting when arms have not yet been trapped or just at the moment of trapping/clinching). From my own observations, it seems like Wing Chun emphasizes the best of all of these techniques. From deflections and parries, to controlling wrists and elbows, to getting under or over a guard, to quick impulse-based short range strikes, to low-body attacks with the legs and blocking with the legs. There aren't any of the over-the-head haymakers, or jump spinning kicks, or similar moves which can be great for exercise but are not very useful in close-range self defense.
I was wandering what some long time practitioners of Wing Chun thought. Can you school me here? Is there anything else I should add in my response to this guy? Are my points valid?
Like I said I'm new to learning about Wing Chun, but I think it would be a great addition to my martial art.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrackFox
Have you tried many martial arts that emphasise clinch range fighting against a fully resisting opponent? There's very little evidence to support your assertion, so I'm wondering what frame of reference you're using to assess Wing Chung's effectiveness.
The assertion he spoke of is that Wing Chun seems like an effective style. I responded with this:
There aren't many martial arts that emphasize in-fighting almost solely. However, taking an analytical look at Okinawan, Japanese, and Korean martial arts one will see elements similar to wing chun emphasized in the techniques and forms. Students studying the Seisan Kata of Isshinryu such as myself may see that they are preactising the Wing Chun bong sau and tan sau techniques during the second set of techniques they perform. These together are also similar to the inside-to-outside block/strike of Shotokan and Tang Soo Do. They are effective for a quick block/parry and a strike.
From my reading it sounds like there could be a lot of "evidence" for the effectiveness of Wing Chun, but for the most part it is hear-say. I wonder if your "evidence" for backing up why you think Wing Chun is not effective is also hear-say. It can be pretty difficult to determine what stories you hear in the martial arts are true and which aren't. My reasoning for seeing Wing Chun as effective is that I see simple, strong techniques which are not committed. I see a style where the emphasis is for getting away from the flashy", baton-twirling we see in a lot of martial arts. Wing Chun has a focus on using a minimal energy to deflect, trap, or strike. I'm not saying that Wing Chun is the ultimate martial art. Indeed, I don't really even practise this art myself. All I'm saying is that I see a system for close range fighting which appears to have effective techniques.
I wonder what system you think must be better. Maybe Krav Maga, Modern Army Combatives, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu? I think if you actually take a look at these arts and many others you'll see that many of the principles for in-fighting are similar (not the grappling, the close range fighting when arms have not yet been trapped or just at the moment of trapping/clinching). From my own observations, it seems like Wing Chun emphasizes the best of all of these techniques. From deflections and parries, to controlling wrists and elbows, to getting under or over a guard, to quick impulse-based short range strikes, to low-body attacks with the legs and blocking with the legs. There aren't any of the over-the-head haymakers, or jump spinning kicks, or similar moves which can be great for exercise but are not very useful in close-range self defense.
I was wandering what some long time practitioners of Wing Chun thought. Can you school me here? Is there anything else I should add in my response to this guy? Are my points valid?
Like I said I'm new to learning about Wing Chun, but I think it would be a great addition to my martial art.