Interesting in Wing Chun but realize that it’s best to find a school that teaches real life applications and that Wing Chun could be modified to incorporate techniques like boxing and ground fighting. I’m in the Philly area. What’s the best way to find out if a school teaches not necessarily the traditional way but more adaptable in today’s world? Thanks!
How to Find a Wing Chun School That is Modernized
- Thread starter macher
- Start date
I’ve been watching videos on this Sifu channel and it looks like he incorporates other arts in his Wing Chun teaching. That’s what I’m looking for.
Fight SCIENCE
Fight SCIENCE
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
So do I understand correctly that you have no experience in training wing chun? Your only experience is from watching some guy’s YouTube channel?
Yet you have already identified wing chun’s flaws, and how to fix them?
Let me ask: if you already perceive wing chun as flawed, why would you be interested in training it?
Yet you have already identified wing chun’s flaws, and how to fix them?
Let me ask: if you already perceive wing chun as flawed, why would you be interested in training it?
I don’t perceive Wing Chun as flawed. But I do perceive traditional Wing Chun not adapting to the modern fighting climate such as footwork and head movement. What I like about Wing Chun is when you close the distance.
Headhunter
Senior Master
Modern fighting? Fighting is fighting. People still punch In fights today people still kick in fights today it's all the same. Just go train instead of worrying about all that nonsense
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
I guess I am trying to understand why you have this perception, when you havent even studied it yet.
You’ve watched some guy’s YouTube channel, and he is apparently biased and has his own angle on things. But that does not mean he knows what everyone else in the wing chun world is doing.
Every school is different, even within the same wing chun lineage. Every sifu will have his own unique take on things, to a certain extent. It is not accurate to paint this with such broad strokes, although people certainly do try.
Don’t be fooled by it.
Some schools are junk, that is true enough. But others are not. If you are honestly interested in wing chun, then find a good school and begin training, and throw away your preconceived notions about how you think it ought to be done. Learn it for what it is, and you just might find something that works quite well, once you understand it.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Look for a Jeet Kune Do School then. Wing Chun is Wing Chun if it changes its basics it is no longer Wing Chun
Martial D
Senior Master
To be fair, I have been training Wing Chun (admittedly with a few breaks) since 1996 or so, and I mostly agree with never-did-wingchun-guy in terms of the usefulness of "traditional" Wing Chun training methods. Of course there are many schools and teachers that agree and have thusly modernized.
The problem as I see it is the fighting game hasn't remained still while WC, and many other TMA, have been frozen in time for a hundred years or more. Against untrained people or people that fight old timey style, traditional MA is an advantage to be sure, but against people using modern methods it, they, have been proven to not be up to snuff time and time again.
To me though, this is a good thing. If the collective edge isn't getting sharper with time, what are we even doing?
I am currently training MMA 5 days a week purely to improve my WC, and since I have started it has improved dramatically.
Danny T
Senior Master
I can't say I understand what 'modern' wc is or even what traditional wc is. My sifu came up in the 60s in Hong Kong. His training at that time included them going out and fighting. They didn't spar they went out got into fights. Then back to training playing with what worked, what didn't work, and why. His sifu would fuss about them fighting but then wanted to know what happened and worked on them getting better. The difference today, as I see it, is the lack of fighting, losing, and figuring out why. So sparring is the next best thing and many wc schools don't spar because that is traditional. WHAT???
Train, Spar or Fight, Learn. Otherwise you really aren't doing wc. Oh and Chi Sao IS NOT sparring or fighting. That is but one drill.
Train, Spar or Fight, Learn. Otherwise you really aren't doing wc. Oh and Chi Sao IS NOT sparring or fighting. That is but one drill.
Martial D
Senior Master
I can't speak for anyone else, but when I talk about 'traditional' WC training I mean classes that are purely forms, chi sau and solo/cooperative drills. This, in my experience at least, seems to make up the bulk of it.
Yep. That's pretty much how our club is. The students are older guys and some have health concerns -- for example one is a heart transplant recipient. They want something more "punchy-fighty" than typical tai chi, but they don't really want to fight. And (this part kinda confuses me) no one like to grapple or do WC sweeps throws. Wierd, because that stuff can be really fun.
Oh well. It's the group we have, and with going on sixty-three and half crippled with old injuries, I accept that. At least I have another 62-year-old crippled training partner I do escrima with who does like to mix it up. When I come limping home all beat up, my wife doesn't understand why I'm smiling.
BTW I added the above in the interest of honesty. I fully support efforts to keep WC evolving and effective as a fighting art ...but I don't think the activity needs to be the exclusive domain of fighters. Yes, they should be it's heart and soul, and its "laboratory", but there is room for everybody to participate ...so long as we are all honest with ourselves about what we are doing.
Everybody should recognize that there is no magic to kung fu. Of course you have to fight if you want to be a fighter.
Everybody should recognize that there is no magic to kung fu. Of course you have to fight if you want to be a fighter.
I want a school that spars.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
I agree with you on many points but I have a question..... proven where time and time again?
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Then find a school that spars. It isn’t magic. There is no secret about it. That does not dictate whether it is “modernized” or not.
If you want wing chun, then find a school and learn wing chun. If you THINK you know how wing chun should be “improved” then maybe you ought to look for something else because whether you realize it or not, you have already subconsciously written it off as deficient, and you will never be satisfied learning wing chun. You will constantly doubt what you are learning.
In that case, find something else that is a better match for you.
Not everything is a good match for every person. You need to figure out what is best for you. That does not include starting something new while already thinking that you need to do something to “fix” it.
Martial D
Senior Master
Anywhere you see Wing Chun used live really. You can do all the chi sau and drilling you want, but those things will never prepare you for live punches, live distance control, or an opponent that is highly uncooperative to the point of trying to rattle your brains a little..
Nothing prepares you for this except doing it.
And I'm sure you would admit that most WC schools are not, or am mistaken?
There are many ways to develop dependable MA skill. The sparring is not the only way.
For example, if you can hit my head within your first 20 punches, you win that round. Otherwise, I win that round. Repeat this for 15 rounds and record the daily result. Repeat it for 1 months and record the monthly result.
The reason that I don't like pure sparring because people may be afraid to develop new MA skill. You may spar for 5 years but at the end of the 5th year, your sparring may be no different from what you did on your 1st year.
In my last class, we played a very simple game. If one can obtain a clinch after his opponent's 1st or 2nd punch, he wins that round. Otherwise, he loses that round. Played for 15 rounds, recorded the result, and switched.
The nice thing about this game is you can "test" almost any MA skill.
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