To practise or not?

[Mase]

Hi there all,
I'm going to be, hopefully, starting Wing chun training in september, what do people think about me trying to teach myself some of the basics until i can start my classes?
I don't want to get myself into bad habits or miss something important out, so what do you guys and gals think?
I've been given a book, why Wing Chun works and two wing chun DVDs. If anyone can recommend any good refference material it would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[Xue Sheng]

First let me say there are others here on MT with CONSIDERABLY more Wing Chun background that I and they might not agree with what I am about to say and if they do not listen to them, they have the experience.

But I would say no, I think it would be better to work on basics such as push ups, sit-ups and such, read the book watch the DVDs but in my opinion DVDs are at best a supplement to training with a Sifu and not a substitute for a Sifu. Possibly you can get the correct stance between the book and the DVDs but there are a lot of little things in Wing Chun that, at least to me, make it rather difficult to do on your own without a Sifu and not pick up bad habits.

Also not all Wing Chun forms are created equal. Most you come across are linked to Yip Man and the Wing Chun I trained (Briefly) was. But I bought a DVD that was not and the form that I learned (the one and only) from my Sifu (Sil Lum tao) was a little different on the DVD.

 

[MA-Caver]

I agree with Xue here that getting yourself into the best physical condition you can before your first class will go a long way with your journey. Be realistic about how much shape you should be in. Build up endurance and stamina more than just strength. The art utilizes techniques not requiring a lot of strength/power but being able to have the energy to continue throughout a one hour/ninety minute long class will have you walking out feeling better and a lot less sore.
Look to condition your whole body and not just specific parts of it. Any Martial Arts will show that the whole body condition is the key to pulling off the various techniques taught.

Not to mention ... you'll be feeling good overall.

 

[Flying Crane]

Do not do it. Wait until you are in class, and learn it right. It is a weird style, with weird stances and angles and odd hand techniques. You will definitely get it wrong if you try to do it from a book or video. Just wait until you are in class. I NEVER advocate learning any system, Wing Chun or other, from book or video. Only from a good instructor, face to face.

If you just can't contain your excitement (a good thing, of course!) then maybe just do some conditioning training, like jogging/swimming, pushups, stuff like that, get yourself into physical shape. But I wouldn't do more than that.

Good luck!

 

[profesormental]

Greetings.

For me personally, something is better than nothing. Yet I would ask your future instructor personally for this advise. THis is because there may be interpretations that the instructor agrees with and others that does not agree with.

I agree that being in shape is a plus. YOu could do any bodyweight exercise routine like a 100 routine (100 push ups, situps, squats, bridge for a count of 100, etc.). Much fun!!

KNowing what style of Wing CHun helps too as noted.

Here's the thing.

No matter what you do or don't do, you'll pick up "bad" habits.

Bad habits, for me, is a name for unoptimal movements in relation to their application.

IF you start practicing now, of course you'll have bad habits... just as you would have bad habits if you didn't train anything!

A good instructor would give you immediate feedback to start making your movements more optimized. Begginners normally don't have a well developed sense of when movements are optimized or not.

Yet by practicing Wing Chun exercises that you may learn from video you may develop a certain coordination and a certain sense that will make you learn with your instructor really, REALLY fast!

So I say go for it, start priming the pump so that you learn really fast when you get there so you have more time to invest in optimizing the movments.

Hope this helps!

Enjoy!

Juan M. Mercado

 

[Tames D]

Prior to starting live instruction:

Physically: Concentrate on getting fit. Don't do anything that might get you into a bad habit (it's hard to undue). Wait and let your instructor guide you through your basics.

Mentally: Absorb anything and everything Wing Chun. Read books, watch videos. Learn as much about your future Instructor and his school as you can. Know what your getting into and you will have an Edge when you get there.

 

[Kensai]

History, traditions and concepts of wing chun, can in my opinion, be read about. Applying physical lessons learned from a book, or a dvd in my view would be counter-productive.

Immerse yourself in the art, and it's ideas, and train hard. Run, swim, free weights etc. Another important thing to take into account as part of that, is diet. I've had a RUBBISH diet for a while now, and have felt rubbish as a result of it. All your training and wing chun training will be that much more enhanced with a good diet.

As MA-Caver said, the feeling after a hard, but rewarding session is incredible, the endorphin rush afterwards, for me, is hard to match. Best of luck.

Kensai.

 

[CheukMo]

This is very close to my dilemma. There are no Wing Chun instructors (sifu) near me. I would like to learn Wing Chun but I could only do so using DVD's and books. I already exercise and I'm in shape so...

 

[Kensai]

This is very close to my dilemma. There are no Wing Chun instructors (sifu) near me. I would like to learn Wing Chun but I could only do so using DVD's and books. I already exercise and I'm in shape so...

So you're wanting to learn, and find yourself in a predicament. See your point. Bit of a toughie really mate, I personally don't think there's much you can learn seriously about an art, from a book/dvd, if, however there is NO other alternative at all, then you have to make the most of a bad situation. The options you have, as I see it, are, to train using books/dvds, and run questions by the people on here. Or, train in another art which you have a choice of locally? :idunno:

 

[Yeti]

Don't do it.
Even a few weeks of training a bad habit can take months to undo. As others have said, read up on the history and philosophy of the art, but don't try to teach yourself.

 

[bcbernam777]

Don't do it.
Even a few weeks of training a bad habit can take months to undo. As others have said, read up on the history and philosophy of the art, but don't try to teach yourself.

As yeti said, dont do it, otherwise you will only end up having to empty your cup

 

[Selfcritical]

This is very close to my dilemma. There are no Wing Chun instructors (sifu) near me. I would like to learn Wing Chun but I could only do so using DVD's and books. I already exercise and I'm in shape so...

What's your current workout schedule like?

No matter what the fitness level and martial art involved, you can almost always get a notable increase in performance by incorparating Tabata interval training

http://www.answers.com/topic/high-intensity-interval-training

 

[arnisador]

I'm going to be, hopefully, starting Wing chun training in september, what do people think about me trying to teach myself some of the basics until i can start my classes?
I don't want to get myself into bad habits

Wait. Read up on the subject, but wait rather than starting bad habits.

 

[Zenaphobe]

I just began Wingtsun about 3 weeks ago and I am having some problems unlearning habits I gained in Hung Gar. I wish I had a blank martial arts slate now that I have began training again.

Why spend good time attempting hit and miss learning and then having to go back to the drawing board when you find out you learned bad habits?

I suggest patience and learn it correctly the first time.

 

[bcbernam777]

What's your current workout schedule like?

No matter what the fitness level and martial art involved, you can almost always get a notable increase in performance by incorparating Tabata interval training

http://www.answers.com/topic/high-intensity-interval-training

Tabata what..?

 

[brocklee]

I think if you have internet you can get a mirror and draw your center line and the cross section between your shoulders. Watch versions of Siu Nim Tao on you tube and if coordinated enough you can mock the motions in the mirror. You should be able to use the info from the books as reference points to position hands and feet. Once in class your sifu will then only need to fine tune you. It is my understanding that WC is taught off of principle first, then you can fine tune your form as you progress in training. It doesn't matter if you throw a punch or do a palm strike. The only point that matters is that the energy explodes where you direct it. It is the very last moment before impact that you decide what type of strike you will place. I believe WC is taught with that concept in mind but that will differ from sifu to sifu.

Physical training is just great for your life and helps in so many ways that I don't want to list them. I don't think it should be the focus for your wing chun though. You will build all the appropriate muscles just training wc and all the bulky other ones just get in the way and if anything create resistance to your already relaxed attack.

I would work on building hand, no eye, coordination in the mirror and go out and have staring contests with your buddies. Making eye contact and not looking down is very difficult to get used to for the first time.

I would certainly say that having knowledge of another MA before going into WC is very difficult. The bad habits you pick up in the next few weeks of practicing in the mirror wont be hard to get rid of. It takes hours of practicing the same move over and over to build accurate muscle memory and its the accurate info that's hard to get into.

 

[CheukMo]

My current workout schedule is one to three-plus hours per day five to seven days a week.

 

[CheukMo]

I think if you have internet you can get a mirror and draw your center line and the cross section between your shoulders. Watch versions of Siu Nim Tao on you tube and if coordinated enough you can mock the motions in the mirror. You should be able to use the info from the books as reference points to position hands and feet.
Physical training is just great for your life and helps in so many ways that I don't want to list them. I don't think it should be the focus for your wing chun though. You will build all the appropriate muscles just training wc and all the bulky other ones just get in the way and if anything create resistance to your already relaxed attack.

It takes hours of practicing the same move over and over to build accurate muscle memory and its the accurate info that's hard to get into.

I was taught yi ji kim yeung ma and the WC straight punch and was instructed to draw a line or run a string down the mirror to keep myself on the centerline. The school I attended was more of a "Wednesday Night Group" than a commercial school and I liked it. I can no longer afford to attend class there as I can't afford the travel money.

 

[brocklee]

I was taught yi ji kim yeung ma and the WC straight punch and was instructed to draw a line or run a string down the mirror to keep myself on the centerline. The school I attended was more of a "Wednesday Night Group" than a commercial school and I liked it. I can no longer afford to attend class there as I can't afford the travel money.

If you're in between instruction and know the forms, kind of a down time in training, you can work the forms and don't really need a sifu. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. This may sound different but I find a 90 degree cornered, edge of a wall and work the outside of my triangle. That keeps me amused for a few minutes and allows me to work on my structure. You can actually feel energy transfer as you apply different blocking motions agaisnt the wall. It pushes back with equal force and you're toes will tell you this. I believe this to be a good exercise because when you square up with the edge and apply force, the wall tries to knock you off your center by rediverting the energy back.