What does wing chun look like?

[geezer]

If one has real skills, the hands will do the talking. We don't need to try and 'impress' people with cheap tricks & mannequine partners.

One of my training partners is Italian American from Brooklyn. He definitely talks with his hands!

 

[KamonGuy2]

One of my training partners is Italian American from Brooklyn. He definitely talks with his hands!

Is he a mute?

 

[yak sao]

As for what Wing Chun looks like... I just had a sort of random thought in response to some youtube clips I was watching. Some martial arts (including some Wing Chun) are performed very crisply, with sharp, clearly defined movements, punctuated by momentary pauses (or "poses") almost like a choreographed performance in a martial arts movie. It looks impressive, but it's not at all how I want my 'chun to look. My goal is to become more fluid and adaptable, with my movements forming in response to my opponent's techniques, molding around his limbs and snapping forward to strike whatever targets are presented... never following a choreographed pattern. Unfortunately, some beginning students are much more impressed by the sharp, tense, and exaggerated "movie" type techniques. Anybody else have a similar experience?

That's what I try to get through to the guys i train with. A couple of them are so dogmatic, that WT should "look" a certain way.
Our WT will never "look perect" beacause we are not being attacked with perfect techniques from our opponents.

 

[chisauking]

That's what I try to get through to the guys i train with. A couple of them are so dogmatic, that WT should "look" a certain way.
Our WT will never "look perect" beacause we are not being attacked with perfect techniques from our opponents.

csk: Does a boxer need to be attacked with perfect techniques to show his boxing? Does a MT guy need to be attacked with perfect kicks to show his thai counter kicks?

What has your opponent's attacks -- whether perfect or not -- has to do with anything regarding whether you can apply wing chun 'tools' or not?

OK, say we agree that wing chun shouldn't look a 'certain way', does that mean we can practice wing chun any way we want? After all, it doesn't matter what it looks like in application, right?

 

[yak sao]

I think too many people have seen too many movies.
Fighting is ugly....you aren't going to look like you are practicing a form with live opponents in front of you.

That said, I think the genius simplicity of WC, gives us a much better chance of "sticking to our guns" when the crap hits the fan than would, say a sport karate guy.

 

[geezer]

What has your opponent's attacks -- whether perfect or not -- has to do with anything regarding whether you can apply wing chun 'tools' or not?

What has your opponent's attack got to do with your WC response? ...everything, of course. Two attacks might look identical, but depending on the energy received, you might respond with bong-sau, tan-sau, or with a simple deflecting counterpunch. CSK, I take your point to be that whatever WC "tool" is required, it will still look like that tool and not like garbage. I'm with you all the way.

OK, say we agree that wing chun shouldn't look a 'certain way', does that mean we can practice wing chun any way we want? After all, it doesn't matter what it looks like in application, right?

I'd say how well it works is the truest test of a technique. Looks can be deceiving. As I said before, I've seen people "pose" beatitiful, textbook-perfect technique who had no real sensitivity or flow at all. As you put it, CSK, the hands will do the talking. To use this analogy, forms and practice is recitation, Chi Sau is a discussion, sparring is a heated debate, and fighting is a violent argument. People are seldom as eloquent when arguing heatedly as when reciting classics.

 

[chisauking]

I think too many people have seen too many movies.
Fighting is ugly....you aren't going to look like you are practicing a form with live opponents in front of you.

That said, I think the genius simplicity of WC, gives us a much better chance of "sticking to our guns" when the crap hits the fan than would, say a sport karate guy.

csk: Where I see genuine wing chun applied isn't in the movies, although Yip Man (the movie) does portry many actual wing chun tools.

Fighting may be ugly, but it doesn't mean we can't see the 'tools' used. Just because we don't pull off the 'perfect' hook, doesn't mean we can't see the hook; just because we can't pull off the 'perfect' fook, doesn't mean we can't recognise the fook.

 

[yak sao]

I'm not so sure we're arguing CSK, because I'm pretty much saying the same thing you are. WC is going to look like WC, just that it isn't going to be something out of an issue of Inside Kung Fu necesarily.

 

[geezer]

I'm not so sure we're arguing CSK, because I'm pretty much saying the same thing you are. WC is going to look like WC, just that it isn't going to be something out of an issue of Inside Kung Fu necesarily.

Than God for that!

BTW, my earlier response on 4/6 was really more of an observation about how what we do should have a relaxed, fluid look that is free of the tense, posed quality found in "chop-socky" movies and in a lot of forms done for exhibition. It's hard to describe, but good WC has a distinctly understated appearance in execution that may seem unimpressive to those accustomed to the oversold movements of movies and staged demos.

 

[mook jong man]

One of my instructors used to call that " Having a Kodak moment " when people have little dramatic pauses in their techniques.
Some people aren't even aware that they are doing it , your technique should be smooth , relaxed and fluid from start to finish.