Wing Chun sparring basics

kaimynas

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hello,

I'm 25 old and I training WC for about 5 months. After I gained first level - I''ve been transferred to not-rookies-group.
In some workout days after base training we have a slow-sparring with MMA gloves. I forgot to mention that these 5months is first Martial Arts training months in my life, before this i was doing bodybuilding for about 3 years.. So back to sparring topic. At sparring I'm feeling little disorganized, i feel that my reaction is very slow. I'm always trying to protect my nose - and it feels that the more I protect - the more i'm getting hit into the nose;) Also for me it's hard to protect from simple straight punches... which i feel should be easiest hits to block... i can't overcome myself to hit my sparring partner into his head instead his stomach... applying the techniques we learning into the sparring situation is also hard as hell..

maybe you guys have some advices or videos on this situation.. i really like Wing Chun and i want to be better at this martial art. Thanks..
 

Tez3

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I can't give you WC advice but can tell you that what you are experiencing is normal for someone starting to spar in any style! It's trying to do what you've been taught whilst using your head arms, hands, feet and legs at the same time all while being hit by someone else! It will come and you will get good advice from the people here.
 

geezer

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Tez is spot on. Give it time and the pieces will come together.

Another thing. Get a little more offensive. If you don't want to get hit in the nose, Hit the other guy in the nose. One of the best defenses against against a straight punch ...is a straight punch. But you have to punch high against a high punch and low against a low punch. Your punch will deflect your opponent's punch, and your offense puts him on defense. Remember the old WC kuen kuit and let your attacking hand be your defending hand. Have fun and let us know how things turn out.
 

WC_lun

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As Tez said, what you are going through is normal. To progress and get better, train your tail off and trust that training. If you understand and implement WC training, your centerline (includes your nose) will be very difficult to strike. It takes knowing what you train worls and the experience to relax and let it work. Most beginners I've been around also have the dual tendincies of putting too much stress on themselves making thier bodies too tense for fluid movement, and the tendency to make everything more complicated than it has to be.
 

yak sao

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You say you keep getting hit in the nose and that you only go for the stomach...that may be part of the problem.
If you are going low while directly in front of your opponent, then your opponent hits high, right to the old nose.
Don't go to the stomach when directly in front of your opponent, unles you are wedging down on his arms.
Always stay behind your hands, wedging out his punch or wedging it down.
If at his flank, then going low is less of a problem, control the arm of the side you are on, keeping his center turned away from you, while you attack.

Don't be discouraged, we've all gone thru it.
 

mook jong man

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Practice four corner deflection.
Partner throws in sequence at a moderate speed these punches to your head: RIGHT HOOK then LEFT HOOK.
Then straight away without pause he throws these punches at your gut: RIGHT UPPER CUT then LEFT UPPER CUT.

Use the appropriated defences according to your lineage.

That is your basic four corner exercise , but because your having a bit of trouble with straight punches we will add a bit more to the sequence.
So after the upper cuts to the gut have your partner throw right and left straight punches to your face.

The whole sequence done without any pause between the punches will be as follows:
RIGHT HOOK and LEFT HOOK TO THE HEAD
RIGHT UPPER CUT and LEFT UPPER CUT TO THE GUT
RIGHT STRAIGHT PUNCH and LEFT STRAIGHT PUNCH TO THE FACE
A total of six punches.
Have the partner increase the speed as you get better.

Now go and practice that about a gazillion times.
 

geezer

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RIGHT HOOK and LEFT HOOK TO THE HEAD
RIGHT UPPER CUT and LEFT UPPER CUT TO THE GUT
RIGHT STRAIGHT PUNCH and LEFT STRAIGHT PUNCH TO THE FACE
A total of six punches.
Have the partner increase the speed as you get better.

Now go and practice that about a gazillion times.


Then scramble the order so sometimes your partner throws a high right hook and a high left hook,
other times: a right high hook and then a low left gut shot or high left and low right,
or he can double up on one side throwing a low shot and high shot with the same hand...
Do it stationary and then moving, and have some fun.

This drill isn't emphasized a lot in my association, but since I also do escrima, I get exposed to a lot of people with more boxing moves like hooks and uppercuts. This "four corners" drill helps sharpen me up for dealing with stuff coming in at angles like this.
 

mook jong man

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Then scramble the order so sometimes your partner throws a high right hook and a high left hook,
other times: a right high hook and then a low left gut shot or high left and low right,
or he can double up on one side throwing a low shot and high shot with the same hand...
Do it stationary and then moving, and have some fun.

This drill isn't emphasized a lot in my association, but since I also do escrima, I get exposed to a lot of people with more boxing moves like hooks and uppercuts. This "four corners" drill helps sharpen me up for dealing with stuff coming in at angles like this.

Yep that's the way , once they get comfortable with it and can do it half decent.
Then you start ramping up the intensity and doing it in a random sequence and random timing , as well as adding other variables like moving as you said.
 
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Argus

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If you're having a hard time dealing with straight punches, you're probably not covering your centerline, or chasing your opponent's center.

I'm not any more experienced than you are, but I find keeping the following things in mind helps:
1) Hands in the center. Chase your opponent's center, not his hands.
2) When on the outside, keep your opponents hands low. Don't hit high. When on the inside, attack higher. If your opponent is hitting high while you're on the inside, you'll have the advantage if you just hit high at the same time.

Over all, don't think about it too much. Just concentrate on the core principles of staying square, covering your center, and chasing your opponent's center, and don't think about trying to pull off this or that technique. Just let it come out naturally as you would in chisau. At least, in my limited experience, that's what I've found helps me.
 

mook jong man

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hello,

I'm 25 old and I training WC for about 5 months. After I gained first level - I''ve been transferred to not-rookies-group.
In some workout days after base training we have a slow-sparring with MMA gloves. I forgot to mention that these 5months is first Martial Arts training months in my life, before this i was doing bodybuilding for about 3 years.. So back to sparring topic. At sparring I'm feeling little disorganized, i feel that my reaction is very slow. I'm always trying to protect my nose - and it feels that the more I protect - the more i'm getting hit into the nose;) Also for me it's hard to protect from simple straight punches... which i feel should be easiest hits to block... i can't overcome myself to hit my sparring partner into his head instead his stomach... applying the techniques we learning into the sparring situation is also hard as hell..

maybe you guys have some advices or videos on this situation.. i really like Wing Chun and i want to be better at this martial art. Thanks..

After further thought on your problem.
If you are tending to get hit a lot with the straight punches , it might be possible that your guard is too low.

What works for me is to have my guard in line with the tip of my nose , from that position I can easily intercept anything coming for my face , but still deal with anything coming in low.
You have to have a sense that you can generate force from the height of your guard position and also have maximum resistance against any force exerted by your opponent.

Now you don't want to have your guard up too high either , because you open yourself up to having both your arms seized and pushed over your head and you will be off balanced or vulnerable to low strikes and low grappling attacks.

Another common beginner problem related to the guard height issue is not returning to guard after you complete your technique.
Students will successfully defend against one strike , but because they have not immediately returned to their guard , their hands will be out of position to deal with the next strike.

Every time after you do something go back to your guard position , unless you are pressing your attack with your continuous punching , and then go back to your guard position.
Make sure it is always going back to the correct position too , a lot of times students will start off with their guard at the correct height and then after a few exchanges they will get flustered , and without realising the guard will be lowered down again.

These sort of errors are quite common in beginners , and really they should be picked up by your instructor.
 

cwk

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Another common beginner problem related to the guard height issue is not returning to guard after you complete your technique.
Students will successfully defend against one strike , but because they have not immediately returned to their guard , their hands will be out of position to deal with the next strike.

Every time after you do something go back to your guard position , unless you are pressing your attack with your continuous punching , and then go back to your guard position.
Make sure it is always going back to the correct position too , a lot of times students will start off with their guard at the correct height and then after a few exchanges they will get flustered , and without realising the guard will be lowered down again.

These sort of errors are quite common in beginners , and really they should be picked up by your instructor.

this is good advice.
 
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kaimynas

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thanks all, for advice's.
also am small person ~1.75m and my sparring partners almost all are higher,, so this makes everything more complex..:)
 

geezer

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thanks all, for advice's.
also am small person ~1.75m and my sparring partners almost all are higher,, so this makes everything more complex..:)

Not complicated at all. I'm about the same size. Just remember that your centerline angles upward to connect with your taller opponents' center. Or more simply put, most of their punches will angle downward at you, so yours will have to angle upward to deflect theirs. Also they will have a reach advantage on you. So you have to close.

To start, explode forward aggressively, moving inside their reach, and keep punching upwards hitting them on the chin and in the nose. Knock 'em back on their heels, and keep driving forward with upward angling chain punches till they slam back into the wall. It won't work on your seniors, but it should take care of any other beginners you spar with. Good luck!
 
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kaimynas

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hey guys..

what is the best technique to defend/attack when your opponent does classic chain punching against you?;)
 

Cyriacus

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Pro tip: You cant win on pure defense. (By which i mean blocking and evasion)
You have to actually do something. Now i know you probably already know that in theory, but theres sometimes a void between theory and practice.
 

mook jong man

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hey guys..

what is the best technique to defend/attack when your opponent does classic chain punching against you?;)

There are a few things you can use , but in our lineage we tend to use Tan/Bong , that is simply focusing forward and rapidly rotating from Tan to Bong and back again.
Make sure you use Bong on the same side punch and Tan on the back of his wrist on his other arm.

It redirects the chain punches , and if you press forward with your stance you will eventually cramp up their punching and collapse their angles , at that point you can punch over the top with your back hand as your front hand does a Tan.

You will see the technique done quite a lot in this video.

[video=youtube_share;iPuzQMrXZ98]http://youtu.be/iPuzQMrXZ98[/video]
 

WingChunIan

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hey guys..

what is the best technique to defend/attack when your opponent does classic chain punching against you?;)
move your feet - simple.
Either turn / shift or step off the line on an angle at the same time attacking your opponent's centre
 

jeff_hasbrouck

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Ok, I said get offline, create an angle and attack. But you can also occupy the center line and "steal it", or you can go from the outside in and "cut" his punches out. It's not very easy to do for a beginner, but hell, we don't have nothin but time, so why not try it :)
 

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