The Wing Chun/Tsun Straight Punch

In Wing Tsun Kung Fu, you could identify 3-4 (maybe 5-6) different punches to train.  One of which is the Straight Punch, or Straight Blast.  It's simple to start learning, but difficult to master.  Kung Fu!

Documentary:  Wing Chun Reforged - The Wing Chun Straight Punch
While visiting Boston, I recently had the opportunity to meet Adrian Li, a martial artist who teaches Wing Chun at Boston University.  We chatted a bit, and also did some brief training together.  He is an enthusiastic individual, who at a young age, is quite skilled and has a very open and positive attitude.  I can see why his students would like his style of teaching.

During our meeting, he mentioned that he was doing a documentary about the Wing Chun Straight Punch, and asked me to answer a question on video.

Below you can see the full documentary.  Be sure to check out the other 2 parts on his youtube channel.

If the embedded video doesn't work, try:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbTIjkHALy4

Expanding on the video...
As mentioned by Danny Horgan of Wing Chun Blast, the flurry and speed of chain punches, and the deep power in a well-laid punch are both important.  In a self-defense situation, we are already behind and out-egoed by the aggressor.  The air is thin, your arms/legs may be trembling, fine motor control is all lost.  If it becomes physical, we may need to counteract the attacker by surprise, with efficient and unexpected power.  Only then can we buy some time to gives us a chance to escape.

I think we need to train everything to do with the punch, be it speed and timing, distance, mobility/fluidity, power, etc.  All part of the Wing-Tsun CoreConcepts by Sifu Ralph Haenel of Wing Tsun Kung Fu Vancouver.  And do so with good footwork, connection of upper/lower body, and whole body motion.

Now, let's be philosophical... but practical
If we want to be philosophical about the Wing Chun punch though, then there are no absolute categories of different wing chun punches.  We should be able to punch from any angle, at any body position, at any time, and make it count.  I didn't say it was easy to do.  In practicality though, in a self-defense scenario, this may be our only choice, and only chance. 

Let's be even more philosophical...
All of the major "techniques" in Wing Tsun are simply a temporarily inhibited punch (or chan/fak sau, etc.).  Think about it.  Do you do a bong sau, or does bong sau just happen?  Did you then stop and admire your bong sau, or did your follow-up attack already happen?

The "techniques" could be thought of transition zones before the next temporarily inhibited punch.  And the next.  Until it hits.

Remember... "I do not hit, it hits by itself" -Bruce Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhvBTy28VJM

Happy training!

WT is WC is WT...

At the beginning of November, I traveled to California for a conference and vacation, and had the opportunity to visit Sifu Jin Young in Los Angeles, aka China Boxer. Some of you may have seen his teachings before at his youtube channel.


A selection of Sifu Jin Young's students in Los Angeles, California

I love visiting different schools. From seeing some of the youtube videos, I was looking forward to hearing his philosophy about training Wing Tsun/Chun.

I was not disappointed.

Sifu Jin takes his training and teaching seriously, and has a generous and passionate attitude towards teaching. His students were great to train with too.

Structure

His focus? (at least what I gathered from one group class)

Developing structure.

Ever since 2008, I have been working on developing structure via training in Calgary and Vancouver. So, it was great to see this theme repeated and repeated. Hearing about it from more than one lineage must mean structure is important!

He uses various very interesting and applicable drills to help students develop proper structure and familiarizing them with using whole body-chain movements.

Are you training with your partner?

Or are you training against your partner?

As emphasized repeatedly by Sifus Ralph, German, and Asad, I saw the importance of this point again during Sifu Jin's class. The drills we were working on relied on each partner's feedback and appropriate resistance. Each student not only focused on making themselves better, but made efforts to help their partners. There were no egos here!

Commonalities between lineages

The overlap of teaching throughout the different schools I have visited, including the visits to Ulm 1, 2 and Munich, reminds me about the commonality between different WT/WC lineages. Unfortunately, when comparing WT/WC schools, we tend to focus more on the differences rather than looking at the similarities.

It doesn't matter which lineage we are learning from, as long as the instructor: 1) Knows and applies WT/WC skills principles, and 2) Can teach it. Can the instructor teach and show students enough such that they can develop the skills to become a good practitioner, and perhaps even a teacher themselves as well?

Another commonality? The group class of 90 minutes was much too short, as usual.


An even more serious pose

If you are ever in Los Angeles, give Sifu Jin a message beforehand and I’m sure he’d welcome you to join his class.

Happy training!

Four principles of ego

I have recently been hinting at a blog post about “Drills and Training Strategies”, stemmed from thoughts I have had about drills with training partners at Calgary WT, and then later being fortunate to have Sifu Gary as a training partner at the WT Vancouver Victoria Day Bonus Class.

When we train, we hope to become better (at least most people want to!). But, we will always train with a variety of partners at different skill levels. So, how do both partners become better?

Tip #1. Leave your ego at the door

If you have heard of the four principles of fighting and four principles of force, you will understand my concoction listed below.

Four principles of ego:
1. Free yourself from one’s own ego
2. Free yourself from your partner’s ego
3. If you can and must (and feel generous), use your partner’s ego against him/her
4. If the encountered ego is too great, give way and find another partner

Note: I wouldn’t suggest adding your own ego or going forward with it.

More thoughts later…