Deluxe Martial Arts Forums - View Single Post - Wing Chun for Self-Defense

SmallThought · 08-19-2007, 11:14 PM

I only viewed the first video and have to agree that it didn't look all that flash, but then i certainly wouldn't be training under that instructor.

All i can say about the self defence efficiency of Wing Chun is that after about a year of training it helped me fight off 5 guys. Ok, they were only about 19 or 20 and drunk, but i could hardly walk i was so drunk! They decided to have a go at me as i was walking home from a long night catching up with old friends in my home town pub. I only "knuckled" one of them, the rest just got some open hand strikes to warn them off. None of them actually connected an effective blow. Growing up where i did and having parents who sent you to ballet instead of football, you had to learn to fight, so that may play a part along with the Wing Chun training.

Not condoning drunken street brawls, just saying that real Wing Chun principles & techniques; when "trained in" correctly to be an automated response; can be effective self defence.

Mind you, since then i've also been beaten senseless by an attacker who knew my skill level and came at me from behind when my attention was directed elsewhere; but then, i don't know of too many systems that teach you to actually have eyes in the back of your head. The guy was a psychotic and the attack was retribution for me humiliating his Kempo & years of street fighting experience in a "friendly" sparring session the week before. After two years of trying to get me to "spar" with him, he finally succeeded. I knew all along it was a bad idea to spar a poor loser.

There's also the time when i was in a home town pub and a local decided to have a go at me because i was chatting with a girl he fancied (a typical country town scenario... she'd probably never even looked at him, but in his mind she was his!). Even thought i was in the midst of telling the guy i didn't want to and wasn't going to fight him; being a "non-local" (hadn't been to that pub in years and the bouncers didn't know me), i was the one "escorted" from the premises. The bouncer didn't like it when his attempted arm bars wouldn't hold. I told him to keep his hands off me and i would leave the pub. He didn't listen and kept trying to restrain me as i made my way to the door. No matter how hard he tried to restrain me he couldn't get hold. Even with two other bouncers trying to grab my arms and the bar manager punching me in the side of the head on the way out he seemed to find his way to the floor at least twice. I never threw a punch or tried to strike anyone and continuously called out that they desist as i was attempting to comply with their request that i leave (i know enough about the law to know that striking any security staff in "the execution of thier duty" is asking for an assault conviction). It was just my natural response to break a grip or attempted restraint. In the end they did get hold and got me to the ground, but that was only once i was out side the pub and went to casually walk away at which point they rushed me again; it only took 4 people 5 minutes to take down one guy who wasn't really even fighting them.

Witnesses later told me they couldn't believe a guy my size could fend off three bouncers and an angry bar manager with out throwing a punch. One even said i looked like "the rubber man" for the way my fluid limbs evaded capture. All thanks to three years of Wing Chun training as a fultime student; or is this just more evidence of useless chi sao training.

Come to think of it, it may have been easier on the side of my head if i had have trained at one of those ineffective Wing Chun schools and been subdued/restrained more easily. It may have even been better for my pretty boy face if i had taken the F#@K YOU ALL i'm the TOUGHEST mentallity of some schools and actually fought these guys instead of the non-contentious philosophy i was taught.

Just another story of country town Australia.

08-19-2007, 11:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
SmallThought Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 50	What to say??? I only viewed the first video and have to agree that it didn't look all that flash, but then i certainly wouldn't be training under that instructor. All i can say about the self defence efficiency of Wing Chun is that after about a year of training it helped me fight off 5 guys. Ok, they were only about 19 or 20 and drunk, but i could hardly walk i was so drunk! They decided to have a go at me as i was walking home from a long night catching up with old friends in my home town pub. I only "knuckled" one of them, the rest just got some open hand strikes to warn them off. None of them actually connected an effective blow. Growing up where i did and having parents who sent you to ballet instead of football, you had to learn to fight, so that may play a part along with the Wing Chun training. Not condoning drunken street brawls, just saying that real Wing Chun principles & techniques; when "trained in" correctly to be an automated response; can be effective self defence. Mind you, since then i've also been beaten senseless by an attacker who knew my skill level and came at me from behind when my attention was directed elsewhere; but then, i don't know of too many systems that teach you to actually have eyes in the back of your head. The guy was a psychotic and the attack was retribution for me humiliating his Kempo & years of street fighting experience in a "friendly" sparring session the week before. After two years of trying to get me to "spar" with him, he finally succeeded. I knew all along it was a bad idea to spar a poor loser. There's also the time when i was in a home town pub and a local decided to have a go at me because i was chatting with a girl he fancied (a typical country town scenario... she'd probably never even looked at him, but in his mind she was his!). Even thought i was in the midst of telling the guy i didn't want to and wasn't going to fight him; being a "non-local" (hadn't been to that pub in years and the bouncers didn't know me), i was the one "escorted" from the premises. The bouncer didn't like it when his attempted arm bars wouldn't hold. I told him to keep his hands off me and i would leave the pub. He didn't listen and kept trying to restrain me as i made my way to the door. No matter how hard he tried to restrain me he couldn't get hold. Even with two other bouncers trying to grab my arms and the bar manager punching me in the side of the head on the way out he seemed to find his way to the floor at least twice. I never threw a punch or tried to strike anyone and continuously called out that they desist as i was attempting to comply with their request that i leave (i know enough about the law to know that striking any security staff in "the execution of thier duty" is asking for an assault conviction). It was just my natural response to break a grip or attempted restraint. In the end they did get hold and got me to the ground, but that was only once i was out side the pub and went to casually walk away at which point they rushed me again; it only took 4 people 5 minutes to take down one guy who wasn't really even fighting them. Witnesses later told me they couldn't believe a guy my size could fend off three bouncers and an angry bar manager with out throwing a punch. One even said i looked like "the rubber man" for the way my fluid limbs evaded capture. All thanks to three years of Wing Chun training as a fultime student; or is this just more evidence of useless chi sao training. Come to think of it, it may have been easier on the side of my head if i had have trained at one of those ineffective Wing Chun schools and been subdued/restrained more easily. It may have even been better for my pretty boy face if i had taken the F#@K YOU ALL i'm the TOUGHEST mentallity of some schools and actually fought these guys instead of the non-contentious philosophy i was taught. Just another story of country town Australia.