what is at the base of wing chun?

[likuid]

aseepish - where would you start?

sensitivity? close quarter combat? origin?

[aseepish]

This has the potential of being a very interesting thread.

Just off the top of my head, I would say that the basis of Wing Chun would be the core of "Wing Chun Principles." Hmmm... Wing Chun concepts?

Number one concept would be the centre-line.

Is it time for a new thread already? Can you follow Wing Chun concepts and not do Wing Chun? - I say yes! I find Wing Chun (at least the lineage I study) has a lot in common with Kali and Silat (at least the lineages I have studied).

-T

[likuid]

it makes sense to have the 'occupation of the center line' as the core concept. where would you place the notion of the '4 gates'? i personally would consider the stance to be further down the road, only because i've even used wing chun trapping in ground fighting while i'm on my back.

[aseepish]

I train in a non-Yip Man lineage, so I think our concept of four-gates is a bit diferent than the Yip Man side of things. From what I've seen (and I haven't seen much of this, it's considered quite advanced) four gates hitting means simultaneously trapping the high line, and messing up the other guys stance with your own (very silat-like).

I'd be interested to hear what kind of Wing Chun stuff you've pulled off on the ground. I'm always looking for surprises for the people I roll with.

-T

[likuid]

I've used trapping while grappling, believe it or not. Especially when i'm in the mount, or in someone's mount. I've used the pak soa, the bong soa, tan soa, jut soa, and i've found the hand sensitivity extremely useful when going for, or defending a collar choke. And if striking is involved, again from the same positions, the hand trapping was useful at times. Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying it's integral or even useful in grappling...i'm just saying i've had a few instances where i've actually used the hand trapping, it just came out in the moment - i certainly was not intending to use it.

[likuid]

I noticed you're from Thailand. Are you originally from Thailand? Do you also train Muay Thai? I'm only asking because i'm curious about the arts you chose to study. You sound like a JKD practitioner, so i'm wondering if you are Thai, then what influenced the JKD?(as opposed to training only Muay Thai)

Also, is it easy to find various arts instruction in Thailand?

[darthmorton]

Wing Chun...

I must say that of all the things that I enjoy about the people that surround JKD it is their willingness to share information and desire to question.

I have been studying martial arts for over 20 years and for the last two I have studied Wing Chun exclusively.

Until I came across my Sifu I had never ran across a Wing Chun practitioner that I couldn't down with a simple Thai kick to the leg followed by my real attack. It seemed to me that many people simply 'played' at Chi sau and never paid any attention to their lower gates.

Although over the last two years I feel that I have really seen the depth of Wing Chun and I now believe it to be 'my' path to freedom.

While I would agree that many Wing Chun people attempt to "occupy" the center line, I would say that this falls short of what the system is about.

Bruce really extracted a lot of philosophical principles from WC but we must remember that he did not finish the system. In the Yip Man line of Wing Chun there are three hand forms. He only learned the first two. He also only learned the first third of the Mok Jong (or Dummy form).

It is my opinion that had he studied WC longer, JKD would have been much different (probably would have evolved faster than it did).

To me, at the heart of Wing Chun is the application of geometry and synergy of the human form.

I hear people argue about "this" technique and "that" technique...is it better to bong sau, tan sau, gaan sau, etc.

My Sifu once said, "when you see a Wing Chun person fight, you may not see Wing Chun techniques, but you will see Wing Chun timing."

All in all, I have yet to see a style of martial art that has something as simple yet sophisticated as Chi Sau.

I say if you want to know what Wing Chun is...Do a lot of Chi Sau.

Thank you very much for listening.

Sincerely,
DarthMorton

[aseepish]

I'm not Thai, but Canadian. My instructor also teaches Muay Thai. I'm just on vacation, but I've been working in Singapore for the last year and a quarter or so. I've been training in Wing Chun for the last nine months or so. Before that, you guessed it, JKD (PFS side of things) for the past two or so years along with Kali, Silat (Mande Muda) and BJJ classes on the side.

There are a ton of Muay Thai camps in Thailand (as you would imagine), Tae Kwon Do is very popular too (go figure). I'm going back to Thailand (someday) to train in Muay Thai or in Krabi Krabrong if I can.

[aseepish]

Re: Wing Chun...

Originally posted by darthmorton


Until I came across my Sifu I had never ran across a Wing Chun practitioner that I couldn't down with a simple Thai kick to the leg followed by my real attack

Hehehe... the Thai kick to the leg usually IS my real attack!

Plus, did someone say Gaan sau?

I LOVE GAAN SAU!

-Tony