what do you guys think of wing chun

**t_tsuguri** · Posted On: 9/22/2002 2:08am

just wondering what people think of wing chun and how applicable it is in a real situations.

**matzahbal** · Posted On: 9/22/2002 9:43pm

Personally, I think it's great. I've been training in it for over a year. It's right on track with what I'm looking for in a system, still traditional, but at the same time right to the point.

I went from studying a system of Kempo at the mother of all McDojo's. After 5 years of studying I left with over 30 forms, 200 punch techniques, at least 50 club and knife techniques. I felt that I knew too much for actually application, and it felt that way when I was sparring. After my first class of Wing Chun my teacher made all the kempo I took look like childs play and I was hooked.

How applicable is it in street situations, I can't say since I haven't been in one while studying Wing Chun. I've goofed around with a few friends that new martial arts though and from what I've seen I'd have zero problem going into a fight against somebody who had no martial arts training. Too bad people are too laid back on the west coast :(

"But some apes they gotta go, so we kill the ones we don't know" - 'Ape shall never kill Ape' by The Vandals

Michael · Posted On: 9/23/2002 1:49am

Most wing chun that I have come across hasn't impressed me much. The Wing Tzun orginization lead by Emin Boetzepe seems the most practical.

9chambers · Posted On: 9/23/2002 3:08am

I haven't been impressed with Emin Boetztepe from the demos I have seen in the downloads section here .. not that they were horrible. They just weren't anything different from what your average dojo teaches .. except for the girl slapping. No offense to WT intended. I haven't researched it that much.

I do have respect fot William Cheung and Ip Man. Wing Chun has some interesting concepts.

&gt;&gt; Perhaps it was because I had an inherent skill for the science and never deviated from natural principles. - Miyamoto Musashi 1643

**cityguy** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 5:25am

I've studied it for just a few lessons and liked it--it's my first experience of a MA, though. Not knowing much about martial arts (I've mainly boxed), I'm not sure about the contact level, though. They seem to like to go really, really easy on one another. What level of contact is typically considered "full-contact" in MA in general and in WC in particular? Surely you people don't kick each other in the teeth, but do you typically put on headgear and go full speed? I don't see them doing that in the class I'm attending.

Other than that, the school I've attended stresses chainpunches to the face in self-defense situations, and no one can really argue about the effectiveness of that strategy. If you hit them hard, they will fall.

**transparent** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 5:56am

Hm.

But are those chain punches really hard then?
From the clips I have watched it just looks like waving to me. Distracting, sure, but knockdown...?

Disclaimer: I have never fought, seen or talked to a routined WT fighter, so what I know Is what I saw from the same clips 9chambers seems to have seen. Girl slapping. Heh.

**Little Idea** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 6:11am

9chambers,

Just Curious, why do you have respect for William Cheung?

My main focus in training now is the WT from Sifu Boztepe. I also like to work out with boxers and wrestlers because of the conditioning. (Most the people that are attracted to WT/WC aren't willing to really put in the effort to get in good shape. Sad but true.)

In principle, I think WC is a great system. Somewhere along the way, just like everything else that collides with capitalism, most of it became about money.

Everyone who ever met Yip Man started a wing chun school and was suddenly a grandmaster.

Just like in every training, be it martial arts or mathematics, there will be A students, C students and F students. IMHO there are a lot of D- Wing Chun masters running around. (there are a lot of D- martial artists running around, but that what mcdojo is all about)

The lineages I've been most impressed with are Boztepe and Wong Shun Long. The lineages I'm least impressed with are Ip Chun and Ip Ching. There are probably worse, and perhaps better, but I haven't seen every possible lineage.

My advice is that same as it would be for any martial art. Go see a class, if it looks like something you want to do, go for it. If there is more than one school, visit them all. Pay more attention to the students than the teacher. It doesn't mean jack if the instuctor is great, if his students have no skills.

**Gezere** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 7:13am

T tsuguri does the T stand for Takuma? If so you are the man! :)

I recently heard something that will make me use A LOT of respect (the bit that is left) for William Chueng

Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Zhi Dong Fang Bu Bai (Laughing Proud Warrior Invinsible Asia) Emporer of Baji!!! THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST THE UNITED AUSSIE FRONT!!

**cityguy** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 7:17am

Hm.

But are those chain punches really hard then?
From the clips I have watched it just looks like waving to me. Distracting, sure, but knockdown...?

I assume they are as hard as the person throwing them is athletic. Being a former boxer, I have a keen respect for athleticism. Many boxers are in very good physical condition. Sadly, I'm getting too old to meaningfully keep up. In WC class, there are women and very small men. This is great if their opponent is of like size and athleticism--I don't completely buy the idea that it's about skill and not size. If you do, then a visit to an innercity boxing gym and a short session with 6'3" 220lb boxer in top condition and with great physical skills may be time well spent for you. Maybe I'm wrong and all the Kung-Fu people here would take the boxer down immediately on skill alone. I have a strong suspicion which way it would go, though.

All things being equal, there is obviously much more science applied to self-defense in WC than in boxing. The emphasis on protecting the groin against kicks via proper stance, the no-wasted motion approach to punching, the very direct and unrelenting movements toward the attacker, etc. Given equal athleticism, I would take the WC guy. The only thing that catches my attention as a WC negative is that the boxer is absolutely used to something close to actual fighting at real speed. I have yet to see this in WC class.

**ksmythe** · Posted On: 9/23/2002 8:43am

WC is a great ma when you put it in context. It's purpose is to teach the average person do defend themselves under the most likely situations. Like someone else pointed out in another thread, the average bjj student would probably spank the average WC student. Although from the theoretical aspect WC could be very effective, most schools don't really train that hard. I've been to some classes and seminars and never even broke a sweat. As far as lineages go, I'll have to agree with Little Idea. WC masters are a dime a dozen, just having had your picture taken with Ip Man seems to be enough to proclaim yourself a grandmaster. Ip Ching's organization and his gaggle of phoney masters is pretty lame. I've heard nothing good about Augustine Fong and Leung Ting's organization in the US has gone totally fat and lazy since Boztepe left. Wiliam Cheung.... we won't even go there.... you can just order his correspondence course on line.

I've heard great things about Kenneth Chung. Wong Sheung Long was a bad ass fighter in his day, supposedly he taught his students aggressively. Emin Boztepe teaches a much more aggressive and athletic version.