PleAsE ReSpOnD!!!!

[ChocolateDoggy]

hi all.
i am planning to take wing chun soon, i watched a class, and now i have a few questions to ask all of you.

does wing chun(yip mans lineage, and not ving tsun or wing tsun) teach:

1. punches?
2. open hand strikes?
3. Kicks?
4. Blocks?
5. Sweeps?
6. jointlocks?
7. Throws?(chin na)


and also, even if the teacher is authentic and he does teach real wing chun and studied under a really good sifu and he's been training for a long time, he doesn't teach the butterfly swords.. i read somewhere that the butterfly swords were kept hidden in wing chun or something.. so does that mean the sifu didn't complete wing chun or he just doesn't want to teach the swords?

anyway thanks, please reply.

[Lindley57]

Hello CD,

Wing Chun is Wing Chun. If you say Yip Man's lineage, then this includes Ving Tsun and Wing Tsun.

The Wing Chun system has a vertical punch which contact is made on the bottom three knuckles. The Wing Chun punch is unique in that it is the simplest form of the concept of simultaneous attack and defense.

The Wing Chun kick is called "Gerk". There is a front Kick (Dim Gerk) and a side Kick (wang Gerk). Some families proclaim variations of the kick, but the point here is that the system does have kicks. The Kick is also unque in that it too like the punch serves as both an offensive and defensive technique.

The Wing Chun open hand technique is called "Jerm". There is a front palm strike (dim Jerm) and side palm strike (wang jerm).

When one learns Wing Chun, we have pak sao and bong sao, which one can say are defined individually as blocks. However, the application of Wing Chun seeks to unify movements so that a block and a strike act as one technique.

As far as throws, sweeps, and joint locks, these are not formally taught as part of the Yip Man Wing Chun System. However, many Sifu's may elect to teach them as a supplement to their training curriculum. Absolutely nothing wrong with this. It is not appropriate, however, to say this is in the Wing Chun system. Often times a good and knowledgable instructor will make the distinction and say they teach Chin Na or Jiu Jitsu with the Wing Chun. You will also find others who employ boxing training drills and/or exercises from other martial arts styles. Exercises and drills are methods. The result is an experience called Kung Fu.

An advanced martial artist often times develops the ability to quickly see the usefulness of techniques and ideas from other systems. Wing Chun is a proven complete system. If you include throwing and joint locks and high kicks to your arsenal, that is YOUR Kung Fu, not Wing Chun.

The Knives are called the "Bot Chom Doh". Few have learned the form and even fewer understand them. They are NOT Butterfly knives or swords, as Butterfly Knives are respectfully a different type of weapon used by other styles that the Doh only resembles. Why doesn't the teacher teach them? True, they may not know them. However, if they do, the Knives are considered a "gift from the Sifu", which comes from a students service to the school and to the Wing Chun system.

The knives are part of a superstition that goes that once one learns the Knives they "cut" the relationship with the Sifu. The Knives are the last part of one's formal training of the system. The weapons of the Wing Chun system cannot be defined in general terms as once you are at this advanced level, one must come to their own understanding of them. It is often the case that since there are not enough people knowledgeable of the Ving Tsun weapons, this prevents many Sifus (who do have weapons training) from pursuing in-depth study and application of them.

You should have directed these questions to the instructor of the class you watched.

Good luck in your Kung Fu...........

[Atleastimnotyou]

Wing Chun has only one real block and that is the Wu Sau. Many people believe bong sau is a block but it is really a transitional move to get your opponent off you center while remaining on his. Usually in wing chun a block is a by product of you continually hitting your opponent.
Sweeps: wing chun doesn't directly train sweeping but a good wing chun practitioner will know when an opponent's leg is weighted and when he can sweep that leg w/o compromising himself.
If a wing chun practitioner has enough skill, then his sifu normally would teach him the butterfly swords. Unless he has a good reason not to. Wing Chun should be freely shared to anyone with the right mentallity and the disire to learn.

[S.Teebas]

Wing Chun has only one real block and that is the Wu Sau

What makes you say that? (ie wu sau is a block)

[yenhoi]

What does "wu" translate to, anybody?

[TjD]

i think wu sau is prayer hand

not positive though :)

[TjD]

and i wouldnt call wu sau a block, your wu sau is your backup hand; its there to save your butt. it doesnt block in the way of a hard block; it just gets in the way

after contact has been established its like anything else in that you should use your chi sau skills to react appropriately

[Atleastimnotyou]

TjD: "and i wouldnt call wu sau a block, your wu sau is your backup hand; its there to save your butt. it doesnt block in the way of a hard block; it just gets in the way

after contact has been established its like anything else in that you should use your chi sau skills to react appropriately"

Thanks, that sounds like a better way of saying what i said.

[straight blast]

As far as I understand it "Wu" sao means "guarding hand".

As for the question originally put forward:

(1) Yes
(2) Yes
(3) Yes
(4) Sort of...we tend to deflect and attack simultaneously as opposed to blocking. A deflection is not a block!
(5) Not that I've seen
(6) Sure do. I'm not sure who Lindley57 studies under, but we certainly have joint locks. And I wouldn't go so far as to say it's not Wing Chun to have joint locks!
It is not appropriate, however, to say this is in the Wing Chun system.

With respect, I disagree.

(7) I don't think so.

As to the knives, they are taught later in the system. Much later ;)

Hope this helps!

[stuartm]

Hi ,

As far as i know , 'Wu' literally means 'stop' - thus - stopping / guarding hand should be pretty accirate.

Cheers, Stuart