Mantis and Wing Chun

[blackmantis]

A friend of mine does Wing Chun. Earlier today i sparred him and it was a good match, however, when he came in close it was very hard to know what to do as he has very good speed and the constant forward attacking nature of WC makes it very hard to defend against. Overall i would say it was a draw as my kicks and throws managed to do a fair amount of damage.

My question is, what is the best way to fight Wing Chun, and what should one do in a situation in which you are bombarded with constant forward moving, and chain punches?

S

[German Bai Lung]

Step aside, avoid contact, attack from the distance!

[mantis108]

Didn't he or she (in your case?) show you the Yi Bu San Chui (one step three punches) applications? Also different PM systems or different Sifus have different approaches. For example, I would go for a double sealing, double helping (there are plenty of variation of this) to lean in and go from there. He tries trapping; I would elbow and knee (the 8 shorts). Tie Kao, my friend, Tie Kao. You dominate the fight and take the fight to him. Don't give him even a centimetre of breathing space. If he knows ground fighting (BJJ) which is now a "modern" trend, in some Wing Chun school. He will not let you keep your distance. You will be more than likely be one your back in a flash. Check out the clip that was on here awhile ago about Mantis vs Wing Chun. You might be able to relate to the same difficulties that the Mantis guy was facing. BTW, eating some straight blast isn't going to kill you (assuming that you do train body impact conditioning). Don't get discourage or even worst panic from getting a few hits. Unless of course, you don't even protect your head. So hands up!

Mantis108

[Shadowboxer]

My Mantis brothers get the best of me when I let them get their hands swirling, then the strikes start coming. Try to outflank your WC buddy by orbiting around him. One particular touching hands session, my mantis brother moved me all over by leaning in on me and sticking to me the whole time with his body (I forget the name of the technique) but it was very hard for me to deal with.

Oh yeah, use your longfist techs.

[ursa major]

Originally posted by blackmantis
... My question is, what is the best way to fight Wing Chun, and what should one do in a situation in which you are bombarded with constant forward moving, and chain punches?

S

What every mantid knows... when the opponent attacks to your upper gate you defend and attack his lower gate. When your opponent attacks your lower gate you defend and respond by attacking his upper gate.

Chances are your WC partner is pressing your upper gate. Respond by taking out his lower gate (legs).

My .02 cents worth.
UM.

[-N-]

Originally posted by blackmantis
[...] Earlier today i sparred him and it was a good match, however, when he came in close it was very hard to know what to do[...] How about taking the fight to him? Don't only try to keep him away with kicks.

Can you train yourself to recognize the instant he begins to close? When he begins to close, can you explode in and take him out?

Pick one close range hand technique/combination. Train it until you can whip it out anytime anyplace. After that's not a challenge anymore, pick another one.

Mantis is like this... when your opponent moves, you kill him. Easier said than done though. And I'm not saying that I can do that either ;)

regards,
N.

[mantisben]

Originally posted by blackmantis
A friend of mine does Wing Chun. Earlier today i sparred him and it was a good match, however, when he came in close it was very hard to know what to do as he has very good speed and the constant forward attacking nature of WC makes it very hard to defend against. Overall i would say it was a draw as my kicks and throws managed to do a fair amount of damage.

My question is, what is the best way to fight Wing Chun, and what should one do in a situation in which you are bombarded with constant forward moving, and chain punches?

S
Congratulations! You 've fought someone from a style of combat that is proven to be effective in combat.

Only get in close when you are striking. When you are not striking, keep your distance. If your arms are not in contact with his, it will be more difficult for him to use his specialty: Close-Range combat.

What you can do, when you ARE in close-range combat, is grab both of his arms if you can, tug/jerk it, then strike him, then grab again. Tug/Jerk, release and strike, then grab again. When you can't grab his arms, jump out of close-range. This has worked for me, except for when I'm fighting someone like a Boxer, whose hand/wrists are kind of hard to grab.

The Boxer's Jab is an excellent technique in combat! When done properly, you can do much facial damage to your opponent from long-distance, or at least, without staying in the "toe-to-toe" range. With a strong Boxer's Jab, you can give a black-eye, break a nose, bust a lip, leave some teeth for the tooth-fairy, etc. It is also a great way to close the gap and start-up combinations. Keep in mind, the Boxer's Jab is generally not a "show-stopper".

Still, the Boxer's Jab Rocks!

If he uses a technique that you see is useful, and can use, yourself, effectively, incorporate it into your fighting. Some people on this forum may disagree...

One final note, and that is this: Praying Mantis Kung-Fu is AVERAGE without the footwork. This is my own opinion, based on my own experience.