First lesson under the belt

[Printer]

Finally took the plundge and enter a Wing Chun class. I am 38 years old and have just learned that I was born with two left feet made of solid lead :mad:

My first class mostly involved footwork: stances and basic movement.

I did enjoy the experience and am looking forward to my next class.

Could anyone direct me to a web site, book or video that can help me out the the very basics. I could not retain everything I was shown (nor grasp some of it) and would like a reference guide. I do not plan on using it as training guide to advance but to reinforce what I have been shown.

Thanks in advance.

[Watchman]

If you're looking for a video that will help reinforce the basics, the best one on the market - hands down - is Wong Shun Leung's "The Science of Infighting".

You can find it on Amazon.

Be prepared, though. It was produced in the seventies, so you'll get a cool disco soundtrack with the footage. :D

BTW, welcome to the large dysfunctional family that is the Wing Chun Clan. :D

http://www.wckfc.com/masters/man/Sec2-1.GIF

One is weak because he makes preparations against others;
he has strength because he makes others prepare against him.
-- Sun-Tzu

[Anarcho]

"...and have just learned that I was born with two left feet made of solid lead..."

Hehe...I think everyone feels like that at the start. I know I did.

[TjD]

if hes any good, he should be a wealth of knowledge for stuff for you to practice, and can address your specific needs better than any book

i'm sure he'd be glad to hear about your interest in working outside class too

sometimes books or videos can mess you up with different ideas and such


peace
trav

Receive what comes, Escort what leaves, and if there is an opening, rush in

[old jong]

He! He!...Two solid lead feet can Give you a very strong root !...(dont take that seriously!) :D

[LiuShiSi]

test

[kungfu cowboy]

Good Luck in your wing chun journey, Printer! And Watchman,
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> welcome to the large dysfunctional family that is the Wing Chun Clan [/quote]
that is so on the money! :D

[EmptyCup]

I have the science of in-fighting tape featuring Wong Shun Leung. I agree that it is a relatively good tape for beginners as it enforces Wing Chun's basic concepts and fighting theories.

However, does anybody know if the rest of the tapes were ever released? Everybody I know only has the first one but at the end of it, it shows footage of the second tape i.e. chum kiu, butterfly knives, long pole, wodden dummy

Amazon only sells the first tape

Thanks.

[Watchman]

Nope, no other tapes were ever released. :(

[EmptyCup]

Watchman, are you talking about for the North American market?

I assume that the tape was made for the Hong Kong market originally and then dubbed for North American audiences. That would explain the footage from the other tapes, that being they were released but in Hong Kong and not in North America.

Do you have any information regarding my assumptions?

[jameswebsteruk]

Wong felt that he was ripped of by the original distributor of the videos, so didnt allow any subsequent ones to be made or released, in Hong Kong or anywhere else. There are no further videos in that series available.

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running
around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." ;)

[greyseal]

:) Welcome to Wing Chun. I know what you mean about just starting, two left feet, etc. DOing the hand movements with shifting took me weeks to get down. I can pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time though! :)

[Printer]

Thanks everyone for the nice words and the information....

I may have gotten into the wrong school unfortunately, thus killing any real chance of me ever getting into Wing Chun. :(

I went for my second class Aug 8th and came away injured already...I was put against a purple sash and taught some kinda sparing technique. He all but destroyed my right forearm and wrist.

I can't even get my stance right, not to mention the half step or "puc sau" <SP>, and I am to defend a dude coming at me at full speed. I felt like a fish outa water.

I am actually afraid to go back at this point...I can't afford to loose my job over a recreational accident. I am going to wait until Sat, Aug 11, to go back just in case they try to use me as the live version of the wooden man again. This will give me a chance to recoup before working again.

I am going to get the video tho and check it out.

Thanks again all.

[Sharky]

ok, that is a really stupid thing for them to do. i'd be cautious. say to the guy ur working with to ease it down, and if he doesnt, talk to the head teacher, sifu, or whoever is in charge, and say that you're not happy being smacked about (and rightly so).

if they give you any crap, then just leave...

you may find that that was just a bad student, or you may find that it's a bad school...

Good luck

Edd

My anus is superior™

[Sihing73]

Hi Printer,

I notice you are in PA I was wondering how far you are from Philly. You can e-mail me directly if you wish. If you are attending a class where you are getting hurt in the second class there could be a problem. However, if you are experieincing the pain that comes from hard training that is something else. From what you describe the injury to you arm is the result of a Pak Sau or Pak Da drill, I am guessing of course. However, it is normal to experieince some soreness on the arms, a good jow could help. Of course, there is no excuse for a senior student to go full force with a new person. Wing Chun is a family and it is up to all of us to treat each other with respect and help each other to learn.

Anyhow, I was curious as to where you were training as it sounds a little "fishy".

Peace,

Dave

[kj]

Printer, if you have just attended your 2nd Wing Chun class, and are leaving the class with injuries sustained from working with a partner, this is, IMHO, totally inappropriate. In 2 years, let alone 2 classes, you would still be building foundational skills. No one has convinced me yet that testing skills before they are actually developed makes any sense. While such an attitude may reflect "toughness," it does not, IMHO, reflect a mature mindset.

Wishing you the best,
- Kathy Jo

[kungfu cowboy]

Um, they're pulling this stuff at your second class? That is not a good sign. Talk to the teacher (which you shouldn't have to do in the first place) and find out if this is normal. If it is; find another wing chun school. Maybe Sihing73 can help you out there.

Barry Manilow ain't no vegetable.

[Anarcho]

I'm with kung fu cowboy. Talk to your sifu. What he says about the situation will let you know whether it was bad luck or whether you're at the wrong place.

[Gandolf269]

I haven't been training that long either (8-9 mos.) so I remember the first weeks of training like they were yesterday (which they basically were). My Si-fu had us doing SLT in the mirror for the first 2 or 3 weeks. The first contact we had was to do Gaun Sau (from the SLT) with other students, and that pretty much brused up my arms, but not to the point of injury. If you are getting injured, think about the instruction (or lack of) you are getting, and possibly consider going elsewhere. If you are just sore, hang in there, it gets better.

____________
'...and China is still serving rice in Tibet!'

[JasBourne]

Good grief! They should be having you do rock-bottom basics and stationary one-hand drills for at least 3 months, and basic footwork and beginner two-hand drills for at least another 3!!

Time to find a real school - sounds like you walked into a McKwoon by mistake... :(

[El_CLap]

I remember my first lesson. My best friend was my teacher at the time. I went home with handprints on my face, neck, and kidneys. He pak sao'ed EVERYTHING. He was brutal. If I did something that didn't work, I knew it within seconds. I probably learned more from him in the 6 months that I trained with him than the entire year and a half that I spent at my first school.