Idea!

[sihing]

I was just thinking how interesting it would be to see how each of us here, especially the ones that teach, would introduce the art of Wing Chun to new people. In my Sifu's school we have a specific set of things that we teach, stance, chain punch, Bil Sao side step and front kick vs straight, round, X-wrist grab, etc..centerline concept and so on. We of course answer all of their questions and introduce them to the school.

How do you perform the same task?

With today's technology I think it would be cool if all of us taped a introductory lesson(How do you introduce WC to a new person) and put it out there for all of us to see. I think this would bring us closer to understanding one another better and its always nice to put a face to the name. I don't think this would be too hard to accomplish, even for the computer "dummies" out there. All you would have to do is tape a session, and transfer it too your computer(if you don't have a digital camera, but only video, you can get that tape transfered to a digital format and put on a disk for you, there's lots of company's out there that do that kinda stuff). Once on your hard drive, then you could subscribe to a Peer to Peer network like Shareza or Emule, and share the file from there. All we would have to do is download the file and view it.

Whatta think?

James

[anerlich]

In principle, this could be a great idea.

In practice, it could become one more opportunity for internecine criticism and vituperation (Some people don't seem to enjoy that. Go figure ;) ).

Also, I could see people on bullshido or other forums linking to one or more of the clips and saying "look at these idiots."

Sending one another clips via email, tapes or CD/DVD's might be a better option.

[YongChun]

My approach is to play with a new student first. Then if I am better than that student I point out while we are playing, all the things he could do to improve his chances and point out all his mistakes. So that makes it very clear to the student. I never intimidate anyone in any way or hurt him or her. If they want to feel the force, I let them feel that according to what I think they can handle.

After that I introduce the SLT form. Then I explain the idea behind each section. For example with the stance, I show them what happens if you have a good stance and what happens if you have a lousy stance. Then crossing down and up part. I explain the centerline concept by means of a demo. They mostly go off the center, open the center, cross the center, don't face properly and all kinds of stuff that I can take advantage of. So then they get the idea that the centerline theory isn't too bad. Then for the slow part of the form I show the difference between relaxing and being tense while fighting. Etc.

If the guy is better than me, then I acknowledge that and learn something from him.

After this lesson I tell the student to look around at all the other schools first and see what they have to say. I tell them a skillful guy in any martial art can beat you up real good and have some nice convincing talk to go along with it. So in the end it's up to them. I also give students the pro and con arguments that we have been discussing the past two weeks so that they can make up their own mind regarding to the type of training they like to start with.

After that the lessons , even in group classes, are kind of tailored to the student according to what they can do and what they need and how their minds and bodies work.

For a minimum everyone learns the SLT, how to pivot, how to step in, how to punch and kick and the basics of Chi sau mechanics which include single sticking hands, Lap sau and the Poon sau or rolling hands mechanics. After that everyone can mix together to do whatever we decide to do on a particular lesson.

In public classes, for entertainment, we always used to spend the last half hour knife fighting but not with real knives.

Ray

[Ernie]

simple
i have him glove up and spar with me or some one that is there nothing hard just want to see what i'm working with :D

i don't even need to really ask him what he knows i see what he does

based on that , a truth comes out and better to deal with honesty don't you think

[YongChun]

Half the students we get know nothing at all about fighting so I don't need to glove them up because they wouldn't have a clue what to do. We just play at some comfortable speed for them,

The other half come from various fighting backgrounds and just like to try Wing Chun. If he is for example an Olympic calibre Judo guy then I don't take him out to the mat to show him something. If I glove him up, it's not his game. He will try to apply what he knows.

If he is a hitter then the gloving up is OK.

Fortunately there aren't too many people like Frank Shamrock or Chris Doleman who walk in and say "I don't know anything about fighting but I want to see what this Wing Chun stuff is all about. Can you show me something?"

Ray

[sihing]

Anerlich,
I was thinking about that too, using CD's to send around and share with one another, good idea. Frankly I wouldn't care too much if the bullshido people or whoever was laughing. You somehow have to introduce something to the people interested.

In my kwoon we are a commercial school and a business, but we pride ourselves on the fact that we give to our students (customers) a quality product at a good fair price. For the introductory lesson for the prospective student we are trying to instill in them the simplicity of the art and to convey that it is something anyone can do and be good at. We don't try to convince anyone of anything, but to show the advantages the WC system can give them. Comparisons to other MA is shunned upon.

I don't agree with the sparring with them thing or having another senior student spar with them. If Sifu did that on my first visit then I probably would have never joined, it’s to intimidating for them, even light sparring. I think it’s better to explain some of the principals behind the art and demonstrate them also.

Oh well, I thought it was a good idea and I always enjoy viewing others in their WC practice....


James

[YongChun]

I think safety is always the main thing. With a stranger the sparring thing can get out of hand very quickly. It's easy to get injured real good in some strange club that way because their reputations are always on the line. Herman Siwanda the late SIlat expert said his father told him to make sure her breaks the arm of this Kung Fu guy that was coming to check out the school. They didn't want him to think that Silat was wimpy. My approach is more like the James approach. That usually works to attract people.

Ray

[captain]

hello james,

a good class [regardless of the subject] must have a clear begining,middle and end.sounds obvious,but its true.you must plan what you hope the learner will come away with from that lesson,and what your aims as a teacher are too.for the sake of ma's,you must make it clear [if,as you say,they would be new to wc] what the benefits of studying wc are.

depending on your style of teaching.didactic:listen/do as i say or humanitarian:listen/lets work together,your learners need to feel comfortable and free to ask questions [and not be made to feel badly if they make a mistake].

1,intro 'what we'll do today'./warm up
2,actual lesson
3,concluson/warm down/questions [feedback helps you too!]
and what will happen next time.

Russ