A question for the long time practitioners of MA.

[Jeff Liboiron]

I've only been studying wing chun for about 6 months and practice a lot.

I was wondering how it was for the long time practitioners. Do you practice more, the same or not as much as you used to?

The object is not to hurt someone else, but to stop them from hurting you

[soy]

I can tell you what people who train with me tell me. I have no first hand experience in wing chun though.

Both of the people I train with no longer train wing chun. They believe that it is a great art, but is simply incompatible with real fighting.

There is some talk that perhaps the non hong kong version of the art could posess some more valuable techniques. Also, there was some speculation that perhaps the super advanced level stuff tought by masters of the art could also be effective.

The general opinion, however. Is that most Wing Chun practitioners fall under these catagories:

a) Overly ego-ridden. Unable to teach, can't stop talking about how cool they are.

b) Semi-humble, but still arrogant. They don't realise the weaknesses of their art.

or

c) Decided that wing chun was a good supplement, and had some valuable techniques. But ultimately decided that it alone was just not good enough to effectively fight.

I've heard talk that many of the people who claim to be masters of wing chun are full of it. Which isnt suprising. This is true for all martial arts. Especially in america.

My personal opinion, from seeing wing chun people fight is that it is a pretty good art. But it wouldent stand up to muay thai, bjj, or shaolin kung fu.

Just opinions though! Don't bother flaming, I don't even read them.

[Ryu]

Well sir, I can't answer anything about Wing Chun because I'm a judo/BJJ/JKD guy... but I can at least tell you what I've noticed with myself.

The longer I practiced MA, the more I tried to train realistically and look at my overall training to see where it was getting me.

Could I use it in real situations? Could I pull it off under stress, adrenaline dumps, etc.
I sparred with many different people from all styles (and plain streetfighters too)
I analysed all the real fights I had, and pulled info from that.
then I kept wanting to make sure I was functional in what I was doing.
So I trained more, lifted weights, excercised more, sparred more, joined grappling clubs, etc.

My "art" is always kind of evolving even though I don't change my gameplan that much. I have a strong base, but I add to it.
I was pretty heavy into judo and grappling,
I was taught some JKD

And I continually practice this stuff, but now I'm getting into more self-defense aspects of fighting like OC spray, guns, knives, police control tactics, etc.


Hope that helps...somewhat.
The longer you train, the more mortal you understand you are.

Ryu

http://home.vobis.net/user/roy/anime/images/streetfighter15.jpg


"One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage."

[Waidan]

I don't practice as much now as I used to. Really though, I think that's more a matter of circumstance than waining interest. I try to work out whenever time allows...and that includes circle walking in the men's room at work. :)

[Johnny Hot Shot]

Ryu nails it pretty much right on the head. I'm training more now than I ever have. My new carrere is going to let me make training my job as well as my passion. Definately training more.

"Life's a great Adventure, Mate"
Jacko Jackson

[Budokan]

Overall I think I might train a little less than I did 3 years ago, but more intelligently. The training is also of higher quality because I know more about what I'm doing, it's benefits, and what to work on for technical/mental improvement.

K. Mark Hoover

[JWTAYLOR]

Eh, I wax and wain. I'll go fairly light for a year or so, like only practicing 2 hours three times a week, and then I'll go back to 2 hours a night minimum plus a 5 hour session 2 more times a week. I just started getting back into the harder schedule about 5 or 6 months ago. I'm trying to keep up weapons training as well as empty hand, and still find time to grab people and roll, and that ain't easy.

JWT

If you pr!ck us, do we not bleed? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that the villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. MOV

[Jeff Liboiron]

just to clear things up i wasn't talking about wing chun specifically, i was talking about any art you practice.

The object is not to hurt someone else, but to stop them from hurting you

[shinwa]

I train more now than I did when i first started. There are just so many things to work on that I'm more aware of now then I was as a pup. Another thing I realized years ago is that it's not about effective styles and ineffective styles. It's about effective and ineffective FIGHTERS. If you can't make something work it's your own fault. Don't go blaming it on some 500 year old technique. How pretentious can you be?

[Colin]

I think that a persons training evolves throughout their life.
About 10 years ago I would attend regular instructor led classes about 4 times a week, plus training at home.
Now I suppose this is down to say 1 or 2 sessions in the class, but alot more (2 hours+ per day) of training at home.
Reasons are simple. I now know a little bit more, & have a greater understanding of what i'm trying to achieve.
As a relative beginner you need to be guided by your Sifu, to be taught correct stance & technique. Later as you learn more you will need and want to practice more outside class.
Take the opportunity to get together with other students outside lessons. So much can be learnt by discussing the techniques you're learning.
I almost envy you the start of your long journey in CMA's.
Good luck.
Colin............

[strangecaptain]

I just saw where you are from. So... a Gibson fan. Cool. Remember this quote? "It is the voice of god, and I live forever in his eternal hum." I practice every chance I get. I have 2 other jealous mistresses besides MA, so time is a premium. I think many on this board would work out 8 hours a day if they could somehow.

[HuangKaiVun]

The more experienced I get, the more I practice.

For me, the issue is more physical than motivational. It took a while for my jings to change, particularly in terms of power generation.

If anything, I've become more fond of practicing over the years.

[Wongsifu]

am i the only one who practises less the better i get ???
I used to practise 3 hours a day 4 days a week
9 odd years ago

now i practise 1 - 2.5 hours a day , i believe its intensity that counts, ever tried 30 mins solid instead of walking leisurely for 2 hours ...

:D

but soon im gonna bump it up to something mad like 5 hours a day 5 days a week. 2-hours in classes and 2-hours private.
continuing my high intensity but also doing other stuff.

what do bin laden and general custer have in common????
They're both wondering where the fu(k all of those tomahawks are coming from. - donated by mojo

[joedoe]

If I could, I would train full time. But as it is, I don't train as much as I used to. I'd like to think that now I get more quality than quantity though :)

cxxx[]:::::::::::>
You're fu(king up my chi

[shinwa]

I believe what Jet Li once said. That his teamamtes use to physically train harder, and hwile he trained hard, he spent alot of time thinking about the movements and trying to understand them. Something to that effect. Sometimes you have to be way active and nearly killing yourself in training, sometimes it's bet to just be still.

[rogue]

The emphasis changes as well as the amount of time. Right now I've collected enough bone bruises by doing additional sparring and will cut back to just TKD 1-3 times a week; but I'll spend more time on forms, read up on some criminology, terrorism, stalking, etc and watch tapes of different styles. Also I'll spend more time socializing and spending extra time with the kids.

Signed,
Rogue, Soke and Senior Grandmaster of Southeast American Brazillian Bagua Combat Chi jitsu Kempo Karate Do and Choral Society.

The only tactical principle which is not subject to change; it is, “To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

[Sharky]

i can't say i'm a long time practitioner, but all i know is that i tend to go through periods of intense training, then times of doing near to nothing. These are usually from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Wierd.

=================================
Sharky, I should expect this level of immaturity from you after seeing your post titled "Hm." regarding the woman that lives next door to you. I think everyone who unfortuneatly read that post is a bit more ignorant now for doing so. - Spectre

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Chris McKinley]

It would depend on what period of my martial arts training I was comparing. I certainly don't put in as many total hours a week in certain kinds of training as I once did, but the majority of that I chalk up to previous stupidity. I've learned how to train a helluva lot more effectively and efficiently over the years. Plus, as I get more advanced, especially in the Taoist internal arts, the line between when you're practicing and when you're not begins to blur just a bit.

In addition to daily circle walking, zhan zhuang, yogic breathing methods, and Yi development, I also practice palm changes of various types and do both blade and stick work. I also teach 4-5 days a week on top of that, so I keep my hand in.

[shaolinboxer]

I will have been practicing for ten years in the spring.

I have switched schools a few times, and there is a cycle that I have noticed.

It takes many months to find a school for me, so inbetween i usually work out at a gym. So I begin at the new school and it sort of a trial period. I try not to be too gung ho so that I can stay objective, and split my workouts between the gym and the kwoon.

As my body acclamates to the MA style, if I am having a good time and I think it's worth it, I begin having more kwoon workouts, say 3 days up from 2 a week. Once I decide that the school, teacher, lessons, etc is worth dedicating my time to, I begin to practice "full time".

Now I practice 5 days a week at the dojo (besides doing my dojo homework and missing days due to work or a really great party) resting on the weekends so that I can recover. Recovery include physical as well as mental relaxation. It is important for me to balance homelife with dojo life.

I would say that my enthusiasm for practice has only increased with time, and that my experience has given me the abiltity to manage my time properly and get the most from my training. Sometimes you can start out with one goal in martial arts training, and as you evolve as a human being your needs will change (especially sine many of us start out as boys/girls and become men/women during that first decade).

Be prepared for a few bumps along the road, and immense satifaction, joy, and strength.