A question about a video series and thoughts on learning at home.

[Arkansan]

So here lately my schedule has become highly unpredictable, multiple people sharing one vehicle, small child, spouse with a crazy work schedule, the whole nine yards really. I am broke as a joke to top it off.

Now for years I have been interested in Hung Gar. On a lark I found myself looking around online for instructional videos, really more just to get an idea of the system in action. I came across the Wing Lam Hung Gar instructional series and to my uneducated eye it seems fairly comprehensive. With the holidays coming round folks are asking me what to get me for them and I thought about telling them to pick up the beginner Hung Gar set from Wing Lams website.

Now I am realistic about these things, I understand that learning from a video isn't in the same ballpark as live training. I do have a fairly extensive martial arts background though, 8 years (on and off) of WC and JKD, a year of Kickboxing and BJJ, and a bit over a year of Boxing.

I have a great Sifu whom I consider a role model and mentor but my schedule is to crazy actually go to class for the foreseeable future, my attendance would be sporadic at best. I could however steal an hour or so a day to train at home and would like to be learning something new.

So I was wondering, how good are these DVDs, what lineage of Hung Gar does he teach, and more importantly how much could I actually pick up learning this way? Would there even be any point? I would love to learn some Hung Gar in person but I don't think there is even anyone in my entire state that teaches it. Basically I want to learn something until the (distant at this point) day that I am able to get back into proper training.

[RenDaHai]

I think its a good idea.

Of course its not ideal, but a hectic schedule is uncompromising. Everything needs a 'catalyst'. If you try and steal an hour a day to drill things you already know you will find it hard to find the incentive, especially when you are training alone. Trying to learn something new is good, it gets your mind working on it and provides a great distraction from the other things. It doesn't matter what level you can get to doing this, if it ensures you do something every day then its great, it gets you back in the KungFu mindset. And if you do come across a HungGar master you can correct your form.

That being said I don't know what these videos are like. I think they are old no? They might be very low resolution compared to todays standard. However HungGar is a popular style and there are so many videos on YouTube I suppose if there is a bit in the video that is not clear you can look at many performances online and compare. I would pick up a theory book at the same time though, it can fill in some of the blanks.

[jimbob]

I honestly think if you have a decent background and an understand of basic movement principles and of your own body, there is a lot you can pick up by video training. Add a camera for some self assessement and comparison and you've got a good start.

Wasn't hapkido completely the result of a houseboy spying on jujustu training?

And how many traditional Asian teachers are out there who will teach by demonstration and leave it up to the student to follow along? I've certainly seen this in many group oriented Japanese dojo - almost no personal instruction except for a sempai screaming at you or beating the $hit out of you. My own Chinese teacher would only correct you if you were doing something majorly wrong, otherwise you did what you saw as well as you could.

i don't think, given your background, it's an impossible task you've set for yourself.

[LFJ]

I knew an old guy years ago that had the whole series of training tapes. He filmed himself running all the forms and whatever other requirements and sent them in, kind of like the Gracie University. He eventually became an instructor of his own group on a university campus where he worked after meeting this Wing Lam guy like once and completing a test, to the best of my memory that is. No idea if that sort of thing is still going on. That was probably in the '90s.

[Arkansan]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will go ahead and put these videos on the wish list for holidays. Hung Gar is a style I have been interested in for a long time so it is an exciting prospect if I can pick up even the basics this way. Can anyone recommend a good theory book to go with this? I don't know how much of that sort of thing the videos will cover, though I gather that it does go into to some degree.

I don't know much about this guys reputation so I just wanted to make sure he was legitimate, but I can't find any real criticism of him via a quick google search so I suppose everything is in order. I don't know much about the various branches of this style, can anyone tell me what branch his Hung Gar comes through? I looked about on his site and didn't see it listed, well I didn't notice it anyway I could have overlooked it I suppose.

[David Jamieson]

So here lately my schedule has become highly unpredictable, multiple people sharing one vehicle, small child, spouse with a crazy work schedule, the whole nine yards really. I am broke as a joke to top it off.

Now for years I have been interested in Hung Gar. On a lark I found myself looking around online for instructional videos, really more just to get an idea of the system in action. I came across the Wing Lam Hung Gar instructional series and to my uneducated eye it seems fairly comprehensive. With the holidays coming round folks are asking me what to get me for them and I thought about telling them to pick up the beginner Hung Gar set from Wing Lams website.

Now I am realistic about these things, I understand that learning from a video isn't in the same ballpark as live training. I do have a fairly extensive martial arts background though, 8 years (on and off) of WC and JKD, a year of Kickboxing and BJJ, and a bit over a year of Boxing.

I have a great Sifu whom I consider a role model and mentor but my schedule is to crazy actually go to class for the foreseeable future, my attendance would be sporadic at best. I could however steal an hour or so a day to train at home and would like to be learning something new.

So I was wondering, how good are these DVDs, what lineage of Hung Gar does he teach, and more importantly how much could I actually pick up learning this way? Would there even be any point? I would love to learn some Hung Gar in person but I don't think there is even anyone in my entire state that teaches it. Basically I want to learn something until the (distant at this point) day that I am able to get back into proper training.

Wing Lam DVDs are oldish, but good quality. His lineage is fine as his Hung Gar goes and comes from Lam family direct as well As the Brothers Chiu.
He also is Bak Sil Lum and Ha Say Fu.

Having said that, it is better to use video as reference material and comparison material as opposed to learning material. But, that also depends on your learning style. Some people can learn from video. You still have to practice, you still have to test it etc. The second one being hard to do when you are training in a bubble.

No harm in learning the sets if you like as best you can from the video though. Hung Gar is pretty standard under the WFH/LSW banner.
At some point, it is in your best interest to get into yoru school for check ups, corrections, guidance etc.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will go ahead and put these videos on the wish list for holidays. Hung Gar is a style I have been interested in for a long time so it is an exciting prospect if I can pick up even the basics this way. Can anyone recommend a good theory book to go with this? I don't know how much of that sort of thing the videos will cover, though I gather that it does go into to some degree.

I don't know much about this guys reputation so I just wanted to make sure he was legitimate, but I can't find any real criticism of him via a quick google search so I suppose everything is in order. I don't know much about the various branches of this style, can anyone tell me what branch his Hung Gar comes through? I looked about on his site and didn't see it listed, well I didn't notice it anyway I could have overlooked it I suppose.

If I remember correctly, Gene is a former Wing Lam student in Bak Siu Lum(?).

[GeneChing]

Sifu Wing Lam was my first Kung Fu master. I was his head Shaolin instructor for several years, as well as his first full-time employee. I wrote the narration to most of his videos. We've discussed those before here: Wing-Lam-kung-fu-and-other-video-reviews (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?2019-Wing-Lam-kung-fu-and-other-video-reviews)

[Arkansan]

Sifu Wing Lam was my first Kung Fu master. I was his head Shaolin instructor for several years, as well as his first full-time employee. I wrote the narration to most of his videos. We've discussed those before here: Wing-Lam-kung-fu-and-other-video-reviews (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?2019-Wing-Lam-kung-fu-and-other-video-reviews)

Thanks for pointing those threads out. I guess a quick check of the search function might have cleared some of my questions up, sorry bout that.

[Arkansan]

Wing Lam DVDs are oldish, but good quality. His lineage is fine as his Hung Gar goes and comes from Lam family direct as well As the Brothers Chiu.
He also is Bak Sil Lum and Ha Say Fu.

Having said that, it is better to use video as reference material and comparison material as opposed to learning material. But, that also depends on your learning style. Some people can learn from video. You still have to practice, you still have to test it etc. The second one being hard to do when you are training in a bubble.

No harm in learning the sets if you like as best you can from the video though. Hung Gar is pretty standard under the WFH/LSW banner.
At some point, it is in your best interest to get into yoru school for check ups, corrections, guidance etc.

Yeah ideally I would love to get into a proper Hung Ga Kwoon, that or get back into my JKD/WC school. But my life is pretty crazy at the moment and I think home study may be the best route for now. I have always been able to pick up things from books and the like and I have no problem taking things super slow. I had planned on getting a notebook, taking notes on each tape, watching them several times before starting work on one, and just going about things very slowly and methodically.

Fortunately my wife is interested as well and has some background in WC as well, so I have a home training partner. I also have some friends with martial arts experience whom I think would be willing to do some sparring and drilling along the way. I also thought about asking around my area and seeing if maybe I could find an intrested training partner or two who is willing to work around a shaky schedule.

Did anyone have a recommendation for a theory book on the style?

[mickey]

Greetings and welcome to the forum, Arkansan

If you have not seen it, here is the Wing Lam Hung Gar Basics video. Try it before you buy it.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZgGCgKvYJM


For additional exercises I recommend the Shaolin Training tape by Hamby Sifu. I made fun of this tape a few years ago, but I really think it is a very good set of exercises derived from Hung Gar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZgGCgKvYJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjqwzhO8dZI

Whatever training you have had in previous, try to maintain some aspect of it. I think it will only assist you with your progress.

mickey

[bawang]

you can learn performance forms and strength conditioning at home just fine, for personal enjoyment. you just dont have credentials to teach it to others.

[Arkansan]

So on further reflection I think if intend to really learn anything this way it would be easier if I stuck to systems I have direct experience with. In that regard I have always wanted to go more in depth into my WC training, it was always sort of a supplement to my JKD but I always wanted to get more out of it.

With that in mind I have enough training in the system to have a solid grasp of the basics, so I figure it is much more realistic to attempt and make actual gains in understanding while home training in WC.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations on good WC DVDs?

I was thinking about either the Wing Chun museum set on the first three forms or the Samuel Kwok set on the same material. I know the SLT and the first section of the Chum Kiu, which of these two sets would be better for actually learning the forms and their applications?

[n4tive]

I'm on the same boat.

Been practicing the fundamentals with Sifu Donald Mak 麥廣權師傅 (https://www.facebook.com/sifu.donald.mak?fref=ts) which has nice site and very useful android apps. As far as youtube videos with Sifu Ed Cruz (Wind City Wing Chun). I have no prior training in WC so there are good for me at least. Would like to have the basics down until I enroll on a school.

[JamesC]

Who did you train with in Arkansas? McFann or are you around LR or Jonesboro?