Wing Chun Rolling

I was wondering what people know about Wing Chun Rolling. I've heard that you can easily survive a 10-foot fall by breaking it with one of the Wing Chun rolls at the end? Is this quite a niche part of the style?

I am able to jump from 6 stories and survive using my enhanced Chi Power :D

I am not familiar with any Wing Chun Systems which include falling or rolling as part of the curriculum.

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Originally Posted by Fighting_Lad

I was wondering what people know about Wing Chun Rolling. I've heard that you can easily survive a 10-foot fall by breaking it with one of the Wing Chun rolls at the end? Is this quite a niche part of the style?

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This sounds pretty similar with the BS my first Wing Chun school's org taught.

Marvellous question. Let me tell you a story of a man I met when I was on a warrior quest in Hong Kong.

As many of us know, Wing Chun is a big deal in the city that never sleeps (HK), and I’d heard many stories from my first teacher Andy about the gutsy fighting men of the eternal springtime fist (Wing Chun).

On my first day I sat by the river in a tea house overlooking North Point when I saw a young lady crying. Now, my Cantonese is not great, but I nonetheless asked, “Excuse me miss, why do you cry so?” She looked at me, as a child looks to the water lilies gracefully sprinkled over the fjords of the east, and said, “Why it was a young vandal, a slam head of the Wing Chun school who took my purse and left me to the dogs.” Enough was enough.

I found the address of the school in question (I’m not going to name and shame but let’s just say it was a VERY respected institution), and walked in. Six fellows were engaged in Chi-Sau practice, not dissimilar to push hands in Taijiquan and Rou Sou in Baguazhang, with the Mater standing by the window. “Why go you here honky-boy?” the master taunted from his ivory alter. “I mean you no harm, I just wish to challenge you to a deadly game of cat and mouse” was my response.

Now, challenge matches are taken seriously in traditional circles - so much so that in the olden days, beating a master often led to overtaking his kwoon.

We took our positions and I threw the first strike - a descending phoenix eye strike to the solar plexus. The master was knocked back so hard he ended up near the window. “There’s more’a’that ‘ a’comin’ old man” I vowed, approaching him. Now, instead of fighting me, the man simply leapt out of the window. He’s surely a dead’n I thought, but looking down I saw he had not only survived but was casually browsing in the market beneath the building.

For many years I pondered how this was possible, but having seen the rolling skills in the Japanese styles later, and knowing how Japanese styles largely come from traditional Chinese styles, I realised that of course Wing Chun must have some very developed rolling techniques. I’ll never forget this teacher and what I learned from him. He was a truly wise man...

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Originally Posted by Mega_Champion

Marvellous question. Let me tell you a story of a man I met when I was on a warrior quest in Hong Kong.

As many of us know, Wing Chun is a big deal in the city that never sleeps (HK), and I’d heard many stories from my first teacher Andy about the gutsy fighting men of the eternal springtime fist (Wing Chun).

On my first day I sat by the river in a tea house overlooking North Point when I saw a young lady crying. Now, my Cantonese is not great, but I nonetheless asked, “Excuse me miss, why do you cry so?” She looked at me, as a child looks to the water lilies gracefully sprinkled over the fjords of the east, and said, “Why it was a young vandal, a slam head of the Wing Chun school who took my purse and left me to the dogs.” Enough was enough.

I found the address of the school in question (I’m not going to name and shame but let’s just say it was a VERY respected institution), and walked in. Six fellows were engaged in Chi-Sau practice, not dissimilar to push hands in Taijiquan and Rou Sou in Baguazhang, with the Mater standing by the window. “Why go you here honky-boy?” the master taunted from his ivory alter. “I mean you no harm, I just wish to challenge you to a deadly game of cat and mouse” was my response.

Now, challenge matches are taken seriously in traditional circles - so much so that in the olden days, beating a master often led to overtaking his kwoon.

We took our positions and I threw the first strike - a descending phoenix eye strike to the solar plexus. The master was knocked back so hard he ended up near the window. “There’s more’a’that ‘ a’comin’ old man” I vowed, approaching him. Now, instead of fighting me, the man simply leapt out of the window. He’s surely a dead’n I thought, but looking down I saw he had not only survived but was casually browsing in the market beneath the building.

For many years I pondered how this was possible, but having seen the rolling skills in the Japanese styles later, and knowing how Japanese styles largely come from traditional Chinese styles, I realised that of course Wing Chun must have some very developed rolling techniques. I’ll never forget this teacher and what I learned from him. He was a truly wise man...

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And........... hes back

Hows Andy?

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Originally Posted by Almost A Ghost

This sounds pretty similar with the BS my first Wing Chun school's org taught.

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...so the rolling stuff has nothing to do with Wing Chun? Is it just a load of nonsense then?

Are there any styles that can teach me some decent rolling techniques? I really want to have the ability to roll away from my troubles nobly, with dignity and grace.

EDIT: Update - my friend who mentioned Wing Chun Rolling to me in the first place just linked me to this song via text: http://bit.ly/1tQFFZi

Looks like I'd been fooled all along!

I sense some trolling here.

Using a roll to break a fall is used in Parkour all the time. Many grappling style include rolls.

If anyone remembers the TV show "Ripcord" back in the sixties, they'll remember how those guys used to roll to break their falls on parachute landings.

Wing Chun roll? Never heard of it. Though I might try one if my local cafe had it on the menu.

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Originally Posted by anerlich

I sense some trolling here.

Using a roll to break a fall is used in Parkour all the time. Many grappling style include rolls.

If anyone remembers the TV show "Ripcord" back in the sixties, they'll remember how those guys used to roll to break their falls on parachute landings.

Wing Chun roll? Never heard of it. Though I might try one if my local cafe had it on the menu.

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Interesting; I'm thinking of taking up some Parkour. Does parkour have any martial applications?

You're right - my friend was taking me for a ride. Looks like the fool was on me!

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Originally Posted by Fighting_Lad

I was wondering what people know about Wing Chun Rolling. I've heard that you can easily survive a 10-foot fall by breaking it with one of the Wing Chun rolls at the end? Is this quite a niche part of the style?

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I was never aware of rolling with wing chun. If you want to learn this art, try Jap Jujitsu. You will go through lots of this training before you actually learn to throw. You must train with another person, and you have to learn how to prevent your own destruction, as you will take your turn being thrown. As with anything else, you can not do it half way. It is like a gun. You gotta shoot someone with it to make it work. So you go all out in throw practice to really make it work for you.The throwee could easily die from his mauling if done right.

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Originally Posted by Fighting_Lad

Does parkour have any martial applications?

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No........

Sorry but I'm pretty certain my experience in Hong Kong proves Wing Chun has rolling... If not, how do you explain what happened?

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Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po

I was never aware of rolling with wing chun. If you want to learn this art, try Jap Jujitsu. You will go through lots of this training before you actually learn to throw. You must train with another person, and you have to learn how to prevent your own destruction, as you will take your turn being thrown. As with anything else, you can not do it half way. It is like a gun. You gotta shoot someone with it to make it work. So you go all out in throw practice to really make it work for you. The throwee could easily die from his mauling if done right.

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Interesting - is Jujitsu commonly practiced? I'm guessing it has martial applications? I only ask this as part of the reason for my training is actually being able to stand up to a gang who caused me a bit of trouble in the past. The rolling would be really useful as I live on an estate and they often chase me and try to beat me up - if I could jump off the first floor balcony and break my fall I could probably escape every time.

P.S. Mega_Champion - so there actually was rolling in the Wing Chun practice you experienced in Hong Kong? Could you tell me a bit more? Maybe I haven't been fooled as devilishly as I thought!

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Originally Posted by Fighting_Lad

.... so there actually was rolling in the Wing Chun practice you experienced in Hong Kong? Could you tell me a bit more? Maybe I haven't been fooled as devilishly as I thought!

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Fool me once ... fool me twice ... and you know the rest of the story.