Forms

[tri2bmt]

Hey, I'm quite new to wing chun as I only learned the first form before I had to move to the country and now I have no teacher. I was wondering if any of you guys could recommend a book on the second and third forms as I'd really like to learn them.

[Jeff Preston]

Tri2bmt, You can'nt learn everything you need from a book. You need a Sifu or older class member to help you along. You could read a book on Wing Chun but, do you think you can grasp everything their saying. One mistake and you could be a mile away from what they are asking you to do. Experience from a Sifu will make it a shorter trip. Hope this helps.

[Martial Joe]

Where do you live?

Maybe there is some schools around you.

[tri2bmt]

I realize that I need a sifu but there is none near me and I want to continue to study. THis way, with the foundation built during my year and a half with my sifu, i can expand and whenever i find a new sifu, he can correct me. IF there are no books than fine. But if there is I would really like to know the titles and at least apply the principals of the first form to the others.

[Jeff Preston]

There are good books,but who do you want to study from is the Question.

[tri2bmt]

My teacher taught a style that could be traced more or less to Ip CHun. I read his book and the hand placement, tension required and arrangement of movements were the same. So something along those lines. I just need to learn the footwork of the second and third forms and I really want to learn the shooting fingers set.

[yenhoi]

My advice would be do do the first form, and stance training, and any footwork drills your first sifu gave you. Those are the drills and forms and stance that you will be training the most anyways, regardless if you know the 2nd and 3rd form and the associated drills.

Not enough can be said for the practice of the first form.It will not teach you to fight, but nothing except fighting does that anyways.

Chum Kil, Biu Jee, and Mook Jong forms are very important, but no matter what, if you practice them from a book, you will be doing more harm then good.

Think of it as time economy: should you spend your time and energy practicing what you have already been taught, that needs practice, and always will, VS spending valuable time and energy on something incomplete from a book. For me this would be an easy choice (and was) as I value my time and energy above all else.

A few of the principles Im sure your first Sifu taught you was, simplicity, and economy. Apply those principles.

[yenhoi]

Also, I will post the names and authors of the books I have on WC when I get home.

Another option might be finding someone in your area who used to play WC and train with them.

[anerlich]

To answer the guy's question with something other than "you are wasting your time learning from a book":

The lineage bias here is obvious and I'm not even trying to hide it:

Chum Kil is shown in detail and complete accuracy in "Advanced Wing Chun" by William Cheung. From memory, it's also on one of the "Wing Chun Way" tapes from William Cheung.

Bil Jee is in "Wing Chun Bill Jee" by William Cheung. The book has a missing section and a couple of variations to what I was taught but is pretty right other rthan that.

Butterfly Swords are in "Kung Fu Butterfly Swords", by guess who. Pretty accurate. Also on one of the Wing Chun Way tapes.

Dragon pole - "Kung Fu Dragon Pole", same again. The sequence of pictures seems to have been messed up in this book.

Dummy - GM Cheung may have some later videos I haven't seen (we left his organisation in 1996). Rick Spain sells a video with multiple angles, slomo. and applications at www.combatcentres.com.

There are no doubt other finme sources, these are the only ones I've seen. And they're probably pretty useless to someone who don't do TWC.

Is there another CMA teacher near you? IMHO, doing something else with a good teacher is better than just trying to struggle along on your own.

[teazer]

Alternately. pretty much most commercial instructors have a video series out there with all the forms on them. Some even offer online instruction.
Caveat emptor!

[Shisio]

Anybody know of any video's with WC forms?

[teazer]

Yes. Many. Why?

[PHILBERT]

tri2bmt

Just out of curiousity, where DO you live?

[Shisio]

Teazer, you do live up to your name. Because I'd like to learn them. Unfortunatley there isn't anyone in my area that teaches them either. So unless your kidding me, whats the scoop? Thanx

[teazer]

Well as I mentioned, pretty much all the more well known commercial instructors have video series and most of them have them for sale on their websites . I've found tapes advertized fairly prolifically in kung fu magazines. However the forms vary somewhat even between Yip Man's students. Thus it's difficult to make a recommendation, especially without knowing who's stuff you've learned so far or even what country you're in (& thus what video format you'd need or, for instance who has the distribution rights to whatever footage it might be)
Given all that, I was kinda thinking either you could give us a bit more info or you could consult the Oracle - AKA Google, and get a phone number to call.