Prime for Wing Chun?

[william]

Just a quick question;

When do you believe you are in your prime in your wing chun training?

A lot of martial arts/ fighting sports have a huge fitness element, so I guess younger means fitter. I dont mean too young however, I am proposing that a 28 year old boxer is likely to beat a 50 year old boxer, because he is in better physical condition.

How ever in wing chun I guess it would be different. I believe that you do need some degree of fitness/strengh etc, but the skill aspect is so much greater. So if two people start training when then were 18, one is now 28 and the other is 50, I would think the 50 year old would win if they fought?

I would suggest then that your prime of wing chun, assuming you started in you early twenties or before, comes when you are about 40/50? or is younger and fitter always better?

I may be completely wrong here, but I thought it was interesting

Cheers

W

[n.mitch]

Maybe fighting might be better when your in your phisical peak prob around 30(that does vary alot thought).but your knowledge and understanding of the art and the softness and flow gets better the longer you study no matter what age i think. so a person who has studied Wing chun for 30years who might be 50 should have a deeper understaning than a 30year old who has studied for 10years.

[YongChun]

I would relate it to other fighting arts. I think professional boxers are usually less than 30 years old but a few have done well at 40. A 60 year old boxer may have better understanding so as to be able to generate the next champion. I have heard that some 70 year old fencers can give the young guys a run for their money but the Olympic champions are likely to be guys also less than 30 years old. Good Wing Chun at age 60 can handle bad Wing Chun at any younger age within certain physical limits of speed , size and strength. We always have limits.

Ray

[anerlich]

Ray is correct. If you really got better and better with age, the elite tournaments (point, continuous, ring, etc.) would be full of these older guys with invincible trechnique. Unsurprisingly, few competitors in open divisions are much over 40.

[anerlich]

Deeper understanding from someone 60 years old with 40 years in the arts? Yeah.

Able to beat a combat athlete, or SWAT or SAS-trained trooper in their 30's? Most unlikely.

[Taff]

I guess I should make the most of being 20 then

[wing_nut]

I guess I should make the most of being 20 then

It's all downhill from there.

[crysis]

sucks. im 20 in a few months and just starting wing chun.

[kj]

sucks. im 20 in a few months and just starting wing chun.

Ha ha. I started when I was almost 40. I could be your grandmother. Life's tough and then you die.

Have fun while it lasts.

Regards,
- kj

[anerlich]

I guess I should make the most of being 20 then

Make the most of today, whatever age you are.