Originally Posted by
KPM
What do you think of Wing Chun in Sanshou competitions?
I think San Shou competitions are a wonderful testbed for martial artists.
If the only exposure someone has to a San Shou environment is at a tournament, though... what's the point?
I say, get a few people in class trained up as judges and refs; Get some AIBA approved equipment, for maximum safety; and have your own in-house sessions. Dedicate at least one class a week to San Shou sparring, and one class a month to San Shou proper. That way, there's a possibility of actually learning to express the concepts of your own specific art within San Shou rules. No real in-house San Shou means no real knowledge of the environment. That's been the biggest drawback of Wing Chun and other arts... they don't have in-house San Shou. Only pseudo San Shou, often with light contact and no throws.
San Shou is a training tool, not a style in and of itself. Use the tool to train, and you will get results.
"It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own." -Cicero