Originally Posted by
sihing
Dude, I'm not trying to answer for Jin, but for me his video's are all about TRAINING, not application. When you are training (as a fellow teacher I've learned this) you have to isolate things, over and over again so that the student can learn what it is the drill or art is trying to teach them. Wing Chun has allot of this, especially when in contact. Also, since WC is a closer range system, boxing mechanics and structure doesn't apply, boxers hit and get out, they don't aim to control while they are hitting. Controlling while hitting requires a different structure and mechanic, watch all of Jin's vids and you will see this. There are no "fighiting" structures, this is static thinking. There are only training structures, which include mobility forward/back, but also allow you to absorb/give force & energy, an important attribute when in close.
Another thing is the idea of this method is better than that method. I don't believe in that type of thinking, nor do I believe Jin is saying any of that in his vid's. The fact is if you are learning different methods of striking simultaneously, unless you are really talented and have all day to train, you will sacrifice skills in all areas because your body will not know what to do. I have a student that is learning WC from me but also is taking karate as well, that is his choice but I can see the conflict on a daily basis. He's trained in karate longer than the WC but because of the duel training there is a conflict happening in his mechanics that impeeds his application of what WC is trying to teach. As an example, he constantly closes off his stance when he is following his opponent in while punching, in essence losing his facing. Most karate, as far as I know, doesn't have facing concepts, this is a problem as it doesn't allow him to use what WC is offering as effectively.
I agree with you that structure is fluid and never fixed, but to get to that point you have to learn it in a fixed way, so that it is natural for you to perform, once that has happened then you relax it, letting it happen naturally for you when you need it. Wong Shun Leung said, "Never be a slave to the system, you are the Master of it, not the other way around", this is a great saying to remember and has taught me that Wing Chun is all about training, not about application, and that hopefully thru hard work and perserverence one's training in WC will help them when they need it the most.
James
P.S. I totally see the signifigance of deadlift training & squat training to one's Wing Chun skills. The movements are not the exact same, but the benifits you can gain from both excersises will transfer to your Wing Chun skills absolutely. People think the pole training in Wing Chun is to learn how to fight with the pole, little do they realize that is not the actual purpose behind that aspect of the WC cirriculum, if you can't realize that within the 1st min of Jin's "shovel" vid then no one can help you.