Secret true Wing Chun...

[LoneTiger108]

History, traditions, politics are all parts of WC, should be recorded in books for future reference.

You don't win fights with future reference.

I see your angle, but if I was only ever concerned with 'winning fights' my Sifu would have never taught me what he did. It's just his way, and it was the way of his Sifu and Ip Man before him (or so I heard lol!)

FWIW I think books on Wing Chun should really become a thing of the past. We live in a modern age, and I think our way forward is to openly share our knowledge through film. So people can actually SEE what you are talking about!

And here-in lay another little secret...

Some people simply do not want to be seen maybe because they're just too awesome!!

[WC1277]

There's no secrets in WC, only confusion on how to best explain what is literally universal. There's never been "secrets" except a desire not to teach foreigners. But since that's a thing of the past, really it just comes down to a lack of understanding simplicity in fighting and body unity in movement. A physical therapist could figure out a fighting system very similar to WC if they really wanted to....

[GlennR]

FWIW I think books on Wing Chun should really become a thing of the past. We live in a modern age, and I think our way forward is to openly share our knowledge through film. So people can actually SEE what you are talking about!

I disagree with you here, books compliment video footage IMO

And here-in lay another little secret...

Some people simply do not want to be seen maybe because they're just too awesome!

Yeh, they live in the Bat Cave

[LoneTiger108]

There's no secrets in WC, only confusion on how to best explain what is literally universal. There's never been "secrets" except a desire not to teach foreigners. But since that's a thing of the past...

You may be interested to know that it really isn't a 'thing of the past'. Some of the older generations still only teach Chinese and family, so with the greatest respect you are wrong to think it's an open playing field.

Yes, there have been many changes in recent times, but as a living example my Sifu started his learning in 1965, opened his first 'club' in 1978 but only taught with no restriction to a small group of guys from 1995. That's 30 years of not teaching how he wanted to. 30 years of teaching without his native language. 30 years of trying to teach with limited English!

A physical therapist could figure out a fighting system very similar to WC if they really wanted to....

That's a bit of a stretch, but I can see what you mean. If all the original chinese terms were erased and we all had a universal English way of teaching using physio-lingo that might be a start. But fme this has already been done in the UK, and elsewhere, over and over and over again but we still face the same issues as before. Stagnation in learning has to be unlocked through correct guidance, and the language already exists for this to be possible. It's Chinese We just need a unified translation!!

[LoneTiger108]

I disagree with you here, books compliment video footage IMO

I agree to a point.

I see and read many many many peoples views and ideas about what Wing Chun is all about. Not just here in the forums but through book format too. But I tend not to see too many decent reflections of books on video/DVD.

One of my Sifus students wrote a song entitled "Talk Wing Chun, Walk Wing Chun" which says alot about this subject.

Lots of words that describe Wing Chun perfectly out there, but not enough videos that live up to the expectation IMHO.

[Hendrik]

There's no secrets in WC, only confusion on how to best explain what is literally universal. There's never been "secrets" except a desire not to teach foreigners. But since that's a thing of the past, really it just comes down to a lack of understanding simplicity in fighting and body unity in movement. A physical therapist could figure out a fighting system very similar to WC if they really wanted to....

1. Yes there are lots of purposely untold key points.

2. No. Get the best physical therapist you know in the west and see how far he could decode siu Lin tau.

[Vajramusti]

There's no secrets in WC, only confusion on how to best explain what is literally universal.

((Not quite true imo. Also depends on what is meant by secret. Knowledge involves building blocks in some subjects.))

. A physical therapist could figure out a fighting system very similar to WC if they really wanted to....

((I doubt it))

joy

[sanjuro_ronin]

There's no secrets in WC, only confusion on how to best explain what is literally universal. There's never been "secrets" except a desire not to teach foreigners. But since that's a thing of the past, really it just comes down to a lack of understanding simplicity in fighting and body unity in movement. A physical therapist could figure out a fighting system very similar to WC if they really wanted to....

Hmmm, you need to be a fighter to "figure" out a fighting system.
Ooops, I just gave away the secret !
*runs and hides from WC ninjas*

[LoneTiger108]

Hmmm, you need to be a fighter to "figure" out a fighting system.

If this is YOUR big secret of Martial Arts I can kinda see why you are lost

[sanjuro_ronin]

If this is YOUR big secret of Martial Arts I can kinda see why you are lost

You need to look around dude and look hard and see that WC may be plagued by many things but a preponderance of fighters is NOT one of them.

[LoneTiger108]

You need to look around dude and look hard and see that WC may be plagued by many things but a preponderance of fighters is NOT one of them.

And I really don't mind that as much as others seem to! I'm not really into scrapping and such, I am more interested in delivering the system in more controlled ways. Sparring as exercise has it's place but p l e a s e ! There are also many other attributes that need developing before you go on the mat or into a ring.

I prefer to coach people through that, and if they decide to go there I will supprt them to. But many guys I know with a very decent skill in Wing Chun can't be bothered with changing their habits to suit referees and the like. Besides, there still isn't enough money in it in the UK to make it viable so stop banging on about fighting fighting fighting because it really does get a little boring...

[sanjuro_ronin]

And I really don't mind that as much as others seem to! I'm not really into scrapping and such, I am more interested in delivering the system in more controlled ways. Sparring as exercise has it's place but p l e a s e ! There are also many other attributes that need developing before you go on the mat or into a ring.

I prefer to coach people through that, and if they decide to go there I will supprt them to. But many guys I know with a very decent skill in Wing Chun can't be bothered with changing their habits to suit referees and the like. Besides, there still isn't enough money in it in the UK to make it viable so stop banging on about fighting fighting fighting because it really does get a little boring...

I don't think you understand what I am trying to say.
Sorry.
What I am saying is that IF there is a secret to "unlocking" the fighting aspect of WC, that "secret" is fighting.
When you fight with your WC you find what works, what doesn't and how to make what doesn't work, work.
The one thing all of the great WC masters of the past had in common was they FOUGHT.
That is how one makes WC work.
It isn't locked in books, scrolls, poems or archaic mumble-jumbo and nonsense.
You fight, just like THEY did.

[Wayfaring]

The one thing all of the great WC masters of the past had in common was they FOUGHT.
That is how one makes WC work.

And here all along I was thinking it was by sitting around drinking tea and discussing inch power chi development.

[LoneTiger108]

The one thing all of the great WC masters of the past had in common was they FOUGHT.
That is how one makes WC work.
It isn't locked in books, scrolls, poems or archaic mumble-jumbo and nonsense.
You fight, just like THEY did.

I think you may have a warped understanding of what was actually happening in these fights and how skilled (or not) some of the past matches were. And if you go even further back than Ip Man, it's all just story after story.

[Wayfaring]

I think you may have a warped understanding of what was actually happening in these fights and how skilled (or not) some of the past matches were. And if you go even further back than Ip Man, it's all just story after story.

So your contention is that the old WC masters weren't really that skilled at all - just overhyped?