Have you ever trained with someone significantly lighter than you?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Wing Chun takes a lot of abuse on the forums huh?

Yep, they are the red head step child of TCMA !

[Lucas]

Yep, they are the red head step child of TCMA !

those poor gingers

[IronFist]

Yep, they are the red head step child of TCMA !

Is that because WC guys can't even stop arguing amongst themselves about what is/isn't WC/WT/VT?

Or is it because WC has proven itself to be less effective for fighting than the other KF styles?

Or is it because of chi sao?

[SimonM]

Careful who reads this. lol.

Heh, worst thing that happens some little guy comes up to Toronto to prove me wrong and then, at least, I get a good fight.

[I Hate Ashida Kim]

Heh, worst thing that happens some little guy comes up to Toronto to prove me wrong and then, at least, I get a good fight.

I wasn't referring to you

[sanjuro_ronin]

Is that because WC guys can't even stop arguing amongst themselves about what is/isn't WC/WT/VT?

Or is it because WC has proven itself to be less effective for fighting than the other KF styles?

Or is it because of chi sao?

Yes.

[SimonM]

I wasn't referring to you

My experience doesn't prove or disprove that of any other large martial artists. I can merely speak to my own experience.

[Pork Chop]

Little guys hit you and if you can even see it, a lot of times you can't do anything about it.
it sux.

I always thought grappling was easier on little guys trying to make up for a size disadvantage (vs striking); because of grappling moves/locks employing leverage.

[YouKnowWho]

I used to pick up big guys as my training partners. Oneday my teacher asked me to change partner to a much light weight guy. I found out that:

- My speed increased big time. I could move much faster.
- It's much easier for me to develop new skills.

I strongly recommand "lighter weight" training partners. Heavy training partner will make you slow and lazy, also you may be afraid to try something new.

[jdhowland]

As the token roundeye in classes of predominantly Chinese Americans I only had one good training partner who could knock me around--a 5'10" Chinese-Hawaiian. I had him on reach and height but his arms were as big as my legs!

Now I have training partners of all sizes.

[Drake]

I was stacked by a much smaller, but military and professionally trained MMA guy. It was pretty quick, too. Someday I'll get my rematch.

I also lost to a smaller TCMA guy many years back, and ended up studying under him. It reinforced the skill over mass concept, that's for sure. But I'm pretty sure this guy was an alien cyborg sent to test my ability to handle defeat.

[Lee Chiang Po]

It has been my personal experience that the average large man does not really know how to fight. His size usually gets him over and he never really had to learn how to fight. In my case, I stand slightly over 5'4" tall, but most of my younger life I scaled at 206 pounds. Mostly raw bone and muscle. Just looking down at the top of someone's head can create a great deal of over confidence in most large men, and they are seldom ever prepared for what would follow. It is pretty much human nature I guess.
Wing Chun does get a good ragging most of the time, but it really does not deserve it. It is the most effective of all the TCMA in my opinion, and can hold it's own against most any other system I can imagine. I wouldn't want to tie up with Mike Tyson or some big professional fighter, but I seriously doubt there are many MMA fighters that could stand up to someone like that either. Average man against average man, trained in most anything he chooses, will run a risk in fighting a Wing Chun fighter. For real fighting, it is the only system that you can keep even in your old age. All the other stuff is usually young man stuff and lost with age. I am 67 years old now, and I think I can whip any 67 year old out there, no matter your gung fu, unless you are a Wing Chun fighter. You might be able to keep me from killing you.

[SimonM]

It has been my personal experience that the average large man does not really know how to fight.

The average person doesn't know how to fight - size has nothing to do with it. Most people don't train in fighting; these days, most people live in places with a modicum of civilization where knowing how to fight is a luxury rather than a necessity...

At least the average internet citizen.

His size usually gets him over and he never really had to learn how to fight.

There is some truth to this - as it applies to large guys and whether they need learn fight. But that isn't to say that a large guy who trains how to fight won't know how.

Just looking down at the top of someone's head can create a great deal of over confidence in most large men, and they are seldom ever prepared for what would follow.

Here you descend to supposition.

It is the most effective of all the TCMA in my opinion, and can hold it's own against most any other system I can imagine.

Evidence?

I wouldn't want to tie up with Mike Tyson or some big professional fighter, but I seriously doubt there are many MMA fighters that could stand up to someone like that either.

Am I the only one here who remembers Tyson's abortive MT career? No disrespect to the man - he was a great boxer and could probably beat most MMA champs in a boxing match. Throw in kicks and wrestling and Tyson would probably find the UFC heavyweights had an advantage over him.

[Lee Chiang Po]

Proof is difficult to present. I guess that in my case, I have probably been involved in over 200 fights over about 30 or 35 years and although I have taken some real beatings I have never yet lost a fight. And being only 5'4" tall, I am speaking from experience when I say most men have a real sense of superiority when they can look down at the top of your head.
I have not practiced or trained my Wing Chun in well over40 years. Probably close to 50 years now. I felt that I was about as good as I would ever get. I have not lost it even now, and I do not have to do any particular stretch or execise to be able to do any of it even today at 67 years of age. If you are doing some other form of gung fu I suspect you will have to continue to do certain things in order to retain it, and even then age would exclude a great deal of it for you.
And even if the average man doesn't really know how to fight, it is not to say he can not inflict serious injury upon you. I have only fought one man that was gung fu trained and he was said to be the most dangerous mantis fighter in New Orleans area. I beat him so bad even my friends shunned me for being so brutal. Most of the people I have tussled with actually attempted to box with me. Some had taken karate classes for a little while and would attempt to do some dramatic high kick on me. I loved those. The ones I watched the most were the dudes with bald heads or super short hair. Most of them fancied themselves to be fighters of some sort.

[Vajramusti]

They must have been doing WC.

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Sanjuro- you do have your cheap shot.