Is WC/VT a martial art for old guys?

[KungFubar]

one of the main reasons I gave up MT was because I wanted a martial art that was going to be viable to train and use into old age. Some of my senior kungfu uncles in HK are seriously capable fighters and they are in their late sixties and early seventies

what styles do they do at their age?

[YouKnowWho]

one of the main reasons I gave up MT was because I wanted a martial art that was going to be viable to train and use into old age. Some of my senior kungfu uncles in HK are seriously capable fighters and they are in their late sixties and early seventies

One of my old sparring partner was a professional MT fighter. He told me that average MT guys may only have 6 years of their professional life. Even in those 6 years, they had to have professional massage everyay after work out.

The secret to maintain your combat ability through your old age is "to use your body and not just to use your limbs".

[Ali. R]

hey young geezer.Sorry to hear of your challenges.I am about 22 years ahead of you age wise. Still climbing the wing chun mountain.

Ip man began around 12 years of age- ditto for Fong sifu. Ip Man when he was in his 70s still was doing chi sao with Ho Kam ming using his legs and hands. There are "principles" in wing chun but" "adjustmenT" is an important principle in connection with the others.

Adjustments would be very easy to do if one has a solid foundation, but if one keeps braking principles after the next before development takes place, then what would he or she have to adjust? Meaning you would always be in the stage of development, which could hurt you even more at an older age, because the wing chun mind set is still undeveloped.

Therefore, one could easily over compensate in the idea of “structural sensibility” by not finding a good neutral zone for controlling space and by putting too much pressure on the joints, but if one worked on building principles after the next to have a solid foundation, than adjustments wouldn’t be a problem whatsoever.

Meaning at my age, it would be based on how good of a practitioner you really are to have a good and successful adjustment, and it’s the same for the younger man as well, meaning if something is left behind and undeveloped, you will always find yourself adjusting without a b brake in between, because one’s foundation will always be incomplete.

It can go three ways; either you’re adjusting for development of “structural integrity”, “structural sensibility” or just plain “old age”. And again, it will be all for nothing if you rush through the system as a younger person.


Take care,

[chaotic2k]

Its not what u train but how you train. A Pro fighter is on limited time even if he was a wing chun guy. You need to be really fit to fight. In terms of just training and self defence in old age i feel thai boxing is as good as any other depending on the old person doing it. Its about keeping healthy, eating right and training smart. Also reality is reality, when your old you will struggle full in a fight.

[jesper]

One of my old sparring partner was a professional MT fighter. He told me that average MT guys may only have 6 years of their professional life. Even in those 6 years, they had to have professional massage everyay after work out.

The secret to maintain your combat ability through your old age is "to use your body and not just to use your limbs".

Just because you cant fight as a pro when your in your 50+ doesnt mean you cant train it or use MT in a fight for that matter.

Saying this is comparable to saying you cant ride your bike when your old because pro riders only last 10 years or so.

[bogdan.sifu]

Theres nothing wrong with being an old mans martial art. Its something that I have heard in Kali. Old man martial arts is best. How to defeat a stronger faster bigger opponent. To me thats the core of martial arts.

Couldn't agree more!

[LoneTiger108]

A saying I've always been fond of recalls how WC was supposedly founded by the aged Ng Mui and her young student Yim Wing Chun. It states, "If your WC couldn't be applied effectively by an old woman or a young girl, then you aren't doing it right." Is this true? Is WC truly an art that can even be used by the old, or is this just a quaint story?

Yes Wing Chun is an art form that can be beneficial to ALL ages, including old geezers and young whipper snappers, we are a true Yum Yeurng system

Chinese Martial Artists have another saying, "Wushu for the young and flexible, Xing Yi for the middle aged fighter and Tai Chi for the ageing artist" or something like that... but for me personally, I see Wushu in my Wing Chun, Xing Yee in my Wing Chun and Tai Chi in my Wing Chun so it's all about interpretation and what you know about 'changing'.

Sounds like you know yourself pretty well and have already accepted that you have changes to make to compensate for your injuries. My Sigung was noted as saying that 'Wing Chun originates from the spine, so keep the spine healthy and you will take the system into old age!"

He has no problem with anyone apparently and literally could do what he wanted when he wanted to any of his younger, stronger students even in his sixties. But he too started Martial Arts before he reached 10 years old so it was a lifetime endeavour for him. He wasn't as lucky with his genes as Ip Man though, as he died before he reached seventy.

[Ali. R]

Its about keeping healthy, eating right and training smart. Also reality is reality, when your old you will struggle full in a fight.

I hear what you’re saying and that’s a good point, because I can still do a tomahawk or windmill drunk being almost 50 years old (but can’t do the two handed dunk anymore as aggressively as I use to), and that’s not because I’m in the best shape of my life, it’s because I’ve spent years developing it and by staying healthy and playing smart.


Take care,