would your wing chun work if..

[Frost]

..it was common knowledge in the way that styles of boxing are?

I know a lot of wing chun really doesn't work at all, but a minority do make it effective. How much of this is the element of surprise though? Do you think your wing chun would be easy to work out and counter if it was well known?

common knowledge in what sense??? Most people learn wing chun for the street and self defense do you really think a would be mugger is going to scout you on you tube before picking on you, or check out the various different arts someone might know just on the off chance a target hits a martial arts stance? And do you really think people can't pick up how a chunner wil react based on the clips steady out there of the forms applications and various chi Sao exercises, do you really stand react and respond THAT differently in sparring than when drilling....because if you do then what's the point of all that drilling......

[Yoshiyahu]

A train fighter who has competed and sparred various styles of fighting will be more skilled at fighting that a wing chun guy who doesnt fight outside the kwoon.

My point: a WC guy who has competed and has fought in the streets as well as has sparred different people who train different diciplines of martial arts would be more adept to being able to hand a trained fighter!!!