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Thread: Wing Chun and Jiu Jitsu and why you should cross train

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    Wing Chun and Jiu Jitsu and why you should cross train

    I wanted to post a PSA that is probably going to make some people upset but is sorely underrepresented in the WC community.

    I trained Wing Chun for around 4 years, and then due to scheduling moved onto Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I was used to sparring WC practitioners and my striking was pretty on point, but when I would spar guys with grappling experience I would almost immediately get taken down and submitted. WC has zero grappling defense, regardless of what you've seen on youtube, and puts you a lot closer to a grappler than you'd ever want to be. Nothing in WC helps you naturally defend takedowns, and no video is going to help either.

    After 4 years in BJJ I've seen there's a good balance between both arts. WC gets you close enough with striking to be able to initiate a take-down when (not if) things get messy. I've found the WC/BJJ combo works well against people who do Muay Thai / BJJ. You will need the takedown, there's no if's and's or but's about it. Check out the full contact WC sparring videos on youtube to see how often they naturally flail to the ground or clinch after things get messy. Having the grappling base also lets you set up your striking better, because you can close the possible openings your opponent has to take you down.

    Cross training WC is vital if you want it to be effective, and I think a lot of people get blinded to that because WC is heavy on the "we are the truth and you don't need anything else" mantra. If you do WC and have no grappling experience you will lose a fight with a grappler. I cannot overstate that you will get your ass thoroughly handed to you in very short order. Arguing otherwise is both foolish and dangerous, because the only people arguing otherwise have never really tested their skills under pressure with a grappler.

    I was inclined to post this after a WC student who had been training for 6+ years showed up at the place where I train to check out BJJ. We sparred and the longest he made it without getting taken down and submitted was about 90 seconds. Average was around 45 seconds. He quit WC and is now doing BJJ full time. Even people with under a year of BJJ experience and no striking skills wrecked him, because WC naturally leads to a clinch which is a grappler's home turf.

    I'm not trying to start a flame war, just wanted to give a reality check for people who think WC will save them in any situation. More and more people are learning grappling every day, so be smart and cross train. If you feel like pointing out how wrong I am because _____ then first step out of your comfort zone and test your WC under pressure to see what you're really prepared for. Most MMA schools have free open mats that welcome students of all disciplines to come in and spar. Give it a shot.
    Last edited by Miguel; 11-28-2017 at 12:52 PM.
    learn->practice->habit->reflex->instinct

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