Originally Posted by
KPM
Good analogies GG. The environment leads to convergent evolution. I noted in another thread that if you are in a competitive sparring situation in a ring, what works for survival is some sort of kickboxing. So if your main focus in training is that sparring environment, then your method is going to evolve into a version of Wing Chun kickboxing. So if you want to retain as much of your original Wing Chun as possible and not end up with a form of kickboxing, then one has to make sure your training doesn't over-emphasize competitive ring sparring and still has plenty of classical Wing Chun training elements. That's my position. I'm not saying that sparring is not valuable or important. Just that it can be over-emphasized. Again, if the main environment you are preparing for is a competitive ring with protective gear and rules, then "convergent evolution" is going to produce a martial art adapted for that environment. And that martial art, while effective in that environment, may not be the Wing Chun that you started with. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But that's also not necessarily "classical" Wing Chun because classical or traditional Wing Chun was not designed for or developed within that environment. And not all of us see our Wing Chun as primarily intended for that environment. And those that do, should not look down their noses at those of us that don't and call us "idle speculators." I spar. But I don't not see my Wing Chun as primarily a "sparring art." Nor is my particular Wing Chun well-adapted to being a "sparring art" for that reason. Nor do I feel the need to adapt it to that environment. And, anticipating the responses this is going to get, I will say that the "combative" or "self defense" environment is NOT the same as that "sparring environment." Skill and attributes developed in the sparring environment will certainly cross over to a combative environment, but sparring is not the "be all and end all" gold standard for my Wing Chun. Maybe it is for someone else's. But not for mine. But that's just my opinion, and I express it again here simply because I liked your analogies and thought they were very appropriate. But lest I be compared to the mantra man, I will leave this topic now that I have described my position on more than one thread recently.