Augustine Fongs correspondence course

[saifa5k]

Since wing chun seems to be a very rare commodity in Lawton,Oklahoma I have been thinking about purchasing some correspondence courses to stay motivated. Does anyone have any experience with Sifu A.Fongs correspondence courses?
Dave c

[edward]

Its a wealth of information, you should use the information as reference, and then go to Sifu Fong's yearly training session every April/May.

I would strongly recommend it.

[SAAMAG]

That's what I was thinking about doing as well, but instead decided to go to the local EBMAS place to train. It's quite different from the wing chun I currently practice, but I would rather have constant training partners then have to wait for a once a year session to practice.

[saifa5k]

Originally posted by edward
Its a wealth of information, you should use the information as reference, and then go to Sifu Fong's yearly training session every April/May.

I would strongly recommend it.

Hi Edward, thanks for your reply. One thing I am curious about is how much training material in the way of books and videos come with the course? I could not find that information on Sifu A.Fongs website. The price is actually not that bad when you consider how much you would pay in a years worth of classes.
Dave c

[edward]

Hi Edward, thanks for your reply. One thing I am curious about is how much training material in the way of books and videos come with the course? I could not find that information on Sifu A.Fongs website. The price is actually not that bad when you consider how much you would pay in a years worth of classes.
Dave c

I'm not sure if each level has different amount of tapes, but the 1st level has I believe 4 video tapes, with tons of information. You might want to email Sifu Fong or talk to his wife and they can give you all the details...

[saifa5k]

Originally posted by edward
[
I'm not sure if each level has different amount of tapes, but the 1st level has I believe 4 video tapes, with tons of information. You might want to email Sifu Fong or talk to his wife and they can give you all the details... [/B]

Thanks Ed, I will try and do that soon. I would like to have a structured format to guide me in my training.
Dave c

[John Weiland]

Originally posted by saifa5k
Thanks Ed, I will try and do that soon. I would like to have a structured format to guide me in my training.
Dave c

Hi Dave,

I don't know how much you'll pick up from a correspondence course, even from a great teacher like Augustine Fong. Get yourself a partner at least. Then you can share the cost and practice with each other.

Cheers,

[saifa5k]

Originally posted by John Weiland
Hi Dave,

I don't know how much you'll pick up from a correspondence course, even from a great teacher like Augustine Fong. Get yourself a partner at least. Then you can share the cost and practice with each other.

Cheers,

Hi John,
As you know I have been training for a long time in the Ken Chung/Ben Der line which is really good wing chun in my opinion and I am satisfied with what I have been taught. However I am looking for something different and with a training structure to keep my self motivated since I am training alone. Good idea about finding a partner!
Dave

[SAAMAG]

Maaaannn, I'm telling you it's not the same without people/someone to work with.

I started learning wing chun with my stepbrother back when I was in my mid teens. People move on and I practiced it alone for a while, and then eventually went on to practice other arts during that time, (but still retained what I knew of wing chun). It's hard to keep the fine tuning when you don't have another wing chun person to work with. I got a few guys together when I was stationed in FL and got about 4 guys up to the level where they could do poon sau/gor sau...and that was great to be able to touch hands again, if it was against someone new to the art. That was about 3 years ago. Moved again, came back home, stepbrother not teaching anymore...I get ancy, and so I found an EMBMAS school here locally, touched hands with the teacher there in poon sau and don chi sau, and found out how rusty one can be when they don't have the partner. Practice all you want in the air but you need contact to keep the skills alive.

[t_niehoff]

There is a huge difference between learning and developing skill. You can "learn" boxing (the tools, strategies, etc.) from a book but that doesn't give you skill (being able to use that "knowledge" skillfully). You can only develop skill in boxing through boxing with live, skillful opponents. Using the method all fighter use to develop skill -- learn, drill, fight -- it is easy to see that the latter two steps *require* training partners.

[SAAMAG]

I agree...but not just training partners...constant training with those partners as well.

I trained in my wing chun with partners, but the times when there was no one else around to train with, those are the times when the skills will degrade, even if the skill was present previously. Use it or lose it.