# How often should we train?



## Nyrotic (Oct 12, 2008)

To achieve proficiency in a realistic amount of time? As of right now my training is limited to solo training, that means formwork, wallbag work, etc. 

The thing is, I don't know how often I should train certain aspects on a daily basis? Any advice?

Also, I can't train chi sau regularly because all the others students of my sifu live so far away (He teaches in private one-on-one lessons).


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## kaizasosei (Oct 12, 2008)

im starting to believe that idealy, just for stretching, one should stretch for 4 hours a day.


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## matsu (Oct 13, 2008)

great!! i,ll jsut give up work then!!:whip1:

i do two classes per week(one is a double-2 1/2 hrs), a drop in session on a sunday if a partner is going, and i practice at home on aspects almost every day- some for an hour sometimes just ten minutes.
a hand movement here a footwork sequence there, whatever i felt needed working on from the previous class.

i also now have a mook so i try to work thru drills and the first parts of the form on that within my time constraints.that has made a massive ompact of my positioning timing and delivery.

as my other post nyrotic, you seem to be driving yourself into state of urgency that wont be sustainable. man chill with the pace, enjoy some of the subtleties of what we are being taught.
i get so fustrated at times at my lack of progress but when something clicks it makes my week!
hope that helps

matsu


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## KamonGuy2 (Oct 13, 2008)

It depends on what you want. If you are a cage fighter, then yeah, training everyday is good

But if you merely want to learn wing chun and progress, twice a week is a good balance. Remeber that your muscles and mind need time to absorb the information. You can work hard every day but start to forget drills or get confused in class

I train every day in various martial arts but only because I understand the foundatins of those arts. If I took up a new martial art I would probably go once a week

Don't rush, my friend. It will slip into place


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## dungeonworks (Oct 13, 2008)

kaizasosei said:


> im starting to believe that idealy, just for stretching, one should stretch for 4 hours a day.



Live to stretch! :uhyeah:  4 hrs would be way over doing it, let alone 4 hrs a day.  I'm no doctor, but I imagine it would have an anti-flexibility effect on the tendons.

I train WC twice a week, 2 hrs per session as far as class time goes.  I try to do SLT form at least a couple times per day as well as footwork.  I can't chisao or any partner related drills outside of class due to lack of training partners.


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## Leomhann (Oct 13, 2008)

In my experience, its best to stretch before and after for an average of 5 minutes each. That way you don't weaken your ligaments and tendons from overstretching and you give your muscles ample room for movement and power. As for frequency of training, it really depends on your current physical condition. If you're in poor shape, 3 times a week, moderate shape, 4-5 times, in phenominal shape, you can try for daily. The time you spend on it can vary based on what you want to achieve for that session.


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## skinters (Oct 13, 2008)

it makes me smile when i hear peeps who say they been doing wingchun for 2yr .say your the kinda guy who just goes training once a week for 2 hours .

so thats 8 hr a month
24 hr 3 month
3 days after 6 month
so you do six days worth of training in a year.

dont sound a lot eh ....so how often ?....never enough mate .


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## qwksilver61 (Oct 13, 2008)

Everyday..be it your body one day,your brain the next(toilet time.....),stretch everyday at least twice a day.Variety will prevent burnout.....two cents...and remember, your routine is not written in stone,stop when you feel like it, go when you want to......balance,variety...


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## mook jong man (Oct 13, 2008)

I think it is the quality of the training , not the quantity that matters . If you are in a rush don't even bother to do the form , if you can't do it in a slow and precise manner don't do it at all .

 With the class training , i used to have a guy that only come to class every Sunday because he had a very busy job . The guy never missed a Sunday and he was very competent , even though he only trained at the school once a week for  90 mins . 

This was because he thought about Wing Chun a lot and he would practice the form and the moves at home when he could cram it in to his busy schedule . 

He was better than some of the people who come to the class 3 times a week because 

1. They didn't practice the form outside of class. 
2. They didn't do any supplementary training at home . 
3 . As soon as they walked out the door they never reflected on the techniques they had just learnt or even thought about Wing Chun at all until the next time they turned up for training . 

In the training environment there are a lot of factors that hinder the training , especially to do with the ego .

 Instead of focusing on the task at hand people are comparing themselves to others in the class and trying not to look like a dick .

 At home you are not so self conscious and you can reach a deep level of concentration on certain movements that don't require a partner to practice .


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## yak sao (Oct 13, 2008)

To learn any skill I've heard the concept of 8000 hours of training.
Whether you're talking an electrician or a martial art.

So then it becomes how quickly do you want to achieve those 8000 hours?

8 hours a day, 7 days a week and you'll come in under 3 years....also keeping in mind some things take a while to "sink in" and become natural.

We all want to be the best we can be at our MA. But for me it becomes a matter of balance. Do I spend an hour on the wooden dummy or spend time with my family?


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## geezer (Oct 13, 2008)

yak sao said:


> To learn any skill I've heard the concept of 8000 hours of training....
> 
> We all want to be the best we can be at our MA. But for me it becomes a matter of balance. Do I spend an hour on the wooden dummy or spend time with my family?


 
As far as 8,000 hours goes... it's a fact that people learn differently. Different rates, different methods. There's a _point_ beyond which endless repetition is ...er _...pointless!_

Anyway, you gotta have some _balance. _As you said, family, job, relaxation, as well as the Martial Arts. Lately my life is, frankly, a bit out of balance. And, although I love this forum, sometimes I wonder what I'd accomplish if I took every moment I spent lurking around here_ practicing_ instead. But then again, there has to be a balance.


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## paulus (Oct 14, 2008)

mook jong man said:


> I think it is the quality of the training , not the quantity that matters .


I agree. No point in training badly. I would say it's better to train 10 minutes a day and really pay attention to detail than to spend an hour repeating sloppy technique.

For what it's worth I usually go to 2 classes (1 hour) a week, sometimes only one and on my own I do maybe 15 minutes a day. It's not much but it's consistent and I know that consistency helps.


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## qwksilver61 (Oct 14, 2008)

Amen that! Quality is a plus.Question,has anyone here ever pushed beyond the point of exhaustion....and ended up with the perfect technique? The last seminar that I attended was just like that...drill right on....drill exaggerated movement...drill chaos...drill perfect.I admit, I do like those times where I drill alone and at my own pace,but sometimes I like the Bezerker....two cents


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## yak sao (Oct 14, 2008)

I've thought the same thing geezer...instead of lurking, maybe I should be training, but this forum helps to give me insight so that the next time I train I can come at it with renewed vigor.

I'm a big believer in muscle memory. And I think if you get to the point that you are totally exausted that you are teaching yourself bad technique. That said, there is a place for that type of training in that it helps to train you to fight under stress and gives you that "fighting spirit".


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## paulus (Oct 15, 2008)

matsu said:


> a hand movement here a footwork sequence there, whatever i felt needed working on from the previous class.


I like this idea. I might try picking one thing from my last class to focus on. At the moment I like to get everything mapped out so I know exactly what I'm doing in advance (I know, I should relax more!). My current plan is:
Mon: Siu Lim Tau (morning)/Class (evening)
Tue: Chum Kiu (morning)
Wed: Siu Lim Tau (morning)
Thur: Footwork (morning)
Fri: Technique/speed (morning)
Sat: Class

I tend to change the plan every few weeks though as I decide to focus on different things, but usually with the forms present to some degree. If I'm structured in this way, I just find it easier to motivate myself.


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## geezer (Oct 15, 2008)

yak sao said:


> I'm a big believer in muscle memory...
> 
> ...That said, there is a place for that type of training in that it helps to train you to fight under stress and gives you that "fighting spirit".


 

God I hope there's muscle memory, because my brain just isn't cutting it anymore. My colleages say that if I ever get alzheimers, nobody will notice. 

Anyway, I'm also counting on exhaustion. Last night I was getting my butt kicked in Chi-Sau by a guy who's about twenty years my junior and really strong. And good. But, he has good control too, so it was no problem. Then I noticed as we went at it harder and longer, I was gradually relaxing and beginning to enjoy myself, while he was getting tighter and more short of breath. Finally he called it quits, but I was up to about 50-50 with him when he threw in the towel. I'm thinking that as you go longer, you have to soften up. Plus, he has a bit more ego than I do, so he stiffens up rather than "loose" in an exchange. Meanwhile, I'm taking the view that getting hit in training is just part of it, but I "loose" in truer sense when I stiffen up or struggle. I mean, after all, it isn't fighting, it's _training_. So eventually he beat some of the stiffness outta me. And _he _got tired doing it. Ha!


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## yak sao (Oct 15, 2008)

Interesting strategy...when he gets tired of whaling on you ,you come in for the kill.

Relaxation is so hard for me as well. I start out fine but find as it escalates I stiffen up and have to constantly remind myself to relax.
My si-fu says we should train now as if we're all 96 years old, that way we won't try to use excessive strength and as we age our skills will inprove instead of deteriorate.


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## bully (Oct 16, 2008)

I train when i have the urge, dont have a set day and time. Also because it is a freind who teaches me when he can.

Lots and lots of basics for me, my wife laughs as i step drag and chain punch down the hallway.

Trained today, punching and basic block drills.

One thing i liked doing, i watched the dvd of the Wing Chun first conference from 1999 when on the xtrainer. Interesting stuff and made the 20 mins go alot quicker than usual.

Any other Wing Chun dvd's to look out for? different stuff rather than the commercial stuff offered on WC club websites...


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## yak sao (Oct 16, 2008)

Lots and lots of basics for me, my wife laughs as i step drag and chain punch down the hallway.


When I first started WT my wife would watch me stepping and chainpunching and said I looked like a retarded Chuck Berry


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## Yoshiyahu (Dec 3, 2008)

*Nyrotic *I love your fevor. Wow. This is your second post I really connected to. I suggest you try to practice or meditate on your Wing Chun everyday. Atleast get some phyiscal practice in six days a week. May be rest on Saturday so your body can rejuvenante. Some time around friday night to saturday. I read this is optimal time for your body to rest. If you believe Kevin Tredu book on Natural Cures they don't want you know about?

As for practice. I suggest you break up each day?
1.Sunday if you are off work try to Work out atleast 3 hours or more. 
2.Monday strecth each leg and arm. (Five minute intervals) Per strecth.Work on Punches, Sil Lum Tao Steps
3.Tues: Strecth, Punches,Kicks Sil Lum Tao and Chum Kiu (Wooden Man)
4.Weds:Stectch Punches and Kicks and Sil lim Tao (Wall Bag)
5.Thurs:Strecth Punches and Kicks all forms and steps
6.Friday before sundown: Punches, Kicks Sil Lim Tao and Steps
7.Satuday Night work on Punches, Kicks, 3 Forms, Wooden man, Wall bag, Drills, Steps.

I try to work on forms and steps during work. So when I get home alls left to do is rest of drills punches and kicks. But as for over doing it. The more punches and kicks you throw the more your power will increase. The more you do Sil Lim Tao the more your Internal power will increase. On days you can not practice on your own. Try to do Sil Lim Tao and work steps. Thats not really hard at all. When you do forms envision a opponent infront of you an how your moves can interact with attacker. When you rest also try to read and watch videos about wing chun. This will help your understanding. 

As for partners. Try to find people of other Arts or boxing to spar with. This will increase your Wing Chun greatly. An Dan Chi Sau why not teach it to Girlfriend or Brother or cousin so you have someone to do it with. This way you can work on Muscle memory. Sometimes I do dan chi sau on my own just as a drill. The more you practice the more your mind will open up and your understanding increase.




Nyrotic said:


> To achieve proficiency in a realistic amount of time? As of right now my training is limited to solo training, that means formwork, wallbag work, etc.
> 
> The thing is, I don't know how often I should train certain aspects on a daily basis? Any advice?
> 
> Also, I can't train chi sau regularly because all the others students of my sifu live so far away (He teaches in private one-on-one lessons).


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## geezer (Dec 5, 2008)

Yoshiyahu said:


> As for partners. Try to find people of other Arts or boxing to spar with. This will increase your Wing Chun greatly. An Dan Chi Sau why not teach it to *Girlfriend*...


 
Teach Wing Chun to your girlfriend!!! You do so at your own risk. Either they will have no interest, or worse...they will be very good at it. Either way, you lose. (Been there, ouch. Done that).


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## Yoshiyahu (Dec 6, 2008)

Yea, But if you have a woman that loves it. Then you have someone to keep you on your toes and make your skils Increase. Didn't woman teach her husband the Wing Chun?


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