How good is Wing Chung in self defence?

[Corporal Hicks]

I've just started Wing Chung, it seems really effective in self defence. Do I need to continuely pratice the techniques I learn so it becomes muscular reflexes and I dont need to think about it?
Regards
Nick

 

[spatulahunter]

Yes that would be the idea. Your best bet would be to ask your sifu what he thinks. But with most any martial art you repeat techniques until you have them mastered and they become reflexes

 

[MA-Caver]

I've just started Wing Chung, it seems really effective in self defence. Do I need to continuely pratice the techniques I learn so it becomes muscular reflexes and I dont need to think about it?
Regards
Nick

I agree with spatula any art continually practised will be effective because they're reflexive movements.
Makes me wonder though... why did you ask the question in the first place when you noted the effectiveness already? heh... Whenever possible I plan to resume my own Wing-chun training.
:asian:

 

[arnisandyz]

Do I need to continuely pratice the techniques I learn so it becomes muscular reflexes and I dont need to think about it?

After a while, the "seeing-thinking-doing" gradually becomes "seeing-doing" because your muscles seem to "know" and "remember" just what to do. What you're learning now is speed, i.e. how to perform the task carefully and quickly. That's muscle memory.

Scientists call this "kinesthetic memory" or "neuro-muscular facilitation" and they speak of "sensory-motor" learning, since you are combining sensing input, i.e. what you see with your eyes, with motor output, i.e. what you do with your body.

Of course, during the "drill-and-practice", your muscles aren't really memorizing anything (since all memories are stored in your brain). Instead, what you see with your eyes is interpreted by your brain in the form of nerve signals to your muscles to make your body move.

Now by making the same movements in response to the same visual cues over and over again, the associated nerve-muscle connections gradually become more effective, i.e. the transmission of the signals becomes more effective, and this is how the "thinking" in the "seeing-thinking-doing" is gradually replaced by "seeing-doing", i.e. by muscle memory.


Ummm...in other words, YES!

 

[brothershaw]

Or to make simpler doing something often enough that you eliminate the conscious thought before doing the action.

 

[hedgehogey]

Wing chun is as effective as you make it. Do it static, with a lot of dead patterns and you won't go very far.

Do it alive, with full contact sparring and you will.

 

[sungkit]

Wing chun is like anything else worth having....you have to investthe time and effort in learning and then refining the knowledge, skills and ability.

Having trained in wing chun under several teachers, I have found it to be excellent in the street when it is put to the test as long as it has been trained the correct way. And that means not spending time concentrating on training the techniques against another wing chun practitioner. Train the techniques against boxers, kickboxers, untrained guys. Not everyone that you are likely to encounter is going to fight you with wing chun.

Also remember that chi sau etc are only drills used to assist in the development and refinement of sensitivity etc. Do not do it all the time at the expense of good solid sparring!

 

[brothershaw]

Sungkit - Exactly!!!
From the name I see you are also into the FMAs' , (find them very complimentary w.c. and the fmas (generally speaking) ).

 

[sungkit]

Yes I now study FMA and have done so for a few years. Trained with a number of masters of wing chun and I loved the art. But when I saw my teacher demonstrate arnis, I was inspired to really pursue FMA.

There are many similarities between wing chun and arnis. Generally, I have found those with a wing chun background can assimilate thearnis knowldege quite well.

 

[arnisandyz]

And viceversa. My uncle used to teach Wing Chun (he may be getting another goup going), I am able to play Chi Sao with him even though I don't train WC exclusively. The sensitivity in knife training in the FMA is similar to the sensitivity in WC.

 

[sungkit]

Arnisandyz,

You stated that you are able to "play" chi sau with your uncle though you do not train wing chun exclusively. The reason for you being able to do this is because you have obviously at least received some teaching and corrections in performing the techniques contained within chi sau ie., poon sau (rolling), tan sau, bong sau, fook sau, etc. If you hadnt received some training in this, I do not think that you would be able to chi sau a proficient wing chun practitioner, let alone a teacher.

The sensitivity is wing chun and FMA are similar, but in chi sau you are actually starting the engagement with contact of both arms.

I hope you do not take offence at what I am pointinmg out.

 

[arnisandyz]

Arnisandyz,

You stated that you are able to "play" chi sau with your uncle though you do not train wing chun exclusively. The reason for you being able to do this is because you have obviously at least received some teaching and corrections in performing the techniques contained within chi sau ie., poon sau (rolling), tan sau, bong sau, fook sau, etc. If you hadnt received some training in this, I do not think that you would be able to chi sau a proficient wing chun practitioner, let alone a teacher.

The sensitivity is wing chun and FMA are similar, but in chi sau you are actually starting the engagement with contact of both arms.

I hope you do not take offence at what I am pointinmg out.

No offense taken. I mentioned that I am able to "play" chi sau, that doesn't mean that i am any good at it! My uncle does take it easy on me so I can learn, and yes he does give me basic instruction. He did mention that I picked it up faster than anyone he has taught, and I do credit that to previous sensitivity training in FMA.