I need help in teaching myself

[yak sao]

Yes, All you need is the Air, You dont need nor want a training partner either,

WC takes a very minimalist approach to training; there is nothing there that doesn't need to be there, so SNT is a very necessary component, and I would say most people don't spend enough time on it unlocking its "secrets".
But to throw out the other forms, the chi sau, etc. is plain wrong. Not because it's my opinion, but because it was the opinion of the people who developed our system. They knew more about fighting and how it pertains to the human body than most of us will ever come close to; so to throw away their roadmap is either laziness, ignorance or hubris.

 

[Siunimtao]

WC takes a very minimalist approach to training; there is nothing there that doesn't need to be there, so SNT is a very necessary component, and I would say most people don't spend enough time on it unlocking its "secrets".
But to throw out the other forms, the chi sau, etc. is plain wrong. Not because it's my opinion, but because it was the opinion of the people who developed our system. They knew more about fighting and how it pertains to the human body than most of us will ever come close to; so to throw away their roadmap is either laziness, ignorance or hubris.

Yes and No,

Chum Kiu and chi sao are of no use untill you master SNT, other wise you will learn bad habits, these Bad habbits will hinder your SNT,
Chum Kui, Fighting Form, Chi Sao, Applying The Tools,

 

[EliasDickinson]

Sorry I have been so late responding, I had a school trip last week. @Joy: You have a student who is willing to instruct?

 

[rickster]

Teaching yourself is not likely.

Better to train for a few months under someone qualfied.

At least, you will see if you like it and and perhaps know what to look for from another wherever your venture may take you.

Do not do things because it is a fad or "Looks cool"

This is false motivation and can lead to un-expecting "let-downs"

 

[ilhe4e12345]

first of all i must say that i wish you the best of luck with the Air Force. My younger brother just shipped out to boot camp about a month ago. Now in regards to your wanting to "train yourself"....let me give you my own personal experience with that...

I have beent rainign martial arts for awhile now. Currently under my belt I have some WC training (first form, basic principles), 5+ years of Seven Star PrayingMantis (my main style), Hsing-I (5 elements), and currently been taking Bagua from a local Sifu once a month which i must is amazing for my back (I have a bad pinched nerve and have had surgery recently which made me put my more vigorous 7 Star training on hold while i recover) now...all of the above I have trained with Sifu's in person.....BUT the following I have researched online to learn eitehr by book/video or "distance learning"
Wing Chun - before i talked to my sifu about it, i purchased a few books on IP Man Lineage WC and began trying to do the form on my own as well as study the principles and basics
Drunken Boxing in the Eight Shadow Style - I am obsessed with drunken fist...it just looks so amazing to me and was trying to learn it but nobody close knew anything about it...i found an online distance course which the teacher was very knowledgable and he knew his stuff but something like drunken kung fu is very difficult to study without seeing how to move and the correct postures
Traditional Pak Mei - amazing style but nobody within 2 hours teaches it......so i tried reading up and watching videos.....


Now.....let me tell you that I DO NOT RECOMMEND EVER TRYING TO TEACH YOURSELF ANY MARTIAL ARTS AND TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO LEARN FROM A REAL TEACHER.....I cannot stress this enough. The knowledge someone has from training with people in person over the years is def worth it and you learn so much more then you could ever imagine then just watching videos and reading.

Example: When i first started to mess with Wing Chun i tried to go over the basics.....and i THOUGHT i knew everything about the basic principles of WC until I spoke to my 7 Star Praying Mantis teacher (studed WC for many years along with other styles) and after 2 classes of wing chun with him I couldnt believe how wrong I was.....I couldnt even get the stance right....at all....

Please..do yourself a favor and if you cant train now with a real teacher then wait.....its not worth trying to teach yourself the wrong way just to find out in a real fight that everything you think you know is useless.....im grateful for the masters I have spoken too and my current teachers as they trully are amazing at what they do and what they know...

Since your going into the Air Force that means you will have chances to go all around the world....meeting many other professionals and teachers of different arts. Who knows...you may find yourself wanting to learn something different although from what little I know of WC i can tell you, WC is a great choice . My younger brother is very interested in martial arts and he has told me before he left he will be looking into finding a teacher and finding a style he wants to learn.

Happy Training friend, and I am not a master by any means so pelase dont think im being mean and telling you that I know everything or if something i said above sounded offensive....i didnt mean anything like that . I wish you luck in your future training and your adventures in the airforce....just remember 3 rulesa bout going over seas....

1) when picking up a woman, always "check for hardware"
2) if you find yourself in japan, dont go into the city alone and avoid any japanese men covered in tattoos....
3) dont eat the live octopus no matter how much they pick on you....SAY NO

Happy Training

 

[mograph]

Psychologically speaking, to learn a skill effectively, you need:
1. - exposure to the skill
2. - practice (repetition)
3. - feedback

1. Learning from a video, you will only be exposed to what the teacher/videographer/editor/director chooses to show you. You cannot move to a new position to see a different angle, you cannot see the form in 3D, and you cannot see small details that were not included in the shot. Instead, you will fill in the blanks with your own preconceptions, biases and habits. This is only human.
2. Sure, you can watch and practice, but without new info, you will probably reinforce the problems found in step 1, making them harder to fix later.
3. A teacher can give you feedback. Studies have shown that if you get stuck and plateau, feedback creates a new learning curve and more learning can take place. A video cannot give you feedback. Even if you send a video to us or a teacher, that isn't interactive, and essentially replicates many of the issue in #1, only this time you're the shooter/editor etc. And of course, the teacher's feedback is a variation on #1 again.

Learn good self-defence from a good live teacher. Don't get hung up on its being Wing Chun or Taijiquan or Xingyi or Bagua or whatever. Keep an open mind, and adapt & compare techniques. This comparison and reorganization of learned skills would be called "deep processing", which leads to better understanding and retention.

 

[Vajramusti]

Psychologically speaking, to learn a skill effectively, you need:
1. - exposure to the skill
2. - practice (repetition)
3. - feedback

Learn good self-defence from a good live teacher.
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I have helped him meet a very good student of mine who can help him correct his motions and stance and get him started well.
He is fortunate that my student will be living in his town for several months

joy chaudhuri

 

[geezer]

Joy, let us know if he sticks with it. It would be nice to think that at least once in a while we connect with somebody new on this forum who actually decides to study WC for a while!

 

[Vajramusti]

Joy, let us know if he sticks with it. It would be nice to think that at least once in a while we connect with somebody new on this forum who actually decides to study WC for a while!

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I will if I find out. He will going into the Air force in a couple of months or so and he was serious enough to try and follow a video before being corrected
weekly.

joy chaudhuri

 

[Jsanto]

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I will if I find out. He will going into the Air force in a couple of months or so and he was serious enough to try and follow a video before being corrected
weekly.

joy chaudhuri

Hi Sifu,

He is practicing pretty regularly. His improvement is coming along greatly. 3 months isn't enough time to learn wing chun well, but it'll give him a good base and a critical eye for what's right if he listens. Hopefully he will find a good school or someone to practice with when he leaves or at least go to Sigung's seminars to further his learning in the many years(and hundreds of thousands of punches) to come.

Josh Santobianco