new to Wing Chun
- Thread starter Michael89
- Start date
Hazardi172
Blue Belt
Okay, great. Which student is teaching if you don't mind me asking?
Hazardi172
Blue Belt
At some point, your TKD experience may be valuable to the school. This depends a lot on how they approach WC. For instance in my program (not WC, so just an example) I have a student with about that same amount of experience in Shotokan Karate. Sometimes I'll ask him what a Shotokan approach to a situation would look like, so we can talk about how to counter it. In sparring, obviously, his external experience provides a different sparring challenge.
For now, you're right, just be WC when you're in the WC class. If you have questions about differences in approach, bring them up with your instructor one-on-one ("Sifu, I was wondering about that sequence you showed us. I remember a similar situation in Tae Kwon Do, and they warned us not to X because it was a problem. I see you use X in that sequence, so I assume it has some value to Wing Chun that's not useful in Tae Kwon Do. Can you help me understand that, so my Tae Kwon Do doesn't confuse the issue?"
Are you in Indiana?
Try not to mention that you train TKD in that WC school. Just pretend that you don't know anything. I made mistake before. I mentioned Kung Fu in a Karate school, Back then, Bruce Lee was still alive. People were interested in what Kung Fu is. The Karate instructor's young brother came from Dallas and challenged me. I had to spar with him in front of the instructor and the whole Karate class. He had TKD black belt and I had Karate white belt on my waist. I won and he lost. He cried, I left, and never went back to that school. That was 45 years ago.
OP
OP
Michael89
Orange Belt
I always want to take up some form of Chinese martial arts. I thought wing chun would be good for me because I'm 5'7 and my legs are short so I don't really use kicking to opponents head all that much.. too much risk for me. it would help me with close range and it doesn't use a lot of kicking and it seem like it would teach me how to relax I won't go into details but I been dealing with anxiety and grief so I need something new and different to keep me my mind off and understanding self defenses from different view.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
You are gonna be just fine. Embrace and enjoy the experience and let us know how it goes.
Don't worry about causing trouble with your prior training. Most people are cool about it, as long as you are too.
Don't worry about causing trouble with your prior training. Most people are cool about it, as long as you are too.
If you extend your arms between the center of your chest and the center of your opponent's chest as the WC "Tan Shou", when your opponent uses "straight punch" (such as jab and cross) at you, his arm will be interrupt by your arms since your arms are in his striking path. It's like "I'm there first and this space is taken". This strategy is quite effective and not commonly used in many other MA system (at least it's not used in the long fist system that I have trained).
If you can expand this strategy by extend your
- right arm between your opponent's head and his left arm,
- left arm between his head and his right arm,
you can "separate" his arms away from his body. That's the "zombie strategy" which is quite effective to be used against a striker.
ShortBridge
3rd Black Belt
I recommend NOT looking at the wooden dummy form or anything else on-line. Learn from your sifu. I know it seems like you could help yourself along in the beginning by studying You Tube, but you'll be working against yourself. Go to class, listen, practice what he gives you and trust that you'll get everything when you are ready for it.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Heavy agreement
Hazardi172
Blue Belt
If you extend your arms between the center of your chest and the center of your opponent's chest as the WC "Tan Shou", when your opponent uses "straight punch" (such as jab and cross) at you, his arm will be interrupt by your arms since your arms are in his striking path. It's like "I'm there first and this space is taken". This strategy is quite effective and not commonly used in many other MA system (at least it's not used in the long fist system that I have trained).
If you can expand this strategy by extend your
- right arm between your opponent's head and his left arm,
- left arm between his head and his right arm,
you can "separate" his arms away from his body. That's the "zombie strategy" which is quite effective to be used against a striker.
Bong
The "zombie strategy" was evolved from the
- WC double Tan Shou, and
- SC wrestling stance.
- WC double Tan Shou, and
- SC wrestling stance.
Hazardi172
Blue Belt
The "zombie strategy" was evolved from the
- WC double Tan Shou, and
- SC wrestling stance.
Still bong, if that ever happens!
If youStill bong, if that ever happens!
- close your "zombie arms", you will get "rhino guard". Since your opponent's arms can't come in between your arms, your opponent can only attack you through your side doors, you only have to worry about how to protect your center from inside out.
- open your "zombie arms", you will get "double spears guard". Since your opponent's arms can't come in outside of your arms, your opponent can only attack you through your front door, you only have to worry about how to protect your center from outside out.
Instead of having to deal with your opponent's attack both
- between, and
- outside
of your arms, by using "zombie arms", you can switch back and force depending on your goal. It had been used in wrestling game during the ancient time. I just apply it in the striking game.
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Hazardi172
Blue Belt
wingchun100
Senior Master
There's nothing wrong with telling them what you studied before. However, you need to try to do things the way they are done in the Wing Chun school. I mean, the whole reason you're there is to learn Wing Chun...not to revert to TKB habits because you like that better.
