training routine

[Lestat83]

Hi,

Am new here and have questions about designing a training regime...hope this is right place for this.

I want to get into martial arts/Wing Tchun more seriously so am
envisaging my training routine looking like this:

Mon. Tai chi + wing Tchun class 2 hours
Tues. WT 1hr + WT 1hr
Wedn. WT 1hr + WT 1hr
Thurs. Tai chi + wing Tchun class 2 hours
Frida. WT 1hr + WT 1hr

Where WT morning and after noon session would look like this vaguely...

Running
Loosening up
Stretching
Footwork, quick feet drills,kicks, knees
Form work

Running
Bag work, punches, elbows
Bobbing and weaving (i like this boxing technique), blocks

But would like to add strength training into this mix
And eventually iron arm/hand training as well (iron palm productions seems an interesting source for training info).

I added the Tai Chi in there cause i feel better physically when do it. (Havent done it for years but will learn again).

So my questions are:

1) does this seem a reasonably designed training program?

2) where would i do strength training ? ( id prob do calisthenics)

3) is it a bit repetitive and needs to be more varied?

Any other comments will be welcome

 

[Danny T]

That is your goal in training?
Fitness, coordination, confidence, self defense, form competition, sport fighting competition, or something else?
Are you attempting to do this on your own or do you have an instructor/coach?

Training and practice should have a goal and the methods used will be specific toward that goal.
Train with qualified instructors/coachs.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I'm not seeing how bobbing & weaving fit into a Wing Chun routine.

 

[Lestat83]

Hi thanks for replies

My goals:

We do sparring in my classes (i train under an instructor) so i want to become a better fighter is my goal (i know that breaks down into lots of sub goals)...

So i want to be fitter (so i have the endurance to last a fight), quicker on my feet and with my arms and legs and hit harder but that will come in time as technique improves im guesssing. And confidence is an issue for me so if there are any specific exercises to help i would be all ears.

I will be doing more sparring as well on saturdays but that is obviously dependant on my training partner

Yes Tony you are right bobbing and weaving doesnt fit into Wing Tchun but my attitude is more JKD as in if it works and i like it i will seek to incorporate it

i only train WT just like way JKD thinks ie if it works add it to your arsenal.

 

[Shai Hulud]

Kudos to you if you have time for such a program.

I personally recommend that you not spend so much time everyday on drilling forms if you feel that you're going to burn out. I personally train M/W/F now, with general strength and conditioning training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturdays and Sundays are for rest and sometimes active recovery if I'm feeling 100%. While you're able to focus more on strength and cardiovascular fitness (which will help you a great deal), less training sessions a week will mean that you will train fresh each time.

 

[drop bear]

You could squeeze in a conditioning circuit before your one hour sessions.

I do variations on five minute rounds with one minute off. Means you can smash out. Six rounds in 35 minutes before class of some sort of strength work.

Just break the sections up into upper body lower body and core.

 

[drop bear]

Something like that. Make it more chun specific if you want. Keep the sprawls though. They are really good for your stand up structure.

 

[PiedmontChun]

I will say that is an amibitious program timewise, and sounds more like a regimen for someone preparing for a fight / match in the short term rather than a long term plan. But if you have the energy and time then train all you can! I've been told my si-gung trained WT 3-4 hours a day hands-on with his sifu and surpassed many of his senior students. (both still alive and teaching so this is not the stuff of legends).
I see that you are in two classes weekly, but then the other blocks of time for WT appear to be solo training? What do you plan on working on specifically during that time? Thats pretty key.
Training the SNT form at home slowly helps it be more relaxed and not such a stretch to perform in class or in need of tweaking, and working on my footwork / stepping outside of class helps that not be the weak link when learning new drills in class.

 

[yak sao]

Keep in mind that you are in a marathon, not a sprint.
It's good to ramp up your training at certain points, such as in the weeks leading up to a test, but for the long haul, you are better off finding a balanced routine of strength, conditioning, flexibility and technique practice and sticking with it.
Of course, change it up from time to time so that you don't get bored and so your body doesn't become used to it.
SNT every day and footwork every day.

 

[Lestat83]

Hi guys,

Some really good responses and food for thought here!

Just to clarify im out of work medium/long term due to sickness but this is the type of illness that doesnt really affect my training...mostly. So mostly i do F all lol so plenty of time lol

I train two WT classes a week mon and thursday evenings for two hours.

I want to train a min of two other days a week as i just find all my basic techniques are really not well practiced and arent fluidly used during sparring.

Am going to remember to change it up when get bored.

So to go into further detail as requested right now im thinking my training days will be:

35 mins of circuit training covering upper, core, lower body.
Footwork (stepping drills working on speed)
Kicks & knees (30-40 each kick each side)
Lower body stretching
Form work

Running
Bag work, punches, elbows, headbutts ( effective in street fights so i hear lol)
Bobbing and weaving ( like this out of boxing )
Blocking + counters
Upper body stretching

 

[Dinkydoo]

Something like that. Make it more chun specific if you want. Keep the sprawls though. They are really good for your stand up structure.

A variation of the insanity workout...

We did one more tailored to kickboxing last week - really good stuff. We kept the sprawls too.

 

[PiedmontChun]

I don't know where you find yourself on the spectrum but for me, if time were to open itself up like it seems to have for you, I know I would pursue more stretching since I need it, specifically loosening up the muscles that work AGAINST you in some of the WC/WT movements. I'm thinking specifically of that goal to keep elbows in front of you, forward pressure without being hunched over or shoulders tensed up, for example. Easy for some but not others like myself. I'm pretty big and stiff guy and it seems to work against me in class sometimes. Lower body stretching helps your kicks obviously as well.
Just more food for thought. I see you mentioned it but sometimes real stretching gets short changed at the expense of other parts of a workout because its tedious.

 

[drop bear]

I don't know where you find yourself on the spectrum but for me, if time were to open itself up like it seems to have for you, I know I would pursue more stretching since I need it, specifically loosening up the muscles that work AGAINST you in some of the WC/WT movements. I'm thinking specifically of that goal to keep elbows in front of you, forward pressure without being hunched over or shoulders tensed up, for example. Easy for some but not others like myself. I'm pretty big and stiff guy and it seems to work against me in class sometimes. Lower body stretching helps your kicks obviously as well.
Just more food for thought. I see you mentioned it but sometimes real stretching gets short changed at the expense of other parts of a workout because its tedious.

Can you cheat and just do the boxers trick of resting your elbows on your chest?

 

[PiedmontChun]

Can you cheat and just do the boxers trick of resting your elbows on your chest?

I don't follow, maybe I don't know enough of boxing. Do you mean touch elbow to chest as a stretch to loosen up the shoulder, using another hand as a brace? If so, I do that yes. My favorite (shown to me by classmate who is chiropracter) is to stand with normal tan tau, and use free hand to pull the elbow in, pausing and relaxing the shoulder muscle, then pulling in further, relaxing, repeat until no more movement is possible.

 

[drop bear]

I don't follow, maybe I don't know enough of boxing. Do you mean touch elbow to chest as a stretch to loosen up the shoulder, using another hand as a brace? If so, I do that yes. My favorite (shown to me by classmate who is chiropracter) is to stand with normal tan tau, and use free hand to pull the elbow in, pausing and relaxing the shoulder muscle, then pulling in further, relaxing, repeat until no more movement is possible.

when your guard is up. Instead of having your hands up in a stress position. Rest your elbows on the front of your chest and take the pressure off your shoulders.

 

[PiedmontChun]

when your guard is up. Instead of having your hands up in a stress position. Rest your elbows on the front of your chest and take the pressure off your shoulders.

Ahh. I don't think that would be wise in Chi Sau or Lat Sau though.... guard up is a stress position but its important to have elbow force moving toward opponent.