I don't really want to say who the teacher is because "soon to be ex-hubbie" may read it here. But, he's another big tall guy, and I've only worked with him once. He and his top student were very impressive and both have already shown me techniques I've never seen before. Their tan sau is totally different to the point it doesn't even look like a tan sau.
But, this teacher says he fights alot. Challenges and such. eekk. I've really had enough of all that, and don't have any interest in competition anymore. I did it to promote our school and such, but it wasn't an experience I particuarly enjoyed. Hubbie liked to compete and did so often in San Shao and fighting challeges or sparring "guests" to class. (Those that wanted to test him out) I personally find all that very tiresome. I don't like being challenged and take it more personally. I've been challenged before years ago (more like a friends buddy tried to sucker punch me because my friend told him I was a blackbelt in Ju-Jitsu) Not my cup of tea. (of course he got shoulder thrown to the floor and I had to pin his neck down with my knee and do a standing armbar to keep him from fighting.) lol! good thing I didn't know wing chun in high school!
Anyways, the whole "challenge" this is very "high school" to me. But alot of people seem to think that these competitions are "proof" of effectiveness of a style in the street. That's why x-hubbie wanted to fight in the cage so badly. He may one day.
I'm just outty. Not doing this silly competition crap anymore, it's really a waste of time.
Sparring with other stylists and training is great, but sport competition proves nothing and takes time and focus away from realistic WC/WT training. IMO.
People always scream for "proof" and when one gives proof then they want video, when they get video the argue that it's fake or that the fight wasn't "fair". I've read up all the crap off YouTube for the past couple of years. You just can't give "proof" to people that have already made up their minds and who choose not to believe in the validity of what their given. I've really learned that it's just a sad waste of my time to try to prove these things to people that choose not to learn about something different.
example: x-hubbie fought and won several San Shao fights and yet that's not good enough because you can't fight on the ground. Takedowns are legal and yet he was never takendown so allowing groundfighting wouldn't matter. (check out Cung Le and the comments on his youtube fights. Especially the ones where he's fighting MMA cage now. People talk that he's not a "good enough fighter" because he doesn't fight on the ground, yet he hasn't been taken to the ground either. not for long anyway! Just because you don't use grappling to fight doesn't make your fighting style unbalanced, inferior or wrong.)
His past opponents have all been Muy Tai, BJJ/GJJ trained fighters and beated with WT yet people still won't believe that WC/WT can even hold a candle to these stylists. I'm really tired of this view for it's insulting and just untrue.
So what we couldn't pull off getting him a cage fight. Hell, he was even going to fight for free! Not our fault that the promoters suck. So many people say that it's just so easy to get into a cage match ameture. Well, I disagree. That just wasn't our experience.
Wow, lol! So now I'm bitter. It's just been a huge lesson in futility. Even if he got the fight, won, got it on video and posted it on youtube it still wouldn't be "enough" "proof" for all the MMA fans.
F.Y.I. (as many here may already know) just because a style or fighter uses a choke, throw, or joint lock doen't mean that technique comes origionally from BJJ. lol! Or even japanese ju-jitsu. Many styles have these techniques in their systems. Muy Tai has some even. Chinese chin na, there is a Chinese form of throwing (like Judo, forgot the name) and these styles are older than BJJ and MMA.
This is why I knew at the end, that when people viewed his fight in video that they would "see" him using BJJ or MMA of some sort in some WT techniuqes. They just won't understand what their seeing. I've seen many new students come in that had the same perception issues when they first see the trapping, chin na, and yes, everyone's favorite! the anti-grappling.
As for all the challenging that goes on in WT/WC and eep!, with my new teacher... we say here in Texas: "If your gonna be the fastest gun in the west then your gonna get shot." I really dont' like getting shot. lol! And try to avoid those opportunities.
I would love to see more WC/WT chunners competing but it's really not a priority. I just can't even stand to watch the MMA matches anymore. Their so predictable, the techniques used are always the same. Everyone fights like everyone else. I would be fun to see a different style of fighting to freshen it up a bit.
And sorry for you folks that really wanted to see a chunner get "trashed" in the ring for disapointing ya.
You can watch plenty of video on that on wingchunfightclub.com that's all those guys (and gals) on that forum do is train WC/WT, fight and post the video.
Words of wisdom from the "Great" Monty Phython;
"Now for something COMPLETELY different!" and I shall now pull the pin from the holy hand grenade and avoid anymore conversations from the knights who say knee. For I grow weiry of this topic of conversation for like the knights who say knee it has become a skit that went on far longer than it has been funny. The joke is old and moldy. lol! So, I'm gonna go drink me a beer and smoke me a cig for it has just been a really ****** past couple of months and it's high time for Si-Je to have some gear down time, ya'll.
(man! it's so great to get to be myself without worrying about "representing" someone else! lol! now I can really be as weird as I feel like it! Man that's groovy!)
