Note: Original post on a previous AWCA Weblog – Sunday, May 21, 2006.
Something that we see every once in a while is a practitioner who claims that because Wing Chun is lacking in one area or another, they have included elements of another martial art into their training to “fill the gap.”
Let’s examine this a bit and see what it is really about.
I feel that I am a very open-minded person, and especially when it comes to martial arts. While I prefer Wing Chun, we all have to admit that there is no such thing as the “best of the best.” Why? Because if one was “the” best, then that is the only art you would see. Afterall, why would someone waste their time with something that did not work?
But since so many arts do exist, then obviously they work for someone.
In the same manner, Wing Chun works for me and that is why I strive to learn all I can about it. The “problem,” if you will, is when someone who does not know better attempts to add something to an art that they do not know, and Wing Chun is a major “player” in that.
Many qualities of Wing Chun are superior to other methods of fighting. That is just the nature of the art and how it was designed. By the same token, some qualities of other arts are much easier and faster to learn, so a lot of people believe that they are more effective in given situations.
The “real” problem I see with today’s practitioners that believe Wing Chun is lacking in one or more areas is because:
- A fighter that is trained in another method might favor that training since they already have experience in it, thereby approaching Wing Chun with a closed mind vs. giving it the attention they should
- A fighter more experienced than them in a non-Wing Chun method has convinced them that something in Wing Chun is inferior, without really testing it or knowing for sure, or
- They simply have not learned enough of Wing Chun to know the difference
While I “do” have experiences in various martial arts, I still consider those experiences somewhat limited when compared to others. In that, however, I have found that the third point listed above is the primary thing we see in today’s world, which is why so many want to “add to” Wing Chun’s curriculum base.
For example, some have combined Wing Chun with white crane kung fu, Muay Thai kickboxing, and even BJJ in order to “round out” the Wing Chun curriculum. And to be blunt about it, there is nothing you can add to Wing Chun that will make it better than it already is.
Now, if you enjoy training non-Wing Chun methods, then definitely keep it up. I totally dig most arts that I have seen and really enjoy learning about them from experienced practitioners.
And I will always recommend that all Wing Chun practitioners experience non-WC methods, if for nothing else to gain experience in what your future attackers might be training in. Having a sense of what they are doing can open you up to a great variety of enhanced training that you might not be aware of.
Additionally, there are some really great people out there that do not train Wing Chun, and just because they train something else, do not do you nor they a disservice by distancing yourself from them. Some of my very best friends are practitioners in non-Wing Chun arts, and we have a great time when we get together. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me.
But to think that Wing Chun requires “rounding out” or that something is lacking? This is a view from someone that, quite simply, does not know what they are talking about.
Too many non-WC fighters read a book, watch a video, or work with someone that does not know what they are doing, and then bases an entire method of thinking around that.
“But there’s no ground fighting. Today’s fighting MUST include ground fighting, as well as grappling” Really? How come? And why do you think that Wing Chun does not have grappling?
Wing Chun was created to counter the traditional Shaolin methods of the time, methods that were reknowned for their grappling and ground fighting skills. Rather than “fight the attacker’s fight,” Wing Chun’s designers took the unique approach of focusing on anti-grappling and anti-ground fighting concepts vs. working “movements” to counter these actions. In turn, this is why a handful of concepts can be applied to such a wide range of situations rather than having to learn hundreds of individual movements.
Contrary to what many might think, fights do not always go to the ground, either. Of the 20+ fights I have had, none have gone to the ground. My attackers tried to get me there, but Wing Chun’s anti-takedown concepts as found throughout the Chum-Kiu, Biu-Tze and Muk-Yan-Chong curriculums were successful enough to keep it from happening.
Does that mean that Wing Chun is superior to everything else out there? Of course not. The art is effective, yes, but it also depends on the individual training the art. What they put in to it is what they will get out of it, so even with a superior method, you can see inferior results.
If my opponent’s preferred range is the ground, and my preferred range is standing, it comes down to a combination of:
- Which art is most effective at keeping your ranges intact?
- How much time and training has each individual put into their training?
- Have they had experience with fighters “other than” their own art?
- What condition is each fighter in?
- How old are they? Youth and stamina can give you an edge, but age and experience tactically dominate an encounter, too
There are many elements that go into real fights, so stating unequivocally that a specific art would get pounded by someone doing something else just demonstrates that person’s lack of knowledge.
“But there’s no kicking, and I like the kicking actions of such-and-such art better. I prefer that to Wing Chun’s limited kicking methods.”
There is no kicking? “Limited” kicking methods? That’s funny, especially since the Chum-Kiu and wooden dummy are replete with effective and efficient kicking methods, as well as anti-kicking and jamming. The real difference is that people who think Wing Chun is limited in kicking have no clue about the art as a whole.
Yes, Wing Chun’s primary range is fist range, and yes, we will do everything we can to stay in that range (just like a ground fighter’s range is on the ground and he/she will do everything they can to get their opponent there). But to say that Wing Chun has no or limited kicking is simply from those that have no clue what they are talking about.
“One solid kick to the thigh and you’d go down. Thai boxing proves that repeatedly.”
Before learning the Chum-Kiu, I used to train with a local Fairtex Thai camp across town. Trust me when I say that these guys were good. Not only were they local fighters but Fairtex used to fly in some of the Thai champions from Thailand for special training. Some even moved here to live for a year or so, working with the camp and their fighters.
At the time, all I knew was Siu-Nim-Tau and yes, I got kicked pretty good. But not once did I go down. Did it hurt? You bet it did! My thighs felt like someone beat them with ball bats. Repeatedly. Without mercy. But Wing Chun’s adduction stance and concepts of structure kept me standing long enough that I could bridge the gap, get through the onslaught of kicks, and get into fist range.
Once I learned the Chum-Kiu? The kicks never landed. With every attempted kick, there was a jamming-kick or stop-kick to thwart it, and that was that.
So again, just because someone trains a specific art does not automatically make them the winner (and that goes for Wing Chun, too). It “does” involve the method being trained, but in the end, it comes down to the practitioner and what they really understand about their chosen method.
“If Wing Chun is so good, why aren’t any WC people in the champion ranks of the UFC?“
Good question. My answer? I haven’t a clue. I don’t fight in the UFC, nor would I. It takes a special person with the fortitude to even get through the arduous training it takes for that particular sport, and if you look to me, you are looking in the wrong place.
I feel that the sport of MMA is for the young and for those that have a lot to prove. There is a lot of “positive” in that, but for myself, I am too old, too worn out, and too set in my own training to be able to switch to the rules you have to adhere to.
Don’t get me wrong. Rules are absolutely essential to any sport, and UFC-style events especially. Without rules, you end up with so many injuries that no state or country would sanction them. And if that happened, we would never get to see the spectacular fighters we do.
But in those rules, it is also limiting to what a fighter does in real life. As anyone with real fight experience knows, there are no rules in the street, and you cannot take an art to its fullest if there are rules.
So, does Wing Chun “lack” anything? No, it does not. Does adding to it actually “detract” from it? In my opinion, yes it does. The concepts are very different than many other arts, and it is always best to stick with just one system fully until it is understood and to competence.
Some will disagree, of course, and that is just par for the course. Everyone has their thing. But for those that think Wing Chun lacks something, and that something else is needed? To be honest, you should train the system in its entirety. You will definitely have a differing opinion after you do.
posted by AWCA @ 5/21/2006 10:44:00 AM
