Sunday, April 5, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
JEETKUNEDO VS WINGTCHUNDO
Martial Arts: Wing Tchun Do Versus Jeet Kune Do
By Paolo Corti | Submitted On October 23, 2011
What is Wing Tchun Do?
Many people often ask me if there is any relation to the Jeet Kune Do of the late Bruce Lee.
There are many differences between the two but I have to be honest with you and say that my inspiration started when I was 6 years old watching Bruce Lee movies and then eventually reading many books on his life, training methods and connections he had between creating Jeet KUNE DO and the Wing Chun System.
So feel at ease, this is not an article claiming we are better or worse.
A little about my history
I feel I am very lucky and privileged, I started Wing Chun in 1973 under the late Jim Fung direct lineage with Grandmaster Tsui Shun Tin and at the moment still the oldest living direct student of the late Great Grandmaster Yip Man teacher of the the late Bruce Lee. Wow! That was a mouthful.
Well 38 years have passed and I have been fortunate enough to have trained and learned with many masters from differing Wing,Ving, Tsun and Chun lineages. I am sad to say that even today as I observe that after many years there is still much bickering, badmouthing between families and lineages in which this is something I try and steer clear from.
I try to keep an open mind and feel that many serious practitioners from different lineages have something to offer.
I also understand that many wish to proclaim originality, authenticity to what they are doing and you can see especially on internet that it's a real blend between mass marketing and business versus what's really real and what really works and more importantly who is really qualified?
So I can see there is still a lot of confusion out there, and sad to say but it seems to me that who markets the best are usually interpreted as being the best.
I guess one of the important thing that I learnt as a child reading Bruce Lee's philosophies is the fact that putting yourself to the test and experimenting constantly is the only way you're ever going to grow.
So that's what I did. Believe me, I have had many many street confrontations and I have paid a heavy price physically and I dare say mentally. So let me suggest that whatever you want to try I would aim to replicate and simulate it in the gym, with protective equipment, a sort of referee and learn to be fair and collaborative and train with balance.
I'm not interested in promoting myself as a top invincible fighter, I don't want to be that. I just know that what I have learnt and trained works for me, I hope and wish the same for you.
It is very important for anybody training in martial arts to examine themselves and be realistic. Don't fall for marketing scams, don't fall for tales of invincibility, don't fall for 'We are the one and only true Wing system'
Seeking this sort of security probably means that maybe, possibly, you in some point of your life needs to evaluate your fragility and sense of insecurity. Weak people seek invincibility, in my opinion. Then what does being invincible mean?
OK well these are all questions that could probably open up many more topics and at this point steers away from the subject at hand.
My biggest research in all these years is understanding Chi Sao. So I came to a conclusion many years ago that Chi Sao is not a set mechanism only intended for Wing Chun. Wing Chun is certainly the best nucleus for learning Chi Sao but believe me once you understand the mechanics you can apply Chi Sao to any system of fighting, well almost any system. I haven't had the time to try them all out...
In 37 years I have had time to look into Boxing and train it for several years, Thai Boxe, Escrima and the basics in wrestling. There are other forms I have practiced but the list starts to get long and winded and I'll end up boring you.
My main interests have been in the development and understanding of body mechanics, how the body, bone, muscle and nervous system interacts when put under stress. More importantly how does the body cycle power and how the body reacts when attacked. Not an easy road but I drew many conclusions.
Obviously I cannot tell you everything I have covered in one article but I hope to produce interest and write many others in the future.
One problem is that on a public profile many people have been told about the benefits of Chi Sao. For example, Chi Sao increases flexibility, coordination, helps you attain more sensibility, increases speed, reflex capacity, helps you to understand and apply how to recycle the energy and force of your opponent, with minimum force you can beat stronger opponents, use his aggression against him, creates involuntary reflexes in which you can react and not think spontaneously against any attacker. And the list goes on and on.
It all sounds good but in reality, how many people have you ever seen in your life do all this in a real fight situation? And I mean real fighting not collaborative demos, I repeat, real fighting.
So at this point you probably think I am bad mouthing the Wing Chun system but it's not the case, as I said before I need you to be realistic.
Wing Chun traditionally speaking was supposed to be a style that can blend in and deflect any combat system, but the question is ' how can you do it if you have no other combat system to refer to?' You'll find that many train within their own school and structure without ever comparing themselves to otyher realities. I guess that's what made Bruce Lee unique.
A lot of people stay and practice the schematics of Chi Sao and find out unfortunately that when they find someone who does not move the way they do they don't know how to make it function. So I've seen this happen many times before, in fact it even happened to me when I started to believe I was at a good level. There was the times I just wanted to throw it all away, deeply frustrated of all the hours I had invested and having minimum results. Even more frustrating was the fact that when I did have a real street fight I found that many of the techniques I used where limited to one or two strikes and never applying Chi Sao.
So I took it as a learning curve and started all over again. You see the body is pretty limited when packed with fear and adrenaline or deep levels of emotions that are conflicting within you. I thought 'now wait a minute! There has to be a simpler way.'
So that's where Wing Tchun Do steps in, I ended up developing programs which coincidentally are quite easy to apply and not so complicated to train. They work the motor functions of movements which you are more likely to apply in real combat, and still gives you the principles of working Chi Sao in all its forms, angles, body position weight distribution on or at almost any level.
The programs are unique but in reality I have extracted the work from studying the main body structures and positioning, stances from other systems that are widely used and have been around for many years.
Wing Tchun Do Chi Sao or better still what I term as 'Global Chi Sao' really helps you to feel and work with other fighting systems, understand the mechanics, collaborate with other martial artists without the dogma of being better unique and authentic, and therefore avoiding making enemies. More importantly it really gives you an understanding of the strong points that all systems have to offer. I guess what is really unique to Wing Tchun Do is that as Bruce Lee termed his art, it is free from schemes and can take any form. For me this is also a tribute to the expansion and evolution of Wing Chun. Im the type of guy that likes to honor the roots he came from.
Well,Wing Tchun Do does have a precise working model, it is not a system created by here say or outmoded philosophies and what I term as body Chi Sao or Global Chi Sao does work in a very practical and functional way.
I'll give you a couple of examples, I am currently teaching the WTD Chi Sao to a local boxing champion, good part to note is that he doesn't need to start over again and do Wing Chun or start a new style, he stays with the art he loves. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
That is to say that learning Wing Tchun Do Chi Sao does need time and practice, not everything happens over night. And one thing for sure Wing Tchun Do is a good implement to the existing style you are doing now.
On a personal research note I hope that through the nucleus of Wing Chun, Tsun and Chi Sao, I can unite many systems of combat with a working model which links Chi Sao to all systems of combat.
Notes about the Author
Paolo has been practicing various forms of Kung Fu since he was eight years old. He has created his personal system of combat called WingTchunDo and has many videos demonstrating on YouTube under the alias of fighterman. He is contactable via email on wingtchundo@hotmail.com But cannot always guarantee an answer.
By Paolo Corti | Submitted On October 23, 2011
What is Wing Tchun Do?
Many people often ask me if there is any relation to the Jeet Kune Do of the late Bruce Lee.
There are many differences between the two but I have to be honest with you and say that my inspiration started when I was 6 years old watching Bruce Lee movies and then eventually reading many books on his life, training methods and connections he had between creating Jeet KUNE DO and the Wing Chun System.
So feel at ease, this is not an article claiming we are better or worse.
A little about my history
I feel I am very lucky and privileged, I started Wing Chun in 1973 under the late Jim Fung direct lineage with Grandmaster Tsui Shun Tin and at the moment still the oldest living direct student of the late Great Grandmaster Yip Man teacher of the the late Bruce Lee. Wow! That was a mouthful.
Well 38 years have passed and I have been fortunate enough to have trained and learned with many masters from differing Wing,Ving, Tsun and Chun lineages. I am sad to say that even today as I observe that after many years there is still much bickering, badmouthing between families and lineages in which this is something I try and steer clear from.
I try to keep an open mind and feel that many serious practitioners from different lineages have something to offer.
I also understand that many wish to proclaim originality, authenticity to what they are doing and you can see especially on internet that it's a real blend between mass marketing and business versus what's really real and what really works and more importantly who is really qualified?
So I can see there is still a lot of confusion out there, and sad to say but it seems to me that who markets the best are usually interpreted as being the best.
I guess one of the important thing that I learnt as a child reading Bruce Lee's philosophies is the fact that putting yourself to the test and experimenting constantly is the only way you're ever going to grow.
So that's what I did. Believe me, I have had many many street confrontations and I have paid a heavy price physically and I dare say mentally. So let me suggest that whatever you want to try I would aim to replicate and simulate it in the gym, with protective equipment, a sort of referee and learn to be fair and collaborative and train with balance.
I'm not interested in promoting myself as a top invincible fighter, I don't want to be that. I just know that what I have learnt and trained works for me, I hope and wish the same for you.
It is very important for anybody training in martial arts to examine themselves and be realistic. Don't fall for marketing scams, don't fall for tales of invincibility, don't fall for 'We are the one and only true Wing system'
Seeking this sort of security probably means that maybe, possibly, you in some point of your life needs to evaluate your fragility and sense of insecurity. Weak people seek invincibility, in my opinion. Then what does being invincible mean?
OK well these are all questions that could probably open up many more topics and at this point steers away from the subject at hand.
My biggest research in all these years is understanding Chi Sao. So I came to a conclusion many years ago that Chi Sao is not a set mechanism only intended for Wing Chun. Wing Chun is certainly the best nucleus for learning Chi Sao but believe me once you understand the mechanics you can apply Chi Sao to any system of fighting, well almost any system. I haven't had the time to try them all out...
In 37 years I have had time to look into Boxing and train it for several years, Thai Boxe, Escrima and the basics in wrestling. There are other forms I have practiced but the list starts to get long and winded and I'll end up boring you.
My main interests have been in the development and understanding of body mechanics, how the body, bone, muscle and nervous system interacts when put under stress. More importantly how does the body cycle power and how the body reacts when attacked. Not an easy road but I drew many conclusions.
Obviously I cannot tell you everything I have covered in one article but I hope to produce interest and write many others in the future.
One problem is that on a public profile many people have been told about the benefits of Chi Sao. For example, Chi Sao increases flexibility, coordination, helps you attain more sensibility, increases speed, reflex capacity, helps you to understand and apply how to recycle the energy and force of your opponent, with minimum force you can beat stronger opponents, use his aggression against him, creates involuntary reflexes in which you can react and not think spontaneously against any attacker. And the list goes on and on.
It all sounds good but in reality, how many people have you ever seen in your life do all this in a real fight situation? And I mean real fighting not collaborative demos, I repeat, real fighting.
So at this point you probably think I am bad mouthing the Wing Chun system but it's not the case, as I said before I need you to be realistic.
Wing Chun traditionally speaking was supposed to be a style that can blend in and deflect any combat system, but the question is ' how can you do it if you have no other combat system to refer to?' You'll find that many train within their own school and structure without ever comparing themselves to otyher realities. I guess that's what made Bruce Lee unique.
A lot of people stay and practice the schematics of Chi Sao and find out unfortunately that when they find someone who does not move the way they do they don't know how to make it function. So I've seen this happen many times before, in fact it even happened to me when I started to believe I was at a good level. There was the times I just wanted to throw it all away, deeply frustrated of all the hours I had invested and having minimum results. Even more frustrating was the fact that when I did have a real street fight I found that many of the techniques I used where limited to one or two strikes and never applying Chi Sao.
So I took it as a learning curve and started all over again. You see the body is pretty limited when packed with fear and adrenaline or deep levels of emotions that are conflicting within you. I thought 'now wait a minute! There has to be a simpler way.'
So that's where Wing Tchun Do steps in, I ended up developing programs which coincidentally are quite easy to apply and not so complicated to train. They work the motor functions of movements which you are more likely to apply in real combat, and still gives you the principles of working Chi Sao in all its forms, angles, body position weight distribution on or at almost any level.
The programs are unique but in reality I have extracted the work from studying the main body structures and positioning, stances from other systems that are widely used and have been around for many years.
Wing Tchun Do Chi Sao or better still what I term as 'Global Chi Sao' really helps you to feel and work with other fighting systems, understand the mechanics, collaborate with other martial artists without the dogma of being better unique and authentic, and therefore avoiding making enemies. More importantly it really gives you an understanding of the strong points that all systems have to offer. I guess what is really unique to Wing Tchun Do is that as Bruce Lee termed his art, it is free from schemes and can take any form. For me this is also a tribute to the expansion and evolution of Wing Chun. Im the type of guy that likes to honor the roots he came from.
Well,Wing Tchun Do does have a precise working model, it is not a system created by here say or outmoded philosophies and what I term as body Chi Sao or Global Chi Sao does work in a very practical and functional way.
I'll give you a couple of examples, I am currently teaching the WTD Chi Sao to a local boxing champion, good part to note is that he doesn't need to start over again and do Wing Chun or start a new style, he stays with the art he loves. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
That is to say that learning Wing Tchun Do Chi Sao does need time and practice, not everything happens over night. And one thing for sure Wing Tchun Do is a good implement to the existing style you are doing now.
On a personal research note I hope that through the nucleus of Wing Chun, Tsun and Chi Sao, I can unite many systems of combat with a working model which links Chi Sao to all systems of combat.
Notes about the Author
Paolo has been practicing various forms of Kung Fu since he was eight years old. He has created his personal system of combat called WingTchunDo and has many videos demonstrating on YouTube under the alias of fighterman. He is contactable via email on wingtchundo@hotmail.com But cannot always guarantee an answer.
Easy Steps on how to increase your striking power
and strength in martial arts training
Many people ask me how to increase their strength and then applying it to their martial arts training program.
Well there is a simple way and one of the many methods available to you.
The importance in increasing power and strength in your blows is to increase strength in the dynamic movements of all your articulations and the spinal column. If these are blocked or rigid you will have less efficiency in your kicks, elbow strikes, grappling techniques and punches.
First buy yourself different size sledge hammers.
If you’re not used to it start light and buy a 3 Kilo sledge. I suggest you buy a 5 Kilo then possibly a 7 Kilo. You can get them from a local supermarket for a starting price of US10 dollars. Go out to an open door area, preferably in a safe place where you have plenty of room and not going to break anything around you.
Grab the 3 kilo sledge hammer and position yourself in a boxing position with your legs. Let’s say left foot forward and right foot back in a diagonal position well balanced.
Your hands need to grab the handle of the sledge hammer and have the left fist on the top and the right fist behind the left.
The idea is to create circular movements with both arms from left to right doing a circle on each side of your body, trying to establish a loop or a number eight formation
the idea is to do it slowly and not use the force in your arms, the hands and wrist must be tight but relaxed and flexible and you must concentrate on full rotations. You will find that initially you may feel sore at first but gradually you can build up the amount of times you do the rotations.
The fundamental thing is to concentrate the work on your back and legs, allow these parts of the body to build up the power in increasing what I call tortion power. This tortion power will inevitably increase your power to generate more powerful blows from your back and legs.
You can change grips and position of your legs doing it on the opposite side.
I find it as a good all rounder. You can implement this to a weight training schedule and di it for last after you completed your weight training.
You will find it keeps your shoulders, elbows and wrist joints very flexible and increase the dynamic strength capacities of the whole body.
I would start on 3 sets of 20 per side. Then as time goes by you can increase the weight as I do by adding weight to the existing bar. Ie: I add 3-5 Kilo weights as shown in this video
Note that at the moment I have increased my weight capacity to 17 Kilos and expect to add another 5 Kilos next month
all the best, good luck and remember not to be in a rush and you will find that your overall body power and strength will increase almost immediately!
and strength in martial arts training
Many people ask me how to increase their strength and then applying it to their martial arts training program.
Well there is a simple way and one of the many methods available to you.
The importance in increasing power and strength in your blows is to increase strength in the dynamic movements of all your articulations and the spinal column. If these are blocked or rigid you will have less efficiency in your kicks, elbow strikes, grappling techniques and punches.
First buy yourself different size sledge hammers.
If you’re not used to it start light and buy a 3 Kilo sledge. I suggest you buy a 5 Kilo then possibly a 7 Kilo. You can get them from a local supermarket for a starting price of US10 dollars. Go out to an open door area, preferably in a safe place where you have plenty of room and not going to break anything around you.
Grab the 3 kilo sledge hammer and position yourself in a boxing position with your legs. Let’s say left foot forward and right foot back in a diagonal position well balanced.
Your hands need to grab the handle of the sledge hammer and have the left fist on the top and the right fist behind the left.
The idea is to create circular movements with both arms from left to right doing a circle on each side of your body, trying to establish a loop or a number eight formation
the idea is to do it slowly and not use the force in your arms, the hands and wrist must be tight but relaxed and flexible and you must concentrate on full rotations. You will find that initially you may feel sore at first but gradually you can build up the amount of times you do the rotations.
The fundamental thing is to concentrate the work on your back and legs, allow these parts of the body to build up the power in increasing what I call tortion power. This tortion power will inevitably increase your power to generate more powerful blows from your back and legs.
You can change grips and position of your legs doing it on the opposite side.
I find it as a good all rounder. You can implement this to a weight training schedule and di it for last after you completed your weight training.
You will find it keeps your shoulders, elbows and wrist joints very flexible and increase the dynamic strength capacities of the whole body.
I would start on 3 sets of 20 per side. Then as time goes by you can increase the weight as I do by adding weight to the existing bar. Ie: I add 3-5 Kilo weights as shown in this video
Note that at the moment I have increased my weight capacity to 17 Kilos and expect to add another 5 Kilos next month
all the best, good luck and remember not to be in a rush and you will find that your overall body power and strength will increase almost immediately!
Monday, February 24, 2014
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