Are You Struggling With Your Wing Chun?
This is such a common problem, people thinking they cannot do this, the stance, the turn, the Bong Sau, the relaxation and so on.
Or students completing a beginner course and thinking, “Is that it?”
This is like stopping reading and writing because you’ve gone through the alphabet!
Do not quit until you’ve truly spent time with the system and honestly given it your all.
My one year old son is trying to walk but every time he tries, he falls.
Should he just pack it in?
Hell no.
Wing Chun is designed to mould to the individual and we are not all built the same.
If you are struggling you must first remember, if it’s not comfortable, it’s not right and therefore sometimes and adjustment is not only acceptable, but necessary.
When it comes to the basic stance (Yee Gee Kim Yuen Mar) for instance, ‘You use the stance’, not the other way around. Only the slightest bend on the knees may be all that is needed, do not be trying to force this.
When using Biu mar, it’s ok to have a smaller stance and also change the weight distribution, 70/30 is our maximum, as is shoulder width.
In reality we would not be so wide apart nor would we be anything more than 60/40 in our weight distribution.
60/40 means we are only slightly away from the use of non telegraphed kicks and only slightly away from a 50/50 upright stance (for grapple (chi sau) or basic attacks etc.).
70/30 has already pushed us to the limit, often people get to grips with this and take it as gospel.
You cannot get better than perfect, and 70/30 (in training) is perfect, but people try to push this too far by sitting back further and going for 80/20 on their weight distribution, this will only serve to damage your stance, not improve it.
A shorter length stance and only 60/40 weight is acceptable, this is not to be seen as a cop-out, this is making your Wing Chun work for you.
Turning stance, again is say remember, if it’s not comfortable, it’s not right.
Do what works for you.
Turning on the heels is best and easy, if trained from day one with no other previous knowledge, but if following years of TKD, Karate or kick boxing training etc. where you’ve trained to turn on your toes, don’t battle this too much, embrace it and just go with what works for you.
I know many teachers who tell their students HEELS, HEELS, HEELS, and yet turn on their own toes.
Don’t worry about this too much, as long as you can turn and are able to get out of the way, who cares, at least you’ve tried turning on the heels rather than just dismiss it on day one.
At no point am I saying that you should be willy nilly about your approach to training, NO.
Train properly, train hard and do it right, but if an area is simply not working for you, do not let it beat you up and make you pack in your studies, there is always a way around these things, and a way of allowing you to continue training your Wing Chun for many years to come.
I hope these points help you to stay with your Wing Chun and see where it eventually takes you.
Sifu Ward