Robin

Your sifu has very good advice. Which means your school is probably a good one. Keep at it! I'm about your age and to be honest, I feel that styles that demand physical attributes, or should I say, athletic capabilities, while are excellent and beautiful, are probably not the styles for me. Face it, I can't be as fast as a 18 year old, nor can I get to their level of flexibility. I've seen injuries and mine take considerably longer to heal compared with younger people. Fast metabolism means fast recovery. But this can be turned to my advantage, not disadvantage. I think I am stronger than the typical 18 year old (although not faster). I have some experience that he lacks and I see the big picture. Once I realized there's little chance I can do what these guys do (hey, I got a family and work too, I can't practice 24/7!), I started looking for MA styles that emphasize technique and biomechanics over physical abilities and speed. For Kung-Fu styles, I think that Wing Chun is the least physical intensive compared with other Shaolin styles (I've trained in those as well). For striking techniques other than Kung Fu, probably Goju Riyu karate would be interesting to practice. TKD, Capoera, Boxing and Muy Thai styles require considerable more physical fitness to train in so I ruled them out. Generally speaking, grappling techniques require less of a power/speed abilities but strength is helpful. Of those styles, I found Aikido, Judo and BJJ to be personally interesting. - Robin

This is a very interesting article indeed. Personally, I think it makes more sense than the more common Wing Chun history where Ng Mui teaches the art to Yim Wing Chun. I especially liked the idea that Wing Chun is a place, not a person (Wing Chun Tong - The Everalasting Spring Hall). However, I have never studied Wing Chun history and my thoughts can not be backed by hard facts. - Robin

Out of curiousity, (I don't live in NJ), what is "Buddha hand WCK" and what is "Fut sao"? And how are they different from classic Wing Chun? Thanks, - Robin

Wing Chun (also referred to as Wing Chun Kung Fu, Wing Tsun, Ving Tsun and various variations of the name). An addictive martial art. Wing chun emphasized close range combat. You work a lot with your hands and you kick low and short. Wing Chun relies on a set of rules, tactical maneuvers and understanding of biomechanics principles. The center line theory is the core of the system. Economy of motion is another known principle where you move as little as possible. The training methods contribute to the ability to instinctively sense the situation and to respond accurately and in a timely manner. Emphasis is given to training the ability to sense the opponent with the hands, understand his intentions, know his weaknesses and combine this information to control the fight. This ability is extremely important in close range. Compared to other martial arts (that I've learned), Wing Chun has a short curriculum: * 3 forms (kata equivalent): Siu Nim Tao (the little idea), Cham Kiu and Biu Ji. Siu Nim Tao is considered a beginning form, but is repeatedly practiced. "A form for beginning, but not necessarily for beginners". Siu Nim Tao is considered the most important form. There is no movement at all in this form as if to teach the student that before moving, one should learn to stand. It also teaches the center line theory. Cham Kiu teaches body movement. And Biu Ji, also known as thrusting fingers, is the complementing form that deals with emergency situations. * A wooden dummy form. Good when you don't have an opponent to train with. * Long pole (never done it) and butterfly swords (also, never done it). One of the most known drills in Wing Chun is the sticky hands (sticking hands) or Chi Sao. A very effective training method for short range combat. Although the curriculum is short, one can train in Wing Chun endlessly and always learn something new. Wing Chun is practiced by all ages and require no special physical ability. Wing Chun's history has a lot of folklore and is mixed with stories of heroism and love. It is generally considered to have developed from the Shaolin Temple some 400 years ago. The details from that point onwards seem to be fuzzy. The largest Wing Chun lineage traces back to Yip Man as the modern Wing Chun master. - Robin

You've pretty much covered the most known Wing Chun movies in your first post. Wing Chun and The Prodigal Son are classics. Other than those two, I typically watch instructional videos. There are quite a bit but so far I like WSL's one the best - The Science of In-Fighting. It's basic but is performed by a true master. - Robin

My impressions of this demo is that his opponents know how to fall more than he has skill. Don't get me wrong, I love his movies. But whenever I try to see exactly what's done, I get the feeling it's mostly choreography. Stronger, larger people won't let him manipulate their arms quite so easily. And there are strong people out there. People that know how to fight (strike) will do it quite fast and without using their entire force to be later manipulated by a fast opponent. It appears that if the attacker does not put his entire energy into the attack, the demo above would not be applicable. Personally, I'd like to see Aikido in response to attacks other than those that assume the attacker will fist you. What if I don't want to play Aikido? Will Aikido still be applied so easily? - Robin

I would. - Robin

Thanks all for your excellent responses and tips. The problem remains that I am still in need of a good school. Anyone know/heard of one? Google et al simply do not provide good results. All I see is "popular" martial arts oriented towards family and kids. Although kids and family are important (I have both!) I don't feel that it would be a good place for me to practice martial arts. More to the point: in dire need of a good traditional Goju Ryu Karate school or traditional Wing Chun school in the greater Minneapolis area. Help! Thanks, - Robin

To the best of my understanding, in close range striking combat (non-grappling), you are forced to use mostly hands and low kicks. Balance and sensitivity are important. It's hard to react because the time scales are shorter. I would think that most striking martial arts that deal with this range, in essence, converge. It might be called differently; or it might not be as elegant as the next, but essentially, to be effective, the same guidelines should be maintained. That is, use low kicks if at all; maintain balance; try to control your opponent’s balance, hands; feel him if possible because seeing is very hard at these ranges; etc. In Wing Chun there's a whole terminology and philosophy behind this. Sensitivity drills, chi sao, etc. Driven with that idea in my mind, I was looking for an alternative to Wing Chun, mostly because I couldn't find a decent school close to my whereabouts. I've watched the National Geographic documentary about Karate with Josette and one specific style caught my eye. The teacher there, a bald guy, starts by giving an example of explosiveness and close range work by practicing against a tree. Later on, his dojo is shown and a very impressive (at least in my eyes) close range controlled fight. I have no idea how much of that is "live" and how much is choreographed but it was nonetheless impressive. I have several questions to the Karate gurus of this forum: 1. How different is that style from other close range styles such as Wing Chun? 2. Do you think that my opening statement is somewhat correct? 3. What is the name of that close range Karate style? 4. Where would I find such a school in the Minneapolis west-suburbs area. Thanks all, - Robin

Thanks! I'll be sure to check them out as well.

Thank for your replies, niel0092. You did manage to dig up a lot more than I did. I did finally find a Wing Chun school but haven't attended it, yet. They're off for a summer vacation. It's a relatively new school which is fine by me, as long as it's Wing Chun. It's not really in the west suburbs, rather in Minneapolist, but I hope the commute will be worth it. By the way, the trick to finding this school was to spell Wing Chun as Ving Tsun. If anyone's interested, here's the website: http://www.kungfumn.com/. There seems to be some web issues now and again so if you're interested, the school can be contacted at (612) 379-1250. I hope someone finds this info useful. Thanks,

Thank you. It's actually the same school which is now closed down.

Hi, I recently moved to Minneapolis area and was wandering if anyone knows of someone teaching Wing Chun in Minneapolis or the western suburbs? I moved out here on August 1st and disappointingly enough, I found that a Wing Chun school located in Minneapolis just closed down (see: http://home.mn.rr.com/wingchun/). Does anyone know where I can pick up Wing Chun in that area? My skill isn't that high that a specific lineage is important to me. I'd like to attend lessons in a relaxed and learning atmosphere. I prefer "classical" Wing Chun; JKD or other mixed arts aren't my thing. Thanks for all the help you can provide!