How does Wing Chun Stack up vs other martial arts?

[WC-Strayder]

""""my (limited) experience with wing chun has shown me that its useful in close, but very limited in what it can do for you in a fight."""""

 

You said it right there pal, my "limited" experience..... LOL @ you.

 

Thats sort of me staing: BJJ, in my limited experience, dosen't do you any good in a street fight, coz its focused on sports and competition....

 

Some of you seems to believe that if you have just one hour of let say myai thai, whom "proven" effektive in the ring, you can beat everybody just by the name of it, but your wrong. It's up to you too, not just the art. The art is NOTHING without you, but you are also nothing without an art.

 

Wing chun is as complete as any other style out there, both in short and long range. I know of a few who has learned wing chun as an basic for MMA fighting and they brag big about its ability to "feel" the oponent, both in the clinch and in grappling, or standing and on the ground if you like. I also suspect most people to study an art for to short of an amount of time. It is a lot more to MA for the most of us than just the sport aspect, for me it is sort of an lifestyle too and I have seen enough in wing chun to know that it is a very good art, but you have to stick with it for a little time and I guess most people haven't got that time.

 

Thats my five cents.....

[pvwingchun]

For starters just saying that GM Ip Man was a master and taught Bruce Lee and he was good doesn't mean anything. BRuce Lee was great because of his training not the art. as stated it all comes down to personal desire and determination, how hard you train to become effective.

 

No WC doesn't translate well to the ring or competition it is a self defense art, at least as I train it and thats how I train my students. I don't train them to point spar or dance around a ring, I train them to go home to their families at night should the need arise.

 

Much of WC in based on differing fighting ranges, yes IMO there are Karate and Muay Thai ranges. Specifically to me that would be a kicking range I train to get into my range where I can effectively use WC and not fight someone elses fight on their grounds so in essence I am fighting in WC range. Yes there is a kicking range, a punching range and a trapping and groundfighting range you just have to train to use them. There are a few more but I won't bore you with the details. You see if I can kick you I can't punch you I am out of that range. It certainly doesn't mean I won't use a WC kick to close the gap and make my bridge.

 

WC-Strayder said it best "Wing chun is as complete as any other style out there, both in short and long range." The key is learning to use at all ranges to make it effective against a kicker find a kicker and train against him put the principles to work for you, to fight on the ground find a wrestler or a good groundfigter and get down there and roll around finding what does and doesn't work utilizoing your principles.

 

The key is to explore.

[cymry]

I don't believe WC has several ranges. Indeed, you can use the entire Wing Chun arenal at virtually the same distance from your opponent.

 

There are many martial artists that say there are two ranges - fighting or not fighting. I think WC works within this, after all, it's probably the most streamlined quanfa around!

[pvwingchun]

To say there is a fighting and a non-fighting range is an oversimplification. As I said kicking range is not punching range, get in a little closer and punching range is not palm range. But you are right there is fighting range and non-fighting range I just choose to break it down a little more and learn or teach to apply the proper weapon to the proper range.

[cymry]

Two points:

 

The majority of street fights last little more than 4 seconds.

 

People can lunge at least 6 feet in one second.

 

Distance is covered so quickly, and the total physical exchange is so short, that it is ridiculous to break down more than two, or at the most three, ranges.

 

Of course there may be some breakup in training, but in a real altercation there is no difference between kicking and punching range, yet alone "fist range" and "palm range".

[cymry]

Let me also add, the majority of street fights will begin at conversation distance (about 18 inches) and probably end there too.

 

Essentialy you will fight at one distance for a few seconds. That's it.

[pvwingchun]

True many are short but I have seen just as many fights go on for much longer than that. Where do the statisitcs come from?

 

The ranges exist whether you use them or not. I will dictate the situation and put you into the range I want to so I can utilize whatever weapon I dictate. With my WC it is about dictating the fight and not letting you fight yours.

 

Again you can't hit me with a punch from kicking range unless you have freakishly long arms so there is a difference especially in a confrontation. Because if I get even the slightest hint you are a kicker I either stay out of that range or get inside and render the kick ineffective. If as you say someone lunges at me from 6 feet and I throw an elbow when I am in a punching range it would just look ridiculus and open me up. And if I go to use a palm strike that should have been a fist I miss and you don't take the blow as intended so in our training we actually train the ranges and we train it at speed hard and fast so it becomes natural. I better know the ranges whether they come into play or not.

[cymry]

Of course there will be difference in distance, if you use techniques at maximum extension for that limb. But conversation distance is where the real damage will be dished out. There are obviously exceptions, like if you threw a right cross and KOd the guy instantly.

 

Conversation distance is the real fight territory. Lucky for you, this is WC territory. You're not going to throw long-range punches like boxers. Nor will you be throwing Thai roundhouses. There will be so little variation in distance that you can use all your limbs at any time. Get comfortable with it pvwingchun, this is where our style exists!

[pvwingchun]

OK are there or aren't there different ranges? First you said there wasn't now you agree with me??

 

The confrontation only happens at conversation distance if we let it, of course there might be that instance where you make a mistake. I train my students to dictate the situation not the other way around. But if something goes wrong and it starts there they deal with it. WC is very multi faceted and I let them explore all angles of attack and defense and never limit them to just conversation distance because this is where most things happen. Certainly we are a close range art but not everything happens there that would be foolish to think and only train for.

[cymry]

Perhaps it looks like I'm going into circular reasoning.

 

Of course there will be different ranges when you are at the extremes of each range, but in the course of a fight there is no distinct separation because the ranges change so quickly.

 

Of course you will want to separate them initially during training, but afterwards it should all be flowing between them. Trying to force a range when you have already lost it will mean your end in a confrontation.