Want to take Wing Chun to the competition ring

[Jay]

anyone that counts a well trained person in any art is stupid always use your advantages aginst other peoples disadvantages

[shogeri]

Never focus on just what you bring to the table. Sometimes a person might come along, and clean your plate.

Then what are you left with?

That is, the complimentary addition to Jay's statement would be:

Also use your opponent's weaknesses or disadvantages back against them.

[elbows_and_knees]

Im not discounting chain punching, but rather poor chain punching. Many of the people I've seen who claim to be wing chun practitioners have no power behind their chain punches, which, just like a jab that has no power behind it, are almost useless. This seems to be the apparently problem with many of the wing chun practitioners I've seen as they sacrifice power for speed to make a martial art look cooler or more devestating to potential students.

Its not just getting hit that puts someone on the defense, but rather its getting hit hard.

I've had similar experience. Either that, or the ONLY thing they attempt is chain punches. Either way, they aren't using them effectively.

[elbows_and_knees]

I have gotten fed up basically with everyone saying that wing chun cannot compete with arts such as muai thai, the various forms of karate and other styles and am looking for advice or aid if available for transforming my wing chun into a competition art. Initially I will try point fighting then work my way up to k-1 type of events (screw UFC) but specifically does anyopne know the rules for/against stop-hitting or trapping? I know that in some competitions that my fellow WC players have entered the judges would not allow stop-hits or pak sao which is basically a slapping hand defense but am basically unsure of what the typical rules are. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I haven't read this whole thread yet, so this may have been said, but the best advice I can give you is to train for the venue you want to compete in. WC by itself really won't suffice for an MMA competition. You will have to get some groundwork in. Also, you need similar training regimens in terms of sparring and conditioning. The thing that has killed most of the TMA that have competed over the years isn't their style, but rather their training methods - they simply do not train the right way.