Review of 2011 and into 2012

(pictured - student Dave Scott drilling the Luk Dim Boon Gwun form in a private lesson)


2011 has been a pretty busy, hectic but fun year at the "Next Level Wing Chun Academy"....my original intention this year was to present all students, regardless of level, an opportunity to learn certain aspects of all the forms, drills and weapons of the Wing Chun system..not to cram all the information in and complete all areas fully...but to give everyone a "taster" of what is to come in their future training and see how the Wing Chun system ties together with attributes from all areas begin to fuse and connect to create a Wing Chun thinking and acting unity in our practice, while at the same time showing there really is no secret or advanced Wing Chun, merely different layers that compliment the core fundamentals found in Siu Nim Tau.

We have had seminar visits this year from representatives of Gary Lam in the form of Sifu Micheal Choi, the only UK representative of Wan Kam Leung, Sifu Jon Abdey and yet another great seminar by Alan Gibson of the "Wing Chun Federation"..who has without doubt helped us improve our understanding and skill base and given us many areas to take away and work on.

In 2012 as the previous blog post explains we are set to have more visiting seminar events in the form of Alan Gibson in March, Jason Gowan from "WSL Ving Tsun London Combat Science" and Ged Kennerk/Adam Cope, who are all highly regarded in the WSL VT community and have links with key direct WSLVT teachers as i've mentioned previously...so i'm sure we are all relishing the input that these will provide also.

Without doubt the WSLVT (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun) input that we have received has largely influenced the way I currently teach, see and understand my Wing Chun...with the emphasis of MY Wing Chun.
Although I intend to learn what I can from people within this line of the Wing Chun tree, I have no immediate intention to join forces with or fully associate myself with any one line at this time...in the future I may very well do so again but at this stage of my martial journey I am happy experimenting and working on aspects that I personally feel help me pass on effective Wing Chun and street survival skills to my students based on my past and current training.

The important part is that I do understand what and why I am teaching as I do and this, to me, is more important at this time than being a student of a student or a master 50 years ago..or linked to Ip Mans sons or whatever...this enables me to stay truly open minded to what all lineages of Wing Chun and other systems even have to offer without feeling I'm being disloyal to my teacher or lineage.
But I must emphasise again that if it wasn't for my curiosity into the WSLVT system, I would still be very much lost in the void of constant questions... chasing hands and soft Chi Sau and complicated nonsense that only trains to confuse and befuddle and mislead us into falsely thinking what we have learnt would stand a high chance of success in a real confrontation...I cannot recommend highly enough the people above I have mentioned who can and will change your perspective of Wing Chun forever if you are from outside their lineage, they are not monsters out to prove a point and fight everyone, but passionate about passing on the real treasure of simplicity and concept within the Wing Chun community to anyone who is humble enough to open their mind and listen.

I wish all my students, friends and followers in the Wing Chun world a very merry Christmas and prosperous new year.

Lastly our club celebration of 2012 "Chinese New Year" is currently set for Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Bury St Edmunds...and to show we are not traditionalists are planning to go for a CURRY this year not Chinese :-) Hope to see you there for some spicy fun and games (snow drifts permitting)..Gary Lisseman has been tasked in arranging and collecting monies in the new year for this.

Paul

"Next Level Wing Chun Academy" Seminar Events - early to mid 2012

In brief: Alan Gibson visits on Sunday 11th March 2012 - 3.30pm - 6.30pm - £30

Jason Gowan visits on Sunday 13th May 2012 - 3.30pm - 6.30pm - £30

Ged Kennerk/Adam Cope will visit on Sunday 24th June 2012 - 3.30pm - 6.30pm - £30

open to all student levels and lineages interested in the Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun methods

(pictured left Alan Gibson)


The first seminar of the year at our "Next Level Wing Chun Academy" venue (Moreton Hall Health Club) in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk...will be from "Wing Chun Federation" coach Alan Gibson who has visited our club 4 times previously in the last 2-3 years to hold workshops on various introduction aspects to the Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun methods and thinking and is due to visit us on - SUNDAY 11th MARCH 2012 - 3.30pm - 6.30pm - £30 payable ideally before the event to secure your place...seminar content details to follow...

www.wingchun.org.uk

Following this event, on SUNDAY 13th MAY 2012 - 3.30pm - 6.30pm - £30  "WSL Ving Tsun London Combat Science" coach Jason Gowan has agreed to visit our club also to teach aspects of the WSLVT system that he feels will benefit our understanding and improve our skills.
Jason has a vast degree of martial arts experience and used to be a very successful instructor for the Kamon Wing Chun group until I encouraged him to attend a WSLVT multi-seminar event a couple of years ago... Jason was so impressed by the direct no nonsense Wing Chun approach and following this 'wake up call' he absorbed himself fully into the WSL family and VT regular intensive training under the direct guidance of Kevin Bell as well as being overseen and advised by David Peterson...himself a direct student of the late Wong Shun Leung...full details will follow in the new year

(baldies ;) pictured left to right
Kevin Bell and Jason Gowan)


www.wslwingchunlondon.com

Then shortly following this on SUNDAY 24th JUNE 2012 - we can expect a visit from "Stockport Wing Chun Academy" chief instructor Ged Kennerk, a student of David Peterson who, himself highly recommended I invite Ged down to us and experience what he has to offer on our journey to become more absorbed in the "Wong Way" of Ving Tsun..so I personally look forward to this one as I do all the other visits we currently have planned for the new year..further details of this and all other events to follow in due course.

www.stockportwingchun.co.uk

(pictured David Peterson drilling Chi Sau with Ged Kennerk - facing the camera)


An interesting year ahead for sure!!!

"The Attacking Defence of Wing Chun"

Over the last 15 years or so since starting my Wing Chun practice I have experienced many different interpretations of how this close quarter fighting system can be taught and passed on - some soft and absorbing, some hard and rigid, some very static, some very mobile, some very traditional, some very modern...

Yet one aspect had consistently run through each and every one of those interpretations - the aspect of 'Self Defence'...using Wing Chun technique to bridge with an attackers attempt to strike as an initial option in defending themselves with all drills following this idea.

Now, some did this in a very strong convincing manner against full power (ish) punches (well..staged classroom punches)...others bridged softly like the stroke of a Chinese calligraphy brush, seemingly effortlessly deflecting or absorbing the strike, some followed the bridging with a dynamic burst of violent, faster than light follow ups and connected strikes that would overwhelm the best of them (drunks maybe) ;) where some danced out the way, lightly bridging before striking, from arms length, several (read too many) follow up strikes...

Every one of my teachers over the years that i've been fortunate enough to learn from has possessed a skill level that I may never even get close to and I owe them all a great deal of thanks and gratitude for guiding me to where I am now...(beginning to see the light of day) :)

It was only when I began my research into the basics of the WSLVT (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun) system almost 3 years ago now through "Wing Chun Federation" chief coach Alan Gibson and attending a multi-seminar event with David Peterson, John Smith, Ernie Barrios and Kev Bell...that I truly began to see how much more simple, direct and conceptual Wing Chun really can be...and that this interpretation of Wing Chun actually DOES walk the talk and DOES do what it says in the history books...this IS a fighting system and it is certainly NOT in any sense of the word "Self Defence"

Self defence is for corporate workers who get paid to learn complex wrist locks and shout alot at would be attackers in a team building event to improve their confidence and escape the reams of paperwork building higher on their shiny desks...self defence is for children to protect themselves against the potential threat of a school bully who may try and nick their jam sandwich...self defence is for ladies that lunch (put that last bit in cos it made me chuckle) :)

Yet a fight or confrontation at street level is often horrendous...its often stamping and head-butting, its often blood and teeth coming out, its often faces being smashed on the kerb or a knife in the lung....self defence is about as much use for this as the proverbial chocolate teapot...it will melt VERY quickly under heat!!!

"Wing Chun/Ving Tsun Kuen" translates best as "Perpetual Spring Fist" or more accurately with regards to the WSL way, Chinese Boxing - try applying your self defence against a seasoned or even novice boxer..or better still a well versed student of the WSLVT system and see how the defensive, over complicated actions fare...personally I wouldn't advise plying it at street level for you may painfully find it wanting...

So, what makes it different to my previous training and teaching???

In all honesty and with my small insight and understanding to date, it is quite plainly the simplicity - by training a few core concepts (not techniques) that are contained within Siu Nim Tau and Cham Kiu forms the system soon becomes a close quarter fighting system, it does cut the opponent off in one or two actions, often punches, the simplest and most fundamental skill, it does attack and defend simultaneously, more often than not with a single hand, epitomising economy of motion whilst doing so and it certainly seems to use the centreline theory and triangulation more comprehensively than any other Wing Chun system i've seen through proximity (bent elbow distance) and control and/or disruption of the opponents centre of mass (if they're off balance they cant defend or attack effectively) with the aid of the constant forward, springy feeling of the Lat Sau Jik Chung concept - not hand free choose to hit - but hand free attack without thought from an almost magnetic and automatic searching for the centre..

Of course, in reality - shit happens...we don't all walk around like a tightly coiled fighting spring ready to unleash merry hell on anyone looking or acting odd...we may need to bridge against a random attack we don't see coming before anything else...but by doing so we know we are still at a disadvantage because we are defending and the other guy is attacking us...in my classes and WSLVT classes (im not a current certified WSLVT coach) we still train for this situation, yet recognise it is not the most direct way of using our Wing Chun and to be the best we can be we should train as simply and directly as possible for the most part yet also being realistic to the potential consequences should it all go pear shaped..

So, with the article heading in mind and hopefully to get you all thinking about how you practice your Wing Chun currently...ask yourself...do you attack every attack that you see coming in?...or bridge first?..or bridge and attack together (ie: Taan Da, Pak Da etc) - common..that last one...but not as direct as it could/should? be...coulda, woulda, shoulda...

What about Bong Sau?..do you throw your elbow up high defensively to bridge?..step back or to the side as you're doing so and then add a Laap and strike in??..and then repeat endlessly to a count??...hmmm?..but Wing Chun doesn't defend first and then attack because all the other striking arts do that and we're different right??..we attack and defend at the same time...(I still teach this to my students but put a huge emphasis on it being for a situation when your hands may be down, we also then reduce the drill so we punch off the emergency Bong action and get back to basics as quickly as possible..and then re-cap at Cham Kiu level where the only uses for Bong Sau are illustrated)... When/If we use/need Bong Sau (out of Chi Sau of course) it is drilled to be thrown (Paau) at the centre to cause a deflection or disruption and is followed immediately by an attack response..or if contact has already been established and our attack line is cut off, a shifting process may be used (Yi) temporarily to open a new attack line..or when pulled down can be used at a low level (Dai) to redirect the pull back towards the source

When training Taan Sau does it actually intercept and disperse energy or is it just a palm up block to enable a strike with your other hand?..do you attack with it? - not defend then attack with the same hand...but attack, dispersing in the process?

Lastly..what about Fook Sau?...do you just use it in Chi Sau?...does it actually subdue anything?...or could you use it conceptually as it can be applied throughout the system?

Briefly going back to the Bong Sau action, when we use it - although we minimise its use as its very defensive in nature and we've established Wing Chun is an attacking skill primarily, the counter strikes that we deliver following the Bong will aim to be dispersing and subduing within correct Wing Chun range (bent elbow distance for the ones at the back)..all while maintaining 'Chiu Ying' or facing, triangulation, forward intent, disruption and control of the centre of mass all..simply by attacking the attack with an assertive mind intent, not a defensive, see what happens rose tinted view of the world

Three areas which have helped me and my students begin to simplify and improve our skills and understanding and which may help you to do the same regardless of school or lineage are:

1/ Understand and maintain facing/triangulation as well as correct Wing Chun range wherever possible and remember your upper body structure is only as good as your base. The form concepts and actions give depth to your practice, work to understand and apply them - by being in correct range, using facing and forward feeling from a good base makes most things in Wing Chun terms more effective straight away

2/ Drop pre set drills and set sequence routines as well as "what if" thinking - work a set idea but in a free way so you can explore and discover what works and what does not under increasing pressure over time...question everything you currently train and ask yourself could it be made simpler and more direct...dont chase the hands, chase the centre

3/ When under threat - Attack - don't defend - all the time you are attacking and controlling or disrupting the centre of your opponent/partner they have to be defending or trying to reverse the situation - "Be fast, be first and be furious" - Alan Gibson

See below for shameless plug of Alan Gibsons book "Wing Chun the Works" available from the Wing Chun Federation website...also some excellent DVD's and publication by David Peterson at the Cranes Productions website.

Alan Gibson is booked in to visit our Bury St Edmunds club again in March 2012..more details in due course

Until next time - enjoy your training.

Chi Sau Seminar - Finding Centre

I will be teaching a "Chi Sau" (Wing Chun sticking hands) seminar on:

Sunday 16th October 2011 - 4pm - 6.30pm at Moreton Hall Health Club, Mount Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7BL -
Seminar Fee: £20 payable asap

This seminar is open to all levels and abilities and will cover basic roll, shapes and Siu Nim Tau and Chum Kiu concept/energy principles as well as attribute drills to avoid chasing the hands in favour of finding centre and once found controlling centre.

This seminar is also open to students from other clubs who may wish to attend - please contact me directly to reserve a place on 07891 699272 or by the e-mail details above

We also are planning a club social event in the next few weeks in the form of a "Curry Night" before Christmas and I will keep you all posted of dates/times etc

See you at class

Paul

Conceptual Thinking in Wing Chun

Whatever style, lineage or method of Wing Chun/Ving Tsun you come from, have you taken time to consider exactly what it means by saying Wing Chun is a conceptual art?
What concepts?..or ideas?..how is it concept base?..more importantly..why?
I see and hear and have experienced many approaches to the system and until I began some research into the methodology of the Wong Shun Leung interpretation I admit my knowledge of concepts was basic to say the least...

If asked this question 5 years ago i would have confidently replied something along the lines of Wing Chun being about the centreline and economy of motion as well as defending and attacking together where possible...which, to be fair is correct but doesn't really begin to scratch the surface of conceptual Wing Chun..

Back in those days I was taught Wing Chun based solely around set drills, endless footwork drilling without a partner, and a huge variety of how my new found ''techniques'' could be used with a compliant partner who kindly left his slow, out of range punch floating in mid air for me to pull or slap out of the way so I could develop?..my speed and accuracy without response and leave class feeling fulfilled and untouchable...blindly being led towards a collection of techniques and form movements that I only half understood..of course in hindsight this time wasnt all wasted as I was also developing my teaching style and skills and learning an enjoyable martial art...I did find however that I still had many questions...how I was being taught didnt seem to align with the multitude of Wing Chun conceptual ideas id read about in many articles and publications..but at the time i was too busy chasing the completion of the system to remove my blinkers

(pictured ABMVT students)


Now when im teaching Wing Chun if I take a simple concept out of Siu Nim Tau like the ''Taan Sau' concept (to disperse) I can explain it and explore it with a variety of tools; the shape or action itself, the basic punch, the chopping hand, palm strikes, Bong and Paak Sau even..all to ''disperse'' an incoming energy or bridge in contact in order to open up an attack line so I can return to a more simple action of attacking and cutting off my opponent in a direct manner, sometimes I may need the use of another concept such as Fook Sau (to subdue) in the same manner..should these ''concepts'' get countered or jammed or equally dispersed - I can explore why and begin to remedy it and often its a case of another concept not being applied as efficiently as it could be..maybe my facing (chiu ying) is out, or distance is outside Wing Chun bent elbow range for that moment - or intent is lacking, or not following the Loi Lau Hoi Sung - Lat sau Jik Chung concept (receive what comes, escort what goes - hand free go forward) etc etc...also the Taan sau ''shape'' can employ the Fook Sau concept and vice versa..so an understanding is required at least to an elementary level

My Wing Chun now is NOT about this technique is used for this attack and if that doesn't work then there is this technique and so on..I also don't need to ramp up the speed and dynamics to demonstrate this.. speed is an element of course but we shouldn't need to rely on it....especially as a mask to our knowledge as im there to coach..not impress and show off...drills are generally ''free'' so that exploration can take place and in turn understanding of that piece of the puzzle...the actions found in the forms help us also train attributes, encourage natural movement, structural integrity and a direct, no nonsense mindset..this is turn develops more functionality in your Wing Chun..with a string of ideas and attributes tied in with assertive intent stands you in a better place to deal with a violent street confrontation, should it happen...an over reliance on technique and wishful thinking can quickly lead to a great deal of pain and suffering when faced with real aggression...where a base idea of simply attacking the attack is easier to follow once the adrenaline flood takes away the use of your legs..

  
The concepts of Wing Chun are vast and deep yet the most young, simple idea (concept) is often enough to cover a wide range of situations once understood a little better..you then begin to shockingly realise that the good stuff isn't at the end of the system but in fact right at the beginning and runs as a vein throughout the entire journey and can be applied in many ways..and the concepts ARE the good stuff..they ARE the method..and dictate through them how good Wing Chun can be applied..without concept exploration all you have is a technique based system based around something that looks a bit like Wing Chun

So if you step into your training hall and your teacher begins to explain that Taan Sau is simply ''Palm Up Block'' - question how it works with the example given and how that relates to the entire system..should they not know, or explain Wing chun is a concept based art and then teach it as a technique based art, it may be time to reassess your path in Wing Chun.

Alan Gibson Chum Kiu Seminar Report

On Sunday 10th July 2011, Alan Gibson (seated) and his student Sean Collison (bottom row far left) visited our Next Level Wing Chun Academy club in Bury St Edmunds to hold yet another seminar on the WSLVT methods...this time covering their version of Chum Kiu (seeking the bridge)

Alan proceeded to discuss and explain the salient concepts of the form with his usual array of supplementary drills to further understand each aspect and cover any questions on the whys and hows along the way.

Sean began by demonstrating the form with Alan giving commentary, then mainly focused on explaining the use and purpose of waist power and more importantly waist and stance combined (Yiu Ma Hap Yat) as well as illustrating in this version there are 3 specific "Bong Sau" actions - one in each section, namely;

Section 1: Yi Bong - Shifting - in contact to open an attack line that has been jammed and its transition to and from Laan at close quarters
Section 2: Paau Bong - Throwing - generally out of contact though action can and is used in contact when needed
Section 3: Dai Bong - Low action - when pulled by opponent, force redirected through Dai Bong to close, executed off same leg as arm being pulled to maintain stance and facing

The Dai Bong off the rear leg could be used to defend the lower gates to a low thrusting attack if hands were down but accepted as a low action Paau Bong.

These 3 Bong sau situations illustrate the ONLY times Bong Sau MAY be needed in the WSL approach due to the fact that Bong is a primarily defensive action and doesn't provide an elbow driven attack option.
Initial bridging with Bong Sau as some schools teach is frowned upon for this very reason simply due to lack of efficiency and simplicity, defending a single punch with Bong, Laap Fak Sau for example is 3 actions to deal with 1 attack...however it is important to point out that the Laap sau fak sau response can apply should your initial straight interception attack should get jammed and forced off centre, calling for a possible Yi or Paau Bong response...even then, often a Laap is surplus to requirements if a simple punch within Wing Chun range (bent elbow distance) can be employed upon creation of an open attack line :-)
A full understanding of the Taan sau and Fook sau concept punches from the Siu Nim Tau level illustrates this perfectly.

(Tony Poynton and Neil Turner drilling Yi Bong to Laan transitions)


Alan also emphasised throughout the importance of stance and footwork to supplement the hand actions in whatever drill we trained as well as highlighting the form to be an extension of the Siu Nim Tau ideas in movement.
Three students also attended from an outside association from the Bristol area who requested to attend in advance and to see their faces light up in near disbelief when such depth was shown and explained in full to supplement their current understanding of Wing Chun and its ideas. I would like to thank the students present for making them feel so welcome and helping them better understand this approach.

As I say on a regular basis, I myself am not a Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun coach but I am enjoying the exploratory look at the system over the last 2-3 years and incorporating some of the ideas into my practice and teaching and thank Alan Gibson and his students wholeheartedly for their genuine help in trying to improve our Wing Chun skills and understanding. The more time I apply these ideas I feel my Wing Chun improving and becoming more simple, direct and efficient - three words that exemplify the Wong Shun Leung system more than any other method I have encountered to date.

If you are reading this and happen to not have met Alan Gibson or any others from this lineage, I cannot recommend you do so highly enough. Alans website is www.wingchun.org.uk and other coaches can be sought through there also.

Chum Kiu Seminar by WSLVT Coach Alan Gibson

Alan Gibson has agreed to return again to our club in Bury St Edmunds to hold a seminar event breaking down the concepts, actions and reasoning behind the second form in Wing Chun - Chum Kiu (Seeking the Bridge)

SUNDAY 10TH JULY 2011 - 3.30PM - 6.30PM - £25 per student (please pay in advance if you are a regular ''Next Level Wing Chun'' student)

MORETON HALL HEALTH CLUB
MOUNT ROAD
BURY ST EDMUNDS
SUFFOLK
IP32 7BL

Alan's past seminar visits have been very enlightening and i'm sure some more detailed information on this section of the WSLVT system will help to consolidate our understanding of this level or introduce the thinking behind it depending on your experience.

As always this event is open to all Wing Chun student levels regardless of experience or lineage and we welcome visitors from any Wing Chun club members in the UK who may wish to attend and involve themselves. We are a non political association and myself and Alan are open and happy to share this opportunity with people outside of both his and my respective clubs.

Please feel free to email me or phone to reserve a place using the details above or visit Alan's website

www.wingchun.org.uk

Practical Wing Chun Workshop - Sifu Jon Abdey & Seminar Report

On Sunday 27th February 2011 at 4pm - 6.30pm at Moreton Hall Health Club - Mount road - Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7BL

Sifu Jon Abdey will be conducting an Introduction to the Wing Chun methods of his Sifu Wan Kam Leung, a very highly regarded master and direct student of the late Wong Shun Leung.

Jon is the only UK representative of the grandmaster and im sure he will help us understand the methods and drills in an open way and make the event an enjoyable experience for all.

£25 per person - as usual with these events please try and make payment before the event or let me know your availability at the earliest convenience.

All Wing Chun enthusiasts welcome regardless of lineage as always.

Further information of Jon's group can be found on his website www.wklwingchun.co.uk

 An Excellent workshop introduction to the Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun methods held by Sifu Jon Abdey and some of his students on Sunday 27th February 2011 at our 'Next Level Wing Chun' club in Bury St Edmunds.


Jon led us through their version of the Siu Nim Tau form and the differences to other interpretations and more importantly explained why it was different, then explained the concepts behind the movements and thinking and demonstrated how that related to application both in Chi Sau and fighting scenarios.
It was clear from the offset that this system is a very in-depth, sophisticated method of Wing Chun that favours the more controlling and subduing aspects of kung fu over the bullyish smashing down of an opponent from the off..which isnt always necessary in some situations although is there within the system if needed...anyone can punch someone else but it takes real skill to be able to control them and at least give them a chance to calm down before it escalates further.


There were some unique aspects such as a different setting of stance and 8 punching methods, 5 centreline's and 135 degree structure angles in the techniques and some terminology which we were not familiar but essentially many common similarities in relaxation, elbow and waist power generation and Duen Kiu Lik (short bridge power).


For myself I have found another like minded friend in Jon Abdey who has extended his friendship and we have talked already on meeting up again to spend more time looking into their methods and training together in the near future to exchange ideas for the benefit of both of us. There are in my opinion still far too much politics and back biting in modern day Wing Chun and its refreshing to leave that for others and crack on with training and learning more about Wing Chun Kung Fu.


I would like to thank all the students who made the commitment to support the event including those who traveled from London,Cambridge and Norfolk as well as Sifu Jon and his students who made the three hour drive from Reading in Berkshire to help us understand how they roll. I look forward to my next meeting with Jon and exploring further into the Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun.

Chinese New Year Celebrations 2011

Chinese Lunar New Year this year begins on 3rd February for one week and to celebrate this we are planning a visit to our local Chinese Restaurant on:

Sunday 6th February 2011 at 7.30pm (table booked for 8pm) - Training is still on this evening and will be Chi Sau based.

Canton Chinese Restaurant, 15 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1NE

2 course set menu is £18 per head - so £20 each will cover the tip also and we can buy our own drinks on the night...Please pay all monies in advance to Gary Lisseman in class as soon as possible - maximum numbers for this are 14 as the restaurant is already busy so book your place soon...first come first served.

Gong Hei Faat Choi!!!

The class meal 06/02/2011