So, the training year for our club is coming to a close in the next few weeks so I thought I'd write a quick post to recap the year, give you the Christmas and New Year class times and a reminder of what's to come in 2016.
2015 started on a really positive note with my approach to Philipp Bayer and his UK based students with the intention of joining forces with their organisation.
Unfortunately this never came about due to logistical reasons mainly but they say things happen for a reason and it certainly fired me up to look around for further inspiration to develop our current Wing Chun/Ving Tsun training base.
In April I returned for a few months to cross training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Carlson Gracie Essex and absolutely loved it, hard genuine training which pushes you to the limit and beyond but I found even with a fairly comprehensive level of fitness which stood me in good stead against the monsters on the mats, I was picking up injuries almost every session even by being sensible and tapping out when I had to (the CGBJJ group don't hold back I can tell you!)
This was beginning to adversely affect my Wing Chun so I took the choice to stop cross training and start to look at the root cause of what led me there again in the first place...which was I needed to be accountable for my training and be pushed for my own development, taken out of my comfort zone..
Fast forward to October and I wrote a email to Ernie Barrios of Applied Body Mechanics Ving Tsun enquiring into the method they train and how to go about learning more, I explained I wanted to be accountable and pushed but mainly that I had begun to reach a saturation point in my own training and coaching and with my group in mind wanted to provide them with a good chance of realising their full potential in their own training via a legitimate group that are getting results without the political infighting and squabbling.
I knew Jason Gowan from previous Wing Chun connections and so I hooked up with him at a training session in Sutton the two weeks after followed by our clubs ABMVT Discovery Day which is documented in my previous post.
I cannot tell you what an impact this decision has had in transforming the way I look at, train and coach VT already, but its clear to see improvement literally across the board in all students within the first month, moving better, hitting harder and recovering sharply in balance after barely scratching the surface of the Module 1 content. The support from all the coaches and Ernie has been outstanding and i've almost been in contact with him and/or Jason on a daily basis since approaching them.
2016 is shaping up already to be a cracking year of self development and VT skills training,
Ernie Barrios is due to come over to the UK from California the first weekend of June to hold a weekend ABMVT Training Camp in either Manchester or Salisbury that I would like as many of you to attend and experience as possible, 6 months notice should be enough time to save money, book babysitters, get a weekend off work, divorce your wife (joke) etc to make the most of this opportunity as well as Jason and one or two of his crew coming to us in Bury St Edmunds to take a session Feb/March time and I am arranging to hook up with Adam Gerken (ABMVT Salisbury coach) to go through some of the training cycles and method hopefully in January and I'm sure there will be more to add to this list in due course throughout the year as well as myself getting down to train in London as often as I can.
ABMVT is not trying to reinvent the wheel with its approach to Ving Tsun/Wing Chun, it is a perfect blend of traditional concepts being developed by modern training methods with a results based focus.
All the tools are there to be learnt and worked from the forms and drills to dummy, pole and blades with an key emphasis on individual body mechanics, hand skills and mobility, the engine driving it is pure WSLVT (Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun Kuen Hok) - simple, direct and efficient science of VT.
Lastly...
Our Ving Tsun sessions in Bury St Edmunds finish on Sunday 20th December and the last Sudbury session is Monday 21st December.
I may be available for private tuition over the Christmas period should anyone want a lesson, please message me directly.
Classes resume from Monday 4th January and Wednesday 6th (Sudbury) and Sunday 10th January 2016 in Bury St Edmunds.
Our Christmas end of year meal is this coming Sunday 13th December 6.30pm at Full House Chinese Buffet BSE, from 6.30pm onwards..so far we have 12 attending with space for more if you want to join us last minute and fill yer boots ;)
I would like to thank all students/friends for their continued training, support and attendance this year and I cant wait to get 2016 up and running! Not to be missed!!!
Happy Christmas and heres to a busy training year ahead - Coach Paul Blissett
