NEW Grading Syllabus

Following a number of requests from the current student base and in line with the new classes that have opened, I have decided to implement a "Student Grading/Assessment Syllabus" to provide a guideline for learning our Wing Chun system and mark what you have covered to a certain required general standard of competence and understanding and also what you have ahead of you to learn at any time.

In my opinion grading is merely a guideline and checklist of your skill base and knowledge to date, so both myself as the teacher and yourself as the student can amend any areas of weakness and plan for the future.
I don't see grading as a cash cow or a system of "you pay your grading fee you get your grading" therefore the cost will be minimal to cover certificate printing and students will only grade when we both agree they are at the particular level they wish to grade for.

I also will be assessing people on a constant basis during classes and monitoring class attendance and attitude in class which will all be factors to you taking and achieving a grade level. In this way students will earn their grading over a period of time which also gives me the freedom to award a level randomly should it be deserved in my opinion with those factors in mind.

The Next Level Wing Chun Academy grading syllabus is comprised of 8 Levels as follows:

Foundation Level 1 & 2 - Beginners Wing Chun Fundamentals and Siu Nim Tau (White T-shirt black logo)
Technical Level 1 & 2 - Intermediate Wing Chun drills, Footwork, Kicking, Single/Double Chi Sau, Applications and Chum Kiu Section 1 (Black T-shirt white logo)
Advanced Level 1 & 2 - Chum Kiu and Biu Tze, Anti-grappling, sweeps/takedowns, Chi Sau/Gor Sau, Muk Yan Jong Sections 1-4 (Red T-shirt black logo)
Black Belt/Sash Level 1 & 2 - All empty hand form demonstrations, Chi Sau, Luk Dim Boon Gwun and Baat Jaam Dao forms

* Please note minimum requirement for Assistant Instructor is Technical Level 2 (Red sash) and Instructor is Advanced Level 2 as well as being assessed while teaching 3 x 2 hour classes *

Students will be given exact grading requirements for each level in class at least 8 weeks in advance and obviously if you have already been training with me for over 18 months you wont be required to pay for the Foundation Levels but will still be awarded certification for this as long as I feel you have a good understanding of that level. The majority of my students are around Technical Level 1 or 2 so these are the first levels most of you will be graded on in July/August.

I will point out that although I will be recommending students be graded it is not compulsory in my classes..I am here to guide you in your Wing Chun journey and trying to implement this system to help not hinder you, but if you are totally averse to the idea it wont be held against you and you will be covering the same syllabus regardless.

I will post details of our first Grading Date soon on our Facebook page and will have content details in class in due course.

On a last note I am planning on holding a mini Wing Chun Summercamp Training Day in Sudbury this Summer (August) on a Sunday for 5 hours, ideally outside on the Sudbury meadows if the weather is nice enough. The cost is £40 per person and content will be forms, partner drills, circuit type training, sweeps/takedowns and anti-grappling. If we get a minimum of 6 students this will go ahead so please give me some feedback in class.

See you all soon

Sifu

NEW Classes added!!

Sudbury "Next Level Wing Chun" Classes:

I have decided to open some further classes in Sudbury, Suffolk at my home for the summer months initially to gauge interest and provide existing students more training opportunities should they wish to get more practice in.
These classes will be held in my large outbuilding at the foot of my garden (which I am in the process of totally clearing out and eventually matting) or in the garden should the weather be suitable.
Numbers will be limited to 8 students on a booking in basis in the Sudbury classes.
Parking is available locally, three spaces on my driveway or in the Sainsburys car park opposite my house.

I also would like to begin to grow the "Next Level Wing Chun Academy" for a stronger future and develop a training network so we all have more people to train with and classes running throughout the week within a 30-40 minute drive.

These new sessions are due to start on Monday 5th May 2014 (Bank Holiday) - times and details are as follows as well as the class information section on this Blogpage as well as our Facebook page "Next Level Wing Chun Academy"

Monday: Beginners Wing Chun - 6.45pm - 8pm
Wednesday: Mixed Level class - 6.45pm - 8pm
Thursday: Beginners Wing Chun - 6.45pm - 8pm

For existing Bury St Edmunds students who pay monthly wanting to attend they have a choice of either paying £5 per session on a pay as you go basis or pay £40 per month for ALL classes inclusive (Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury)

Classes will be held at my home @ 82 Cornard Road, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2XB
Please aim to arrive 5-10 mins early for classes.

Any questions or information needed please call me or contact me via the details above or Facebook

Whats coming in 2014

Group photo following a recent seminar I held for Sifu Chris Thompson's students in Bury St Edmunds

Firstly, apologies for not updating this page on a more regular basis...these days I tend to rely on our "Next Level Wing Chun Academy" Facebook page for class and information updates although I will endeavor to rectify this in the coming months as and when I have time.

This year has been a very productive one for our club on many levels, we have built a very good consistent student base with 15-20 members (when they can all attend class on the same day) and I have seen skill progression from everyone in some way which is pleasing to see..as with anything in life, you get out what you put in..nothing more nothing less.

In the coming year of 2014 I have decided that on top of the traditional Wing Chun fundamentals of form, footwork and striking practice, Chi Sau drills and attribute training drills..that it would only be a positive step to cover some training areas that many have asked after and I have promised we would approach at some point in the near future.

* Progressive Sparring
* Dealing with Grabs and Holds
* Blade Awareness
* Completion of Chum Kiu form and application drills
* Wooden dummy workshop days
* Improving Wing Chun Fundamentals

With all the current bickering and political infighting in the world of Wing Chun over who has a better lineage, has more effective Wing Chun etc etc...it is important to distance ourselves from this mentality and focus on what essentially matters most...skill development and understanding of what we practice through training...not talking...what it boils down to for me is teaching/studying/developing a Wing Chun system/approach that fosters self confidence and is fun and enjoyable to participate in

Assisting the next generation of Wing Chun grasp the basics

The last class of this year 2013...is on Sunday 15th December 4pm - 6pm and will be focused on an introduction to the early sections, thinking and common application of the Muk Yan Jong (Wooden Dummy) form...we will have 2 dummies to train on in class...following the Christmas break of 2-3 weeks we are due to return to training on Sunday 5th January 2014 - usual times apply.

I would like to sincerely thank all my class and private students for their attention and work ethic this last year and look forward to helping you develop your Wing Chun in the coming year.

As always Beginners are always welcome to join our classes at any time

Sifu

Visiting Shaolin!!! (well...Southend actually)

On Sunday 17th March 2013 - a group of 13 "Next Level Wing Chun Academy" students (and me) finally took up Sifu Chris Thompson's invite to visit his group and full time training school/shop "Shaolin Martial Art Supplies" in Southend.

Chris agreed to teach on this occasion and took the students through various drills off a bridge hand and working towards bypassing defensive barriers and use of structure and Wing Chun theory to counter strength and a jammed attack line. Chris has a vast amount of teaching and training experience in Wing Chun both in the UK and Hong Kong/Mainland China so its always good to hear his viewpoints and catch up with him once again

All in all we had a good day out and its always good for the students to experience and learn from various teachers and show a willingness to learn and make friends with other lineages without a big political divide.
We all look forward in welcoming Sifu Chris and his students back to our club in Bury St Edmunds later in the year for more of the same.

As far as the current training in Bury St Edmunds goes we seem to have hit a groove of late and the attendance is edging ever closer to 20 regular students (albeit not all attend on the same day...but still)...the work ethic and enthusiasm for learning is also very high as friendships are formed and skills developed and built in over time.

So far this year we have covered and broken down the Siu Nim Tau form into concept and action/application, worked partner flow drills and street self defence scenarios, pad work and push ups, introduced single sticking hands and will be soon covering basic kick defence and the use of Taan and Bong Gurk as well as beginning double sticking hands and the second form Chum Kiu (seeking the bridge) along with the constant recap of the main Wing Chun fundamentals of closing footwork, punching, evasion skills, disruption and control of the opponents centre and generating attack lines.

As always we are actively recruiting new students so if you know of anyone who may be interested in learning Wing Chun please forward them my details or drag them along and we'll make them sweat....erm...I mean welcome :)

Tuition is still £10 per 2 hour session at first or £30 per calendar month

Looking forward to what the rest of 2013 brings to the club...keep open minded and training hard and often

Sifu

Wing Chun Ideas Exchange - Part 3

Group photo at the end of the session

During October 2012, Sifu Chris Thompson asked once again (3rd visit in 3 years) to bring a few of his regular students up to our club in Bury St Edmunds to afford them the opportunity to experience different teaching styles and opinions on how Wing Chun can be practiced.

The key aspects covered on this training day were;
1/ Generating simple attack lines
2/ Bypassing defensive barriers
3/ Structural springs and leverage

The students were given partner drills to develop structural integrity using the Fook Sau (subduing) concept to cut off an opponents straight attack using power from the elbow, generated use and connection of the waist and support from the ground, working on the basic idea of attacking the attack rather than the often used, less direct method of - defend with one hand while striking with the other.

"Next Level Wing Chun" student Phil Kotval (R) drilling Fook Sau Concept Punches with a visiting student

As the drills opened up and the partners began to respond being forced to defend themselves, we covered how to bypass these barriers by taking a new direct attack line, minimizing the need for additional Paak (slap) or Laap (pull/deflect) actions, instead utilizing Jut (jerk/drag) when the initial punch was forced out from centre.
This led nicely onto the importance of maintaining a simple attack minded approach when barriers present themselves and also the need for correct distance to allow for the full use of leverage and structural springs to assist in taking and controlling the partners centre of mass, keeping them off balance to prevent them successfully defending or counter attacking at close quarters.

Myself (R) and Andy Beverton going through some finer points of structural integrity of the Wing Chun shapes

Sifu Chris Thompson's students are always an open, receptive group to teach and the feedback was very positive with some interesting ideas for them to take away and research, yet all along similar lines to how they are currently being coached. Hats also go off to Chris who himself had just got off a flight back from Hong Kong and Thailand earlier that morning and was a little blurry eyed yet still made the effort to help out where needed during the session.

We all look forward to the return visit down to sunny Southend to see their new full time training  facilities and martial arts supplies shop (Shaolin Martial Arts Supplies - Southend)  in the coming year.
More info for Sifu Chris Thompson's club can be found at www.southendwingchun.co.uk

On a last note, the club T-Shirts and Hoodies have been ordered now so should be with us by early December all being well i'm told.
Sunday classes break up for Christmas on Sunday 16th December (last class) then we restart on Sunday 6th January 2013 for another progressive training year.

New Members and Training Overview

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts this year...due in part to not always having access to a computer to be able to keep the blog updated.

After a pretty rocky start to 2012 with more than a few regulars moving away from Wing Chun for various reasons we are beginning to see classes flourish once again with the addition of 6 new starters to the 'Next Level Wing Chun Academy'.

I have also sent a message out to previous members who have shown an interest in returning to Wing Chun in the future with an offer of reduced tuition fees for the remainder of 2012 to try and reignite their interest, two of which have already agreed to return in the coming weeks.

Training wise due the new influx, focus in class has been on recapping the fundamentals of theWing Chun first form Siu Nim Tau (little/young idea) as well as the footwork, hand skills and partner drills associated with the early level and practical applications of aspects and concepts from the form.

My teaching focus is currently a mix from my previous experiences in Wing Chun and takes aspects from traditional Ip Chun Wing Chun, some previous Kamon Wing Chun ideas as well as the core of what we have picked up of the direct Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun approach via Alan Gibson in his many visits to our club over the last 3-4 years.

For me my teaching now makes more sense and from the student feedback i'm getting the results are clear with understanding and skill level clearly improving - I admit it can be a juggle for a beginning student (or even an intermediate/advanced student) to comprehend how the jigsaw of Wing Chun fits together and realization that the simplest ideas are often the most effective yet can be the most difficult to implement, such as the Fook Sau (subduing hand) and Taan Sau (dispersing/spreading hand) concepts along with Chiu Ying (facing) and triangulation, yet with simple promts to 'attack the attack' and 'disrupt the centre of mass' gradually close quarter Wing Chun begins to gel and make sense...of course with the requisite relaxation, structures, intent that are introduced at the same time and developed within the form practice.

Repetition - Repetition - Repetition! :-)

Students have also been schooled in the practice of partner flow drills to aid in the relaxation and 'flow' of attack sequences and also to concentrate under relative pressure with both arms supplementing each other. These skills can be vital in the flurry of arms to help gain, regain or maintain an attack line when drilling becomes more open and random or when the attack line has been shut off or jammed.

Training to come in the next few months will involve the Paak Sau (slapping hand) drill which helps train the 'Lat Sau Jik Chung' (lost hand thrust forward) concept as well as 'Lien Siu Dai Da' (linking defence to bring in offence)...as well as Combination drills, Chi Sau, application scenario training and the second form of Wing Chun, Chum Kiu (seeking the bridge) which trains turning, kicking, tracking a moving opponent and builds on the concepts introduced during Siu Nim Tau.

A busy and exciting time ahead with hopefully some more new faces and seminars in the new year with other members of the UK Wing Chun community teaching their interpretation of the skills of Wing Chun via invite to our school.

Lastly, I will be making a club T-shirt order again either before the Christmas break or into the new year, prices are £15 for adults and £10 for children and payment is needed upfront with a minimum of 10 orders before it can be submitted..so let me know in class if you want me to order you one. Sweatshirts may be an option for the winter months but im still haggling the price down with our supplier to make them as affordable as possible.

See you in class soon and keep training hard and focusing on personal improvement.

Sifu

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