Sihing Paul Wang teaches Sihing Ayron Johnson Section 3.
The International Academy of WingChun (IAW) imparts both a comprehensive learning methodology and teaching pedagogy of WingChun Self-Defense.
Previously, I introduced “Feed, Read, Deed” to guide your practice of specific exercises. The following — “Collect, Correct, Connect” — is a general framework to identify certain dimensions of progress. It clarifies the mode of learning you undergo at any moment. Continue reading
High-Tech Arm.
Technique is your basis in WingChun. By technique I mean the accuracy, efficacy and quality of your movements. It displays as being clear in your intention and clean in your action. This depends on right knowledge and ample practice.
If you are swimming, precise technique allows you to glide faster and longer through the water. Swinging a high-tech titanium bat lets you hit harder and farther than a wooden one. In Self-Defense, poor technique decreases the likelihood and increases the difficulty of successful application, which is dangerous in a survival context. Such sloppiness is often due to forcing and rushing. You can amplify, rather than substitute, technique with power and speed.
There are consequential visual, tactile and, especially, functional differences between merely good and extremely great technical performance. How do you hone the latter? Here are several suggestions I’d like to share with you: Continue reading
No one else? No problem!
I hear the following question fairly often. Perhaps it’s one that you have as well!
This issue comes up when a student is going away for some time. Also, training partners aren’t always available. Or, there’s curiosity about how to employ all means of advancement, which is four-fold.
One of these layers is Personal Practice. It addresses the problem of:
How can I train by myself?
This is what I do and tell my students to try. I invite you to join us too: Continue reading
In Part 1, I introduced a simple model of how to appropriately train WingChun Applications. There were three elements, which I call Feed, Read and Deed. Now let’s further examine the first of these.
By Feed I mean the action of the partner who plays the initiating attacker. In the IAW methodology we perform two kinds of Feeds: WingChun and non-WingChun.
The former we primarily train in the context of Chi Sao (黐手 Adhering Arms), Guo Sao (過手 Passing Arms) and Puen Sao (盤手 Coiling Arms), where both partners apply WingChun attacks. Secondly, when we do Applications, the Feeds are non-WingChun. Finally, Lat Sao (甩手 Casting Arms) is a hybrid of both Feed types. I will focus on Application Feeds below: Continue reading
Last night I enjoyed a dusk walk, and even a ripe snack of dark wild cherries, in the smiling countryside. This verdant landscape painted with flowering accents and framed by citrus skies seeped into my sleep.
My morning was mostly free. The only day off this trip. I used it to digest the copious information presented so far. Taking notes is a useful exercise to replay body patterns in mind, even if you can’t read them later on due to illegibilty or unintelligibility.
It wasn’t until evening that I reconvened with Sihing Tobias for one of the regular classes at the HQ. He introduced me as the US National Instructor and asked that I help teach his students. I was more than glad to oblige. Even while vowing once again to learn more German.
The fortunate fact is that WingChun is a universal language. Self-Defense is a basic human concern. Continue reading
Sifu Paul Wang 