This blog covers everything related to self defense including but not limited to training, techniques, principles, martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, weapons, various scenarios, tips, sparring, psychology of combat, the list goes on. It is not restricted to just one fighting art but welcomes every reader regardless of experience to gain knowledge on self defense.
Some critics of Wing Chun trapping (where a fighter immobilizes the arms to execute a counter-attack) have said that trapping is useless in a street fight. Their reasoning is you won't have enough time to trap your attacker's hands or hand and attack under stress. If you do, you will likely get hit with the other hand. Is trapping useless? Yes and no.
Yes because as i've mentioned in my blog post "ineffective Wing Chun training for self defense", i've outlined several flaws with how Wing Chun sifus teach trapping. If your training with a Wing Chun guy who is also trapping and no pressure is being used then of course trapping will be useless in a street fight! All your attacker has to do is apply forward pressure and topple you over. How do you make trapping work? Efficiency, fighting on the blindside, and forward pressure. Rather than trying to face your enemy's centerline and trap the hands, you move to the outside to trap only one elbow as you attack. This is consistent with the Wing Chun principles "control your enemy's elbow" and "fight on the blindside." It's also easier to do. Why struggle to trap both hands when you can trap the elbow which moves much slower with less wasted energy?
From my experience, this method of trapping has worked for me against untrained sparring partners in a no holds barred setting. Against one sparring partner, i simply stepped in to nullify his or her kicking range and trapped only one arm (holding the elbow in place). I pushed him against the wall to keep him from moving at all as i attacked. He swung, i trapped his arm and followed up with a pretend arm break along with other attacks. With another sparring partner, i intercepted his forward movement with a stop kick then closed the gap and trapped his elbow following up with hammerfists to the back. I found that Master Wong was very helpful in giving insight on how to apply trapping in self defense.
Remember that your goal is not to focus on trapping in self defense. Trapping should only be an instinctive response to your opponent's movements. Your primary aim should be simultaneous attack and defense. If the opportunity to trap presents itself, you feel your opponent's movements and respond accordingly. In conclusion, is trapping useless? It can be as useful or as useless as you make it.
Practice with a sparring partner with safety precautions.
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If you've seen the movie IP Man 2 or IP Man 3 then you may be inspired to know whether or not Wing Chun beats boxing in a fight or vice versa. Truthfully, neither would. It all depends on how good the fighter is in the style. As a Wing Chun practitioner, I have a few ideas in defending against a boxer who may unfortunately try to harm you. These tips should only be used for self defense, not to show off who's the better fighter or which style is superior.
* Use proper structure - the mistake I've seen many Wing Chun fighters make is lack of proper fighting structure. Your arms should not be elevated all the way up at head level as it leaves your lower body exposed. You also should maintain your back structure when fighting.
* Use your elbows - What's the key in beating a boxer? Hint - it's in the elbows and their alignment. When getting in proper fighting structure, make sure that your elbows are slightly bent downwards so you can protect your lower body. When a boxer throws a punch, your elbow should be a block but also a strike to keep in line with Wing Chun principle of simultaneous attack/defense. If your opponent has no gloves on then his/her fists will break on impact. Practice putting power into your Bong Saos and elbow strikes. Make sure to also keep your eyes on the opponent's elbows. No matter how fast they hit, you will always be able to use your elbows to attack and defend at once due to distance along with eye coordination. Be sure to practice downward elbow strikes to counter uppercuts.
* Keep the pressure on the boxer - One of the most common mistakes i've seen Wing Chun fighters on youtube make is failing to keep the pressure on the boxer. Wing Chun fighters linger back and try to find angles of attack or patiently wait for the boxer to come. Don't wait. Wing Chun is about aggression and eliminating the threat at close range. Get close to the boxer and strike with a flurry of attacks. If he retreats, you keep following him until you back him into a corner. Don't let him breathe for a moment.
* Keep your distance - Another problem is failure to keep your distance. Control the distance with kicks between you and the boxer rather than punches. If your too close to a boxer, you will get hit. If your too far, you won't be able to hit. Aim for the knees or sides of the knees to throw the boxer off balance before you close the gap and get into striking range.
* Use different angles of attacks and blocks - Another common mistake i've noticed Wing Chun fighters make is only training to block attacks coming straight forward. Boxers train to strike at many different angles such as throwing an uppercut punch so you must learn not only how to respond but how to counter at different angles as well. It may come as a surprise to Wing Chun fighters that Wing Chun also has uppercut punches in some Wing Chun forms. What's the difference? The Wing Chun uppercut is delivered without compromising the Wing Chun body structure.
* Know when to strike and where - As soon as there's an opportunity to attack such as after a boxer finishes a punch, close the gap and strike hard at the boxer. Strike at his center of mass, temples, legs, sternum, throat, sides of the neck, the eyes, groin, nose, etc. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It takes more time for an attack in a curved line to reach it's target than a straight one. Therefore, when a boxer throws a hook punch, it would be a great opportunity to simultaneously deflect and strike at the centerline as you close the gap.
* Control the elbows - once you close the gap, immediately control elbows preferably from behind the boxer. From there, knock the boxer off balance and finish him quickly.
Some additional tips to consider:
* Beware of the bob and weave - If the boxer is good, he/she will bob and weave before attacking you from a different position. The key is to focus on the boxer's lower body such as the knees and waist for areas of attack.
* Training - Practice your simultaneous elbow strikes and defenses. The key to drawing power is using your hips and turning your whole body as you strike. Practice your turning stance as you strike, your combinations, eye-hand coordination, quick reflexes, sticking to Wing Chun principles, mobile footwork, and sparring with a boxer if possible.
Hopefully you've learned from this guide and are better equipped at dealing with a boxer. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
After watching the film IP Man and seeing his graceful moves, i quickly became inspired by this martial art as i did my research. I began learning and training around the year of 2013. I was appealed to Wing Chun mainly due to it's fighting principles that can be applied to daily life and also as an expression of who i am.
Wing Chun principles consist of the following:
* Structure and balance - By having a solid stance, you are able to draw more attack power. In life, balance is key to a healthy well-being. By obsessing in one aspect of your life while neglecting the rest, you suffer in those areas.
* Softness and relaxation - In Wing Chun, we strike with a soft and relaxed body. The power comes when we release our chi. Wing Chun philosophy is that tense and stiff muscles make attacks less powerful. Soft hands that absorb energy rather than fight against it are able to redirect it and use it to our advantage. I am a kind-hearted person which is why softness suits me but i strive to not be taken advantage of.
* Simultaneous attack and defense - Unlike other martial arts emphasizing powerful attacks, Wing Chun is unique in the sense that it balances both offense and defenses. You do not compromise your defenses and balance for a more powerful attack as the aim is to eliminate the threat while protecting your own health. This teaches you to care for your own well being as it is the aim of self defense.
* Simplicity - As a scientist and a teacher, simplicity is key to making students understand you. The same works for Wing Chun. Many martial arts emphasize complex and curved angles in their attacks while Wing Chun prefers directness in a straight line. Making your moves simple enables you to strike faster in combat than going through a complicated series of attacks.
* Economy of motion - Wing Chun philosophy stresses importance in only using the proper use of energy necessary to end a fight. The less energy you spend, the more efficient you will be and alert for the next opponent. It is more efficient and effective to deliver a powerful kick that throws your opponent off balance in response to a hook than to block then attack. In life, it is important to know how much you ought to invest your energy in a task.
* Minimum use of brute strength - Wing Chun involves absorbing brute force and redirecting it from your opponent rather than fighting against it. Brute force alone will not ensure you will win fight especially when your opponent is skilled in using your own energy against you. In life, it is essential to turn negative energy into positive energy for the sake of our health.
My ultimate goal is mastering self control and achieving a better life through Wing Chun. For these reasons, i find Wing Chun a beneficial martial art that suits my personality and well being that other martial arts do not do as well. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
