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Beautiful Springtime - Wing Chun Kung Fu
TRAINING
The above video is a documentary discussing the one inch punch and its applications. A very interesting topic as Wing Chun is one of the few martial arts with such powerful close range techniques.
Keeping A Detailed Notebook
Tips/Suggestions
Every martial arts practitioner should keep a detailed notebook of their daily training. Immediately after completing a class, I suggest sitting down for a moment and writing down everything that you worked on that day and any thoughts. This way you can go back and review lessons while you are practicing/training at home. Also,keep good track of your notebooks. I still have mine from over fifteen years ago and I refer to them when training to this day.
Basic Outline of a Wing Chun Class Meeting
Tips/Suggestions
Of course a Sifu might pick and choose from the following elements of what typically goes on during a class period. Here is simply a suggested basis to help you plan a class:
I. Beginning A Class
A. Bow into class upon entering the kwoon.
Tips/Suggestions
Often training sessions are held in mirror walled, wooden floored rooms within a fitness center. Others have also trained in various parks and backyards as well as many other places. It is simply customary and respectful to bow to your sifu and fellow students upon arriving and before leaving the kwoon or any training area.
B. Line up to begin class and recite your school pledge(if any).
Tips/Suggestions
Example:
The Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy(grandmaster William Cheung) pledge:
"I believe constant practice of the art of Wing Chun will enable me to transcend to a higher mental and physical level. I will show respect for grandmaster Cheung, my sifu, sihings and sidais. I will utilize my utmost tolerance and consideration when dealing with people and matters in and outside of the academy."
II. First half hour(based on a ninety minute class period)
Tips/Suggestions
Although this outline is divided into three distinct training periods, the flow of each particular class session will determine the overall time spent on any one section or activity.
A. Exercises
1. Breathing Exercises
2. Eye Exercises
3. Physical Training
- push-ups
- sit ups
- jumping jacks
- toe/calf raises
- quick jog/run in place
- etc.
Tip/Suggestion
I suggest starting with jumping jacks or jogging and then putting a quick preliminary leg stretch session in before going back to the push-ups etc. This way, when the class is finished with Physical Training and you move on to concentrated stretching, your already warmed up and stretched out a little(a couple of quick leg stretches is fine).
4. Stretching
III. Second half hour
A. Forms Training
1. Split up into groups by beginner and advanced(unless you hold these classes seperate).
Tips/Suggestions
Split up into groups depending on which form each student is working on. An instructor or senior student will lead one of each of the groups in practicing the form they are working on.
Example: Group 1 - beginner shil lim tao
Group 2 - advanced shil lim tao
Group 3 - beginner chum kil
Group 4 - advanced chum kil
Group 5 - beginner bil jee
Group 6 - advanced bil jee
Group 7 - wooden dummy
Tips/Suggestions
During this time, the Sifu can walk around the room checking on students form and techniques while making corrections and praise. This time can also be spent working one on one with a student who is perhaps struggling.
IV. Final half hour(based on a ninety minute class)
A. Techniques
1. Review Techniques - practice as a class if possible
2. Individual Techniques
a. Create two groups - advanced/beginner(once again if neccesary)
Tips/Suggestions
Try lining advanced students up back to back with beginners. That way beginner students see only their instructor and are not distracted by the techniques being studied in the advance group. A kwoon with a seperate room would be beneficial here. Some schools also hold beginner and advance classes at different times. It's just a matter of time and resources.
B. Discussion
1. Sit the class down during this period, preferrably on mats or another comfortable
surface other than a/the hardwood floor.
Tips/Suggestions
If you have ever sat cross-legged or on your knees during class for even a short period of time on a hard surface such as wood or cement, then you understand how uncomfortable it can be. Your knees, ankles, or (all of a sudden suspiciously boney) butt can become quite sore with the weight of your body pressing it into unforgiving surfaces such as these. Students who aren't comfortable might be too shy or intimidated to speak up. In this case, they will then begin to anxiously await their Sifu in placing the period on his final sentence instead of listening intently on what is actually being said and absorbing valuable and critical information. Based on my experiences, if you place your students in this situation, you can safely guesstimate most or nearly all of them are uncomfortable or in some degree of pain, distracting them from concentrating their full attention upon their Sifu.
Possible discussion topics:
- Wing Chun Principles
- Wing Chun Benefits
- Wing Chun Terminology
- Wing Chun Techniques
- Wing Chun Forms
- Seminars or Upcoming Events
- Testing Schedule/Student Progress
- Notebook Review(very important, can be invaluable)
V. Ending A Class
A. Cool down stretching
1. Social time/open discussions
2. Line up
Tips/Suggestions
Your class can also say the school pledge here if you have one, instead of at the beginning of class.
B. Bow Out
1. Students bow to Sifu
2. Dismiss students
3. Students and Sifu alike bow to fellow students and training area seperately as they exit.
Tips/Suggestions
Additionally, there are many other games and activities available for consideration as part of class time. Most likely, a Sifu will mix class periods with a variety of quality instruction and activity.
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