[peajay]

I must have had to many burgers in the past...
this Wing Chun I'm learning...
I have had - oh three weeks worth
(three sessions a week, 2 hrs/session - blimey 18 hrs!!! )

The combinations of making the forms work as a defence, flowing into an attack, flowing into a block, flowing into a push...
I can do all the bits, but it's like fighting on mogadon - sooo veeeeryyy slow...

I'm sure I'll get better, and the forms and moves will click...
I know what I'm doing wrong, and I know where i need to get too... just my poor body can't keep up!!!

(remember - Relax - sink into your stance - Relax - think about the form - RELAX!!)

(this is fantastic for my son tho - one of the therapies for his DCD is to have a set of things to do, layered onto another set, layered onto another set - so Wing Chun which is forcing you to use both sides of your brain together, having complex actions, and chatting to your sparing partner - its just about perfect!!)

[zefff]

Great!

But keep in mind there are no blocks in Wing Chun, only parries. Maybe I am pedantic but that thinking helped me a lot to focus on the attacks rather than the defence.

I dont know if that makes sense but too many Wing Chun beginners focus on the defences when it is the attacks that allow you to win. When you think about the defences too much you actually complicate matters...although thay may seem awkward they are based of natural movements so try not to concern yourself with them too much right now. Correctness in your striking is more important than getting bogged down with contemplation of the parries.

Peace!

[samurai6string]

Glad to hear it is working out for you two. I started going to jujutsu classes with my dad around 12 or 13, I'm 26 now and I can say those were some of the best times we had together. Doing stuff in class, preparing for belt tests together outside of class. Great father/son bonding time, IMHO. Hope all keeps going well for the both of you.

[peajay]

thanks guys!
yeah... I know what you mean Zefff... all moves in Wing Chun seem actually to be strikes... the principle of always keeping the motion and pressure forward helps... What is difficult is relaxing... (conditioned that fighting involves tension, agrression... grrrr - But no, I need to relax, structure is key, relax). That and turning off the concience... if i think too much about the next move, its already been parried...
(so, closing my eyes, practice and for gawd sake RELAX!!! )

6string.. my son is 12... we are both enjoying it... so yeah, its good bonding stuff...

[dscott]

Just keep with it and you'll find that, all of a sudden, you're doing things without even thinking about them.

[Gazelle]

How you make me long for the year ago when i was actually learning something in martial arts, and when i was doing it...i'm seriously starting to hate this side of mine.

[Stazzy]

Gazelle, it's not too late to start up again. Hit up the gym and show them how a hardcore Brit like yourself drops them 'bows. I'd walk you over myself, but I can't move my legs at the moment.

[Bloodybirds]

I can attest to the father/son special times! My first son from my Filipina ex wife is now 19 in NJ but when he was 3-7 he trained with me under one of my three masters in Dallas. By the time he was 6 my Shaolin master had sawed the spear in half for him, and he became quite good with that and the initial crane and eagle movements. Currently, my 10 year old from my second ex wife here in Houston has trained with me the last two years with Sifu Jeff Bolt and learned a monkey form from my Shaolin master as well as a fan form, two long fist forms, and fighting apps as well as grinning whenever we train together. As long as it is fun for him, I will not force him to compete like I did for a long time. I want him to pick up the confidence, self discipline, and joy I have received from it over the last 29 years.

My Ying Jow master once told me that to learn the true movements of breathing and moving, to work out with or watch children....martial arts is just an adult attempt to get back to the child state of purity in thought and in movement....the father becomes the son becomes the father, even in the martial arts!

[Gazelle]

Originally Posted by Stazzy

Gazelle, it's not too late to start up again. Hit up the gym and show them how a hardcore Brit like yourself drops them 'bows. I'd walk you over myself, but I can't move my legs at the moment.

lol. What have you done to your legs? And, walking me over to the gym would be quite a feat from Houston.lol

Anyway, i can't...well, i can, but the effect on whatever i've done to my side won't be too good. It plays up just from walking sometimes, and from carrying my stuff back from the supermarket, infact, i'm sure it has gotten more sensitive to such things...i did at one point start doing very careful kicks and easy, light punches on a couple of occassions, and it seemed to be able to deal with it for a short time, but, not enough to start training again, and, since it seems to be more sensitive now, i haven't done anymore. The physio appointments hasn't really done anything, though, i thought initially it was starting to get better. She recommended i book another doctors appointment, incase it wasn't muscular.

[Stazzy]

Check out the Thai martial arts section for more info on my legs.