Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wing Chun Equipment - What Do You Really Need?

By Ganesh Hardy


One in the good features of martial arts and maybe what has helped them spread so far and wide is simply because all you incredibly require is really a training partner.

Using your personal bodyweight for conditioning jobs and also a partner to discover and hone new techniques, spar and push you is all you incredibly need. An essential thing to remember when you're new, super keen and capable to buy every gizmo and gadget on a market!

The well being marketplace is full of crazy stuff you do not very need.

So assuming you want to invest your income into Wing Chun training equipment - where do you start? What's crucial now, inside the future and what's simply a luxury you'll be able to live without.

Let's get started.

Traditional Wing Chun Equipment

Wooden Dummy

Probably probably the most famous of all conventional Wing Chun training equipment - the Wooden Dummy plays a key role inside the system. The 'unarmed' Wing Chun technique consists of 3 empty hand forms and the wooden dummy form.

Made up of 2 arms high, a middle arm and leg - the dummy is designed to replicate an opponent you can move around. Hitting the arms will supply an element of conditioning - even so this shouldn't be witnessed as the primary purpose.

Inspired by Bruce Lee - there were numerous attempts to modify and improve the Wooden Dummy - to create it much more alive and your training far more realistic. The only genuine transform that has happened (almost universally) stands out as the switch to a Wall Mounted Wooden Dummy.

Historically the Wooden Dummy would had been outside and allowed practitioners to move 360 degrees close to it as even though it was an opponent. Once practitioners began training in Hong Kong the lack of space triggered the shift from free-standing dummies to wall mounted wooden dummies.

For much more experienced students (and individuals in the space and money) a wooden dummy is a great investment provided you use it!

They're good for training your forms, free practise, footwork and training low level kicks towards system and legs of an opponent.

Look Dim Book Kwan (or Lengthy Pole)

The Wing Chun Extended Pole is 8.5 feet in length and unusual in that it tapers to a smaller tip. Grandmaster Yip Man's Pole Form is somewhat of the secret with video footage owed only by a handful of individuals (GM Yip Chun and GM Leung Ting).

The Long Pole is held using the end quarter which creates the pole form a very good conditioner for your arms and forearms. Having a deeper stance the legs are made to work hard though spearing on the pole and chi kwan can be performed using a partner.

Like the Bart Cham Dao - the Long Pole is often a very specific piece of training equipment a lot more suited to additional senior students who know the form. Training the type combines the technical aspects and extremely particular functional training for your body.

Butterfly Knives (or Butterfly Swords)

The Baat Cham Dao or Butterfly Knives are an unusual weapon used in pairs. Sizes vary although they're commonly the length on the users forearm, have a handle that protects the fingers including a tang that are applied to spin the blades or catch and twist an opponent's sword.

In several Kung Fu systems - heavy weapons are used for conditioning purposes and while this is not the aim of the Baat Cham Dao - it's actually a secondary benefit as your grip and forearms are worked.

As Wing Chun equipment goes - the Butterfly Swords are of additional benefit to an individual who knows the Sword Form and not a piece of equipment I'd recommend to new or even intermediate students.

Weapons move in a extremely numerous method to punches and kicks so the Butterfly Knives form has a lot more mobile footwork exciting for all levels of students - whilst it is possible to train the footwork with out knowing the entire form (or needing a set of knives).

In numerous Wing Chun systems the Baat Cham Dao are the last piece in the Wing Chun jig-saw and complete the unarmed and armed system.

Wall Bag Training

Low cost and very effortless - the wall bag is an effortless to use conventional piece of Wing Chun equipment. Wall bags usually arrive as single, double or 3 sectioned - the later being my favourite as you'll be able to jobs your strikes at various heights.

The biggest fault with most wall bag users is their lack of imagination as they bang out straight punch after straight punch. You may quickly occur up with lots of training exercises, jobs footwork, shifts and combinations of punches, palms and chops for the bag.

Not to mention the infinite combinations you'll be able to practise.

Filling your wall bag is a modest controversial - a thing from ball-bearings and sand via to old clothes. After years of hitting a wall bag filled with sand (always trying for getting it as compact as possible) I made the switch to anything a small lighter and user friendly.

- Old clothing combined with mung beans, rice and lentils.

Slightly softer the bag still problems your hand and the give during the bag provides a excellent think on your knuckle (more like a person) because it sinks into the filling. More than time any filling with get lower (either turning into dust or leaking out the back) so ensure to hold it topped up or you will end up hitting the wall behind the bag.

Canvas bags are the original and will begin to tear the skin off your knuckles so be careful even though smoother vinyl or leather-like options will let you train for longer. Personally I like the think of hitting canvas bags.

Buying considerations must be exactly where you happen to be heading to put your bag because sound will travel from your walls your bag hangs from and aim to obtain bags with 3 or four eyelets to hang it up and reduce the almost certainly hood of it tearing.

Simple and powerful being a condition, for isometric training and isolating your punches - wall bags are a very good tool and complement the a lot more mobile focus-pad perfectly. Modern Wing Chun Training Equipment

Focus Pads (Hook & Jab pads)

For anybody searching to sharpen their punches whilst tidying up their footwork - Focus pads are right up there as quantity One option with regards to buying equipment.

When it comes to buying pads you always get what you pay for with regards to focus pads and just as crucial is using a excellent training partner who knows how to retain and feed.

Your training right here must always have an emphasis on accuracy - speed and power can be worked in isolation (faster lighter punches or slower heavier punches).

Drills are limited only by your imagination - it is possible to couple your punches with steps, shifts and turns and find out to hit from any angle, standing or over a ground.

Focus pads are also good for endurance training in which you are able to use pyramids commencing from singles and working upwards... before coming all of the way down.

While your Wing Chun training must always focus on explosive bursts and heading all out from second to minutes (for self-defence purposes) you are able to also include and will benefit from rounds (e.g. A couple of minute round with One minute break in between).

Bruce Lee was a keen advocate of focus pads - they are specific, fun and really versatile.

Heavy Bag Work

From 4ft bags to 6ft bags - if you might be following training that pushes your conditioning while working on power then you'll find it difficult to discover any tool better than a heavy bag.

If you have space (and already invested in focus pads) the heavy bag is really a very good tool for working punches, kicks, knees and elbows.

With a modest imagination you can treat the heavy bag like you'd a person - stepping into and moving around.

Alternatives for the heavy bag are lighter punch bags and maize bags. You have to be careful with some light bags since they move as well much but a lighter bag can offer a much more realistic training tool since it moves and you should chase and follow.

Maize bags are good - round or pear shaped - you possibly can easily combine all your attacks with hooking and lifting punches discovered in some wing chun lineages. Downside is they typically cost more than a very good heavy bag but you'll benefit from their versatility.

Like focus pads - when it comes to buying a punch bag you'll typically get what you pay for. Try to use several bags and get a feel to your weight you would find most intriguing (heavy-heavy bags too hard on their hands if they are training bare-knuckle and limit your workouts).

Finally - watch out for cheaper vinyl bags, not as a result of high quality - the surface can be abrasive and consume layers of skin off your knuckles and elbows.

Floor-to-Ceiling Ball

If speed and accuracy are traits you'd like to hone you possibly can do smaller better that pay for a floor-to-ceiling ball. The round ball is attached within the floor towards ceiling by rubber bands making it bounce left, right, forwards and back whenever you hit it.

A actual test of hand-eye co-ordination this really is truly a 'luxury' that helps your training instead of a 'must have' like wall bags or focus pads.

There is a skill and knack to hitting the ball as it moves anticipation of in which it may perhaps move and it's very good fun watching somebody who's in no way applied 1 struggle as they throw punch after punch and miss.




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