How to Learn Wing Chun

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Wing Chun is a traditional Chinese martial art that focuses on close combat, fast fighting and tight defense to win the opponent. This martial art takes down the opponent with quick footwork, defense and attack take place at the same time, and uses the opponent’s strength to his advantage. It is a complex martial art that requires years of practice, but you can start learning its basic principles, theory, and skills easily.

Table of Contents

Learn the principles of Wing Chun

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Learn the center line theory. The basic principle of Wing Chun is to protect the body’s center line. Imagine a straight line extending from the center of the head and running straight through the center of the chest to the lower body. This is the center line of your body and the most vulnerable place. You must always protect it. ^{[1] X Research Source}

According to the center line theory, you should always attack from above center line and counterattack into the opponent’s center line.
The basic open stance of Wing Chun is based on the center line theory. In an open position, you stand looking forward with your knees slightly bent, feet facing out slightly. With this way of standing facing the opponent, you can attack with the most balanced force.

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Use your energy wisely and sparingly. A key principle of Wing Chun is to use energy judiciously and sparingly during combat. Uses enemy energy by deflecting their attacks. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Move efficiently and wisely. The idea here is that you should travel the shortest distance in the minimum time to connect with the opponent. This also helps conserve your energy.

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Let’s relax. A stressed body will expend energy unnecessarily. Relax your body and you will be more comfortable. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you’ve ever studied other martial arts (especially “difficult martial arts”), you will have to “delete the learned knowledge” or forget bad habits. Wing Chun is a flexible martial art with many harmonizing techniques that require you to be “soft” and relaxed. Adjusting muscle reflexes and building a relaxation routine can be frustrating and time consuming, but it’s necessary in the long run.

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Reflex training. In Wing Chun, when fighting, the boxer will react quickly to block the attack and lead the fight in his way. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Change tactics according to the opponent and the environment. Your opponent can be tall or short, big or small, male or female, and so on. Similarly, the combat environment can be different – outdoor, indoor, windy, hot, cold, and so on. Be ready to adjust the way you hit to match the conditions around you. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Learn the martial arts of Wing Chun. Wing Chun is divided into a series of six different kicks, each building on the previous one. In each exercise, you will learn standing posture, body positioning, limb movements and balance. These permissions are:

Little Thoughts Head
Tam Kieu
Tieu Chi
Moc Nhan Trang
Six Points of Sale
Eight Slashing Blades

Decide how to learn Wing Chun

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Find Wing Chun dojo. Dojos often focus on teaching one martial art, especially for serious students. Dojos or Wing Chun clubs may be affiliated with a certain martial arts association. Look online or in the phone book for a local Wing Chun dojo.

Check with local dojos to see if they teach Wing Chun. Maybe they only teach the basics, and if you want to learn advanced Wing Chun you have to find a place that has advanced classes.
Meet with the master (martial arts teacher) to inquire about their experience and qualifications. How many years of experience do they have? How did they learn Wing Chun?
Join a Wing Chun class. You need to know how the teacher teaches in class and how other students learn.
Learning Wing Chun directly with a master is the best way.

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Learn Wing Chun online or via DVD. Many websites offer lessons for you to learn Wing Chun on your own. They often offer videos at multiple levels and set a subscription fee based on your level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc.) and allow access to the material. These websites can be helpful if you can’t find a good master or don’t have a local Wing Chun dojo. They can also enhance the quality of an in-person session if you are currently attending a dojo. Choose a DVD set or online course taught by the host or Wing Chun master.

Some online courses also offer master certificates for advanced students who want to start a martial arts class.
Some sites offer webcam courses with masters on a one-on-one basis.
There are several apps to help you learn Wing Chun, available for Apple or Android phones.
Some examples are the “Wing Chun Online Course” published and certified by the International Wing Chun Association, and the “Wing Chun Kung Fu Long Distance Learning” course. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Set aside a space to learn martial arts. Find a place in your home where you can practice Wing Chun. That space should be large enough for you to move your body around in all directions. Test by swinging your arms and legs around the area. You certainly don’t want to bump into the furniture in the room.

Ideally, a place with a mirror so you can see how you move.

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Find a classmate to practice with. Learning the moves alone will only get you to a limited extent. Ultimately, you’ll have to learn how to match your moves with your opponent’s. Practicing with a partner will help you practice dealing with your opponent’s attacks. They can also give encouragement and comment on your hitting technique.

Learn Little Thoughts

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Learning Elementary Mindset. Xiao Niantou lays the foundation for many movements in Wing Chun. Xiao Nian Tou is the first martial art of Wing Chun, it helps you learn standing posture, body positioning, relaxation techniques and basic hand positions.

You need to master each part of Little Niantou before moving on to the next, and before learning other techniques.
Each movement of this basic exercise has meaning. Includes tempo, use of tension and release, angle and distance. This exercise has no special techniques.

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Getting to Know Gong Lik: Gong Lik is the first part of Xiao Nian Tou, focusing on body structure and relaxation techniques. You will learn the open position, where you will stand facing your opponent. Learn to keep your body relaxed.

Practice the posture of Nhi Tu Kiem Duong Ma, also known as the open position. In this pose, you will stand looking forward. Feet open slightly outward, knees slightly bent (so that when looking straight down from above the eyes do not see the toes). Body weight is evenly distributed on both legs (the soles of the feet). You will focus on learning how to position your arms and elbows in preparation for learning hand and arm movements. This face-to-face stance will give you the greatest advantage when fighting, for example, you can use your arms and legs to protect the center line. You can use both sides of your body equally, instead of just using one side well. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Learn Fajing: Fajing is the second part of Little Nian Tou. Fajing develops the technique of releasing power. In this section, you will learn how to use power, how to conserve strength and energy. Focus on relaxing your body until your hands are ready to strike.

One of the popular Fajing moves is the palm strike (yan jeung), in which the left hand opens, rotates face down, and moves down to strike the opponent. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Learn Basic Skills: The third part of Xiao Niantou teaches basic hand skills and defensive skills, laying the foundation for other techniques in Wing Chun.

Some of the basic positions are Phach Thu or Khuyen Thu (attack), Than Thu (upper palm defense), Canh Thu (slash next to the hand), and Bang Thu (swing the arm). In this part, learners mainly practice the combination of the above postures. After learning these skills, you will practice them on the left side first, then on the right side. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Learn about Tam Kieu

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Learn Tam Kieu. Tam Kieu guides the movements of the whole body to supplement what you have learned in the basic martial arts Xiao Niantou. In Tam Kieu, you will learn how to rotate your body appropriately and effectively, paying attention to weight distribution and body balance. This section also covers leg movements such as turning and kicking.

You need to master each part of Tam Kieu before moving on to the next part, and before learning other techniques.
You must master how to switch positions (switch from side to side) before learning the second exercise. This is very important because the basic kick is just a standing position.

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Understand the first part of Tam Kieu. The first part, called Juun, focuses on rotation, balance, and body structure. You will learn to pay attention to your surroundings, even behind your back, to be able to fight effectively. Juun also includes mid-range arm movements such as Tiet Thu (break hands) and Phuc Thu (eye hook).

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Understand the second part of Tam Kieu. The second part called Ser emphasizes how to deflect an opponent’s attack and direct that energy towards them. You will learn how to move the hands and feet simultaneously, and then learn how to move these parts independently of each other.

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Understand the third part of Tam Kieu. The third part of Tam Kieu focuses on the use of force in hand and foot movements. This section also teaches how to combine strong arm movements with relaxed body movements to deal with different combat situations. You will learn how to rotate your body right and left for balance, and find the center line of your body during combat.

Learn advanced martial arts exercises of Wing Chun

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Learn Criteria. Tieu Chi focuses on using power at very short distances. Students will learn emergency techniques, such as how to regain centerline in the event of a fall or lockout. ^{[10] X Research Resources} In all three parts of Tieu Chi, you will use a combination of the hand and foot movements of the first two exercises to get out of an unfavorable position. You then get back into an attacking stance and use the power at short range to neutralize the opponent.

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Learn about Moc Nhan Trang. Moc Nhan Trang, also known as “Moc Nhan” is an advanced martial art that requires you to practice with a stationary opponent (the wooden man). This helps you recognize and understand how your hands and feet make contact when dealing with your opponent.

Since the woodbender does not move, the woodman has been designed so that it is suitable as a training device.
Some applications of the carpenter are very useful. You should know that some techniques are only approximate and some have different application variations described by a movement in the hand.

Advice

There are many manuals on the principles and techniques of Wing Chun. However, books are not as useful as going to a classroom, learning online or via DVD. Although books have pictures of stances and techniques, they cannot accurately represent movements, thus limiting your ability to absorb.

Warning

You may experience slight bruising and swelling when practicing Wing Chun or fighting. However, you should not be shy when exercising for fear of injury. Practicing Wing Chun properly will not cause you serious injuries other than minor bruises.
Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Steps