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Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Wing Chun Equipment - What Do You Really Need?

By Ganesh Hardy


A single on the good features of martial arts and perhaps what has helped them spread so far and wide is because all you incredibly need is a training partner.

Using your personal bodyweight for conditioning jobs along with a partner to understand and hone new techniques, spar and push you is all you extremely need. An critical point to remember when you happen to be new, super keen and capable to purchase each gizmo and gadget on the market!

The health market is full of crazy stuff you don't quite need.

So assuming you desire to invest your income into Wing Chun training equipment - in which do you start? What is significant now, in the future and what is merely a luxury you are able to live without.

Let's get started.

Traditional Wing Chun Equipment

Wooden Dummy

Probably the most famous of all conventional Wing Chun training equipment - the Wooden Dummy plays a key role in the system. The 'unarmed' Wing Chun method consists of Three empty hand types as well as the wooden dummy form.

Made up of 2 arms high, a middle arm and leg - the dummy is developed to replicate an opponent you are able to move around. Hitting the arms will offer an element of conditioning - nonetheless this shouldn't be seen as the primary purpose.

Inspired by Bruce Lee - there have been many attempts to modify and improve the Wooden Dummy - to produce it far more alive and your training more realistic. The only real alter that has happened (almost universally) is the switch to a Wall Mounted Wooden Dummy.

Historically the Wooden Dummy would were outside and allowed practitioners to move 360 degrees around it as although 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 those people with the space and money) a wooden dummy is often a excellent investment provided you use it!

They're excellent for training your forms, free practise, footwork and training low level kicks towards the entire body and legs of an opponent.

Look Dim Book Kwan (or Long Pole)

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

The Extended Pole is held using the end quarter which creates the pole type a good conditioner for ones arms and forearms. With a deeper stance the legs are created to jobs difficult though spearing of the pole and chi kwan can be performed using a partner.

Like the Bart Cham Dao - the Lengthy Pole is often a very particular piece of training equipment far more suited to much more senior students who know the form. Training the type combines the technical aspects and really particular functional training to your body.

Butterfly Knives (or Butterfly Swords)

The Baat Cham Dao or Butterfly Knives are an unusual weapon employed in pairs. Sizes vary whilst they are usually the length on the users forearm, have a handle that protects the fingers and also a tang which have been employed to spin the blades or catch and twist an opponent's sword.

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

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

Weapons move in a very several method to punches and kicks so the Butterfly Knives form has additional cellular footwork useful for all levels of students - although you possibly can train the footwork without knowing the entire type (or needing a set of knives).

In quite a few 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 price and really easy - the wall bag is an effortless to use traditional piece of Wing Chun equipment. Wall bags typically arrive as single, double or 3 sectioned - the later getting my favourite as you may 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 right after straight punch. You are able to easily come up with plenty of training exercises, jobs footwork, shifts and combinations of punches, palms and chops towards the bag.

Not to mention the infinite combinations you possibly can practise.

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

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

Slightly softer the bag still problems your hand and the give within the bag provides a great think on your knuckle (more as being a person) since 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 preserve it topped up or you'll end up hitting the wall behind the bag.

Canvas bags are the original and will start to tear the skin off your knuckles so be careful though smoother vinyl or leather-like alternatives will permit you train for longer. Personally I like the feel of hitting canvas bags.

Buying considerations should be in which you might be going to put your bag simply because sound will travel from the walls your bag hangs from and aim to obtain bags with 3 or four eyelets to hang it up and reduce the probably hood of it tearing.

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

Focus Pads (Hook & Jab pads)

For anybody looking to sharpen their punches while tidying up their footwork - Focus pads are proper up there as range 1 choice with regards to buying equipment.

When it comes to buying pads you usually get what you acquire when it comes to focus pads and just as significant is with a good training partner who knows how to preserve and feed.

Your training right here should often have an emphasis on accuracy - speed and power is also worked in isolation (faster lighter punches or slower heavier punches).

Drills are limited only by your imagination - you'll be able to couple your punches with steps, shifts and turns and learn to hit from any angle, standing or on the ground.

Focus pads are also very good for endurance training exactly where you may use pyramids commencing from singles and working upwards... ahead of coming all of the way down.

While your Wing Chun training must usually focus on explosive bursts and heading all out from second to minutes (for self-defence purposes) you can 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're specific, fun and very versatile.

Heavy Bag Work

From 4ft bags to 6ft bags - if you will be right after training that pushes your conditioning even though working on power then you will find it tough to find any tool better than a heavy bag.

If you've space (and already invested in focus pads) the heavy bag is a beneficial tool for working punches, kicks, knees and elbows.

With a tiny imagination you are able to treat the heavy bag like you'd a person - stepping into and moving around.

Alternatives towards heavy bag are lighter punch bags and maize bags. You'll want to be careful with some light bags simply because they move too much but a lighter bag can provide a a lot more realistic training tool as it moves and you need to chase and follow.

Maize bags are good - round or pear shaped - it is possible to quickly combine all your attacks with hooking and lifting punches found in some wing chun lineages. Downside is they usually price more than a great heavy bag but you'll benefit from their versatility.

Like focus pads - with regards to buying a punch bag you'll usually get what you pay for. Try to use several bags and get a feel for the weight you would find most useful (heavy-heavy bags too tough on their hands if they're training bare-knuckle and limit your workouts).

Finally - watch out for cheaper vinyl bags, not because of high quality - the surface can be abrasive and take in layers of skin off your knuckles and elbows.

Floor-to-Ceiling Ball

If speed and accuracy are traits you'd like to hone you can do small much better that purchase a floor-to-ceiling ball. The round ball is attached within the floor on the ceiling by rubber bands doing it bounce left, right, forwards and back when you hit it.

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

There is really a skill and knack to hitting the ball because it moves anticipation of where it may possibly move and it's good fun watching an individual who's never used one struggle as they throw punch after punch and miss.




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