The transcript below is from the video “Can I Make Wing Chun Work In MMA? *LIVE SPARRING*” by Stephen Wonderboy Thompson.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
What’s up everybody? Welcome back to the channel. Today, I’m going to learn Wing Chun.
So this guy’s a lifelong martial artist, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Muay Thai practitioner, and a Wing Chun specialist. My man Kevin Lee. Get over here, Kevin.
Kevin Lee:
What’s up guys?
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
My man Kevin Lee, you’re gonna teach me some Wing Chun today.
Kevin Lee:
Let’s do it!
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
The key to today is I want to learn Wing Chun that I can use in a MMA scenario.
Kevin Lee:
All right, so let’s start with the stance because what I like to do is I tell people that you have to understand stance, you have to understand the hand position because they’re super important in the fight, right? So traditionally, the way that we were taught was this way. You notice how the palms are sliding forward, not inwards because you gotta bounce backward, right? We do this because we have blades in the hand. But if you were fighting empty hand, we tell people to put your hands out like that. Palm forward, you can move your body, moving… So Wing Chun punch mostly in short-range distance, right? So, a lot of times what we talk about is gonna be the vertical straight punch. This is one of my favorite punches which comes straight from the center line, punch, straight right through the line. You can do it from this stance, like that. We can just even hands down right here. Just drive your body right into it.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
So there’s no rotation in the punch, it’s just straight to target?
Kevin Lee:
Straight, yeah. We always attack with the lead hand first because that’s a closer punch. If your hand is up, I take my lead hand, I’mma tap this hand. The same time as I tap, I punch, the same hand.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Because in Wing Chun, there’s a lot of pairing, there’s a lot of grabbing…
Kevin Lee:
Correct, a lot of deflecting. That’s the first technique. Okay, so straight vertical punch. Just like that! Okay, now if you do that in a set of three or five, it becomes what’s called a battle punch.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Stop! Wait, wait! Tell me you’re teaching me that amazing scene in Ip Man when he drives you down, battles the guy down to the floor and finishes him off.
Kevin Lee:
That’s the one!
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
This is the dream come true! Let’s go! All right.
Kevin Lee:
Something we’ll call it a champ punch. I imagine that target’s here, you’re gonna overlap the punch in a straight line just like that. Most people do it this way, which is really hard for the shoulder. You want the most powerful elbow forward like that. Yeah.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
So you’re allowing the structure to make it more powerful. Elbows out, you lose the structure.
Kevin Lee:
Exactly. Yeah, and your body drives like that. So hands here…
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
So does it matter which hand I go with fist?
Kevin Lee:
This one always goes first. Yeah, like that. The power comes from the support leg, so you have to keep pushing the support leg forward. Yes, just like that. And I do this in set of 2 or 5, I don’t do more than 5 because if you do more than 5, the guy will counter you. If you’re in close range against a wall or cage, the last shot can also be in the elbow.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
So I’ve got the battle punch.
Kevin Lee:
Yeah
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
In the beginning, I have the staight and the angle change, right? And then we have the perry.
Kevin Lee:
Yeah perry is right, it’s called the patta.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
All right, what’s the last?
Kevin Lee:
The last, let’s do [inaudible]
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Oh, yeah.
Kevin Lee:
I like to time off the foot, especially on the lead foot because if people like to do this a lot to me or they will just step and step, step. I’m waiting for the weight to slightly touch the ground or when they take it off and that’s why I take the foot. This way.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Oh, so you’re waiting, you’re relying on that timing.
Kevin Lee:
Correct, the timing. And I use my hand a lot. So I’ll go here. So lead hand punch and then foot just goes like that, just drive. That’s it.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Gotcha. Yeah. Oh, I like that. You may not go down but that would set me up for maybe a kick or a kick. I’ll take the bat… a take down. Excellent!
Kevin Lee:
There we go, boom, that’s it.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
That gives me… I like that too because you’re in an open stance, so you’re also even you’re moving direction, you’re staying away from the power hands.
Kevin Lee:
Always moving away from that.
Stephen Wonderboy Thompson:
Just got a few rounds in. Now I’m nice and warmed up. Time to test out my Wing Chun skills. Let’s go!
Kevin Lee, Wing Chun guys, look this guy up. He’s got his own YouTube channel too. We’ve got some really cool special stuff for you. Go check it out and hit that subscribe button on his channel. Sir, thank you my friend. Guys, hit that subscribe button, throw some comments down below, you know the deal. Catch you later.
