The transcript below is from the video “Wing Chun for Beginners: How to Learn Wing Chun at Home Like IP MAN” by Sifu Adam Williss.
Sifu Adam Williss:
So you want to learn Wing Chun like Ip Man. In this beginner’s Wing Chun at home lesson, I’m going to teach you how to do Wing Chun just like Ip Man, the real Ip Man, that is.
Using actual video footage of the late Ip Man, I’m going to detail 5 Wing Chun training subjects beginners need to know in order to do Wing Chun:
1. Chain Punching
2. The Wooden Dummy
3. Siu Nim Tao
4. Chum Kiu
5. Wing Chun Stances and Structure
Sifu Adam Williss:
1. Chain Punching
– Punch vertically with your elbow facing down.
– Drive the fist with your elbow in a straight line directly forward from your spine.
– Keep both wrists on a vertical plane between your center line and your target
– Trade places with your hands – As one punches, the other backs up the punching hand right behind it and gets ready to punch
– Punch with your bottom knuckle and aim to hit the same spot while you practice
Sifu Adam Williss:
2. The Wooden Dummy
First 12 Moves
Dummy Tips:
– Take your time. Go slow. Move from position to position with efficiency and precision as priority. Don’t bang or crash into the dummy. Instead, seek the sweet spots of leverage in each position. Power comes as a by-product of leverage.
– The dummy arms represent force from someone else. Look to angle around and deflect that force.
– Focus on your footwork in order to find the optimal distance to simultaneously attack and defend.
– Isolate strings of moves over and over again in order to ingrain them.
Sifu Adam Williss:
3. Siu Nim Tao
Ip Man said, “during Siu Nim Tao, thoughts of everyday things like finances, work, hate, love, etc… minimize or even go away completely in order to focus on your practice.”
About Siu Nim Tao
Siu Nim Tao is first and foremost the most important forum in Wing Chun. Siu Nim Tao should be practiced daily in order for your mind and body to ingrain Wing Chun. Concepts taught include forward facing, triangular positioning, centerline and straight-line theory, and more. Practice pseudonym tells slowly, with mindfulness and patience. Think of it as a mind and body meditation. With time, practicing builds a calm grounded stability within your body and a laser-like mental focus.
Siu Nim Tao can be divided into 3 parts and then further divided into individual moves.
Sifu Adam Williss:
4. Chum Kiu
About Chum Kiu
Chum Kiu builds upon the lessons of Siu Nim Tao by incorporating footwork, pivots, and kicks. Students learn to increase stability and self-control while moving to and from specific positions of leverage. Chum Kiu teaches how to move the whole body in coordination as one unit. Other lessons taught include moves of simultaneous attack and defense, deflection and redirection, and moving with structure.
Chum Kiu can also be divided into 3 parts.
The sequence side (A)
Side (B) are the same movements done on the other side.
Sifu Adam Williss:
5. Stance & Structure
Wing Chun structure refers to the internal stability of your body to hold Wing Chun positions in order to give and take force through your body. The neutral stance is also called Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma. It is shoulder width with toes pointing inward. It is a central stance used to transition to other stances. The neutral stance also develops your feeling of being centered and grounded.
The side or turned stance is used to negotiate pressure from an attacker. It changes the line of your attack while yielding to pressure at the same time.
The forward stance has one foot in front of the other and is used to close in on an attacker. It can enter into an attacker’s center while your front knee protects your center.
