In the same way as Wing Chun is a no frills martial art our training uniform is purely functional. No fancy coloured belts or sashes and no expensive uniforms. Our uniform is a T-shirt, trainers (you can wear funny slippers if you really want to) and comfortable bottoms (we recommend jogging bottoms, tracksuit bottoms or cargo pants). You earn the right to wear a club T-shirt by training for 16 lessons and passing your first assessment, until then you can wear any T-shirt you like as long as it doesn't carry any offensive slogans.
Jewelry (except wedding rings) and watches have to be removed to prevent them getting damaged or causing injury to you or your training partner.
Its unhygienic for a start. Classes at Worcestershire Wing Chun Kuen are relaxed and friendly. All of our students are part of our Wing Chun family and the friendly supportive atmosphere in our classes is something we are all extremely proud of. Training sessions can be hard but its a learning environment above all else.
We don't do sit ups!………whilst training can be hard work our classes are not exercise classes, Wing Chun isn't aerobics its a martial art. All of our training sessions are designed to impart knowledge, develop skills and ultimately give students the tools to defend themselves and their loved ones should the unthinkable happen.
Wing Chun training can be broken down into four areas.
Either solo or with a partner. Drills are there to build muscle memory and automatic reflexes. Its repetition, repetition, repetition!
These are a series of preset movements performed solo similar to kata in Japanese martial arts. There are three empty hand forms in Wing Chun kung fu: Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu and Biu Tze. There is also a form based upon the wooden dummy and two weapons forms (pole and the knives). Unlike similar preset sequences in other martial arts, the forms in Wing Chun do not represent combinations performed against imaginary opponents, instead each individual movement and sequence of movements is designed to allow the practitioner to train a concept that can then be translated into other movements.
Arguably the most misunderstood element of Wing Chun training. Chi sao is a partner exercise that allows the Wing Chun practitioner to practice their reactions developed in drilling with a partner moving in a random fashion. Utilising contact with the arms and legs to determine what is going on rather than relying on the eyes allows for faster reactions and often sees Wing Chun practitioners using a blindfold during advanced chi sao training.
This is where the student gets to test their Wing Chun skills against realistic non Wing Chun style attacks. As students become more confident in their abilities, head guards and gloves allow for greater levels of contact to be made and more pressure to be applied. Pressure testing what you've learned is a vital part of training. Its better to discover your deficiencies in the safety of the classroom than when it really matters!