Interesting thread!

[Azwingchun]

Over on the KFO Forum there is a thread called 'How much Wing Chun do you need to fight?' I find this very interesting, as mentioned in the thread anyone can learn to fight, and in my opinion there are some great fighters that don't do martial arts so to speak and haven't had a lick of formal training. We as Wing Chun practitioners spend (or will spend) all our lifes learning principles and techniques of the battlefield.......how much do you think is needed truly?

Don't mis-understand my post here, I am truly aware that martial arts offers more than just fighting, so this is just on the fighting aspect. I would like to hear everyone's opinion, whether you have had no fights, a few or many fights in your life time.

[Levi]

Honestly, if you are already athletic, quick, and powerful, and you have the mental skills and emotional control to handle high-stress situations (basically you only lack actual fighting skills), I think a dedicated student who trains consistently and intensely for a few months should be able to handle most situations they are likely to encounter as an average citizen. That is the premise behind basic training in the military as well.

It is when you either do not have those other foundational skills (mental, physical, experiential or otherwise), or you are not willing to train realistically that the time increases.

And then you have those who seek more than just fighting, and those who seek more than just "average" situations.

But just a person seeking to defend themselves in a barroom brawl against Joe Average? An athlete with no fear could get there in a few months tops.

-Levi

[Armin]

Hi!

Back 'in the ol' days' I got to know some of these 'street-fighters', that were successfull in many fights without even having martial arts training once. They all had something I'd call 'one or two tricks', like a special tactic (e. g. running through the enemy, being the first to punch) or a special technique (e. g. punching with the same arm twice).

What do you need to be successfull in a fight? A good punch. Nothing else. Learn how to punch and step - that's enough, and you'll only need some few weeks for that.

And you need a tactic to surprise your enemy. So be the first to attack.


Armin.

[Marty-Mar]

In my own opinion I feel that it is the one who wants to survive the most and is not scared to do what it takes to survive that will win. You could train all of your life in any system but if you hesitate for fear of anything you are gonna get wooped up on sompin bad. :boxing:

[Louie]

I agree with Marty on the will to survive.

also I think upringing has a lot to do with it as well. If you come up in a rough environment, you can take stress and a little pain. Even if you were bullied you had some exposure. This I believe is Vice Versa for a Sheltered kid, you can disagree with me if you want, but that probably means you are one of those sheltered kids trying to act tough in your adult years. Ha ha

But back on the subject:
I dont think you need any WC to be considered a good Fighter, but having it can make you a skilled one.

[Armin]

Hi!

@taltos:
Well, there's truth in your words.

Hum, let me tell you a story from the 'early' days of the EWTO, here in Germany. When beginning with Leung Ting WT, a new student would start with punch-exercises. He'd train chain-punches and stepping only, for the first several months. The students were drilled to go forward with chain-punches, regardless of what any given attacker would do.

Than, some of them had fights - without even knowing something about bong, tan and fook. They were just drilled in stepping and punches. And nearly all of them won their fights - afterwards they told, that it was like a reflex. The attacker moved and they went straight forward with chain-punches.

Believe me (or not), most of these students did loose their fights before they started with WT.

So, what's the point? Quite simple: it is possible to programme people and to automize their reactions. If you train them every day, to go straight forward and punch, after several months, that will happen automatically, without thinking.

That's one of the causes, why WT was so successfull in Germany against other systems - most of the teachers that were visited weren't prepared against this simple kind of attack.


Armin.

[Azwingchun]

Thank you, all who responded......there may or may not be a correct answer, though this was more about individual opinions.

I have to agree with the need to have the inner abilities to fight, to be a fighter. I believe all the concepts and tools in the world won't make you a great fighter, but what is inside is more than half the game in my opinion.

Years ago up in Northern Arizona there was a guy who was a fighter......loved to fight. After a very short time in SLT he went around and challenged all the different martial arts schools in his area....and basically as the story goes, beat all challengers. Using just his small understanding of Wing Chun (at that time). I don't think what he did was a good thing, but it shows with the right understanding and inner abilities one can be a pretty good fighter in Wing Chun (this can be true with any named style).

I think many people (not just Wing Chun in general) don't put enough thought into the willingness, courage and intent enough credit when training to defend ones self. One Tai Chi teacher said it best, all the greatest martial training in the world means nothing without courage!

[Armin]

Hi!

Isn't courage cultivated fear, canalized into usefull actions?


Armin.

[Azwingchun]

courage [n]

1) a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear

You could describe it that way, but I believe there is always some amount of fear in a real street confrontation. Secondly, 'Courage' may or may not have been the best word, though English is not this Tai Chi teachers first language. But he got his point acrossed. ;)