Lessons

How WingChun is taught

1. Forms

There are six traditional Forms (fixed movement patterns) in WingChun:

"Little Idea" emphasises the exact hand positions and strikes that will form the basis of a student's training.

"Seeking the Bridge" contains footwork and kicks as well as combinations or flows of hand techniques.

"Darting Fingers" adds aggressive and dangerous attacking methods and emergency techniques, formulated for specific circumstances, to the already formidable system. In this form the student learns to use their body in a different way to the previous 2 forms.

The Wooden Dummy Form is trained on specialist apparatus and takes the movements and ideas a student has already learnt and shows how to combine and apply them in different ways and under different circumstances.

The Long Pole Form and the Double Knives Form are the two traditional weapons forms of WingChun which a student can learn in conjunction with their senior grading programmes. As a member of the IAW, students can begin to learn the traditional weapons at Student Level 9. The skills learnt with the weapons translate directly into the empty-hand techniques from day one.

Alongside these traditional training methods, we also teach hand combinations and footwork patterns which can be practised alone to help the student understand the grade levels more thoroughly, and to aid in developing body coordination and flowing movement.

2. Partner Training

The vast majority of a WingChun class is taken up with partner training. This can take the form of striking against pads, specific self-defence scenario training, chi sao (adhering arms) training, or the practise of specifically developed sequences of techniques which have been designed to develop coordination, visual and tactile reflexes, rhythm and a sense of flow from one technique to the next. It is important to note that we do not train solely WingChun versus WingChun, but also how to defend against other possibilities of attack.

Not only does a lot of partner training build excellent physical skills, but also a sense of camaraderie and friendship between students.