Chu Sau Lei / Ying Hung Wing Chun is a very comprehensive striking system and our class training regime consists of a diverse variety of exercises and drills. Our methods are broken down and layered to give the student the best opportunity to practise and understand how certain techniques and applications relate to the key concepts and principles within our system. Our training approach is modular and allows the student to really focus on specific areas to develop and improve. The goal is to strengthen all the links in the chain and iron out the chinks in the armour!
Our training sessions focus on the correct use of body structure and include a combination of the following:
These are the traditional set of exercises from Wing Chun. They include the empty hand forms - Sil Nim Tao, Chum Kiu, Biu Jee - to develop the stance / footwork and structural power of our system and train the awareness of correct body position, timing and centre of gravity. Also, the forms focus mind intention and concentration, as well as proper relaxation and tension of the relevant muscle groups through movement. The forms can be viewed as a textbook for referencing the tools of Wing Chun.
In general, Sil Nim Tao trains the foundation skills, basic stance and structure, iron belly/shirt, linking and de-linking of the joints, forward spring power, hip focus, and centreline awareness. Chum Kiu teaches how to generate explosive power through torque and rotation, use of footwork to disrupt an opponent and close the range, capturing and altering the centreline and kicking. Biu Jee trains breaking and re-capturing the centreline, shows how to regain structure, emergency techniques and striking with de-linked power.
This is practised to test the student's understanding of how to apply the basic structural power methods learned in forms training and to further develop their body alignment and control of vector forces with correct use of rooting, self-timing and kinetic linking & de-linking, without loss of base or over committing.
These are exercises the students can train by themselves. They are a progression from forms training and are important for developing the muscle-memory of offensive and defensive tools. The drills can be performed very simply i.e. chain punching, turning punches or they can be more complex i.e. shadow boxing, applied footwork. The range of drills is limitless and the student should work to develop their own regime. In order to gain maximum benefit from solo drills - visualisation tools must be employed.
Partner drills are the bridge between solo drills and sparring or chi sao. Again, like the solo drills there are an infinite number of exercises that can be trained, ranging from very simple drills to more technically involved 'games', and are intended to really focus and 'over train' certain elements of techniques and application within a more co-operative format. Some examples of our drills:
Partner exercises can be practised with varying levels of intensity, which allows the students to train the correct responses and apply them with confidence.
This part of training encompasses all the structural elements of our striking system and some of our control methods. It is designed to test the student's application of skills under more extreme pressure. We use either 16oz sparring gloves or 4oz MMA gloves. We train both light contact and heavy contact depending on what is being developed. Sometimes we focus on entry/evasive footwork and striking combinations where only light contact is required or we will work our structural methods harder and express our striking power with heavy sparring - this is a good test for keeping your defence and counter attacks very tight with a strong base and is also good for gaining experience in controlling your breathing and adrenalin whilst staying relaxed and focused. We also have some fun with anything-goes sparring, which includes, clinch, takedowns, kicks, knees and ground and pound etc. This may sound extreme but as the student develops their skills and becomes more proficient they will gain the confidence to train at a higher level. I have found that as my students improve it is very natural for them to eventually want to test themselves with harder sparring. Building up the intensity of sparring gradually is safe and most of all lots of fun!!
Wing Chun is especially well known for its close range effectiveness - this skill should also extend to clinch and stand-up grappling. Part of our syllabus includes training within this range. The drills we practice are great for developing control of base, awareness of positioning, use of leverage, sensitivity, timing and coping with unpredictability. Also, this area of skill training perfectly compliments the structural use of our stance, which allows us to control and strike the opponent very effectively from within the clinch. One of the most useful tools used to defend the take down in order to maintain a stand up striking position is to sprawl. The mechanics of the sprawl is very similar to our normal striking method, which means the transition between positions is very natural and instinctive and allows for very efficient timing of techniques - a tactic commonly known in MMA as 'sprawl and brawl'. Pummelling is another excellent wrestling drill that we incorporate into our training to diversify the clinch and help develop tactics and strategy. Our Chin Na (seize and control) techniques are a further progression of our clinch training, which incorporates take downs, joint locking (breaking) and postural control; these skills can be used to subdue and /or strike an opponent from a more favourable position. These techniques can be practised in isolation and also mixed up with sparring and chi sao training.
Chi Sao or sticking hands is perhaps the area of training that Wing Chun is most famous for - although other martial arts also use their own versions of sensitivity training. Chi Sao is a valuable training tool that allows the student to develop the subtleties of their body structure, positioning and timing skills to a higher level via proprioception and kinesthesia, where the effect is enhanced by physical external stimuli i.e. your training partner. It is an area where the student's mind/body connection can really be explored and for that reason is mentally one of the most challenging parts of our training. In order to assist our practise, we use a variety of mental methods e.g. darting, stealing, leaking, guiding, enticing, sticking, sinking, issuing, intercepting, rubbing etc, to further understand how we can achieve our intentions. These training ideas amount to the development of one's awareness and self-control in respect of power, balance, rooting and structural linking and de-linking, which are fundamental requirements to having good martial arts skills. The Chu Sau Lei method of training Chi Sao teaches the student to control themselves and their opponents with ease.
Whilst acknowledging the importance of Chi Sao training it should be noted that it is still only a tool used to develop certain attributes of combat and is not actual combat. At Full Circle we practice Chi Sao in its proper context without placing inappropriate emphasis on this area of training. We feel this preserves the functional element of Wing Chun as a practical Chinese Boxing Art. For more information on our Chi Sao training - click here.
Conditioning encompasses a wide range of training exercises but in general these are geared towards building a body suitable for good martial arts performance. At Full Circle we incorporate many different types of body weight exercises (plyometrics, isometric, calisthenics etc) and also make use of a variety of equipment such as - resistance bands, sand bags, skipping ropes, jungle gym straps, medicine balls, kettlebells and Swiss balls etc - all of which are great for developing functional strength, explosiveness, cardiovascular and aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, core stability and balance. We also include some of the Pilates repertoire exercises into our training as we have an excellent Pilates Foundation teacher on the team - great for injury rehabilitation, improving posture, focusing on core muscular control and joint stabilisation. In addition, we also extensively use a variety of pads and heavy bag to develop penetration and snapping power, timing, reactions, striking combinations, footwork and defence.
This is a recent but important addition to our training regime. Qi Gong exercises are used to store and develop Qi (breathing methods, meditation and standing postures); move Qi and unblock Qi through movement exercises (Taiji Qi Gong); and strengthen and condition the muscles, tendons and ligaments through muscle/tendon change sets (Yi Yin Jing and Hung Gar). The exercises range from breathing and stretching to soft flowing movements to iron body conditioning and explosive whole body workouts and are excellent for building leg strength through isometric contraction of the muscles - this also helps to train rooting of power - very important for martial artists. Qi Gong is also very good for general maintenance of health and can help to improve blood flow and the function of internal organs, reduce stress and hyper-tension, release tight muscles, improve posture and mobility, stimulate synovial fluid secretions, increase bone density, correct breathing patterns, improve balance, strengthen the immune system, counteract lethargy and boost energy levels. Qi Gong is fantastic for re-balancing and recuperating the mind and body following heavy training sessions and has been likened to a type of self-massage.
Studying the art with the correct use of structure in mind means that the principles - the essence of how we apply our Wing Chun - can be adapted effectively to any situation or range. As positions and pressures are not and do not become fixed but are forever changing - so our Wing Chun training must evolve in order to adapt to those changes and become a truly functional martial art.
It must be stressed that only training once a week will not promote a desirable progression in Wing Chun. Students are encouraged to undertake additional practice / training in their own time. During the lesson each student will be instructed on which areas they need to concentrate and improve.
Whenever a student does extra training, the results of their efforts are always apparent i.e. one will only get out what they put in. 'Kung Fu' can be translated as 'hard work', therefore, to be good at Wing Chun Kung Fu one must train regularly and train mindfully.
There is no special 'uniform' required but we generally prefer to wear clothes that allow freedom of movement e.g. T-shirt or rash guards and shorts or tracksuit bottoms. Also, our Chinese Boxing is extremely robust, so 16oz sparring gloves and gum-shield are a must. Shin guards and groin boxes should be worn when training kicks and headgear is optional but recommended for beginners.