How to practice Wing Tsun Kung Fu with a training partner (not for fighting)

 

The No Ego Rule

When practicing to learn or enhance skills, cooperative training is key. This isn't about trying to "one-up" your partner or letting your ego transform the session into a wild, disorganized fight. Instead, you and your partner should collaborate. Take turns being the attacker, allowing both of you to learn initial attacking entries, subsequent defensive maneuvers, and counter-attacks. Crucially, these attacks must be performed slowly and at a consistent pace; avoid starting slow and then accelerating, or vice versa. Your movements should initially resemble smooth, slow-motion practice.

Remember the three ways of learning

Understand what you are trying to do

Take a chi sau attack, for instance: you should be able to break it down into its individual components and perform each correctly. This means knowing precisely how to transition from rolling (poon sau) to grappling the arm, how to step into a side pak sau, and how to deliver a palm strike to your partner's chest. Without this understanding, you risk ingraining incorrect techniques. If something isn't clear, don't hesitate to ask your instructor. If your instructor isn't around, it's best to only practice what you're confident in.

Practice slowly and correctly

This is practice, not a competition or a fight—not yet, anyway. Your goal is to learn and improve your contact reflex skills. To do this effectively, practice all movements slowly, correctly, and at a consistent, smooth speed. Only after you can perform all movements smoothly at a slow and consistent pace should you gradually increase your speed in small increments.

Train for speed, power, and intensity

Resist the urge to rush the speed after just a few repetitions. It could take 50 to 100 repetitions or more at a slow pace before you're truly ready to incrementally increase your speed. How do you know you're not ready? If your movements become sloppy or break down at a slightly higher speed, it's a clear sign you need to slow back down. Return to the speed where you perform without mistakes and continue practicing there. Then, and only then, try increasing the speed in small increments.

Eventually, with dedicated practice, you'll be able to execute the movements at full speed and intensity. This process demands practice and patience. If boredom sets in, persevere! This journey will cultivate discipline, concentration, and a sense of purpose. Remember, martial arts is about much more than just learning to fight.

Things to remember

Your arms should always maintain a springy, forward trajectory from your centerline, extending towards your partner. If the path is clear, strike. When training chi sau for SNT and CK, the core principle is learning to attack your opponent's centerline while protecting your own. Defensive movements often involve stance shifts, side steps, or back steps. Should your opponent flank you, immediately turn to face them again—in Wing Tsun, this is called "staying nose to nose".

Keep your joints loose during training to develop a springy, elastic force. Remember to breathe and stay relaxed. Crucially, strikes originate from the elbow, not the fist. Maintain an upright posture with your head high and chin slightly tucked.

When developing these skills, control and restraint are paramount with your training partner. Injuring your partner means losing a valuable training resource, and Wing Tsun absolutely requires partners! While contact, primarily to arms and chest, keeps training realistic, aim for 20% to 40% power on your strikes. If your partner hits too hard, communicate that they need to reduce their power, but also recognize the need to acclimate to being hit; you are, after all, training in a martial art. This close-range experience gives you a significant advantage in a real fight, where you can unleash 100% power. For full-power strikes, utilize the wall bag, heavy bags, mitts, and kicking shields.

How Wing Tsun Works

To preserve the essence of Wing Tsun, always remember its fundamental strategy and tactics. At its heart, Wing Tsun is a practical, close-range striking martial art, aiming for swift resolution of conflict. It distinctly avoids grappling, ground fighting, or kickboxing. The guiding principle for your limbs is a constant, forward-seeking motion, striking as directly and efficiently as possible. When an obstacle is encountered, contact reflexes, honed through chi sau training, should enable your limbs to instantly find an alternative path to penetration. Your primary goal is to maintain close proximity to your opponent, thereby smothering their attacks and precluding any new offense. If forced backward, immediately spring forward, ensuring your arms are up to shield your face and body. Crucially, never advance with your arms down.

Example of Point by Point

When first learning the Siu Nim Tau form, you naturally experience a slight pause between each movement – this is the most basic example of a point-by-point approach. Apply this same principle to initial chi sau programs: break down each movement and practice it at a consistent, slow speed. This deliberate pace is crucial; it gives your brain the necessary time to process and adapt to these new motor patterns. Only after the movements become deeply ingrained can you begin to slowly increase their speed and intensity, eventually reaching full execution. Be prepared for this to take thousands of repetitions – patience is truly key.

How to get good at WT

Europeans, particularly the older generation of Germans (those in their 70s and 80s), excel at Wing Tsun due to their dedication to countless repetitions. My former instructor, Emin Boztepe, often shared that as a beginner, he would continue practicing footwork or any other technique even when everyone else was on break during class or seminars. He applied this rigorous approach to everything he learned. This incredible work ethic, shared by many Germans, is precisely why they became such proficient Wing Tsun practitioners. They simply didn't move on to new material until they had achieved a high level of proficiency in what they were currently learning.

While I'm not as strict, I strongly believe we could all benefit from more repetitions in the first chi sau program. That's why I constantly revisit it. It's the "operating system" of Wing Tsun and always demands more reps. So, the true secret to Wing Tsun mastery boils down to reps! More and more reps! Less talking, more reps! Focus on endless repetitions of all the basics.