Looking for advice

In Cuong Nhu you earn the title Master when you earn your sixth dan. I'm assuming most other styles have a smililair requirement.

 

Don't put too much stock in the title "master." It doesn't carry any inherent value.

 

I've watched a lot of Master Wong's vids....and he absolutely gets the deep belly laugh from me. But to use them for instructional purpose....eh, I don't think so. If you're looking to get a grasp of JKD you have to get away from the comdedy show and watch guys like Guru Dan (of course), Tim Tackett, Roy Harris, Paul Vunak and other men who are known in the JKD community. That being said...I wouldn't just walk away from Wong's vids because I am sure there is some decent info behind the circus act. And I believe in learning something from everyone.

 

Masters whom claim themselves as this are sometimes legends in their own mind

 

Unfortunately, most Chinese arts do not have a strict objective requirement for the title "master", partly because most do not have ranking systems. From my own experience in Wing Chun I will say that I'm not impressed by Master Wong. There are better sources of material out there for Wing Chun, and I'm sure that Hannibal can recommend some JKD materials given his experience in JKD.

 

What is it about it that leaves you unimpressed? What would you recomend as Wing Chun sources?

 

I'm posting a link to the video here for other, more experienced Wing Chun people, to see.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb387FqpRkE"]Master Wong - Wing Chun Chum Kiu Part 03 - YouTube[/ame]

To me, his stances are too wide and his motions are far too jerky and rigid, and at the beginning he seems to have included parts from Bil Jee and at the end he has something that is from Sil Lim Tao, not Chum Kiu.

I realize that there are some differences in different lineages, but even though my lineage does not trace back to Yip Man, I can look at the famous Yip Man footage doing the forms and I don't see any real surprises. Master Wong's forms, to me, are so different that I wonder where his lineage branches off from mine to account for the differences. I don't know what else it is, but it just seems "wrong" to me. I will freely admit that my own experience with Wing Chun is somewhat limited, but I come from a well-known and respected lineage so I think that what I'm being taught is valid. I realize there are differences between lineages in any style, but some of Master Wong's differences seem to violate the principles, concepts, and theories of Wing Chun as I understand them.

I'm having a hard time finding anything at the basic level on Youtube or anything else free that actually explains what is happening instead of simply showing a video (like the Yip Man videos). I will keep looking and I will ask my Sifu if he can recommend anything.

Please, other Wing Chun people comment and help cuongnhugirl.

 

I like Wongtv stuff, but the Wing Chun is fma mixed, and the "jkd" is a mix of Cheng style tai chi and some other arts. Nothing that is really JKD.

 

For wing chun, i highly recommend anything from Francis Fong, Samuel Kwok, Gary Lam, and Randy Williams.

 

what did people do before youtube?
If you have'nt learnt first from a good instructor these videos probably
do more harm than good

 

Conversely, not everyone has the money time to go to formal classes on a regular basis. Videos can supplement a persons training very well.

 

Evan Taner, ufc fighter (the one who died in the desert), learned BJJ from videos. But he had a strong wrestling background.

Some other people, such as me, need an instructor to learn something. Videos are ok to go over stuff you already know, but that's it.

 

I'd be very surprised to learn that Wong had any background in FMA. Have you seen that somewhere?

 

Watch his Wing Chun dvds and you will see him teach Guntings, Hubad, and destrutions. There is NO Wing Chun that does hubad.

 

as with the majority of books and vids

 

Master Wong calls the Hubad from the Chung Choi "Punch Drill."

 

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXIalLWLzyo&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Wing Chun Lesson 24: basic energy drill/ punch drill - YouTube[/ame]

I like his videos as a i said, i just see that his Wing Chun has some fma work in the dvds.

 

I think that is more "pick and mix" than actual FMA training

 

As an example of JKD training (with heavy WC influence) here is Guro Dan performing basic chi sao

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcLZHpB2Pj8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcLZHpB2Pj8[/ame]

Words cannot express how awestruck I am every time I see him move...breathtakingly smooth

 

As i said, his Wing Chun has some FMA in it.
There is even some single stick. I bought a few DVDs from ebay for dirt cheap.