Recently I had an event happen to me that made me glad I do WingTsun as regulary as I do again and it gave me something to think about. Thats why I want to share this on the blog:
I was on a night out with a few people I know and after having had a few drinks, the smaller Bars started to close down. Walking around the streets, looking for a club to go to we passed through a "dark" under-passage.
While in the middle of the conversation, I notice that a bit further behind, one of my friends was being pushed around by some stranger.
I went straight over to them to try and calm them down, but when I got closer I noticed that this could be more serious than what I had thought. The stranger was being very aggressive, holding my buddies jacket while pushing him around and screaming in his face. I also noticed two other people that seamed to belong to the stranger, but they were just standing there for now.
Having had a few drinks I did not fully take the situation serious and got in the middle trying to pull them apart so that we could be on our way. When I got there the two other bystanders joined us and for a few moments everybody was jelling at the each other. When I touched the iniciators chest to push him away from my buddy, he let go and grabbed both my wrists and concentrated his insults into my direction.
In that moment, I remember thinking "That's JUST the sort of thing we learn in WingTsun."
So I was thinking if I should really go into my program or not? Should I try the Combat-Drill by Sifu Victor Gutierrez that we have been practicing all week? No, I better stick to what I can do best.
Free my hands while doing a step-kick on one of his joints (knee or hip) and then just blast a barrage of chain punches to his face, keeping the other two in front of me and then we'll see. Classic WingTsun.
While I was thinking about my options, we kept looking at each other and I believe he was expecting some sort of reaction from me. I don't know if I looked brain dead or if I had half a smile on my lips because shortly after this brief moment of silence he let go and went off cursing... and that was it.
After sharing this with a few of my WingTsun people, they all agreed. Similar things have happened to them too.
You react differently when you know what you can do, what your options are and when you are not scared.
No, not being scared is the wrong phrasing. Of course you are scared, and you should be, but you are in control of it and in a weird way you enjoy it. (Maybe a little like bungee jumping.)
This changes your role from victim to opponent, and usually people on the street look for victims. Not for serious opponents.
In that way, the stories of warriors who win their fights just with a blink of an eye are true to some degree.
拜拜
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Drop the fear
In WingTsun we learn to strike fast, straight and fearless. We even allow ourselves to take weak blows from our enemy if that allows us to land a finishing strike. We also learn to take away strength from enemy blows by walking towards instead of away. But for all these reactions, you need to control your fear of being hit yourself.
Usually the best way to learn to control your fears is to understand whats behind it and to know how it's going to feel or what is going to happen.
Unfortunately, WingTsun isn't very good at helping you control those fears of being hit as you rarely can have a sparring situation due to the danger of serious injuries.
For the last two weeks I've been doing some Boxing with a few of the same people I do WingTsun with. It's a good thing to do to learn how it feels when you receive a nice swing to your head or how it feels when you deliver one.
I have specially seen improvements in some of the female students I learn WingTsun with because of the Boxing.
I personally will continue doing some boxing, even if I don't do it regularly and I can recommend it, especially if you are a beginner at martial arts.
Even though it has completely contrary reactions and movements to WingTsun, its a good thing to do once in a while although you should watch out that you don't instill the reactions you learn from boxing but instead keep the WingTsun reactions.
Usually the best way to learn to control your fears is to understand whats behind it and to know how it's going to feel or what is going to happen.
Unfortunately, WingTsun isn't very good at helping you control those fears of being hit as you rarely can have a sparring situation due to the danger of serious injuries.
For the last two weeks I've been doing some Boxing with a few of the same people I do WingTsun with. It's a good thing to do to learn how it feels when you receive a nice swing to your head or how it feels when you deliver one.
I have specially seen improvements in some of the female students I learn WingTsun with because of the Boxing.
I personally will continue doing some boxing, even if I don't do it regularly and I can recommend it, especially if you are a beginner at martial arts.
Even though it has completely contrary reactions and movements to WingTsun, its a good thing to do once in a while although you should watch out that you don't instill the reactions you learn from boxing but instead keep the WingTsun reactions.
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