Up until the turn of the twentieth century, the martial art known as Wing Chun was very obscure not known much about.  Back then, Wing Chun was just getting started, not practiced by a lot of martial artists.  Over the years, it became a very dominant force in China, becoming one of the most prominent martial arts in existence. Thousands across the world study wing chun.

The first thing that students are taught when studying Wing Chun training is that they should always use force to counter force. By using force across force weaker fighters can take out stronger opponents. In a fight wing chun teaches you to use your brain and use the opponents force against them.

Throughout training, a lot of emphasis is put into that very concept. Students learn how to counter a stronger opponent.  What many don’t realize, is the fact that countering force requires very little strength from the stylist. Using the proper technique a smaller wing chun guy can defeat a much larger opponent.

Wing Chun teaches other techniques as well, such as punching, kicking, and a few grappling holds. Grappling is not big in wing chun,.. as it requires strong force and going to ground which for a smaller practitioner can be a problem.  The strikes that are taught with this martial art are very fast, and aimed at vital areas on the body of the opponent.

A majority of the most vital areas on the human body are found along the center line, the very area that Wing Chun teaches stylists to protect as well as attack with their techniques. This is the most vital line in battle , which is the main targets for any martial artists.  Most of the vital points found in the center line can be the end of the encounter if the stylist is able to land one powerful blow.

As Wing Chun emphasizes time and time again, the shortest straw between the stylist and the opponent is the center line, which is where a majority of movement takes place. Due to the linear fashion of Wing Chun, students will spend a lot of their training learning how to direct attacks as well as opposing force towards the center line. A key tool used in training this concept is the wing chun dummy.

Wing Chun teaches students to use opponents force against them.  There aren’t that many grappling holds or weapons used with Wing Chun, although the techniques and moves that are taught are tried, proven, and above all – very effective for self defense.

The wing chun dummy and its 108 movements are designed to help you think on your feet and apply the practical techniques of the wing Chun training system.

Learning the moves, as you become a more experienced student enhances your skill, technique and understanding of wing Chun.

Although looking at it with the beginners eyes and you see a practitioner or your instructor run through the movements they seem to be a random set of moves that make no sense.

It seems like just an exercise in beating around a wooden post.

As you continue your wing chun so does your appreciation for the wooden dummy. the whole wing chun system can be found in the wooden dummy moves.

As you learn more moves, forms you will see how they apply to the dummy. The wooden dummy sequence simulates an attack on an opponent. Although the wooden dummy is static it facilitates the concepts you’re learning. Its in these concepts you learn how to apply it in real life situations. You will learn how to judge distance and timing. This is crucial to any confrontation. It teaches you where you need to be positioned to execute a specific technique. Out of range you are ineffective too close means a bloddy nose.

Also when you get to more advanced intermediate levels the rhythm of which you flow through the moves of the wing chun dummy becomes more important. An experienced instructor or master will be able to tell how well you execute the moves of the dummy just by the sound. There is rhythm to it, so its not static. Its not a monotonous beat. There are elements that are slow and other parts that speed up..

the wooden dummy moves are like telling a story. When you begin it tells a story of engaging your opponent and throughout the moves , how to counteract and instigate further contact until the end he completed the sequence and defeat your opponent.

More importantly the wooden dummy is there to help you during your training and when you have completed all your levels of training. He is your companion throughout your trials and tribulations of you training. To be your teacher throughout your kung fu life.

One of the most important techniques learnt during your wing chun training is the bon sao or wing arm.  It is taught at the beginner levels as basic defense against attack and is particularly useful to understanding the style.Bon sao allows you to yield to extreme pressure, yet never allowing your arm to be trapped.It can change into a palm up block allowing you to slip your hands free.  The rear protective guard  (Wu Sao) can grab and deflect the oncoming strike and allow the bon sao to become an effective throat cutting/chop technique.

The Bon sao technique demonstrates just how flexible wing chun can be.  It also illustrates that if a single technique can be used in many situations, there is no need to learn several different moves for different situations.  This reinforces the simplicity of the wing chun training system.

Bon sao is also a prominent technique used on the wing chun dummy.Teaching you how to transition on and out of bon sao.

Speaking of which one the most popular drills that instructors torture….ahh pass on to their students is the bon sao drill.  It teaches correct technique and is quite dynamic as you need to use your footwork and can change your stance from left to right. A must for any kung fu training.

It also a great precursor to chi sao.  It teaches you how to feel the punch of your opponents and react to it.  Through repetition you improve your technique and speed up the process.

In true traditional wing chun style it is best to practice on both sides of the body starting with your left.

This technique and drill will go a long way in your development.  It is in these little exercises that lay the building blocks for your wing chun master.

All the wing Chun training in the word will do you know good if you don’t believe in your capacity to succeed. You will get to a stage in your training that you have learned the basics and at the intermediate level and looking to grow that little bit more.

Getting stuck in a rut with your kung fu training is common where you feel that your progress is not coming along, as you would like. It is at these stages that every bit of improvement will take twice as much effort. A 5% improvement can make a world of difference.

You will look for any advantage particularly if you are competing. As you become more experienced you are comfortable practicing with beginners. Its good for your confidence. You own this division. The question is when is it the best tie to progress to the next level. This is a big question. Most people are content where they are in their comfort zones –knowing what to expect, only needing to do the bare minimum that will see them through.

Going to the net level is a fine thought but …not feel ready now. I’ll wait till im ready.

Here is a word of advice… You will never be ready. You wont compete and ready to go into another level to dominate. You will be starting all over again. some may find this scary. After being at the top of the heap now they are starting over again. In life we sometimes get stuck in a rut too scared to move on…and still complain that we are not progressing.

Well as Wing Chun preaches adaptability is key. You need to be ready to change. Life can take some unusual turns. …and takes you with it kicking and screaming. This can cause a great amount of anxiety ….it something that you need to deal with to grow. It’s an important lesson in life and martial arts.

As basic as it looks , once you master the wing chun dummy,  it can see your training and development go from strength to strength

The wing chun dummy or  Muk Yan Jong form, is an essential part of your wing chun training.

As there are many Chinese kung fu styles there are various kung fu wooden dummys

The Wing Chun wooden dummy is the most popular form of wooden dummy. The Wing Chun dummy uses an arm and leg configuration designed to cultivate fighting skill and chi simultaneously The form is performed against  a “wooden Dummy “, which is made ups of a thick wooden post with two upper  arms, a lower arms and a representing an opponents body in in various positions and the lines of force the body can give out.

Although representative of a human opponent, the dummy is not a physical representation of a human, but an energetic one. Wooden dummy training aims to refine a students understanding of angles, position footwork and develop full body power. The wing chun dummy is where the open hand forms are applied and understood as a whole.

The Hong Kong wooden dummy is a wall mounted version of the Wing Chun Wooden Dummy that hangs using two wooden slats through the body of the wooden dummy. Version of the wing chun chun dummy where placed in the ground. The modern design was created by Yip in Hong Kong to fit the needs of living in an apartment.

The wooden slats on which the muk yan jong is mounted has a springiness that is similar to a human opponent’s involuntary reaction and allows the user to practice absorbing energy into his/her stance. Because of the springiness the dummy is called an alive dummy. Without it being mounted, the older version it is called a dead dummy.