THE WING CHUN PERSPECTIVE For Women Wing Chun Kung Fu "The Sawed-off Shotgun of martial arts"
Author:
Master Michael Nedderman
After training in a medium to long range martial art for five years and earning a
black belt, and after investigating a variety of other martial arts, Officer Omega (not his real name) discovered the art
of Wing Chun Kung Fu. "It doesn't take much investigating to see that the theoretical and tactical basis of Wing Chun perfectly
matches the reality faced by correctional officers," states Officer Omega. "This unique martial art and my instructor's teaching
ability are what enabled me to successfully defend myself against a dangerous inmate at San Quentin. Because of Wing Chun's
simple yet devastatingly effective techniques, the inmate was carried away on a stretcher instead of me. There was also a
dramatic improvement in respect from inmates."
Wing Chun is a highly sophisticated, scientific method of street fighting.
There are no fancy movements to impress the audience. Each of us has known a "naturally" gifted street-fighter. However, such
a person is the exception quite simply because effective fighting does not come naturally. The primary reason for our awkward
ineffectiveness is that the basic human instinct is to defend when attacked. Incomprehensible as it might seem at first, that
basic instinct (defending) is the least effective response to an attack, yet it is what most martial arts spend all their
time trying to perfect!
Created from a woman’s perspective?Best known to the public
as Bruce Lee's original martial art, Wing Chun is different than all the others because it may be the only martial art originated
and first developed (about 300 years ago) by women, a Buddhist nun and her first female student. That is probably the reason
it takes such a radically Different approach to fighting.
The combat reality faced by those women (in fact, by all women) is very similar to that faced by correctional officers
every day. They are confronted by adversaries who are usually bigger, stronger, probably younger and quicker, trained or at
least experienced street-fighters, and who are by definition desperate. Also similar! to each group (COs and women) is the
degree of vulnerability, and the fact that often there is little or no warning of an attack before the first contact is made.
That first contact must be met with an instant attack, and that isn’t natural.
While it is true that many inmates
are trained in martial arts, it must be remembered that Wing Chun's theories and techniques were specifically designed by
women to defeat men who were trained, experienced martial artists in a culture (China)
that developed martial arts
to its highest level. In other words, Wing Chun was specifically designed to defeat the practitioners of some of the most
advanced fighting systems in the world. How does it do that?
Wing Chun's female founders correctly reasoned that they
would lose most contests with male attackers simply because they lack size and strength. I’m sure those women concluded
that it would be a mistake, or not even an option, to fight from a distance while striking at transient openings, hoping to
eventually pummel an opponent into submission.
The other possibility involves wrestling down and chokes out a larger
and stronger man. Wing Chun’s female founders must have reasoned that the only sensible tactic would be to instantly
move in very close and end the fight quickly and decisively (in seconds) while always preserving "maximum defensive integrity"
(this is an especially good idea against multiple opponents).
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