Fitness and Wing Chun

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Wing Chun
21

[QUOTE=S.Teebas;700738]Does anyone here do weights with wing chun…im interested to see how that works for you. and what kind of frequency you do the weights, and how it fits in with wing chun…the relaxing etc, as weights seems to be all about putting the muscle under stress and tension, which is basically the opposite??[/QUOTE]To get back to the OP’s question a bit more directly…

Yes, I do.

I’m not a big lifter yet, I’ve just started and the reason I started was for rehab for a lower back injury. My blog’s on the health forum. I’m still only lifting light but have started to go up to bodyweight on some lifts.

I do the weights between 2 and 5 times a week (it doesn’t take long). I would do it more if I had more time.

A few points.

  1. Everything I do physically is easier!

I was no uncoordinated couch potato before: I was the athletics champion in school and played in rugby and crickets teams from about 8 to about 14/15, was quite good at basketball… and since then have got black belts in aikido and kendo and blah blah blah :slight_smile: but now everything I do physically is easier!

  1. Specifically, in terms of WC, I can feel the connectedness of my body much better. I don’t know if this would have been the same had I done weights as long as I’ve done WC (about 9-10 years), or if it’s just because I’d learnt how to move my body and work with my weak points before.

  2. I can of course relax much more in wing chun now because (I guess) my body is used to moving heavy objects, therefore when heavy pressure comes I am more used to it and it takes less muscular effort to avoid it, deflect it, hit through it etc.

The idea that people who do weights always force technique to me makes no sense. Sure some people probably do, but if you have two people of the same height and equivalent experience, but one lifts weights and is say 5 kilos of muscle heavier, that person is going to find it much easier to not force his way through, because his muscles can take more strain, and move easier.

Of course if I’ve just (over)trained and I’m stiff my WC will suffer, but that’s more down to good warm-ups and -downs than anything.

All in all, I don’t know if I’m glad that I had a firm base in WC before I started lifting or if I should’ve started lifting much earlier… I tend to think that since my body has benefitted so much in just a couple of months lifting would’ve have been a good idea from the start.

BTW, I also do some cardio stuff… running mostly 5km, elliptical trainers, bodyweight exercises, bagwork, MMA when I have time, shoot + sprawl drills, manji stepping (from daito ryu and other koryu principles), some chi kung, and (far too) occasional yoga.

Hope that helps.

22

I almost cried…

…laughing at this…(I saw the info-mercial on TV, after the news, seriously tears started and everything)…

Yoga Booty Ballet

23

anerlich,

no pressure from me but when i saw it i did think it was really good.

i went over my notes on the dvd and theres not THAT much stuff thats out of the ordinary but you might need to split between a poncy gym with cable crossovers and stuff and maybe a back yard style get some big tyres and sleds going. of course they have ridiculous computer powered treadmills and stuff but one of the big things i think about that dvd is how creative they are, most of it can be done on the cheap :slight_smile:

its more the thought process behind what hes come up with and how ma specific it is thats good compared to other workout stuff.

mr punch,

awesome post i couldnt agree more, also about when you said on your blog on the other page how you wish youd done weights earlier. its a whole world of feeling good, better technique etc etc…

amanuJru,

yup that just looks wack. i like this yoga clip :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSvupyYuFPk

:D:D:D

24

[QUOTE=stricker;702388]

amanuJRY,

yup that just looks wack. i like this yoga clip :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSvupyYuFPk

:D:D:D[/QUOTE]:eek:

You know the girls at the local yoga shop don’t look like that…right?

(unless you live in Hollywood):smiley:

25

well the fact that the only yoga class that doesnt clash with my existing timetable is a university class doesnt hurt :wink:

of course not to disrespect yoga which is a very good system. just not enough hours in the day… also a yoga teacher told me that a lot of the yoga positions we’re familiar with nowadays were only created something like 50-100 years ago and stolen from western gymnastics and wrestling…

26

[QUOTE=stricker;702873]well the fact that the only yoga class that doesnt clash with my existing timetable is a university class doesnt hurt :wink:

of course not to disrespect yoga which is a very good system. just not enough hours in the day… also a yoga teacher told me that a lot of the yoga positions we’re familiar with nowadays were only created something like 50-100 years ago and stolen from western gymnastics and wrestling…[/QUOTE]

Interesting…not impossible as ‘hatha’ yoga didn’t really gain any popularity until starting about 100 yrs ago, but I wonder which positions he’s referring to? Obviously things like the lotus and some standing positions came from yoga (as we see it in statuary and illustration in ancient Indian art) and the concepts (breathing, kundalini, etc.) are written about in the Reg Veda (1200+ B.C.). But I don’t know when the recording of the Asanas began.

Besides, even if western ‘stretching’ techniques were adapted, they were effective and still are (hence modern popularity of things like yoga and pilates), and it just adds to prove how technology is spread and evolves…

27

Kevin and Stricker…

OK, I was going to look into some of the things you were saying about OHs and their probs, but I just haven’t found anything/looked in the right places…

Kevin maybe, could you summarize what you’re talking about re the probs of OH lifting, templates, and er, whatever… please? :slight_smile:

28

[QUOTE=S.Teebas;700020]What do you do in addition to your wing chun training?

Weights, cardio…how much and what kind of exercises do you do?

Were do you see the benifits in your wing chun…in an art that ‘doesnt RELY on brute strength’?[/QUOTE]

There is definentely strong benifits in incorporating weight training, cardio etc.. into your training wether your just a casual practioner or active one. My instructor always encourages the use of weight training and our classes are nothing but hardcore cardiovascular workouts. The wing chun system doesnt rely on brute strenght but in combat any scenarios can always occur that may require different attributes to be put to the test. :slight_smile:

And for the types of training for weight training i follow a standard 4day on 1 day off
Cardio workout is primarily all done at the wing chun gym i train at which is very intense cardio workout nothing but hard work and crazy sweat.

29

Mr P

Try this:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/overhead_olympic_weight_lifts.htm

As to suggesting templates this is something i avoid doing as i’ve no idea as to your current level of preparedness. At the end of the day it’s a question of specifity. Running 5 miles a day, endless DB curls going for the burn to get a good pump just aint gonna cut it. Level some questions to the guys on elite or t-nation i’m sure they’d be more than happy to help

30

Cheers for the link Kevin. That looks like a good site.

I wasn’t asking you to make a template for me, I was thinking maybe you’d have some good points as to what to avoid putting in an overhead programme to focus on combat applicability and shoulder health.

31

Mr P,

Some points to consider:

Train movements over body parts
Whole Body sessions versus Spilt Training Sessions
Variety
Tempo

When drawing up your annual plan focus and identify your goals, periodise your workout, and draw up a pool of exercises based on pushing, pulling, upper/lower body, and whole body.

A good starting point would be to focus on GPP. Ive just spent the last 9 months doing this with my lower body working the death outta my legs/back. Now my 1-3 RM for DL’s are 200 kg’s, Squat around 150 and power cleans around 110kg, nothing spectacular but better than what it was. So as from around early october i’m starting a new template, which ive worked out with my buddy who’s a professional S&C coach as well as consulting with some experienced S&C coaches in the states, which will switch the focus over to be more VT specific for me and start what i consider a real integration point for me and my needs.

32

armanujry,

sorry didnt follow up, been busy… the guy was referring to a lot of the asanas and sequences, im no expert, but he mentioned wrestling as a source too which struck a chord for me with bridges and hindu/divebomber pressups etc. Next time i see him i’ll try to get a reference on it.

yo kev,

i wasnt being a lazy ****er when i said i hadnt found the article on shoulder problems with OH/oly lifts!!! I did find that one, i was trying to find detail on the orthopeadic risks at an anatomical level, and it’s a big ol site that one…

Mr p,

if like me your a beginner at this weights malarkey pavel t’s books or t-nation stuff tends to be a bit easier reading than a lot of the material. i also got the “Insider’s Tell-All Handbook on Weight-training Technique” book which goes into good form etc to perform most exercises. I dont know how highly the experts (kev ?) rate it but i found it good useful info.

oh anerlich,

how’d you get on with the dvd?

33

Jon,

Expert? Not even close mate. With regard to literature whilst Supertraining and The Science and Practice of Strength training are the “guvnors” of S&C literature they’re a **** hard read and best picked up and studied when you want to focus on a particular point of interest IMO.. In terms of the orthapedic angle your looking for try the rehabilitation section of the Q&A

For me Elitefts as well as the relative sites of the Q&A board members have provided much of my learning.