Not really missing my training as I nurse this busted hand, I’ve been training everything I’ve learned that I can train by myself. I want to say I realize everything is the same only done differently but it’s not.
There are tremendous differences in attitudes and approach to defense. My karate style tends to take on a side stance countenance, purposely raising the front arm to invite attack to my ribs… side kick waiting.
Wing Chun was very frontal and center oriented. I now hate its structure, very erect frontal attitude, but its understanding of controlling the center is great. I like its intercepting and trapping. Its weakness again, is structure. Bong Sau, positionally/structurally, is weak. You have no real stopping power with your shoulder like that (And I know it’s a drilling motion intended to lift. But what when the other knows it and sinks, setting you up… you have no position to lift, so you run the hand exposing yourself).
Internal was a way of doing all the things I’ve always done but smarter. More efficiently with better structure.
Boxing is bad ass. The technique is sound, but you have to be tough, because you’re going to absorb blows. And you’re going to stand there in range sooner or later. There’s tremendous skill involved, but it is a game for the tough minded.
My point… not sure. Just thinking about all the training and how as I grew and really thought about “How good is my martial art, meaning, comparatively” … because I thought I was pretty good … I wanted to go see. When you go see you start asking your instructor different questions. You don’t ask, “How should my hand be?” … "You ask, “Yea, but what if he does X?”
That bothers some teachers… tough $hit. It’s my pretty face I’m trying to protect.
Put your teachers on the spot. If they’re good and cool they’ll handle it well. If not, go find someone who’s good and cool. I don’t have access to that many here within reasonable travel distance (beat up surf truck). Man, train. Train. Train.
