Category Archives: News

News about our club.

Paak Sau

I conducted the first assessment at VTCS on the last day of July.  Those of you who participated had your ability to execute Wing Chun (Ving Tsun) skills put to the test. Which skills were assessed and the level of pressure was determined by your level of experience.

There was a great deal of excitement and anticipation leading up to the event and on the night.  Everyone did very well and should be proud of their progress to date.

Classes are now packed solid with important information that improves your understanding of VT concepts and drills to develop your ability to apply them.

Each class has three elements; fine tuning forms, Pressure Training and Chi Sau.

Forms

I have devoted a portion of each class to honing aspects of each form; at the moment the focus is on each of the Bong Sau actions in Chum Kiu. It is important that you use the time available during “free training” to work on the drills that bring the concepts in the forms to life. This will ensure your forms are as accurate as possible, which in turn gives you the best foundation for developing your Ving Tsun skills. I will continue to work on one aspect of each form per week over the next few weeks.

Pressure Training

Additional aspects of Pressure training will be introduced over the next few weeks and the level of pressure will be incrementally increased.  At the moment your focus should be on improving your execution of the core Paak Sau drill. If you have a mouth-guard be sure to bring it to every class.

Key points for the core Paak Sau drill are:

  • Your stance supports your arms; make sure your stance is active and your hands light;
  • Your stance should be driving you forwards;
  • The punches should be fast, relaxed and springy with penetrating power;
  • The paak sau should be the same as the punch.

See the clip below for a compressed summary of how to do one of the core Paak Sau drills and how it sets your intention for countering straight punches.

Chi Sau

Key points for Chi Sau:

  • Commence chi sau by focusing on perfecting the elements of your rolling, light hands with constant forward intention;
  • Increase the speed and intensity at which you do the drill in the Chi Sau (ii) blog entry below;
  • Improve your timing  and focus on dissipating your partner’s energy; and
  • Continue to reduce the time it takes to respond to entries and counter-attack.

 

Chi Sau (ii)

The transition to Pressure Training (PT) began in July with “composite classes” covering as many aspects of the Ving Tsun skill set as I could cram into each training session. Later in the month training focussed on the key components of PT and core chi sau skills. I broke down one approach to Paak sau drills; a short clip will be embedded soon. This approach to Paak sau is a key element of PT that will be used to build skills for countering straight punches.

The introductory level pressure training was a shock to the system for quite a few class members. It was great to see everyone rise to the challenge. There’s much more in store as I gradually increase the intensity of training and the levels of pressure over the next few months.

During this phase of training classes will continue to have a section devoted to core Chi sau skills and specific entries, with each entry (and all the possibilities it presents; both strengths and weaknesses) being featured for weeks at a time. Below is a clip on an important chi sau drill that will continue to be a mainstay of training over the next few weeks.

Key points for Pressure Training:

  • Your power comes from your entire body so structure is the key;
  • Footwork has to be fast without compromising your structure’
  • Focus on relaxed, smooth-flowing punches that come from the elbow and penetrate through the target; and
  • In all drills chase the core of your training partner taking the shortest line to hit their core.

Key points for Chi Sau:

  • Start by focusing on perfecting the elements of your rolling, light hands with constant forward intention;
  • Drill the core drills with accuracy then progress to doing them as fast as you can and with intent that connects them to gwoh sau and real exchanges;
  • Make use of the clips in the posts on Chi Sau  and Dan Chi Sau for review of the fundamentals when you are away from training;
  • Above all else: keep the energy light and “springy”; and
  • Base your choice of attack on what you feel

Chi Sau (i) Fundamentals

June was another month of intense focus on chi sau skills. Everyone who trained regularly was able to work on these skills for up to 10 hours each week. Early in the month I increased the intensity of the class, it was great to see just how much improvement everyone has made over the last few months. The fundamentals are really starting to take shape, building a solid foundation for further training and the challenges to come.

I work-shopped the links between all the aspects of chi sau we have been honing so far and proceeded to dissect each of the most practical and useful entries in chi sau including:

  • Honing your ability to execute the entries;
  • The most appropriate time to use each entry;
  • How you might use each of the actions outside of chi sau;
  • The counter to each entry; and
  • How to flow when your entry is countered.

Key points for Chi Sau:

  • Rolling from lower fook sau to upper fook sau should have the same feel and intention as the punch in Dan chi sau, see the clip in post 2012-5;
  • Bong sau to taan sau is the same action as in Siu Nim Tau;
  • Constant forward intention “lat sau jik chun” and even pressure throughout the roll;
  • Rolling properly makes it harder for your partner to attack you and easier for you to feel holes in their technique;
  • Above all else: keep the energy light and “springy”.

It has been fantastic to see so much improvement and enthusiasm at training; keep up the good work. Soon I will transition the training to pressure training. This year pressure training will have new elements that raise the pressure and levels of conditioning to new heights, get ready to sweat and excel!

‘Keep it Real’ Articles by David Peterson

‘Keep it real’ – Sifu David Peterson is a regular guest columnist in the prestigious USA publication ‘Martial Arts Masters’ magazine, articles that have appeared in his ‘Keep It Real’ column appear below

Wooden Dummy Article

‘Muk Yan Jong’ Wing Chun’s Wooden Warrior By David Peterson published in the USA-based ‘Masters’ magazine (Spring 2010 issue)

Muk Yan Jong Seminar DVD now available

On this new DVD by Sifu David Peterson, the viewer is taken through the famous Wing Chun Muk Yan Jong (“Wooden Dummy”) form, as taught to Peterson by his instructor, the late Sifu Wong Shun Leung.

WING CHUN: the Legacy of Ip Man

“Take a look at the special 7 minute edited version of the 37 minute documentary, featuring Sifu David Peterson, that appears exclusively on the recent Australian release to DVD of the outstanding Hong Kong action feature, ‘Grandmaster Ip Man’ (aka: ‘Ip Man’), now available in stores from ‘Madman Entertainment’ & ‘Eastern Eye’ DVD. On the disc, Sifu Peterson also provides the feature-length audio commentary  for the movie.”

DVDS NOW AVAILABLE!

We are happy to announce that David Petersons Siu Nim Tau and Cham Kiu Seminar Double disc DVDs are available for purchase! Check the DVD page and also http://www.cranesproduction.com/ for details. Find out more about the Wong Shun Leung Wing Chun Kuen David Peterson DVD Seminars. Watch the previews.

In the near future we will also be releasing the new updated and expanded second edition of David Petersons Book, ‘Look Beyond the Pointing Finger: the Combat Philosophy of Wong Shun Leung’.

‘Siu Nim Tau’ & ‘Cham Kiu’ Seminars

Members of the ‘MCMAC’ recently joined with students of Sifu Enzo Verratti at the ‘Wing Chun Chinese Boxing Club’ in Brunswick over two Saturday afternoons to participate in detailed seminars on the first two Wing Chun training forms, ‘Siu Nim Tau’ (the “young idea”) and ‘Cham Kiu’ (“bridge searching”) presented by Sifu David Peterson.

Both forms were thoroughly broken down in minute detail by Peterson so as to help the participants fully understand how the ‘Wong Shun Leung Method’ both trains and applies the techniques/concepts contained in these two fundamental components of the system. The ‘Siu Nim Tau’ form is especially rich in information involving structure, technique, application in combat, development of power and basic strategy, hence the full four hours of the first day’s seminar was completely taken up in very detailed explanation and discussion.

‘Cham Kiu’ form, whilst also a rich source of information, especially with regard to movement, power generation, the use of the ‘bong sau’ action, kicking and specific ‘Chi Sau’ applications, is considerably easier to breakdown and so there was a good deal of time also spent on drilling specific applications and theories during the four hour presentation. A very enjoyable and enlightening time was had by all who attended and a special word of thanks is extended to Sifu Verratti and his students for making their school available and for making the ‘MCMAC’ members feel so welcome on both days.

Both seminars were captured on film by Mr Brett Brogan (thanks Brett and all who volunteered on camera!) with a view to producing a DVD of the event in the not-too-distant future. Whether present or not at the seminars, it is very likely that many people will be keen to obtain a copy of the DVD when it is available so keep your eyes on this site for news of its impending release.

Articles Section Updated

The Articles section has now been updated with many articles on Ving Tsun Kung Fu and Wong Shun Leung. Click here to check it out.