Wing Chun is a controversial style, and for good reason. Many of the training methods are ineffective at best. The prearranged solo forms, which are questionable as training methods in the first place, have illogical orders and stick to the superstition that having 108 moves each is somehow better than 50, 63, or 107. Routinely, MMA practitioners deride Wing Chun as being a BS system. This sentiment is understandable, but incorrect.
The concept of simultaneous attack and defense in Wing Chun is excellent, as is controlling the center, the solid structure of the techniques, and basic trapping. The emphasis on attacking the eyes, throat, and groin is also great for self defense. But in order to pull any of it off in reality, the training needs to be realistic. And, some modifications will make Wing Chun safer to apply. Even still, Wing Chun was not made for the ring.
The lop sao or pull is a great trap to use before kicking your opponent in the groin (following up further if necessary of course). And the groin kick is very effective. But you can’t use groin kicks in the ring. The pak sao or smack is another great trap for self defense, especially when followed by a hack in the neck or finger in the eye, neither of which are allowed in MMA. You can follow the lop sao or pak sao with punches or palms, but against boxing style structures the “pak sao, punch” or “lop sao, punch” combinations are far less effective.
There are exceptions. Using a pak sao to create an opening for a punch or two, possibly causing your opponent to cover or retreat, will provide the opportunity for a double lop sao (two handed pull) into knees and elbows against a cover, or a kicking follow up against a retreat. But due to the unrealistic training in most Wing Chun schools, practitioners are only used to dealing with other Wing Chun stylists…who very often ineffectively stand in one place attempting to block, block, block as a cooperative defense.
In MMA you might see someone opening with a jab-cross combo from boxing, followed by a kick from Thai boxing, followed by a clinch entry and takedown from wrestling, followed by ground techniques from Brazilian jiu jitsu. They take what’s useful from each style and use various parts where they’re appropriate. Wing Chun can be used similarly. An MMA practitioner could use a pak sao trap to increase the likelihood of landing a jab, followed by a cross, then a double lop sao into a knee, etc. The structure of the “tan sao” can be used to stop a takedown attempt. The “huen sao” techniques is identical to the initial motion of pummeling or swimming in the clinch. In self defense, the simultaneous biu sao and punch works very well against most hooks, as does trapping to eye jabs, groin kicks, and throat strikes.
Wing Chun isn’t just BS, and it does have a great deal to offer. But in order for the strengths to come out, both WC and MMA practitioners need to open their minds and forget about previous prejudices!
The problem with Ving Tsun is that it is not for every one, it requires you to think work hard and make your own discoveries (much like a scientist). It is not handed to you pre-packaged ready to “pull out of your pocket” and use. Many do not have the patience or aptitude to learn Ving tsun correctly. Not to mention there are many people teaching who should not be teaching. Another thing is that you really can’t use MMA as a measuring stick for Ving Tsun. I have a great deal of respect for MMA fighters, they are professional athletes and it is a great sport. The rules of MMA prevent you from using the majority of Ving Tsun techniques. On the other hand few Ving Tsun practicioners train hard enough and intelligently enough that they could handle an MMA practicioner, even in a street fight. There are a lot of fat wheezing out of shape Ving Tsun “masters”.
-Bryant
Great points Bryant. I agree with you, but in my opinion it’s unnecessary not to teach something in the most efficient and effective way possible. Even if Wing Chun was taught efficiently, people would still have to think on their own and work hard to make it work for them. And, the style would evolve quicker if it wasn’t preserved in the limitations of the current curricula.