No one else? No problem!
I hear the following question fairly often. Perhaps it’s one that you have as well!
This issue comes up when a student is going away for some time. Also, training partners aren’t always available. Or, there’s curiosity about how to employ all means of advancement, which is four-fold.
One of these layers is Personal Practice. It addresses the problem of:
How can I train by myself?
This is what I do and tell my students to try. I invite you to join us too:
Form
Benefits: Stronger foundation and higher refinement
Choose one of the WingChun Forms you know:
- Siu Nim Tau (Small Intention)
- Tsum Kiu (Seeking Bridge)
- Biu Jee (Darting Fingers)
- Mok Yan Jang (Wooden Person Pile)
- Gerk Fat (Leg Methods) I
- Gerk Fat (Leg Methods) II
Commit to doing it three times:
- First, train at normal speed to warm up. Just be natural.
- Second, train at slow speed for best technique. Calibrate everything.
- Third, train at fast speed and stress yourself. Keep it clean!
Function
Benefits: Clearer visualization and deeper coordination
Remix your Forms by creating new sequences, such as starting from:
- Right Man Sao (Inquiring Arm)
- Left Wu Sao (Protecting Arm)
- Jing San Ma (Frontal Body Stance)
Then proceeding to:
- Right Gan Sao (Dividing Arm)
- Left Wu Sao
- Right Juen Ma (Revolving Stance)
And finishing with:
- Right Wu Sao
- Left Tsong Kuen (Thrusting Punch)
- Right Jin Bo (Arrowing Step)
That’s a simple example. The permutations are endless. Here’s a tip! Think about an attack or combination and how you would resolve it.
Flow
Benefits: Greater fluency and fewer gaps
Draw from Lat Sao (Casting Arms) or Puen Sao (Coiling Arms) and play the initiator A:
- Lat Sao 3A begins with Bong Sao (Winging Arm), Lap Sao (Pulling Hand) and Gwan Kuen (Rotating Punch)…
- Puen Sao 1A, 8th Student Level (8 SL) begins with Pak Sao (Slapping Hand), Tsong Kuen, Gwat Sao (Scraping Arm)…
Then switch and do the other role B in response:
- Lat Sao 3B responds with Pak Sao, Bong Sao, Wu Sao…
- Puen Sao 1B, 8 SL responds with Wu Sao, Bong Sao, Bong Sao…
Don’t forget footwork! But you get the idea. Can you smoothly run through each side to completion without interruption?
Finally
Do not attempt all of the above at once! Invest 5 minutes daily. If you have the time or motivation, add more. Avoid overwhelming yourself to sacrifice quantity for quality. For longevity, overzealousness is as detrimental as indolence!
Positive and negative are always concurrent. The con of solo training is that you don’t have dynamic impact or mutual feedback. The pro is that you develop keen self-reliance and discover your own connections.
Action does not replace, but vastly improves, interaction. Like a dance duo, your movements are half of the pair. It’s valuable when you trust yourself to perform both roles equally well.
Working alone is doing your homework! It allows you to get more out of class. It makes you a better study partner. It helps you ask effective questions.
Hope this outline helps. Let me know about your Personal Practice! How do you train yourself?
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Sihing Paul, thank you for this article on solo practice. This is very helpful, especially for those who do not have a community with which to practice.
Dear Dan, you’re so welcome. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! We miss you here 🙁
Sihing, good article. One of the things I love about WingChun is that I feel like I own my practice. Where ever I am and I have a few extra minutes I can practice my forms or footwork. I’ve gained alot from practicing my linking punches at home. Thank you for the article
You’re welcome. Thanks for posting your experience. I love that students develop a sense of sovereignty. Owning our actions is a valuable asset and powerful effect of WingChun practice.
thanks for your pieces of advice
You’re very welcome, Julius.
Thank you for the advice. With my situation, I live in rural KY and don’t even know of anywhere remotely near me that offers proper WinChun training. How can I go about learning from nothing on my own without the means to become an official student?
WingChun. Sorry
Dear Paul, are you able to get to Atlanta, Georgia? We have an Academy there with ongoing classes. I also visit that location several times a year.
I want to Learn Wing Chun, But, I don’t have Partners. I can do OverSplit, Powerful and accurate Kicks and other Basic Kung Fu stuff. But, when I asked on internet that I want to learn Wing Chun Online, the results were Disappointing. Most of the Experts told that Leaning Martial Arts at home is not Possible.
Hi Em, it seems you are athletic. I agree that online training is not ideal. Although forms can be followed visually, their functions must be applied on a partner. What city are you in if you don’t mind me asking? Or you can email me at hq@iaw-us.com. Thanks!
Dear Sifu —
Is trying to teach yourself a martial art, in much the same way one would start doing pushups in the livingroom one day, a needlessly difficult endeavor? Or is there an extra degree of learning contained in the extra difficulty of finding total self-motivation? What limits should a self-taught student expect to encounter?
Also; Can you offer any advice to help new learners first teach themselves to keep practicing every day?
Those are really good questions, Christina.
There are definitely some basic movements that you can train at home, especially if you have already learned them in person. Learning solely online is more of a challenge. As for motivation, you are correct that without a community of training partners, you have to find inspiration within to continue.
The primary limitation of learning without a teacher is lack of feedback. At some point you need corrections from an experienced instructor.
Finally, regarding your last question, you can develop a daily personal practice of movements. Of course there are many different videos online to pick from. At least you are moving your body and coordinating your mind. Once you get a chance to visit a class or seminar, then your basics can be refined.
What city are you in? If you like send me a private email at hq@iaw-us.com. Thanks for your comments!
Sifu Wang…are there any schools in the Maryland area you would recommend?
Amed, I have a student in Baltimore, MD that I can put you in touch with. Shoot me an email at hq@iaw-us.com. Happy 2018!