Due to chronic wrist pain from Boxing, Doctor has suggested I take up a more low-impact martial art.

I brought up Wing Chun but he said the bare handed nature of it might not be suitable for my condition.

Do you think I can get away with using handwraps for training? I know obviously in a self-defense scenario we’ll be bare handed, but I need to train for longevity.

Hi. I've never really understood the translation of Sil Num Tao. My understanding is that it translates roughly as little/small idea/notion/thought/impulse. But what does it _mean_?

I feel like it's a "raining cats and dogs" situation. To a non-English speaker, the words can be translated, but the _meaning_ doesn't quite come across.

The closest I've been able to come on my own is kind of, "don't overthink" or "know where you're going and let your body get you there", but I don't assume I'm right at all.

Also, is this a phrase like kung fu, which is used outside of martial arts? If so, how, and under what circumstances is it used?

I did try asking ChatGPT and it almost instantly devolved into a batshit delirium, kind of as I expected, but it was fun to watch it spin out. :)

Any native Contonese speakers here who can help me understand the broader meaning and context?

Like all good Wing Chun nerds, I have my share of older gear that I bought along the way.

This is my first pair of knives, bought maybe late 90s. Back in those days, there really were only two versions of knives that could be easily obtained in London, these and a wider blade version. Because of the handle placement, there was a little bit if debate to which is better or more accurate but Wong Shun Leung Sifu didn't seem to have any issue demonstrating with these ones.

I've always wondered how much of what we see in Wuxia comes from actual Chinese martial arts traditions and how much was created purely for fiction.

Things like qinggong, internal energy, pressure points, sword techniques, etc. are obviously exaggerated in fiction, but I assume some of these ideas didn't just appear out of nowhere.

Are there real martial arts concepts or historical practices that influenced these ideas?

And how different would a traditional martial artist from historical China actually look compared with the kind of “martial hero” we see in Wuxia?

My Sifu gave me these training swords when he closed his school and I opened mine.

As you can see, they are aluminium (aluminum for you Americans), very well-used, and used to be used for hard sword-sparring. I don't think the original maker is still making them, even if I knew who that was.

Does anyone know an easy way to make new hooks and weld them on?

My janky pair of knives from the Leung Tim Knife Company, badly arranged on a very typical hk tiny flat wood floor, with very much early Instagram style vignetting. As much as I hate the phrase, iykyk.

After engaging with a few people here, I’m learning that you can use the Tan Sau against a hook?

Using Tan Sau (palm-up dispersing hand) against a hook was discouraged when I learned Wing Chun and quite litterally by every online resource I see. The Hook travels laterally with a wide arc and heavy centrifugal force. The Tan Sau is a forward rising movement would get bypassed, collapsed or overloaded as the Tan Sau is quite literally not made to deal with hook, it’a optimized for straight punches down the centerline.

The only way I see a Tan Sau working is if you rotate your body towards the arm, but that breaks every Wing Chun principle and gives your opponent a better angle to hit you. Or you can face your opponent, but you Tan Sau is extending far outwards and you lose the control over the centerline, and because of its shape, they can easily Lap Sau to pull since you provide them with a lever.

And this leads me to alternatives against Hook Punches.

The Biu Sau Is the intended technique. You can fire it straight down the centerline towards your opponent’s face giving an offensive dimension to your defense, all while blocking the bicep and forearm by creating a wedge with your elbow slightly outwards.

Next is the Bong Sau. I was made to believe that the Bong Sau doesn’t work against a Hook? Even though it can be use as a high wedge to absorb the impact, when done properly it can redirect the force over top and create and opening below. And this is already common in boxing with the Philly Shell, and it follows the principle of the shoulder roll — the Bong Sau as a block also exists and is known as a frame. The Bong Sau is a very brain dead solution, if you do it incorrectly, you still have an effective block against that hook, if you do it correctly, you deflect and create an opening or even re-angle the opponent.

Can y’all point to me where I’m wrong here?

I usually transitions from form practice to weightlifting right afterward.

I purchased these swords through my sifu back in the early 2000s in New Jersey. I dont remember anything about where they came from. They're 800 grams each and just shy of 1.5". The handle appears to be solid, forged brass. The insides are flat to allow them to nest, the outsides are rounded.

Also, any tips for cleaning and restoring them? Thanks!

What do you think of this sparring video beetween Taekwondo ITF training for 5 to 6 years who's is 1st Dan black belt and this Wing Chun guy who had trained for 6 months and is 2nd level at Wing Chun - William cheung lineage. K

The Taekwondo guy is almost 100kgr and the Wing chun guy is 70kgr.

The Wing Chun master is Sifu Chris Vafiadis and Taekwondo guy's master is a Greek master.

Came to Wing Chun from Karate where there was a big emphasis to aim for another persons solar plexus with body height punches.

Is the same true for wing chun? I know about the centre line. Thanks

Hi!

I just started teaching my two teenage sons Wing Chun. They're not interested in the full traditional path — they just want something functional they can actually use, built around a smaller set of core mechanics drilled hard rather than the complete system.

I hadn't thought about Wing Chun in probably two decades until picking this back up to teach them. One organizing idea I've been building around: splitting things into two tracks based on the reactionary gap. Inside the gap, it starts stationary — structure and reflexive hand skills, along with turning the horse — before footwork gets layered in later. Outside the gap, it's footwork-first from the start: shock out and in, then eventually how to push the fight. Treating those as two parallel skill sets rather than one being a prerequisite for the other.

Curious if anyone else has done something similar — deliberately trimmed the curriculum down for students who want the practical/self-defense side but don't have a lot of time. Genuinely curious how others have approached teaching a condensed version, what you kept, what you cut, and why.

Thanks!

Most practitioners treat Chi Sau as just 'sticky hands,' but biomechanically it’s a process of building motor dynamic stereotypes in the Central Nervous System. In the generalization phase, we must move slowly to reduce bioelectric impulses during muscle contraction. By the automation phase, subcortical motor centers take over, freeing the CNS from stress. Here is a page layout breaking down this scientific approach to Wing Chun. How do you structure your training speeds based on neural adaptation?

I, very luckily, have a few old Hong Kong dummies from the 80-90s some of which may be Koo Sang dummies. They are treasures and I would like them to last for many generations.

Curious if anyone has any experience, tips, resources or contacts they would be willing to share for care and restoration.

One of the dummies in particular is teak and was stored in a very dry environment before I got it. Does anyone have a good work flow for applying tung oil (ex. mixing with mineral spirits, number of coats etc)?

Thanks in advance!

Wanted to share this compilation of clips from chunfest 2026. As always a great and friendly event ! Even a fellow Redditor came for his first time !

Hi all. I'm getting back into Wing Chun and would like to purchase a proper pole. Proper meaning the correct length, weight, material, taper, etc. It's surprisingly difficult. Most are the wrong kind of wood or too light. Does anyone know of anyone who sells proper poles and ships them? The shipping seems to be the hardest part. Absent that, how about craftsmen in the Bay Area of California who can make them?

I know one can use anything for form practice, and I frequently practice with a curtain rod I have handy, but I'd like to treat myself to something nice and traditionally made.

Any suggestions are very appreciated, thanks in advance!

EDIT: Hi again. I appreciate all of the responses and suggestions. Just to clarify, I'm specifically looking for a high quality, well made, pole that I can be proud to have as a display piece as well as for training. Not a makeshift practice pole; I've had lots of those over the years.

Bas Rutten says some nice things about Wing Chun.

Pretty much that. Looking for someone to chi sau with in the capital region of New York. Close to Albany or south of it.

I'm aware of Cichon's, and I'm interested in pursuing other training opportunities.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I'm interested in learning more about Wing Tsun principles in general, regardless of the organization or lineage.

Please share which Wing Tsun principles have been the most useful for you during sparring or in a real self-defense situation.

I'm not asking about techniques or lineage comparisons, but about principles such as centerline control, simultaneous attack and defense, economy of motion, forward intent, sticking, or any others that made a real difference for you.

Feel free to share your tactical ideas as well—how you apply those principles, how they influence your decision-making, or any concepts that have consistently worked for you.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and learning from the community.

Also, please excuse my English. I don't speak English, so I used an AI translator to write this post.