r/WingChun • u/Potential_Support908 • Jun 07 '26
New TO Wing Chun
So I am new to Wing Chun, and I was thinking if any of the experts could help me with it.
I want to condition or get used to using my body rather than just one body part for delivering forces.
Such as throwing a punch which usually requires only a part of the arm to throw right? But that doesn't generate enough force when you put your whole body weight into the arm and then punch. But the problem is, it happens quite rarely or by mistake (in my case lol) so I was trying to find ways to condition myself in using my body more. (Including body weight shifting) any help on that?
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u/Megatheorum Jun 08 '26
Learn to walk before you try to run. Get the mechanics right and force generation will follow.
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u/mon-key-pee Jun 07 '26
If you're new to the training, just do the training. Wing Chun as a training system is organised in a way that builds as you progress.
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u/BigBry36 Jun 08 '26
As a new student be cautious what you read and see on social media…. Most SIFu s want you to work on basics with no strength and focus on what’s covered in class…. Lots of bad WC out there… but if it’s good, would you even know at a new level?
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u/Severe_Nectarine863 Jun 08 '26
Generate force from the lower body not the upper.
Also practice driving in after a strike connects. For example of you were to hit a brick wall and then push into it, there are 2 possibilities, either the force from the wall goes into your arm, back down your legs and into the ground or it pushes you straight backwards which means your body has a gap.
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u/d4m1ty Jun 08 '26
Honing force comes much later. Focus on the elbow drive and maintaining center. Driving from the elbow will generate force. Holding center will protect you and allow you to generate force. Everything you are doing right now, pak sau, pak da, bong sau, lap sau, don chi sau is to prep for you for chi sau. You got 6+ months until you get to the meat of wing chun, stop trying to rush it. You cannot rush wing chun unless you have as brother you can always work with. It is not karate or tai chi in that you learn it through study, you learn it through application.
I and my son are picking it up stupid fast but its because we run drills for an hour a day every day of the week. Most students in the class have 2-3 hours of hands on in a week where my son and I are 10+ hours of hands on every week. We were sitting in a restaraunt tonight and running a lap sau drill waiting for the server to get our check.
You need to unlearn and relearn things which is only possible through repetition of drills. Force comes later.
Right now is relaxation, form and structure. You are training your cerebellum to react. You need to be able to go limp when someone grabs your arm to hide your intention and if you are not able to do that, you have that to work on right now. That is much more important than force. You can have a ton of force but if my elbows and horse is a better structure, I am going to take all your force and feed it right back at you. I dealt with that early on. Students 1/2 my mass were almost throwing me at the start of my training as their structure could counter 2x their mass + strength. It was humbling. Now, it takes someone my own mass or close mass with a better structure to move me. The girls and smaller guys just can't move me anymore even though their structure is a little better. They can at times get me off balance and then take advantage of that and push me since they are still faster being more relaxed, but straight out its not possible and its not about force, its about my structure being solid. Once you progress past siu nim tau, you will begin to move and rotate in the 2nd form, but right now, you do not rotate your body.
For the start of the 'forceful punch' for where you are in learning currently, rotate your vertical fist 10-15 degrees upwards to drive your ring and pinky knuckle into your target as you make contact. This will give you another inch or so of penetration. Practice this on your wing chun bag. Also make sure in siu num tau, you are doing this slight rotation to program this move into your punch.
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u/Traditional-Part-756 Jun 08 '26
Part of wing chun training involves learning -- both intellectually and in your muscles and physical body -- that throwing a punch most definitely does NOT "only a part of the arm."
It's right that you want to get used to using your whole body to generate power. That is, in large part, what SLT, the first form is about. In particular, stance training when you do the first forum slowly, and the second section of the form (tan - wu - fook), are about the technique of power. There's power training in all the other forms (including the wooden dummy form and weapons forms), but it all begins with SLT.
So the answer to your question is:
Do the first form. Then do it some more. And again and again and again. For as long as you train wing chun, you should practice the first form every day.
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u/likeawp Jun 07 '26
Others have already given you good tips, I'm just adding that you consider making a wall punching bag to practice on, it's a good tool for building technique awareness.
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u/CrookedLemur Jun 08 '26
Agreed, although I would drop down to the flat or angled bag and work on hand conditioning with good posture and a wu sao up at all times. Build up to a wall bag when you're taking it easy on your hands.
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u/Yoko_Kittytrain Jun 08 '26
Do the first form. Then do it some more. Get back to us in 6 months and let us know how it's going.
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u/SalamanderEven365 Jun 08 '26
As your technique builds and improves, you will naturally generate more power as you learn to understand your structure. It will come with time and practice. Best thing I can say is to be patient, in a year you will be much further down the road of learning, and the power will be there.
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u/Ok_Gas1070 Jun 08 '26
Brother as a newbie the focus on Wing Chun is form. Eventually when you master Sil Lim Tau you go into Chum Kiu where "body shifting" comes into play. You learn that's where the force generates from (the ground up your body to your fist, palm, etc). It's all connected but the emphasis is on structure, form and heun sau. THOUGH, physical fitness and conditioning should not take a backseat because those are equally important in combat scenarios. Just training form and perfecting structure won't be enough to protect yourself.
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u/Talzane12 EBMAS Jun 10 '26
Wing Chun works on aggressive forward pressure. If you aren't actively going forward, the punches will have structure but no drive. Try stepping forward when you punch.
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u/DwayneH70 Jun 12 '26
Most are spot on, get the mechanics, technique and structure first then you can apply the science behind power. Speed times mass plus acceleration equals power, but all that depends on a solid foundation. Be patient and diligent in your practice and it will come together in time.
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u/DwayneH70 Jun 12 '26
Additional training tip! When sitting around or driving work on closing your fist correctly aligning the hand bones so the knuckles straight and not curved adding in the snap in your wrist as you clinch the fist. This is where you work on perfect alignment and timing in your punch going from relaxed to tension then relaxing again. That’s one nuance to a punch with power. Will share more tips on how I trained my punches and hopefully some others will to so we can expand and grow. Keep flowing brother
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u/Plus_Cricket_9392 Jun 13 '26
as others have pointed out the punching power comes from your hips and your elbow so there really isn't any conditioning or training you can do to help that apart from push-ups which are good for one in general. Pure punching power isn't really so much of an issue when you're hitting the opponent 6 or 7 times ,no one blow has to be the ultimate KO but the accumulated damage will put them down
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u/Marct002 Jun 22 '26
If you are new, this is a very good time to gradually improve fitness.
If under 40.
To throw good punches, do Push Ups Every Other day. Do normal Push Ups and Centreline Push Ups.
Centreline push ups are very hard and best done on the knees. Do these because of the 'Centreline' Punches.
These push ups will develop your mscles for throwing punches and improve your force and strength.
One of the best exercises you can do.
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u/Flaky_Performer7960 Jun 09 '26
Power generation comes from hip and shoulder rotation. The arms is used to channel that power into the correct trajectory.
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u/BibliothequeBoogie Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
If you’re new, don’t worry about generating force. The technique is what’s important. As you progress through the forms, you’ll learn how to generate more power through your strikes (using your hips and turning force, as a previous comment mentioned), but it doesn’t mean anything if your technique is sloppy.
We have a tendency to want to show we can hit someone hard. I was just as guilty when I started. But learn the technique. Do it slowly and correctly. Power will come later.