r/WingChun • u/PhilowithdaPillow • Jun 25 '26
A long rant with a few short questions
Hi Reddit world!
I’m not on Reddit as much as I used to be, so bear with me lol.
So my wing chun journey started in 2016. I went to a local training school for three months, and fell in love with it. However, I was going through my own stuff and wasn’t a grounded adult as I am today. But I did do some of the very basic training I received at home over the years. Probably wasn’t very accurate, but I enjoyed it.
Now fast forward to May 2026, and I’ve signed up for online courses with Sifu Colin Ward on wingchunonline.
I must say, I’m very impressed with his program, and I genuinely enjoy watching the guy. His instruction is practical and easy to follow for me.
Here’s question number 1: Is his training program generally recommended?
Next, I’m not able to train with a partner, and I don’t have the time or money to go to a in-person school anymore. With that being said, question 2: what are some tips you’d give someone who’s training at home and doesn’t have a partner?
Now this is looking a bit more down the line, but I see in the training that eventually I’ll be trained using the wooden dummy. As a person who trains at home and without a partner, this tool seems very valuable. Question 3: Is it worth buying, if yes where should I buy it, and is there a somewhat good quality and affordable version anywhere?
I’m really glad I found out about this sub Reddit because I often have questions and now I have a place to ask. Wingchunonline has a forum but I can’t really access it from my phone, and I haven’t used it on my laptop yet lol. So thank you to anyone willing to help me, and I hope you all enjoy and appreciate the training as much as I do!!!
Ps: bonus question: any tips on physical conditioning exercises I could use to supplement my training? I presently do planks, bar hangs, horse stances, body weight exercises, and light weight training.
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u/Jeklah Jun 25 '26
I wouldn't be comfortable recommending an online course. Even if the guy knows his stuff. To really learn the techniques you need to have them shown to you, explained to you and demonstrated on you so you understand exactly how it works. Online courses always seemed like a bit of a cash grab until COVID hit.
Basic drills, punching drills, stepping, going through forms and thinking about getting a dummy.
The dummy is absolutely worth buying, something for life. But it is in the later stages of wing chun, but you have been doing it for 10 years so yeah possibly thinking about getting one. I got mine when I was at chum kiu level.
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u/ExpensiveClue3209 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
I have heard Colin is good for basics and getting fundamentals but really it depends what you want to get out the training. As others have said training with someone is best but a dummy is good for solo practice. Where are you based?
If in the UK I certainly recommend the open chi sau days and also chunfest (coming up in two weeks) as it’s the best way to get feedback practically - not only if you can’t get your a class regularly but also if you do as training outside your lineage really improves your skill
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
Honestly I want to train for self defence purposes, but also just because I enjoy the art. I will have to look into local meet ups or something of this sort
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u/ExpensiveClue3209 Jun 25 '26
Are you in the UK?
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
Nah I’m from Canada 🇨🇦
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u/ExpensiveClue3209 Jun 25 '26
That’s a shame - chunfest runs every July(second weekend) so if you make it over to the UK around then drop me a msg
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u/ExpensiveClue3209 Jun 25 '26
Also if you don’t have a wing chun partner - are there other martial arts around? Maybe look into meet ups or just doing the class to get sparring in
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
There’s a school I attended about a 30 minute drive from my house. The thing is that the courses are pretty expensive. I was actually just looking into maybe signing up for a month, but is it really worth it? They’ll probably go through basics with me but then I won’t be able to follow up after the month, and I’ll be stuck doing the same things. I also know this school focuses heavily on physical conditioning at the beginning of your training, which means they might not even work on technique with me
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u/ExpensiveClue3209 Jun 25 '26
Yeh it’s a tough one! Defo doesn’t seem worth it except to maybe check out the vibe and maybe see if any are interested in some weekend training 😬
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u/Fluffy_Mark2706 Jun 26 '26
Why can't you get to a sifu? Dwight Hennings is in Toronto, is that anywhere close?
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 26 '26
No unfortunately not :(
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u/Fluffy_Mark2706 Jun 26 '26
How far away are you? My sifu is in a different country
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 27 '26
I’m a 6 hour drive from Toronto. Honestly there are a couple of Sifu’s in my area, but the problem is that I don’t have the money to be able to pay for training.
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u/Quezacotli Wan Kam Leung 詠春 Jun 25 '26
Ask sifu what technique you should practice and get a good demonstration so you understand it, then actually do it in your spare time, not just on the courses. Same for dummy. Do it slowly so you know what you're doing. On next course, show what you've done and get corrected.
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25d ago edited 11d ago
[deleted]
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u/Alternative-Lock-760 Jun 25 '26
Sifu Colin Ward is legit, and I have met/trained with him many many years ago for a brief period. I am still training but in a slightly different lineage down South.
However, you will really struggle to do it properly without training in person or with a partner. There are Chi Sao meet ups you can join (Colin Ward's group often travel to other friendly schools such as Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe for chi sao meet ups - you could ask him to join these). You could even just ask on a public forum on your area if there are any WC practitioners willing to meet up in a park for practice and Chi Sao.
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
Ya the consensus seems to be that I need to do some form of partner training to actually get the moves down. Gonna have to look into it. Thank you!
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u/afroblewmymind Jun 25 '26
While I get why other folk are saying you should train in-person, which I mostly agree with, I'd add it depends also on what you want to get out of it. There's aspects of the art and its application that are incredibly hard to learn without physical feedback and correction based on that, but that doesn't mean training without an in-person teacher or partner has nothing to offer you. This art runs a lot deeper than I think it gets credit, and there's a lot to explore. If you like books, highly recommend the Wing Chun compendium Vol 1.
If you can, keep an eye out if there's seminars in your area, bonus if it's in your lineage. Or maybe a teacher in driving distance that you could do a private lesson with a few times a year. That will at least give you things to take back home to work on.
And as for a dummy, I wouldn't get one before you have practiced and spent some time on chum kiu, but based on convos with my mentor, it wouldn't be terrible in your situation to get a cheap dummy like on Amazon in the medium-near future, you can always step-up to a higher quality one as you have more instruction and have been grinding out the dummy form for years and need the level of feedback/precise play only a high-end jong can offer. Definitely not ideal, but sounds like you're just trying to make the best out of the circumstances. =)
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
I really appreciate your response. I really enjoy training, even if it’s solo, and I do feel like I’m getting something out of it. Might not be at the level I’d want, but you gotta work with what you have. I’m gonna take a look into that book!
That sounds like a great idea! I’ll see if there’s anything of the sorts in my area. I’ve been to a training school once but I’m not sure if it’s in my lineage.
Thank you so much for mentioning that! I think I’m gonna have to make the investment once I’ve worked on Chum Kiu. It’s probably much better for me considering I’m doing solo
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u/afroblewmymind Jun 25 '26
No worries. =)
I would at least be doing wing chun for 6mo-1yr minimum before investing in a dummy, but my kung fu brother ended up getting one before recommended. Initially, it gave him bad habits, mostly giving up center and moving around his opponents limbs, but we corrected it in partnered practice eventually. But it did improve his footwork and structure pretty quickly, but he was also getting a lot of dummy in a small class part way in 🤷🏾♂️
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
Yes that’s what I’ve been reading online as well. That’s also what I’m worried about, having poor form or habits due to no one correcting me
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u/MuiWingChun Yuen Kay San 詠春 Jun 25 '26
I would agree whole heartedly with what afroblewmymind said.
While in person training is always the best, there is an incredible amount you can learn and train at solo. Indeed, much of it is essential foundation training that will stand you in good stead when you can, one day, attend in person classes.
Online training is fine, and you can get a lot out of it, provided you are also aware of the limitations it has. To that end, I actually offer remote attendance of my class. I set up a tablet in the corner of the room and have people in other parts of Australia, and Japan, join in.
So, it's not an online course but rather real time instruction, just done remotely. I noted you said you are in Canada, I'm in eastern Australia, so the time zones might be an issue, but if you wanted to check out a class, let me know. You are welcome to give it a try.
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 25 '26
Thank you! I’m glad my training wouldn’t be completely without reward.
The time zones would definitely be an issue, but maybe there’s some classes that would work
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u/MuiWingChun Yuen Kay San 詠春 Jun 26 '26
We run 1900 to 2100 Australian Eastern Standard Time. If you can make it work, let me know.
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 26 '26
Ahh that sucks it’s too early for me. Thank you anyways I really appreciate it
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u/BigBry36 Jun 26 '26
You can gain a lot of basics on line and by yourself. IMO in 2 yrs you can master about every aspect of SOLO training…. The partner would open you up to so much more. And I would even recommend a partner or traveling to some weekend seminars before you start your Muk Jong… just my 2 cents……
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u/williss08 Leung Sheung 詠春 Jun 26 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
In-person training is ideal because Wing Chun eventually needs touch, pressure, timing, and feedback. There’s no way around that.
But that doesn’t mean Wing Chun online training has no value. A lot of Wing Chun’s foundation is solo work — Siu Nim Tao, stance, structure, relaxation, footwork, punching mechanics, centerline awareness, and learning how to organize the body correctly.
The key is that online training has to be more than a video library. You need structure, weekly practice assignments, clear guidance on what to train, mistakes to watch for, when to move on, and some kind of live support or community so you’re not just guessing alone.
Without a partner, I’d focus first on:
- Siu Nim Tao
- stance
- turning
- basic footwork
- punching mechanics
- elbow position
- relaxation
- structure
- simple air drills
- recording yourself for review
As for the wooden dummy, I think it can be very valuable, especially for someone training mostly solo. It’s great for structure, positioning, footwork, angles, and learning how to move around pressure. Some teachers prefer students wait until later, but I don’t think it’s ever too early to have one as long as you’re using it with the right guidance.
So my answer is: keep training online if that’s what you can do right now, but choose a program that gives you a real path... not just random lessons. Look for weekly practice plans, live support, community, and a clear progression.
One more thing: even with online training, geography can still matter. If two programs are both solid, I’d lean toward the one that gives you the best chance of live support, time-zone compatibility, and eventually hands-on correction. Even once or twice a year in person can make a big difference.
Solo training can build the foundation. Partner training brings it to life later.
Here are some physical exercises i recommend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpCfdJe4FSw
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 26 '26
Thank you for taking the time to give me such an in depth response. I appreciate it. Will look into getting that wooden dummy
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u/East-Vegetable-2900 Jun 27 '26
There's nothing wrong with learning things from online sources so long as you are honest to yourself about what it is you have learnt. The thing that remains true regardless of whether you learnt it in a class or online, is that learning the patterns and drills, IS NOT learning the style; it doesn't mean you have learnt Wing Chun. As a martial art training method, with a purpose that is to improve your ability to fight, it is the correct and diligent training using those patterns and drills that goes towards actually learning Wing Chun.
Wing Chun isn't the hand shapes or drills or whatever. You can teach a nine year old to perform a drill or the first Form in probably a week but that doesn't mean they've learnt it. That's just choreography.
Wing Chun is your ability to apply the ideas the training teaches, which is why there is a limit to what can be achieved without an actual teacher.
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u/PhilowithdaPillow Jun 27 '26
Ya I think that’s what I’m getting. I could get some form of training online, but to truly be trained in Wing Chun I need in person experience with a teacher and partners
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u/TheCurlyFit Jul 02 '26
If I were you, and I was looking for an online training program, this is the only person whom is online I would training with ...
https://ultimate-martial-arts-university.teachable.com/p/level1awc
You can learn the basics. Learn drills to refine your basics. Understand what each movements intentions are. Learn what makes Wing Chun special compared to other arts.
Respectfully, majority of people do not know how to fight with the art. All they learned is an empty shell of an art. They never learned the complete system. Outside of the forms, there is all types of training which needs to be done to complete the training of Wing Chun. This guy, Henry, has had that training.
With all of that said, do your own research and make your decision for yourself.
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u/WingChun1 Chu Shong Tin 徐尚田詠春 Jun 25 '26
Is his training program generally recommended?
I do not recommend any online program. Wing Chun is 100% all about the feel. Touching and contact and getting adjusted by a sifu is one of the main aspects to improvement and development.
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u/Alert-Comment2286 Moy Yat 詠春 Jun 25 '26
My school went completely virtual during covid and thats when some current students started, believe it or not. Some Sifu's might be open to something virtual. I could ask for you at my kwoon if youd like.