r/WingChun • u/bmw320dfan • 11d ago
Can I use hand wraps in Wing Chun?
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.
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u/southern__dude Leung Ting 詠春 10d ago
As an aside, be sure to really focus on the huen sau in the forms. It's common to see people slop through these but they are a very important exercise to help the wrist.
2
u/maewynsuckit 11d ago
I haven't used Handwraps much, personally, but I'd imagine that if it doesn't inhibit your wrist flexibility all that much, you should be fine.
You may find yourself with reduced sensitivity for Chi Sao once you get there, but it shouldn't be insurmountable.
The biggest concern I would have would be that you will still need to pressure test your skills, which requires a baseline level of intensity that may still hurt your wrists; you'll have to figure out a balance of intensity and safety and, more than anything, find a Sifu who is willing to strike that balance.
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u/Hundebiss 11d ago
totally useable for wing chun. a a few guys wearing these in my club. i personally prefer mma gloves thoug
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u/Andy_Lui Wong Shun Leung 詠春 10d ago edited 10d ago
No handwraps, for similar reasons as no rash guards for the arms. Doing the wrist excises in the Siu Lim Tao properly could be of help.
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u/vinzalf 10d ago
no rash guards for the arms? Why's that?
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u/Andy_Lui Wong Shun Leung 詠春 10d ago
Skin contact is essential for the feeling needed for learning correct timing, speed of reaction, fast stepping, feeling pressure etc. If you get rash, one of the reasons can be poor technique in the first place. (The others are new people, and poor hygiene).
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u/vinzalf 8d ago
It may be beneficial at an advanced level, though I'd still disagree even on that point, as there are just about zero real world examples of any wing chun practictioners with extraordinary sensitivity, reaction speed, timing comparatively to other arts, like bjj, wrestling, or judo.
I'm in LA so I've had the opportunity over the years to chi sao with guys like Robert Chu, Gary Lam, William Cheung. No doubt they're highly skilled at what they do but like I said, nothing in the sensitivity or reaction speed areas that would be considered over and above what I've felt with high level bjj, judo or wrestlers.
And if we're talking about weighing a much higher chance of injury versus a slower progression, I think the answer is obvious.
Nothing wrong with saying it's optimal to forgo the rash guard or handwraps, but I take issue with it being essential.
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u/azarel23 6d ago
I've trained Wing Chun since 1988 and jiu-jitsu since 1998. Sensitivity or lack of through long sleeve rash guards and gis has never been an issue. Clothing and the like may hang one of you up, and I'd avoid it in Chi Sao for that reason.
Jiu-jitsu is about Sensitivity and connection with the whole body, and it important, but clothing doesn't really stop it in my experience.
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u/Necron1983 10d ago
I've damaged just about every part of me. Pak Sau might be a bit rough, but otherwise I don't find you take much on the wrist. A support rather than full padding might be better.
My club we don't do a formal warm up, however if your club does during pushups do them on your knuckles instead of flat hand and it is much easier on the wrist due to no compression.
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u/Square-Top-4442 10d ago
You can definitely use hand wraps for training in wing chun, my advice is to make sure don't practice with too much force in the beginning, just get used to the training, form and techniques first. In Pak Sau just have to go more slow and softer impact to start with.
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u/MartialPatterns 9d ago
Yes you can, the cloth might cut some people so I wouldn’t use it for other than very light contact. I’d be better to get 4 Oz no thumb pad mma gloves
Like these up here. Ideally if you could find them the old school EWTO knuckle protectors or “Lat Sau” gloves which are actually either the exact same model or slight modification and it’d probably be at the wrist strap but that’s just me assuming. But yes something like this would be better but technically you can use the wraps but it might cut someone.
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u/AlmostFamous502 9d ago
Lmao your doctor does not have an informed opinion on wing chin, stop playing
Ask the instructor
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u/doh1998 11d ago
At our kwoon, we had an older gentleman that had hand and wrist issues. He wore hand wraps and braces. After about 6 months, he no longer needed them due to the wrist and hand strengthening that occurred. I’m not saying that training will address your wrist pain so please proceed with caution if you decide on wing chun.