Wing Chun Kung Fu, Vol 1 by William M. Cheung

Rating:
Summary: Great Video
Review: I took Wing Jitsu for a year (This art was invented by my instructor) and always liked the wing chun side of it the best. I work late hours so I can not take a class so I have decided to get videos and work out with my fiends.

This video has some really good stuff. The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is cause they don't do a good job of covering the very basic concepts. That worked out for me cause I already knew them pretty much but if you have never take wing chun you may want to start with Wing Chun: The Science of In-Fighting. I know a lot of people say that you can not learn kung fu from a book or DVD but in the old days in China a lot of people learned from book as long as you have some one to practice with you should be able to learn from this DVD. I have already learned most of this DVD and can not wait to get the next one.

Rating:
Summary: Wing Chun Kung Fu Volume 1 by William M. Cheung
Review: Wing Chun Kung Fu Volume 1 by William M. Cheung

Wing Chun Kung Fu Volume 1 is part of a 5 volume series by William Cheung. The series is available on VHS or DVD. I strongly recommend that you buy the DVD version. DVD's can be played on a home DVD player attached to the TV, a small, portable DVD player which can almost fit in your pocket, if you wear pants with large pockets like those military style dungaree pants some police and paramedics are wearing now days, or you can play DVD's on a laptop or note book computer that has an installed DVD/cd player. This would enable you to take your DVD lessons with you where ever you go and to view them whenever you have time. You can watch DVD's in Slow Motion or speeded up. You can freeze a scene to examine it as a still picture. You can capture images. DVD's have an interactive potential for the viewer which the VHS machines lack. This characteristic supports the viewers learning requirements for understanding a subtle or difficult move or concept being studied.

Wing Chun is the style of Kung Fu Bruce Lee learned before he developed his own style of Jeet Kune Do. Although, Bruce Lee created Jeet Kune Do in an attempt to develop a simpler yet superior means of fighting, he remained influenced by Wing Chun and incorporated some of its concepts into Jeet Kune Do. You will see it for yourself If you watch this video series by William Cheung and compare it with Jeet Kune Do by reading his books and maybe watching some videos of Jeet Kune Do such as the video adaptation of Bruce Lee's Fighting Method by Ted
Wong and Richard Bustillo.

Wing Chun is very unique from most traditional styles of Kung Fu or Karate. Simplicity is its main characteristic. There are only 3 stances which feel some what more natural than the many classical Kung Fu or Karate stances. Strikes and punches are thrown from the middle of the chest. The fist is given a flick of the wrist at the last instant upon contact with its target. I compare this to the flick of the wrist at the last instant as a base ball is pitched to add a little extra velocity to it. This manner of punching is very different from the traditional hand on hip and twist of the fist at the moment of contact found in classical Kung Fu and Karate.
Kicks are kept low, usually not higher than the opponent's waist. There is no exageration of the move's execution, such as the wide sweeps, large circles, and exagerated force used in classical blocks and strikes.

The strategy and attitude of a Wing Chun practitioner seems more similar to that of aikido and jujitsu practioners in that the practitioner of wing chun seeks to harmonize with his opponents force rather than to oppose it.

Volume 1 of Wing Chun begins a demonstration of the Sil Lim Tao form three times. Karate practitioners would think of it as a simple kata using only hand techniques.

Next, exercise drills of basic blocks are demonstrated. In contrast to classical Kung Fu and Karate where students are taught to block first, then counter with a strike or kick. Wing Chun practioners use both of their hands to block and strike or kick at the same time.

Demonstrations of Wing Chun basics are shown more than once from different angles.

William Cheung describes Wing Chun's strategy as being four steps or phases of attacking an opponent's balance, creating an opening in the opponent's defense, controlling the opponent's elbow and maneuvering the opponent into a position in which his arms become crossed and therefore unable to fight back when trapped in that position.

William Cheung demonstrates defenses against various punches, strikes and kicks. He and his assistant demonstrate combinations and the rolling punch technique.

Foot work is demonstrated by his assistant. This leads to demonstration of the Chum Kil form and its applications because Chum Kil incorporates foot work and kicks into the form.

William Cheung and his assistant end volume 1 of Wing Chun by demonstrating a means of Chi meditation.

I think this video series offers useful information and techniques to consider for every martial artist. If you appreciate intelligent systems of fighting, you will not be disappointed with this series. However, some people might have not much use for volume 4 which is about fighting with chinese butterfly knives and a long staff called a dragon pole.