How long does it take to be able to effectively use Wing Chun for self defense?

Question

I'm just starting to learn and will take 2 (1.5 hour) group classes a week and 1 (1-hour) private a week. I learn pretty quickly and study at home as well. I've trained in 7-animal style kung fu and tae kwon do, but Wing Chun is quite different so I'm not sure about the learning curve. Please, only Wing Chun practitioners. Thank you!

THANK YOU to everyone who already answered this question... wow... what great answers from obviously knowledgeable people! I am studying in southern California under Sifu Christofer Arnold. His lineage is: Leung Shan, Ho Kam Min, and Bruce Lee from Yip Man system, and Pan Nam China system through Eddie Chong from mainland China. His main Sifu is GM Eddie Chong of Sacramento CA. He also studied under Dan Inosanto. Extremely knowledgeable and a hell of a nice guy! Wing Chun fascinates me. I really like the "scientific" nature of it. It seems like a "thinking person's" martial art, although once you become skilled in it, you don't need to think at all, but FEEL. Someone asked what form of 7 animal style kung fu I also train in... it's Shou Shu, which is mainly in CA, and sort of a Kempo hybrid. The emphasis on set techniques frustrates me in that reliance on set patterns seems like a way to give yourself a good sense of false security on the street!

Answer 1

Generally, you should be able to combat most anyone on the street within a few months -- though it may be faster. I've seen someone that had only been training for three months hold his own against someone else from another style that had much more training time put in.

Depending on who/what you'd be defending against, the time frame can shift but if you have a particular concern I'd advise speaking to your Sifu about it. Just as the answerer above me stated, Wing Chun has a lot to offer and I'm sure there's an answer for your situation if you have one.

I would imagine that since you've trained in 7 animal prior to Wing Chun, you should pick it up fairly quickly as Wing Chun was based off of the original 5 animal kung fu.

Good luck and practice your Sui Lim Tao every day!

I'd also be curious to know where you're training...I know the odds are slim, but maybe we'd see each other.

Answer 2

Ricky Statements like that make me question your knowledge of wing chun and of self defence in general. The idea of taking someone down gently when they are seriously trying to hurt you is seriously unlikely and dangerous to even try. To answer the question I think both arts have great potential. Let me be open as lots of people will try and steer you towards the art they prefer or the one they practise. I have done a lot of wing chun and a little boxing. I have no interest in trying to promote one over the other. Ok in general (and without knowing the classes you would be going to I can only be general) the boxing will give you great fitness and conditioning and from day one you will be learning how to punch very hard. You will get realistic feedback and resistance when you spar. The downside is that you tend to stick to rules, wear gloves which change the nature of the punching (or at least your reach and the impact you have and recieve on your knuckles) and effect the defences you can use. Also it teaches you little about dealing with multiple opponent or weapons. Of course if you can hit hard enough to knock someone out then you have a chance. Wing Chun: You will learn to use a lot more different techniques than boxing and in theory it should teach you to start a fight from a more realistic range than in boxing. It teaches you to put pressure on your assailant and get the job done as fast as possible. The down side is that some wing chun schools do no pressure test or even spar so you may never get to test your skills in a realistic manner until you need to use them. Not all schools are like this though. Personally I think both arts are usefull. I am most definatly not saying this to be nice in an "all arts are created equal kind of way but I mean both arts have valuable skills to teach you. My advice is to try both classes pick the one which feels right to you at the time and then after a good year at least of training go try the other one as well to fill any holes in your game. Maybe after that try some grappling classes as well. Good luck

Answer 3

The people I knew who took Wing Chun were far more advanced already, so I'm not 100% sure. But, as they described it, it was a relatively quick form of Kung Fu to learn, due to the training style (wall bags and stuff bring about a level of effeciency pretty quickly) and short number of forms. 3.
If it's anything like Karate though, if you get into a fight in the next 5 or 6 months, I'd just go with how you'd normally fight, and not necessarily try to use the techniques. Techniques take repetition to become effective.

Answer 4

Wing Chun is designed to be picked up quickly. With a proper teacher it should take about a year to LEARN the 3 forms and 108 wooden dummy drills (book smart). To master them naturally takes alot longer... Sensitivity is the core of Wing Chun and that must be given time to cultivate and to really become second nature. Overall Wing Chun's fundamentals are very simple- it is the sensitivity training that make it shine. This is where you get in the blindfolded Chi sao and the like- training with a partner is VERY beneficial in Wing Chun. The point of the style is to teach you to react before you think by feel and not sight. That takes a little time to master in totality. Good luck with your study.

Answer 5

Hi,

This seems like a decent amount of time to dedicate to learning the style assuming that you have a good teacher.

It will depend on exactly what you mean by how long will it take to be able to use it to defend yourself, realistically if you want to get street ready fast concentrate on the basic techniques like pak, garn and bil, with these you can pretty much deal with any conceivable strike, then combine foot work with this and some decent punches and you're ready. Really everything from then on is just gravy.

Good luck with your training dude, and enjoy as Wing Chun has a hell of a lot to offer and you should never really get bored with it.

Where do you train if you don't mind me asking?

Answer 6

I believe it's common knowlege in the kung fu community that Wing Chun is a faster road to self defense than most, if not all other kung fu styles. Quite possibly all other martial arts as well. Ultimately though, it depends heavily on your personal training dilligence..of course. Very soon after i started learning WC (3 or 4 months) my sifu had me spar against a sihing in our class. He pretty much kicked my butt..but i left the kwoon feeling like i could mop the floor with an average guy on the street who didn't know WC. It's an art that just makes so much sense when thinking in terms of kinesiology and and the possible speed in application one could achieve with persistant study. So, to answer your question in brief terms.. I would dare to say that if you earnestly applied yourself to learning Wing Chun for as little as six months, you would be well prepared to take on the average "joe" on the street.

Answer 7

You already seem to have a foundation in other arts.

Never give or ask a timeframe for something like this. Don't be in a hurry.

I have never heard of the 7 Animal Style. Who teaches this?

As for the person who mentioned 5 Venom? Hmmm... is this based on the movie? What sources do you have to back this? I'm just curious.

Answer 8

I studied it, and several teachers said it can be learned in about a year. Yes, a good pupil can master Wing Chun in a year, but it takes 15 years to learn just the basics of Tibetian Pak Hak Pai. It is quite simple and efficient. Bruce Lee originally studied it and said it was the best style, but he wanted to add flowery moves for movies. It was invented by a woman-Ng Mui, a Shaolin nun. Now, I have a question for you. You mention 7 animal style. Shaolin martial arts have 5 orthodox animals. There are some unorthodox ones too. Which do you mean? There is an esoteric 5 Venoms style, but it is hard to find anyone to teach it. Wu Shu means martial arts in Chinese. Kung Fu means literally Work Master. It can be applied to any field. I studied Chinese and Japanese languages as well as martial arts of these lands plus Korea and Tibet.

Answer 9

hi