One common topic from time to time is whether or not Wing Chun kung fu works as a sport or inside the UFC ring. In my honest opinion, Wing Chun does not work as a sport. Before we explain why, I’ll like to take a bit of time to talk about the origin of Wing Chun. If you see how Wing Chun evolved then you’ll understand why Wing Chun does not work as a sport. About 300 years ago during the Qing Dynasty (清朝), when China was conquered by Manchurians or Manchus, the southern Shaolin monks created a style that was used to eliminate Shaolin disciples who betrayed the monastery. This was also an art for rebellion against the Qing Dynasty to restore the Ming Dynasty.

This art form consists of two knives, which mainly emphasis on thrusting or stabbing which is the most powerful and damaging movement as a weapon, in order to eliminate the target as quickly as possible. As time gone by, the Qing government felt a huge threat with the Shaolin Temple. Therefore, they spend troops to invade the Shaolin temple, eventually burning it down. During this event five monks escaped from the invasion. One being the Buddhist nun Ng Mui (伍枚) who was one the Shaolin disciple who trained in the assassin art . Ng Mui fleet away to a province of China called Yunnan (云南省). While in Yunna, Ng Mui taught a local woman Yim Wing Chun (嚴詠春)kung fu, but modified the assassin art as an empty hand form. That is why in Wing Chun we emphasis on straight-line strikes and thrust punches.

So how this have to do with Wing Chun not able to work as a sport. As mention earlier Wing Chun kung fu was originally an assassination art form. It is meant to eliminate the target as quickly as possible. As an assassin, time is one of the main factor, you don’t have the time to stall or anticipate what the opponent will be doing. That’s why even in empty hand form we will focus on strikes on vital areas such the throat, solar plexus, lower abdominal and groin. Where as in sport, you’re bound with rules where you’re not allow to strikes in vital areas. In the UFC, the fighters need to learn various styles like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so they have other ways to defeat the opponent and win within the rules. You can still apply Wing Chun principles, theories and techniques in the sport but definitely won’t be as effective. For Wing Chun to be in sport, will be like telling a tiger that he can’t to use his fangs and claws while hunting his for prey.

You may say, well sport martial arts or MMA can also hit vital areas too inside the street. However there’s one crucial factor, which I also tell my students all the time. “Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent”. Meaning if you practice your martial art to be suited inside a ring or as a sport, your first instinct in a physical confrontation in the streets will be the same as you practice. Striking vital areas will not be your first instinct and reaction at all.

For Wing Chun or any traditional Martial Art, their daily practice is striking vital areas and breaking joints. The goal is so the individual get caught in a physical confrontation, they can get out as quickly as possible. In modern day, I see Wing Chun as an art of survival, self-defense and self-cultivation. It is an art for everyone. People with different size, age and gender will be able to learn the art. What matter is if you’re willing to train the art.

That being said, does that mean traditional martial arts or Wing Chun is better than sport martial arts or mix martial arts? No, I’m not saying which one is better, just pointing out the difference between the two practices. Both are still skill-base practices, just depend on your goal and the one you feel suitable for yourself. There’s really no better style. In the end it really depends who trains harder in their practice. There’s a saying in Chinese in how to gain kung-fu (功夫). Kung-fu meaning a man of skills. For the answer you just read it backwards. If you read it in Cantonese it will say (苦功) which means hardship or hard work.

Due to popular films like Ip Man and movie legend Bruce Lee, Wing Chun kung fu had been popularized and have drawn more attention to the general public in the past few years. However, it’s because of these film there’s a lot of misconception and understanding of the art form. For an non-Wing Chun practitioner, it is really hard for them to differentiate between the reality of Wing Chun and the Wing Chun that is for entertainment only. So to make things easier, I’ll just list some of the misconceptions of Wing Chun in films.

1) Hand positions on body level.

In the movie of Ip Man, you’ll often see the pre-fighting position of the actors in chest or body level, which is one of the major mistake in the Wing Chun system. It isn’t logical or practical for someone to have their guards down, as the head is one of the primary targets during a real-life confrontation. You have to remember actors and actresses get paid millions of dollars so the audience could see their faces. I don’t think the producers will like it if they are paying actors to have their faces covered in their film and movie posters.

2) Wing Chun vs Multiple opponents at the same time.

As awesome as it is in film, it is not really realistic or practical even for a highly trained master to go against multiple opponents, especially if there’s more than 3 or more people. Of course it depends in who you’re going up against (their skill level and experience) which is something you don’t know.

But for me I always tell my students that there are two things to consider in a real-life confrontation, a) if there’s people in numbers or b) if the person has a weapon. These are very crucial things to consider, sometimes a situation may consists of both a) and b) at the same time.

Just because you’re trained in martial arts, doesn’t make you indestructible. A good martial artist isn’t just good with their hand techniques but also a wise-thinker. Does it mean you shouldn’t do anything if you’re against multiple attacker? No, I’m not implying not to do anything, but only if there’s no other option available and depending on the matter of life or death

3) Wing Chun have fast punches

People have the misconception that Wing Chun punches are fast. In fact it isn’t fast at all, it only appears fast. The reason why our punches look fast because we don’t draw back our punches, we go from point A to point B in one straight-line.

One of the misconceptions of modern day Wing Chun is using Chi Sao (Sticky hand) as a way to practice Sparring or treat it as a sparring practice. Where you will see two practitioner start striking each other like it’s a ring match. But in reality, Chi Sao is only a sensitivity and reaction drill, it’s purpose is only to teach the practitioner what to do when their hands collide with the opponents. In real life there will be no judges to separate the two fighters and the fight continues even when they are stuck with each other. You may ask , what’s wrong about using Chi Sao as a way to practice sparring there? Since there are various striking techniques when doing Chi Sao with a partner and as mention above it teaches you what to do when the opponent’s hands collides with yours. The problem is this, yes there are various striking techniques when practicing Chi Sao, but the main purpose for the striking is to teach the practitioner how to maintain their structure and reaction time. Those striking techniques applied in Chi Sao wouldn’t work in real life because you have to remember in the Chi Sao drill two practitioner are both the same hand positions which are Tan, Bong, Fok. Both are using the same techniques and hand positions. In real life, the opponent may not be Wing Chun practitioner you won’t be able to stick onto the opponent as if you’re doing Chi Sao. The hand collisions could be very random or in an awkward position. As well you only use Tan, Bong or Fok hand-techniques if you need to disperse or control a strike. If you expose those techniques before the incoming strike the techniques will not work.

Secondly, why you can’t focus Chi Sao as way of sparring because in Chi Sao, your hands are already engaged with each other. In sparring or real life combat, two fighters don’t start off having their hands touching each other already. You need to learn how to engage with the opponent. Sometimes your hands may collide with each other, sometimes you may not. For instance, boxers will withdraw back their punches or they might do a combination of jabs to distract you from their power/cross punch. If you purposely trying to chase after their hands and try to control or stick to them, you might get hit already.

You have to remember the purpose of Chi Sao is to train your sensitivity of your forearms, when the opponent collides or tries to grab your arms you have the reflexes to react. It is only a tool you can use for sparring. So next time when you do Chi Sao, you can strike but the main key is to learning how to feel the force coming in and react upon it. Rather than two people constantly striking each other. You can be good at Chi Sao, but it doesn’t mean you’re good at sparring.