Wondering how to learn Wing Chun online? Wing Chun can be learned relatively quickly because of its use of Chi sau. Chi sau, or “sticky hands” lets you understand your technique, use of energy, reaction and body positioning relative to your partners movements, attacks and defensive positions. In chi sau, you can learn to attack and defend simultaneously and instantaneously when needed and appropriate.
Without chi sau, or a qualified instructor to learn from, Wing Chun is much more difficult to learn. Chi sau is the “heart” of the system. Without it, your Wing Chun skill won’t get very far.
How To Learn Wing Chun Online
If there’s a way how to learn Wing chun online, it’s going to take a lot longer than going to a Wing Chun Sifu with a school and other students to train with. In a perfect world, you should find a local school. Without a school, or anyone to train with, learning Wing Chun will be much more difficult.
In order of preference try and find the following resources to help you learn: a school and teacher, other wing chun students (with some knowledge), another beginner to train with, a wooden dummy, a wall bag.
If you don’t have anyone of experience to train with or learn from, it’s going to be more difficult to learn. However, you can learn some basics which will help you later if you happen to find a school eventually. Just don’t expect your Wing Chun to be up to much if you’ve never linked arms with someone who knows what they’re doing!
How To Learn Wing Chun Online – Scales
With a musical instrument, the first thing you learn are you scales. They are the basic notes you’ll need to start putting scores of music together. Similarly, the alphabet is what you learn when you start learning how to read and write. With Wing Chun the scales are the forms.
The first form is the first hand pattern you’ll learn in any Wing Chun class. Some beginners want to go straight to learning the wooden dummy form, but this is generally taught much later; once a student has learned the basic ideas and principles from the earlier forms.
If you’re learning online however, the forms are a great resource to get you going in the right direction. But you should start with the first form Siu Lim Tao – The way of the little idea – or little idea form. Access a video series here to learn the first hand pattern.
The Wing Chun forms offer a “blue print” of Wing Chun and theoretically it shows the entire system. Of course to decypher the moves and what they mean, you’ll need more information and a training partner to practice with. But initially, you should just learn the basic pattern and practice it regularly, at least every day.
Limitations Of Learning Wing Chun Solely Online
As I’ve mentioned already, there’s huge limitations to learning Wing Chun solely online through videos. You can only really scratch the surface of Wing Chun without a proper teacher, or at least another Wing Chun practitioner to help you learn chi sau. In chi sau, you’ll learn to put the positions into context by linking arms with a training partner and attempting to land a hit on them, without compromising your own defence. Your partner will of course be attempting to land a hit on you too at the same time.
Most beginners will reach over and land a hit, leaving themselves open to a counter hit, at the early stage of learning chi sau. This is not so much a problem when there’s an instructor to correct them. But if you don’t have the proper guidance while learning chi sau, this will eventually lead you into a messy fight, rather than learning greater skill.
Without learning chi sau, having a number of different arms to “play” chi sau with, and training in attack and defence movements with a live partner, learning Wing Chun online will not give you any real life self defence skills, just some basic moves out of context.
If you’re wanting to learn Wing Chun for self defence reasons, you’re probably better off joining a real live class of any sort, than trying to learn by yourself at home from videos.
How To Learn Wing Chun Online – Practice Daily & Find Partners
The best way to learn Wing Chun online is to use a training resource you can trust, while simultaneously working with someone with some experience. If you can’t find a school nearby, be prepared to travel. Look for a local Wing Chun meeting group on social media and if you can’t find one create one! Learning Wing Chun online alone is probably the most limiting way of learning.
Get a wall bag and/or a wooden dummy if you have no real partners to train with. Use videos to meticulously work through all of the forms and practice daily. Start with Siu Lim Tao, the first form and work through it every day. Access here for a free video series.
