If you’re stuck without training partners, you can do some Wing Chun training at home by following some basic videos. Access a free video series on this site here and learn the first form Siu Lim Tao. Or checkout the article on Wing Chun First Form step by step.
Wing Chun is of course a system which uses hand sensitivity and reflex to develop speed and reaction. Without a training partner and an instructor, there’s a limit to what you can learn. But if you’re without a training partner or school to train at, there are things you can do at home. For example you can train the forms and dissect them to understand them better.
Wing Chun Training At Home – The Wooden Dummy
The wooden is one of the best bits of kit you can get to help you with Wing Chun training at home. You can learn the dummy form from videos and use it as your 24/7 training partner! See also wing chun training equipment for other things you can do. Even if you don’t know the dummy form, you can drill techniques on using the dummy. Here’s a couple of ideas to use if you’re lucky enough to have a dummy at home.
Wing Chun Training At Home – Control Training
One of the first things I did when training Wing Chun at home was use an A4 piece of paper and some blue-tak! Stick your paper to a wall and use a nice large blog of tak to hold it in place. Then punch to the paper without hitting the wall behind. As you improve your control, move the paper closer to the wall. Here’s a video explaining it!
Punches Training
There’s several ways to train the “lin wan kuen” – single thrusting punch and chain punches in Wing Chun. First off if you have a basic knowledge of your punches you should train them every day. You can train multiple punches for speed and use wall bag training for power. See wing chun training equipment.
Here’s a short video explaining the basic punches.
Once you’re comfortable with basic punches, train them in sets of 3 at a time, but without any power. This can be used to train your speed. You can train single punches and go up in sets of 3’s, 5’s, 7’s and also 9’s! Here’s a quick video drilling punches in sets:
Since March 2020 I started running online webinars for my students when the Covid-19 crisis hit and my class got closed down. Since then wing chun training at home has taken on new meaning. You can access some of the videos I’ve created to help my students learn the basic hand patterns and drills here; starting with the Siu Lim Tao first form.
Forms Training At Home
Training forms at home is definitely something you can do alone. If you already know at least one for (usually siu lim tao is taught first), you can practice it. Make a daily habit out of drilling your forms and delving into the deeper aspects of what they mean also.
Siu Lim Tao (little idea form) is a great place to start learning wing chun at home. Once you have learned the basic pattern, you can use the form in a number of ways:
- Train your legs and get a workout
- Focusing the mind
- To train yourself to be calm
- Learning basic positions and techniques
Although your forms won’t teach you combat as such, they are an important part of Wing Chun. If you can’t get to a class right now, the forms can help you progress when there’s nothing else you can do! Siu Lim Tao (or Siu Nim Tao) can be translated into meaning reducing thought to nothing. Literally it means the way of the little idea. But it is also a meditative practice whereby the student can turn off their thinking by focusing intently on their movement and position.
The first form can therefore be used as a practice for increasing focus and concentration. The more you practice Siu Lim Tao in a meditative state, the more easily you can access this calm state at will when you need it.
