“If your left hand is injured “
August 21, 2009 | Instructors & Fighters, MMA Newcastle, wing Chun fighters, Kung Fu in MMA
“If your left hand is injured then train your right.”
Article by Dave Charlton.
Note: When Dave talks about Cyclone Wing Chun he is refering to Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun as taught by our club at Cyclone. (Alex W.)
I started training in Cyclone Wing Chun, whilst recovering from a back injury, which meant I could no longer train at a high intensity in TJF jiu jitsu, a non striking, non competition orientated art. The injury meant any art that consisted primarily of throwing would prevent me from recovering fully.
In the words of Geoff Thompson, “If your left hand is injured then train your right.” So I decided to take up a martial art that would improve my skills as a fighter, maintain and improve my fitness, but not one that would aggravate my back. I had never really studied a percussive martial art before, a couple of weeks here, and a couple weeks there, the ones I tried never seemed quite
real, no pressure testing, no knowing it would work if it had to. Just kata and pre-arranged drills, I couldn’t punch and I knew it. I knew Ben through work, knew he had done martial arts for a long time and he knew his stuff when it came to striking. Alex I met at my first session, and my first impression was of a very approachable guy teaching stuff he knew inside and out. He had pressure tested it, knew what worked, knew what wouldn’t and also knew there was no substitute to pushing yourself mentally and physically to find where your weak spots were, so he could work on them. I came to learn to strike, but instead found myself learning about structure, and its importance.
Balance, was something I was aware of from my jitsu training, but balance and structure related to striking was new. The overwhelming of an opponent, breaking his structure, his balance, never allowing him to assume the necessary structure to deliver an effective blow, whilst constantly maintaining your own structure for striking, was a great discovery. In Cyclone Wing Chun, this concept of structural importance is taught in numerous ways in addition to striking drills including close quarters grappling, and wrestling drills. My previous experience in jitsu perhaps gave me a head start here, I recognised the concepts of balance, body
control, and body movement, but not from a striking perspective. I had to work hard to lose some bad habits.
The ability to dominate an opponent is a concept that really sticks out in Cyclone Wing Chun, whether in striking or in fighting for good control of your opponent in the clinch.
As time progressed my strength increased and my back healed. I was also told that I could now actually punch quite effectively. I also learned the ability to control my structure more, and at the same time deal better with properly trained strikers. I am not, however, first and foremost a striker, however I can now strike more confidently without fear of leaving an opening.
Once a year TJF jitsu gets together for a national grappling competition run under similar rules to judo. I have had moderate success in the past in these competitions, however the skills I have learned from Cyclone Wing Chun, really let me see the weaknesses in my opponents’ structure. My opponents talked afterwards about never being able to break my domination
of my grip in the clinch and my continuous search for a strong structure, meant that I was never holding a weak position. I was always searching for a different stronger structure. Delinking and changing my structure always meant I was one step ahead of my opponents.
People reach the same destination by different routes, I came to Cyclone Wing Chun looking to learn to strike effectively, and in addition learned concepts that people might get from judo or wrestling training. All pressure tested with no flowery techniques.
I am now a national heavyweight TJF nage-waza champion, but I have no illusions that if I stepped into a MMA ring I probably wouldn’t do as well, as that’s not what I am trained for. Yet….
