Wing Chun Strength, Conditioning, and Nutrition
Robert Chu, February 18th, 2008
What methods do you employ for strength and conditioning and nutrition? Most people use the forms, drills, Jong, weapons for overall health and they’re fine for overall fitness. But what other drills do you do for yourself to improve your performance, shape and health? Also, dim sum is a great treat, and having late night dinners might be the norm after a work out – but may not the best of health for you… perhaps you are gaining unwanted pounds and need to move into a functional, wiry, athletic state. Perhaps your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are up…maybe you’re battling diabetes, or have cancer in your family, or even have injuries…
As a licensed practitioner, I do specialize in giving patients health advice, and I would like to see WCK people benefit to be optimal athletes.
For example, I suggest patients take a minimum 10,000 steps a day, do 10 pushups, squats and crunches for every hour they’re awake, and may put them on a detox diet with suppplements to overall help their health. Also avoid sugars and junk food snacks, and the pounds start shedding.
For my athletes, we do KB lifts, boot camp training, and all sorts of exercises to supplement WCK – but of course, WCK needs no supplement – the pole and knives can be good weight training in themselves, and Chi Sao can be good dynamic weight training…
We are more apt to run into health issues than ever use WCK for fighting – but if we use WCK as a vehicle to help people stay healthy and fight disease, we all win. I’d like to hear from you! We can have this as a great discussion for all WCK people, no lineage issues here.
I use to practise siu nim tao one legged.
I also use pressing the punch or palm against a wall (not hitting it).
Additional press ups and leg sit ups,
squats and a lot of punching.
I think running is very good too.
But weightlifting tires and tenses the muscles and removes parts of the flexibility required for wing chun.
Its a common misconception that weightlifting tires and tenses the muscles. It can if you do it wrong but it can also improve punching power far beyond anything you would achieve without weight (resistance). If I’m wrong maybe someone should tell pro boxers and other cage figters to stop lifting/using weights as its tires and tenses their muscles and removes parts of the flexibility required for *striking or defending*
I agree with your article Mister Chu.
Health must be our first goal in WCKF approach. Without health (body, mind, emotions) it’s virtualy impossible to learn WCKF properly.
In my personnal workout I have added kettlebells, running, and some Systema (russian martial art) workout exercises.
I’ve never had a physician consultation in the last 5 years… My health is the first fight I’ve won with WCKF