Category: gear

COVER YOUR BASES! The 3 Types of Gloves To Include In Any Practice Session

gear, gloves
The right gloves are essential for purpose- driven training, not just for combat sports like kickboxing but for self defense and street application as well.

The road to functionality and functional Wing Chun training literally begins from the ground up, much like pouring the foundation of any building or house precedes going to Home Depot to pick out which blinds you will hang in your living room window or what crown moulding will go in your front room.

The gloves you use will make or break how realistic, practical, functional and effective your Wing Chun training is both for self-defense and the street, as well as for the application of Wing Chun for combat sports.  In order to fully experience and functionalize your Wing Chun skills, I have found that there are 3 best types of gloves you should be making use of regularly to truly gain all the benefits from training. Continue reading

FORM & FUNCTION: 2019 Best MMA Gloves for Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training

gear, gloves
MMA gloves are a Wing Chun guy or gal’s best friend and most valuable training aid. It is imperative to know what to look for to best suit your needs.

To make your Wing Chun skills truly functional, practical and effective – for self-defense or full-contact combat sports such as MMA, muay thai and sanshou kickboxing – depends on several factors, not the least of which is the gear you train with.  Shin pads, mouthpiece, chest protector, groin cup and headgear are all necessities to have in your gear bag, but the single most important item of your gear will always be the gloves you have to punch with.

MMA gloves offer a very specific benefit to us as practitioners of Wing Chun as their open-palm design, loose fingers and minimal weight allow us to train, for all intents and purposes, as if we had no gloves on at all.  Choosing the best MMA glove to suit your needs is of the highest importance when training to make your Wing Chun skills work for you in an efficient, effective and ,above all, realistic way. Continue reading

GUARD YOUR LOW-LINE, ATTACK THEIRS! 2019 Best Shin Guards for Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training

gear, shin guards
Wing Chun is a close-quarters system, and it doesn’t get more close-in than a boot to the shin or a stomp to the instep. Think you can realistically train without using the right gear  (such as the Fairtex SP5 Competition Shin Guard shown above)? Think again, Grasshopper.

One aspect of Wing Chun that does not get enough attention is its’ use of the kick. The Wing Chun kick is a low-line technique most often delivered to the shin, the kneecap or the hip in order to displace the opponent’s energy by immobilizing or causing pain. Training this very valuable but often underutilized aspect of the art requires the right gear and shin guards are the only way to realistically train the kick. The question then becomes: what kinds of shin guards are best suited for Wing Chun training, not only for self-defense but for applying the art to full contact combat sports such as MMA, muay thai or kickboxing? 

Choosing the best shin guard for your Wing Chun training, both for self-defense practice (first and foremost) and for full-contact combat sports participation such as kickboxing, MMA or sanshou fighting is of the highest importance as your training progresses. Continue reading

GUARDING THE BREADBASKET: 2019 Best Chest Protectors for Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training

chest guards / protectors, gear
The benefits of striking to the chest in our Wing Chun training as opposed to the face are numerous.  Some are more obvious than others, however, the one thing they all have in common is that they need a form of chest protection (such as the Hayabusa Pro-Training Body Protector, seen here) in order to be effectively applied.

Proper Wing Chun training involves contact. While that statement may come as no surprise, what is surprising is how little contact most Wing Chun people actually make during their training.  Also, when it comes to contact everybody becomes a headhunter when in reality shots to the chest offer the quickest and most effective path to training your Wing Chun punch and therefore the shortest method to unlocking Wing Chun’s devastating structural simplicity, efficiency and directness.  Choosing the best chest protector to hone your Wing Chun skills for self-defense and sparring is a necessity and a process that you should not take lightly. Continue reading

“BRAIN BUCKET” 101: Best Headgear for Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training 2019

gear, HEADGEAR
wing chun sparring full contact
Boxing competition headgear is the perfect choice for, well, boxing (and kickboxing) but is very one-dimensional for the many aspects of practical and functional Wing Chun training. No worries, I’ll give you the goods below as to what you need & why you need it.

In line with my honest, no-bullshit review of training equipment for use in making your Wing Chun skills functional, practical and thereby effective for use in the ring or on the street, employing the best headgear for self-defense and full-contact training forms the one of three legs of your “training gear tripod”allowing you to fully do battle, as it were, by allowing you to actually use and apply your Wing Chun in a class setting or training session.

Choosing the best headgear for the different aspects of your Wing Chun practice is essential to effective, efficient and most of all SAFE training and is a decision you should put much thought into since using the wrong headgear during training can lead to concussions, stitches, broken noses or worse.  I’m not trying to spook or scare anyone, I’m just addressing the realities of practical and honest, no-bullshit Wing Chun training. Continue reading

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE: My Top Pick for Best Functional Wing Chun and Self Defense Training Headgear 2019

gear, HEADGEAR

 

There can be no room for “what-ifs” or error when deciding on the right headgear for dedicated Wing Chun or close-quarter self training. Fortunately , the ProForce Thunder Combat Padded Head Guard, shown above, wraps them all up and ties them with a pretty bow.

Wing Chun system of close quarter combat and self-defense is unique amongst martial arts as it is predicated on close-in fighting in the very lethal range of trapping.  The right headgear, therefore, is essential for our training Wing Chun in an open, honest and no-bullshit way not only for self-defense and close-quarter combat but for the functionalization of Wing Chun’s basic techniques and principles (which can be translated into productive combat sports training as well). 

It behooves you, therefore, to select the best headgear for the very specific needs of functional Wing Chun training as well as being able to apply your Wing Chun skillset for both self-defense training and combat sports such as MMA, kickboxing or tournament competition.   Continue reading

BUILDING YOUR TRAINING BASE: 2019 Best Martial Arts Shoes For Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training

gear, SHOES
Choosing the right footwear is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of proper training. Martial arts shoes such as the famous Feiyue line from China as well as leather dress loafers (both seen here) each have their place in training, ’cause you just never know…

Picking the right training equipment begins literally from the ground up, with the right shoes.  Once the heart of a Wing Chun fighter is born, it must be cultivated through a “trial by fire” training process which begins from the soles of the feet.  Choosing the best martial arts training shoe is vital for your Wing Chun training, be it for forms practice, a reality-based self defense scenario or for sparring or other full-contact training for combat sports like MMA, kickboxing or boxing.

The reason shoes are so important in training is simple: once someone has made the decision to make their Wing Chun training useful and practical for the street and in real-life situations, a shift in training must occur.  Mentality in training changes, techniques are approached differently and so on.

All of those are essential and immensely valuable for whoever seeks the “truth of combat” in their Wing Chun training; however, the the main ingredient in Continue reading

THROWING BOMBS: 2019 Best Boxing Gloves for Wing Chun, Sparring and Self-Defense Training

gear, gloves
A solid pair of high-quality boxing gloves, such as the classic Fairtex BGV1 Boxing /Muay Thai Glove shown here, can raise your Wing Chun skill set to the next level by preparing you for the realities of hard contact during training.

When seeking out the best training equipment for Wing Chun, self defense or full-contact training, it’s hard to beat a solid pair of boxing gloves.  While everyone can see the place and role boxing gloves play in training for full-contact combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing or MMA, what many Wing Chun folks do not realize is that a good pair of boxing gloves can be just about the most useful training aid towards functional and practical use of Wing Chun. 

Choosing the best boxing glove for your training needs is one of the most essential yet overlooked aspects of Wing Chun training, as they can take both your self-defense training and sparring experiences (either for class training or for combat sports participation such as boxing, kickboxing and MMA) to the next level by allowing you to apply as well as defend against techniques thrown with speed and power. Continue reading

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A WORD OF WARNING: I tend to speak and write how I think, so some of what I say may come across as insensitive, rough around the edges and maybe even a bit arrogant. If sarcasm, political incorrectness and occasional "naughty words" offend you, you may want to move on - but if you're serious about making your Wing Chun WORK, then fill out the fields above and let's get started!