I fell in love with wing chun. Watched some videos and loved it. That's the art I would love to train and mix with boxing when I graduate. There is only one place in Memphis that has Wing chun and the schedule they have is ultra convenient for me and they are really close by and not too expensive. Although they are more expensive than all the other arts over there.Which really made me want to train there. Only one problem. When I read the bottom of the Instructor profile, it said he has been training with Sifu Carroll since 2011. Which if I'm not mistaken means hes only been training for around 3 years. So I'm wondering if this place is even worth looking at, seeing that he hasn't even been training that long. He is still a student and he teaches at the place. He goes out of town to train. Do you guys think that someone can still be a good instructore when they've only been training since 2011. Something inside of me is telling me to check them out anyways. After all in 2 years he will be 5 years in wing chun, and Bruce lee only trained for about 5 years and he taught wing chun when he came to the US.
Five years ago I would have trolled the crap out of this thread because it's The Chun. But I've learnt that as long as you enjoy what you're doing, what does it matter? Congrats man. ★Fist bump★
I would not personally train under someone with only 3 years of training if they were the head instructor. I say this looking back on how terrible my attempts at instruction were after only 3 years of kung fu training. Years 3-5 is a world of change. It's common for senior students to work on basics with junior students, but if the lead instructor only has a few years experience...beware the quality. 5 years of experience should be the MINIMUM for a full instructor....3 years for an assistant, maybe.
Thanks especially to wooden hare for the helpful replies. here is the web site. http://tennesseewingchun.com/wing-chun/
I stumbled upon the lineage on an accident. Holt is the instructor who is being trained by Sifu Caroll, who was trained by Randy Savage, who was trained by Yip Mann, If I have his name correct. Bruce lee's trainer.
Some of the claims on this website are straight up BS. Lots of the "historical" information is actually legend (e.g. "It was developed as a women’s self defense system by two women in China 3oo years ago.") This one, for instance, is blatant falsehood. Chunners who claim this sort of thing typically have zero experience at anything "Shaolin" beyond their WC training. Wing Chun is missing all sorts of Shaolin-associated forms/methods...so many. Here's a truly ridiculous statement: :bang: Whoa....it got worse. A huge lie followed by the classic counter-kung-fu claim associated with Wing Chun: "IT'S EZ MODE KUNG FU!": #1: No SF or LEA use Wing Chun except maybe a seminar or something. #2: No, kung fu can not be "rushed" I don't care what system you're advocating. "Highly proficient in a very short period of time" is a counterproductive attitude in any martial arts system, but this explains why the world seems to be full of overconfident Chunners...
The guy's site says he completed the Wing Chun system in 2006, which should give him over 10 years of experience in the style. It also indicates he was a Jeet Kune Do instructor before starting Wing Chun. It says that he switched associations and that he has been with his current teacher for three years- much different than only having 3 years experience. The inaccurate historical claims make him no different than 90 percent on other TMA groups. I have Heard of some Asian and Eastern European police/ military training in Wing Chun, thought certainly is rare. http://tennesseewingchun.com/about-the-memphis-satellite/
The Memphis branch is taught by sifu holt not sifu Caroll. I see where the confusion lies, you think sifu Caroll teaches the school. Maybe the teacher does have more than 3 years experience, he just has 3 years training with Caroll. So I will have to check the school out myself and ask questions. Thanks for the reply.
A good friend of mine trains under sifu Carroll and has had great things to say about him and his style. I have not trained with him since he has started WC so I couldn't say if he is full of it or not. I do know my friend has previously trained in several other arts and has some legit fighting experience to compare it with. I understand they don't allow their students to cross train in other systems. That makes me wary of them. They also seem to very much suffer from the "Wing Chun is the ultimate undefeatable style" bug. No harm in trying it out. You might love it.
Im going to check it out. But the teacher isn't sifu Caroll. The teacher is a student of Sifu Caroll. However I will check it out and see whats up with them. If they don't allow there students to cross train I definitely won't be training there.
I trained in Wing Tsun for 3.5 years and think I know more than enough to comfortably teach the lower grades. Once you hit the advanced stuff, no I don't think I'd be doing the students justice if I'm honest.
Thanks that's what I needed to hear. I will def visit the school soon. Already emailed the instructor.
Duncan Leung Umm the sire says that Duncan Leung taught Randy Savage. I assume that this happened during the 20 + years that Duncan Leung has taught in the US. Don't know what to say other than there are a ton of people teaching stuff with everyone disagreeing as to what works, how best to train and whether WC/VT etc should cross train with other stuff. Personally I think that for too many people WC/VT is just a great way to make money off of the myths that surround the system. I bump into people all the time that are supposedly highly ranked but can't show me some of the basic concepts of the style (in their drills/skills or touching hands). Can it be a good system? Sure. The problem is you have no idea what you are buying , particularly if you have had no prior training. Better to go and do judo/boxing/wrestling/bjj or whatever gives you the ability to step up to a confrontation and not get wiped out because of fantasies. See what the school you visit does compared to the fiollowing... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpKncYG7rUk"]Alan Orr Chi Sao to Gor Sao - YouTube[/ame] LFD
