I took a class that was 20 years long under several instructors all within the Ip Man lineage. Regardless of whether you choose to believe it or not. It's not that the system didn't resonate with me, I wouldn't train it otherwise. What doesn't resonate with me is the training METHOD and the lack of continued progressiveness. WC didn't start off as what it is today. No "system or art" did. It you don't continue to advance, you will fall behind. That goes with martial arts, individuals, corporations, and life in general.
For example, the Pole and knives weren't added until later in the systems life cycle. WC as a whole spread from China in different branches, and Ip's was only one of them. The others are no less effective or legitimate. They're just different. Even within Ip's down line, pieces of the forms are different from one individual or generation to the next. The reason for this is because ip man didn't teach it the same way, nor did he even teach towards the end of his career outside of his few seniors. This is proven by way of the testimonies of his varied students AND their differences in understanding and application. Again, this is also partly because each individual brings something different to the table and wants to infuse a part of themselves into their personal style. Much like no two boxers are the same, no two WC men have to fight the same either. Although the fundamental ideas are being followed in both instances.
So let's talk about the fundamentals of WC...one thing you must be able to agree on--that 90% of what's out there is shit. It's not because of the lineage either. It's because there is a flaw in what's being passed on as proper training. Now it plaques other systems as well...TKD, MT, BJJ, MMA, WC, even Boxing. The problem is that it's being marketed as this great fighting system without evidence of such. Can you (as a wc man) knock someone out and keep yourself safe as a WC person? Sure. But a flailing moron can as well. So the question is: how does one develop themselves to the highest degree of training? I go back to pragmatic testing. If the majority in application, do not look "professional" in their application, if both are getting hit over and again, if both cannot apply the fundamental principles laid within the wc system...there's a training flaw. This is the common result we see with most individuals that train in WC IF you can even get them to spar in a full contact atmosphere.
This is the litmus test. Yet, time after time of wc guys not performing well...they continue to train in the same manner as previously. You can't do the same thing over and again and expect a different result. That in short...is the problem with WC. The results aren't there, and instead of addressing the training method, they continue to do the same thing saying that "it's because the art is sound but the student or individual school is bad" No...when its nearly every school and only a few individuals can make it work....there's a deeply rooted (no pun intended) problem within the system whole.
Innovate...don't stagnate.
