Wing Chun is one of the best self defence martial art for beginners to learn. Wing Chun is known to have been developed by a woman for smaller people against bigger people. It uses redirection and deflection against an attack and so can be effective against a stronger opponent. It’s also a system which can be learned relatively quickly. Wing Chun uses quick, direct movements and is based on economy of motion and minimum movement.
As a self defence system Wing Chun is a very fast, minimalist martial art. There’s no locks or holds, but rather quick and brutal counter attacks which end a fight very quickly. The style uses eye strikes, low kicks and strikes to the most vulnerable parts of the body.
What makes Wing Chun one of the best self defence martial arts for beginners is the way it is taught. Wing Chun uses “sticky hands”, a training practice which gives you fast reflexes based on contact with an opponent.
Best Self Defence Martial Art For Beginners – Chi Sau
What is chi sau? Chi sau is the “heart” of the Wing Chun system and is said to be like putting a fight into a game scenario. In chi sau both partners link arms and attempt to land an attack. However, they must not concede their own defence while doing so. This practice can be broken done into multiple drills to help a beginner get the basics before they can use more complicated combinations of attacks and defensive movements.
Here’s a picture of Bruce Lee with his teacher Ip Man linking arms for chi sau. More on chi sau in this article.
The major benefit of chi sau is the hand to hand contact gives you immediate reflex action based on touch sensitivity. This becomes automatic so your responses are reflex. In a self defence situation it is the natural reactions which come into play.
Sport Versus Martial Art
Wing Chun is a standing fighting martial art and does not employ groundwork. In a self defence situation the last thing you want to do is go to the ground where multiple attackers can pile on. Even if you are skilled at grappling on the ground, this won’t help against many attackers and without rules. Wing Chun is not a sport and is much more appropriate for street self defence.
A sport martial art has many more rules to make it safe in competition fighting. Some martial arts give way to sport training and lose some of their more practical attributes in the process. Wing Chun uses low kicks to the knee and groin. These are techniques which aren’t suitable for competition. The aim is to stop the attacker in the least amount of time and with minimal effort.
Common Self Defence Situations
Wing Chun is a practical “low key” style which works in close quarters combat. It focuses on low kicks and direct attacks. There are only low kicks and hand strikes. Practices within Wing Chun are used to build hand speed and sensitivity to attacks.
The most common situations are in close range using a punch/strike towards the head, or a grapple/grab. Rather than long, drawn out defences with multiple parts, Wing Chun concentrates on fast strikes to vulnerable parts of the body. A groin/eye strike could be used against a grab for example. It is the fastest way to get someone to let go, or avoid further attacks.
Even in a (standing) grappling situation, Wing Chun’s hand sensitivity and footwork would help you avoid falling to the ground and help you lead the attacker down instead.
