By Nic Bartell | November 16, 2017
Mixed Martial Arts Have Been Around for a Long Time
Over 6,000 years ago the earliest form of a mixed martial art was invented in ancient China by Han Chinese military generals and soldiers. During the late 1960s to early 1970s, the concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was popularized in the west by Bruce Lee. In 2004, UFC President Dana White would call Lee the “father of mixed martial arts.”
How it Got Here
While most people have heard of Lee and are aware of his influence on modern day MMA, few realize the source of the principles that enabled Lee’s abilities and insights. The largest influence on Lee’s martial arts development was his study of Ving Tsun. Lee began training in Ving Tsun in 1957 when he was 16 years old under the Ving Tsun teacher Yip Man. Without the Ving Tsun system Lee would likely not have started the modern movement that has resulted in the MMA that we all know and love today.
I’m looking for MMA - Why Would I Train Ving Tsun?
If you are interested in learning how to defend yourself outside the ring, Ving Tsun has a few distinct advantages
- The Ving Tsun system teaches students how to not have to go to the ground with an opponent. Fighting on the ground is inherently dangerous because you cannot predict the terrain, wrestling on cement is much different than wrestling on a matt.
- Because Ving Tsun does not encourage wrestling or grappling with others, it is particularly well suited for fighting multiple attackers. In a street fight you can’t focus too much on a single opponent as you are then vulnerable to attack from the side or from behind.
- We train without pads or gloves so students gain a better understanding of what it feels like to actually hit something with our hands and feet. If you have practiced hitting without supportive training gear your body will be better prepared for real impact.
- Ving Tsun training develops the ability to generate knock out punches from very short distances without having to take big swings. When you can attack effectively from any position you have a big advantage over an attacker.
- Our school is not geared toward preparing students for competitions, it is 100% focused on teaching students how to deal with real life situations.
What is the Training Like?
Most classes focus on 3 main areas
- Combat Conditioning - Individual training designed to develop power, technique, and proper form.
- Hand to Hand Technique Fundamentals - Partnered training designed to develop reflex, positioning, control, and dominance.
- Fighting Applications - Partnered training designed to develop fighting strategy, technique, timing, and distance awareness.
Get a feel for what we do
The best way to get a feel of what Ving Tsun really is, is to participate in an introductory class. We have an introductory program that includes two classes (one private lesson and one group lesson). Participating in this program will give you a really good idea of what we do and its practicality. You can sign up for that program via the links below.