Q & A With Sifu Matt Johnson

When people get to talking about Ving Tsun kung fu, certain questions always arise. Rather than do the usual FAQ you'll unfortunately find on almost every kung fu website, VTSDA students brainstormed a series of questions one might typically hear on the internet or in magazines.

We asked Johnson Sifu and here are his responses.

The following are excerpts from that interview, which we hope you will find helpful...

Q. Is Ving Tsun a sport style or a system of self defense? Does it matter?

A. Ving Tsun, the way I teach and practice it, is definitely not a sport. Its a chinese fighting system dating back to the early to mid 1700’s. It was developed from Shaolin kung fu.

While I understand that there are plenty of sport arts out there and things like MMA competitions that are very popular, and have their place, what we do here is very different. Ving Tsun is very direct in its approach to self defense, using straight line attacks, multiple strikes to vital areas of the body, and low kicks, usually to the groin or below. Its a very powerful system that deflects incoming energy and uses it against an attacker. It’s a complete system that involves punches, palm strikes, kicks, sweeps, weapons, and empty handed forms practice.

It also has a unique, dynamic training tool called chi sao, or "sticking hands," that helps students develop quick contact reflexes and the ability to stay with what ever the opponent presents. Chi sao develops speed, timing, use of techniques, energy, and position.

Q. How will chi sao help me if someone attacks me on the street?

A. Chi sao trains all of the attributes of fighting simultaneously: use of techniques against a live opponent, speed, footwork, timing, reflexes, position, and use of energy. Chi Sao is the link between what we practice in forms and in-school training and real fighting. In the empty handed forms and the dummy form, we learn all the hand techniques, all the essentials we need pull off our kung fu in a self-defense situation. We also do exercises to develop structure, foot work, and power in punches and techniques.

Chi sao gives us the ability to use those spontaneously under pressure from an opponent. It’s a free flowing exercise where no one knows what their training partner is going to do next. This prepares you to deal with the unexpected attack on the street. Chi sao teaches you to respond instantly using the simplest possible way to stop your opponent and end the situation. It’s not flashy or fancy but it sure does work.

Q. It is often said that Ving Tsun helps a smaller person defeat a larger or stronger person. But does it actually work for smaller people? Can women use it effectively? Do you have to be young, flexible, and fit in order to train?

A. The answer is really that anyone can study Ving Tsun and learn to use it. I have all kinds of students. Some are in their early twenties and some are retired office workers and everything in between. They really range all over in terms of body type and level of fitness. Since Ving Tsun doesn’t rely on size and strength but on the intelligent use of techniques based on proper understanding of its principles, anyone can learn and train to become an effective Ving Tsun fighter.

Q. Will Ving Tsun make me fit?

A. Good fitness is a matter of combining exercise with sound eating habits. If you train your Ving Tsun hard and practice all your techniques as if your opponent was in front of you, then naturally you will be giving your body a terrific work out. The Ving Tsun system puts all parts of the body to work, from the ground up.

Now if you go home and eat nothing but foods that will make you fat; piles of donuts, fast food and beer, then nothing can help you there. Fitness can be a by-product of any martial art provided you lead a healthy life style and stay away from drugs and excessive alcohol. The main focus of Ving Tsun is teaching you how to fight but if you train it correctly, it will certainly make you very fit at the same time.

Q. What about Ving Tsun and weight lifting? A lot of Ving Tsun schools discourage weight lifting because people believe it will hurt their relaxation, reflexes, etc. Is it possible to lift weights and still have good Ving Tsun technique?

A. The answer is yes. But first, people have to understand that there's a difference between weight "lifting" and weight "training." If you train with weights correctly, it can enhance your kung fu. Even the Shaolin monks practiced a form of weight training in order to help them become stronger (cf. Kennedy, Brian and Elizabeth Guo. 2005. Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey. pp.17-18 on the difference between wei gung and nei gung). Wei gung, or external training, included a number of physical conditioning methods we commonly associate with modern cross training, basic calisthenics - - push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, weight training, isometrics, and of course stance training, which we are all familiar with.

The idea of weight lifting is to lift as much as you can for a very short burst of movement, which results in very big, hulking muscles. You're very strong, but very bulky, and you sacrifice flexibility. Weight "lifting" in this manner will also encourage you to use the wrong type of energy in your Ving Tsun. However, with weight training it's very different. In proper weight training, the muscles become elongated and flexibile, you become very toned and fit, your build is like that of a gymnast.

Provided you weight train with the correct exercises, you will increase your explosiveness, your speed, and your power, which is very beneficial to Ving Tsun training.

In private training sessions with my students, I show them the correct way to weight train to enhance their kung fu.

Sifu Matthew Johnson is a lifetime member and certified instructor of the Ving Tsun Athletic Association in Hong Kong. Any other groups, individuals, organizations or associations claiming him as a member, affiliated member, instructor, affiliated instructor or student are making false representations and are doing so without his authorization or permission.

All photos and text found in this site are the property of the VTSDA (Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy) and may not be used, copied, appropriated, or otherwise distributed for any reason, without his express written permission.

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