The headline from the South China Morning Post was “Wing chun ‘master’ Ding Hao taunts Chinese MMA fighter, gets knocked out in 72 seconds.”
In another of the recent string of MMA versus “Wing Chun” fights, we find a similar result – knockout in seconds.
Talk about stubborn! I’m not sure when these guys are going to start prepping for these fights by training against the style their opponents will be using. They seems completely unprepared for standard Mui Thai or boxing attacks.
Embarrassing for our style! Wake up people! Training in the Kwan in the Wing Chun bubble does not prepare you for full-contact fights against pro fighters. This is why they used to have challenge matches back in the day, to help the fighter calibrate their kwoon training against what they would find on the street (although even challenge matches do not equal the street).
To fight a pro, you have to train like a pro, period. Amateurs will get knocked out, even “semi-pro” amateurs who train more than the usual martial arts student. Its like swimming in a pool versus swimming from a shipwreck at sea in a storm. You’re doing many of the same movements, but the stakes and environment are completely different.
by Anthony DeMello
