Review of Tony Massengill's Ip Man Wing Chun Instructors Series, Siu Lim Tao DVD

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Reviewer: George Hernandez
Date: May 14, 2011

DVD Bought on: Everything Wing Chun : http://www.everythingwingchun.com/tony-massengill-wing-chun-dvds-books-s/244.htm
This DVD is also available for download on Everything Wing Chun Instant Access

Technical Specifications:
Title: Tony Massengill – Wing Chun Siu Lim Tao
DVD Length: 59 mins
Region: 0
Type: DVD-R
Format: NTSC
Video Quality: Average
Audio Quality: 3/5 (Average)

What It's About:
Instruction in this DVD is presented by Master Tony Massengill, demonstrating Wing Chun’s first form known as Siu Lim Tao.

Comments:
Siu Lim Tao establishes the foundation for practice and application of technique in the Wing Chun system. It’s basic, but without proper training in Siu Lim Tao, the other two forms which follow would become weak and lack power in its applications. Master Massengill, in this DVD gives a thorough presentation on the fundamentals of Wing Chun’s first form.

Of major importance in developing a strong foundation in Wing Chun is for the practitioner to establish a sturdy base or structure and understand through practice how essential the centerline theory is to the Wing Chun system. Structure is all important in one’s stance and position of the legs, arms and elbows while practicing the movements’ characteristic of this system of martial art. Massengill provides a full demonstration of the form and gives a detailed breakdown of each section. He demonstrates through using props to show how important structure and the body’s alignment is in Wing Chun’s basic stance. And shows how structure contributes to movement in the shifting horse and provides an excellent drill to practice rotating the body while maintaining the correct orientation of one’s axis. The position of the head during the shifting horse or rotation of the body must remain in the center of the movement. The head does not go from one side to the other. In this DVD you’re also provided with drills incorporating Wing Chun techniques such as how the Tan Sao hand and punch are used in combination with a partner. You’re given a number of drills showing the use of various techniques or hands employed in Wing Chun Kung fu.

Master Massengill, also demonstrates how important it is to do a technique as one movement such as when one uses the Pac Sao/Punch or Chuan hand. There are other drills that a beginner would find useful demonstrated in this DVD such as the Four Corner Drill for upper and lower defensive movements. He also tells you why Wing Chun is different from other systems of Martial Arts, including those which were developed and originated in China. What is characteristic about Wing Chun is its simultaneous blocking and attack sequences where in terms of control “one movement actually becomes two.” There’s a lot that this DVD presents for the beginner; that is for practitioners who want to develop a clear understanding of Wing Chun in using some of its basic techniques, but also in practicing various drills which would augment and hone one’s skill in this system of martial art.

Content Overview:

• Introduction
  • Purpose and the fundamental foundation of the Wing Chun Kung fu martial art system.

• A short presentation of Master Massengill’s Wing Chun Lineage.
  • Ip Man
  • Ip Ching
  • Ip Chun
  • Samual Kwok

• Siu Lim Tao
  • Complete demonstration of the form.
  • Important crucial training elements.
    • Symetry
    • Emphasis on Centerline theory.
    • Structural components.

• Breakdown of the Siu Lim Tao form.
  • Centerline and the basic triangle.
  • Demonstration of all the basic hand movements.
  • The elbow and its moving line.
  • The Tan Sao and Wu Sao orientation.
  • Power is not achieved through muscle.
  • Employing one’s body mass and the structure of movement.

• Siu Lim Tao Ma
  • The structure of the basic stance.
  • Shifting horse and orientation of the body’s axis
  • The knees are shifted toward the center.
  • Basic techniques used in the shifting horse.

• The four corner drill.
  • Upper movement defensive drill.
  • Lower movement defensive drill.
  • The Wu and Gm Sao hand.

• Other basic techniques
  • Stepping into the opponent’s interior.
  • Returning the attack.
  • Blocking and counter attack.

• How is Wing Chun Different?
  • Its strategic differences from other systems of martial arts.
  • Controlling the situation- one actually becomes two.
  • Wing Chun vs Kicks.