so far, we’ve focused alot on developing the body structure and how to apply it to the upper body. But what about kicking? How do we develop power in our kicks? Guess what, it’s the same as always. Nothing should change, why? because Chinese Boxing is a “concept” based martial art. So whatever applies to [...]
the #3 line of attack is something that is very specific to Hawkins Cheung’s method, i have never seen it in any other wing chun method. It’s a very crafty line, and is great when combined with the “jamming” concept and in combination with the #2 line of attack.
But remember that “jamming” can only work [...]
Hawkins Cheung teaches 3 lines of attack, the first line is the centerline, this is the line that every wing chun practitioner uses and is familiar with. But the 2nd and 3rd lines are usually not part of the wing chun curriculum. These other two lines are very specific to Hawkins Cheung’s method.
The 2nd line [...]
Huen Sau or circle hand is one of the most repeated movements in siu nim tau, so it must have an important meaning. Developing a strong “front door” is a very important strategy as a Chinese Boxer, by utilizing the Huen Sau let’s a weaker or smaller individual to defend their centerline while maneuvering to [...]
Today’s video deals with the many different ways to utilize the Pak Sau movement and how to practice it with a partner or with a basketball!
Hawkins Cheung likes using basketball as a way to explain certain concepts and movements. I wanted to share one of his analogies with everyone today to help develop a good [...]
Fuk Sau can be used in many different ways, today, we will be looking at “catching” a straight punch and absorbing the energy by utilizing the fuk sau movement.
this is a very important drill especially if you are a small frame individual. make sure when you practice this drill to focus on defending your centerline [...]
this is a great way to start developing both hands while adhering to the concepts and principles and utilizing triangle footwork. basically, a “moving” siu nim tau with a partner.
in grappling, there is a saying, “position before submission” and IMO wing chun should also be about “position before striking” and not the other way around. [...]
this video is about how to handle a Boxer’s hook punch using the “short bridge” concept. It also explains the differences between the “long bridge” and the “short bridge”. it’s a rather long video, but there’s alot of good information here so i didn’t want to edit any of it. think of it more like [...]
Many questions have come up in relation to the straight punch, so i decided to address some of the common mistakes that i see people make and how to correct them. it’s a long video, i didn’t edit any of it, but it’s full of good information for everyone.
it’s 3:30am and i’m too tired to [...]
De La Riva Guard is a versatile position when on your back. Of course, in a self defense situation you don’t want to ever go to the ground, but things happen and when you do fall on your butt, you want to know an advantages and safe way to get back to your feet without [...]
The Romanian Deadlift or the Straight Leg Deadlift is a variation of the Standard Deadlift. This particular movement helps to strengthen the “core” area which is the entire “belt” area of your mid section including your lower back. remember that it isn’t about how much weight but the form and full range of motion that [...]
In my years of wing chun experience, this “shovel” concept IMO is one of the most important. Hawkins Cheung puts alot of emphasis on this concept, especially if you are a “small frame” individual. this becomes very important when you have to “hold” an opponents pressure.
hopefully you understand now why the “deadlift” and “squat” are [...]
Jon explains how to correctly perform the Deadlift exercise without hurting yourself. this is one of my favorite exercises because it involves the entire body and also strengthens the “core” and the “pelvic tilt”, which as you now know, is very important to developing the wing chun structure.
pay attention to the detail of this exercise [...]
Mike competes at his first submission grappling tournament at the Grappler’s X held in Long Beach, CA this sunday and takes Silver Medal, great job, Mike!
song is “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire
some of you already know that am a Marine Corps Veteran, i did “Search & Rescue”. I also graduated “Honorman” out of bootcamp, which means that i was always put into leadership positions, so they would send me to classes and courses on “how to lead”. it was in one of these courses that they [...]
Side Mount, Side Control, Side Position, Keep that Mofo on his Back, whatever you want to call it, is a very dominant position in grappling. what i wanted to convey is how i use many wing chun concepts and apply them to my grappling. to me, this is “chi sau” or sensitivity drills using the [...]
This tutorial keeps growing…
i’ve now included a “Physical Fitness – Exercises” category in the drop down menu. It will pertain to exercises, conditioning, nutrition etc…that i personally follow and that works for me to enhance my martial arts training.
Today’s subject has to do with “how to do the squat movement” correctly, to avoid injury. you [...]
Julius is a good friend of mine and what makes him great for this video is that he is not a Wing Chun guy, on the contrary, he is a “brawler” and a grappler, aggressive and very very athletic. I asked him to join us for the video because so many wing chun videos out [...]
developing “rooting” power is a VERY difficult “little idea” to tackle, and can be a very “advanced” concept which also opens up whole new set of “questions”, and to be honest, most instructors don’t have a clear and concise way to teach this concept or don’t fully understand the concept or worse, they contradict themselves [...]
Knowing how to shrimp is a very important movement, because it is used in many different situations. The concepts of how to shrimp are very similar to the wing chun structure, especially, how the elbows are used to maintain proper body structure.
you can practice this by doing the shrimp movement down the length of a [...]
this is something that i feel is lacking during wing chun sensitivity training, so i thought i would address it. Make sure that you are going slow enough with your partner so that you can constantly do the “checklist” that i talk about in the video.
find someone, anyone, to train with, there’s no other way [...]
First of all, please let me know if there are any problems technically with the video quality. Okay, back to the Fuk!
Fuk Sau is often referred to as the “controlling hand”. And if you understand the shape, you can see why they would call it that. Fuk Sau was really challenging to keep on a [...]
When Hawkins Cheung teaches, he rarely ever uses Wing Chun terminology. It never really occurred to me why he didn’t do it until one day he explained himself. He wanted us to find our own “tan sau”, “fook sau” etc…he would say that if i labeled this position and give it a name, you’ll become [...]
This is one of my favorite clips from the “Kung Fu” series. The reason i like it so much is that it coincides with what makes my “method” of teaching and training unique. My primary goal is to “listen” rather than “talk”.
“listen” meaning developing sensitivity in your training, “talk” is all the punching, kicking, elbows, [...]
Welcome to the website! It’s finally up and running…sort of.
There’s still alot of content that will be added as time moves along. But I wanted to get things rock’n and roll’n. What’s great is that all of you get to experience the changes and growth right along with me.
Just like you though, i will be [...]
Jon explains how to correctly perform the Deadlift exercise without hurting yourself. this is one of my favorite exercises because it involves the entire body and also strengthens the “core” and the “pelvic tilt”, which as you now know, is very important to developing the wing chun structure.
pay attention to the detail of this exercise and then see how it will relate to the next video that should be out friday.
Jon has an extensive training background and is certified as a “strength and conditioning” coach. you can view his website at http://www.biomechanix.net/
song is “Binge and Purge” by Clutch
October 28th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Jon & Jin this is great instruction .. thank you guys.
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October 29th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Congratulations Jon Very good your web site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Facundo
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Jon Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Thanx Facundo! My website is under construction as well, and is in the process of being completely redone. My site will feature videos on particular exercises and proper instruction. Take care and Peace!
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October 29th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
HI Jin,
Good complimentary advice i like it, got to protect the back and knees so good topics so far. Jon well explained, I notice the weight in the heels!!!
Thanks
Saj
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Jon Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Thanx Saj!
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October 30th, 2009 at 1:04 am
As always, Sifu Jin demonstrates that he has a hand for picking quality and presewnting it in a comprehensive way – even if it is not SIfu presenting, but one of his friends.
Superb. Thanks! Specially this one eluded me for a long time since I never got detailed and good insturctions.
With this I feek i can give it another try.
have a nice day
martin
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October 30th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Awesome. This is a really big fall area for people who like a work out. thanks for helping out!
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October 31st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Thanks you, sifu Jon and camera guy Jin.
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Jon Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 4:07 pm
LMAO!
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Jin Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 11:15 am
lol..nice!
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October 31st, 2009 at 8:40 pm
well done
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Jin Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 11:16 am
thanks, Ryan!
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November 1st, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Instruction is incorrect and dangerous. Read Starting Strength or watch one of coach Rips videos to learn it properly.
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Jon Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Hi Blake, are we talking about the same movement? There are several different types of deadlifts, such as Jefferson, straight leg deadlifts, sumo deadlifts. Some powerlifts look similar as well.
I was taught how to do dealifts thru the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). All Strength and Conditioning Coaches on any Professional or Collegiate sports team must be CSCS certified thru the NSCA.
All pro coaches I know teach deadlifts with these mechanics.
I will certainly look your resource up see what I think.
Thanx for feedback.
Jon J. Weiss CSCS
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james grant Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I just took a look at the NSCA document on deadlift and it looks like you’re doing it incorrectly even according to it.
Here’s the link for reference:
http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Citation/2000/10000/Exercise__Deadlift.5.aspx
james
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Jon Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 pm
I own that issue, and looks the same as I described, and have been to numerous NSCA conferences. I also used to administer tests that were elegible for Ceu’s for NSCA. Body positions may vary due to femur and tibial length. The lifter in diagram has maintained normal spinal lordosis and scapular stabilization. In starting position knees are slightly past barbell and moves in a straight line up at end phase. There is forward flexion of the spine as you maintain a neutral spine.
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 am
Hi guys,
Are you sure that this is the correct form of the deadlift ?
The position of the body should be like this:
http://crossfitrock.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/deadlift-benefits1.png?w=313&h=400
or it will be impossible to lift really heavy weight
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Hi Nicolay. Yes Im sure it’s right. I looked at your info and there is too much anterior flexion in the hips. This will actually make the lift harder, because it places too much of the weightload on the lower back, putting you at a greater risk of herniating a lumbar disk. You want to generate the power from your hips, a larger stronger muscle group. I weigh 160 lbs and go up to 315 lbs on deadlifts with other professional CSCS coaches spotting me. I’m not saying that’s a ton of weight, but it is enough to get seriously injured if not done properly.
You may be able to lift more doing it as your diagram shows, because there is less range of motion that way. Doing it the way I have demonstrated will make you stronger overall and save your lower back. Take a look at the book published by HumanKinetics called “Strength Training” by the NSCA. They are the worldwide authority on the proper biomechanics. Then watch some professional powerlifters on how they execute and lift from the floor, you’ll notice their hips real low to the grind to generate more power while maintaining normal spinal lordosis.
Thanx for question!
Jon J. Weiss CSCS
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November 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Jon, can you post up a video of you deadlifting 315 using the technique you are demonstrating in this video? I am having a hard time visualizing how you will be able to move the bar path around your knees when you start lifting heavier weights. Also, can you post some links of powerlifters using this technique? Even in Olympic lifting, where the pull off the floor is to set up for the second pull and therefore have hips in a lower starting positing than a conventional deadlift, do not have the hips this low, nor do they strive to have their thighs parallel or lower in the bottom position. Hips must be higher than the knees, always.
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SMACK DOWN Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
hey hey just wanted to put my 100 bucks in, when i was training for my BJJ meets i trained with a guy named kurt elder he won the state powerlifting title two years in a row and work side by side with a guy named TR who owes pro camp they trained all pro athletes that we all know he easily pulled 6, 45 pound plates per side while having a conversation with me his shines were tore to shit the mistake most people make is they use to much weight before they know how to conduct the exercise properly, the movement is driving with the ass and legs to start hips stay down most people start by sticking the ass straight in the air with no clue that they are putting their backs at risk see it all the time the bar should drag along the shines, most people find it hard to believe they dont know what they are talking about instead of finding out learning and growing they stay closed and stubborn, human trait people are to scared to get past which in turn keeps them from being at the top with the elite, good job jon its good to know not everyone in this world is scared to set out learn and over come, i suggest every one take note of this mans form and look into some serous champion’s form its time to move forward good luck, and for your back god speed.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Hi Jack, as far as the hips and thighs are concerned, the hips may be higher than the thighs. That is not wrong. I’ll have to look for some links, but in the meantime take a look at the book ” Explosive Lifting for Sports” Harvey Newton, Published by Human Kinetics. Take a look at pg. 62 Squat Snatch and page 76, Power Snatch From the Floor.
As far as the video of me I will post it as soon as my hand heals from a bike crash I had. I know it sounds lame, but I’ll get it up promise!
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November 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
“I weigh 160 lbs and go up to 315 lbs on deadlifts with other professional CSCS coaches spotting me.”
How does someone spot a deadlift?
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November 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
“You may be able to lift more doing it as your diagram shows, because there is less range of motion that way. Doing it the way I have demonstrated will make you stronger overall and save your lower back.”
There’s so much wrong with this I don’t know if it’s useful to reply, but I’m going to anyway.
Why would being able to lift more weight be a bad thing? The fact that your form allows you to use less weight should be an indication that you’re doing it wrong.
How exactly does the range of motion decrease? The bar goes from down on the floor to hanging from your arms while your body is fully extended. No matter how perfect or crappy your form is, this is pretty much the way it’s gonna be on a deadlift (hyperextending or shrugging not included).
IF there would be a way to decrease the ROM, why would you not like this? It would most likely enable you to lift more weight. Lifting more weight makes you stronger ‘overall’. You should try it.
The NSCA might be the worldwide authority on biomechanics, whatever that means, but apparently they’re not great teachers.
Spotting the deadlift is just epic.. I don’t care much to see you deadlift 315, I’m sure it’s managable even with horrible form, but I would pay for a vid if the spotters stepped in. End Rant.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
One person on each side and one person directly behind lifter.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Be warned – this is poor deadlift technique. Jon, get a clue and try not to hurt your clients.
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Jon Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I have been practicing for the past 20 years and worked in a prominent sports medicine clinic in NYC as Head Strength and Condition coach, along side with Physical Therapist and ATC’s. I work primarily with injured patients. Mostly Knee, back, shoulder and neck trauma.
95% of my clients in my practice are referred to me by Ortopedic Specilaists, Physical Therapists, Chiroprators, and MD’s.
Do any of you people have a degree in Physiology, Kinesiology, or a background in Biomechanics. Someone above had no idea what that even was.
And you Grimreaper?
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November 4th, 2009 at 4:16 am
It doesn’t take a degree in Kinesiology to see that this deadlift technique is just plain ridiculous. Seriously, read ‘Starting Strength’ by Rippetoe and Kilgore, and you’ll do yourself and your clients a favor. What’s more, why spot a deadlift when the lifter can simply drop it back on the bloody ground.
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November 4th, 2009 at 8:18 am
“Do any of you people have a degree in Physiology, Kinesiology, or a background in Biomechanics. Someone above had no idea what that even was.”
I do not believe you have a degree in physiology and kinesiology.
If you’re referring to my comment ‘The NSCA might be the worldwide authority on biomechanics, whatever that means…’ it doesn’t mean I don’t know what biomechanics are, it means saying an organisation is the authority on biomechanics is BS. It’s not some sort of secret knowledge passed down through generations.
If you primarily work with injured patients, noone is going to complain about the crappy form you teach them are they? They don’t know any better. You’re presenting this instructional video as an exercise for anyone looking to improve their strength, not as a specific exercise for a patient that’s recovering from a couple of shattered lumbar disks.
Get off your high horse and check your facts. Having done something for a long time doesn’t mean you’re right. Especially if you’ve been doing it wrong for 20 years.
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November 4th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I’ll second what Luco said. Your form may be helpful for people recovering from serious lumbar spine injuries, who are lifting very light weighs. But that is not correct deadlift technique.
Show us a video of you or anyone else using that technique with a heavy load.
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November 4th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Haha, I just saw the title of this page – “Taking the ‘Dead’ out of ‘Deadlift’”. How appropriate. You’ve certainly done that. This should be called a Squatlift.
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November 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
lol…Jon gets to feel what i have to go through now when i make videos! =D
Jon is only sharing what works for him, understand that there are many different kinds of deadlifts. if what you’re doing is contradictory to Jon’s method, there’s nothing wrong with that either, i always say, if it works for you, then keep doing it. researching is also an important key, so taking ideas from other experts such as Rippetoe’s is also a good idea. heck, people in the industry can’t even agree on how deep to squat. so of course there will be different views, the important part is to research your own method and to find what works specifically to you, since we’re all different, some short, some tall, some heavy, some light and the many factors that make us unique will all make something like the deadlift different for each of us.
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November 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I would be content if Jon can provide a link or reference to a single, reputable source that endorses this kind of technique, or provide a single video of someone deadlifting with spotters.
and Jin, to say that this is one of many varieties of deadlift is disingenuous. This is video isn’t presented as ‘how Jon deadlifts’, but rather ‘how everyone should deadlift’. But it’s just plain bad form, no two ways about it.
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November 4th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
epthompson, thanks for calling Jin out.
If Jon had said this is the form he recommends for folks coming off lumbar spine injuries and who are only ready to lift very light weights, then perhaps no one would have taken issue with it. But that’s not how this video was presented.
Again, I’d love to see a video of ANYONE deadlifting heavy with this form – say north of 2x bodyweight. And would love to see a spotter in action on this – if you can find people foolish enough to try and spot this from the side as Jon proposes.
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