WCI Review - Todd Taganashi - Wing Chun Wooden Dummy Vol. 2: Ip Man Lineage Form
The old adage of "knocking on wood", and its meaning of hoping for good fortune, has particular relevance when referring to training the Wing Chun Wooden Dummy. The more you knock on it, the more you will garner positive results from the training, resulting in improved skill and application. In this second volume of his instructional video series, Sifu Todd Taganashi gets to the relative roots of working with this staple training apparatus.
Starting off by playing much of the Wooden Dummy form, Sifu Taganashi strangely prefaces the video by "hand-talking" while wielding a Bowie knife, saying he will teach the, "Ip Man lineage Wooden Dummy form, as well as the fighting concepts and applications associated with it." This differs from Volume 1, where he covered Wooden Dummy drills and concepts.
Sifu Taganashi then revisits the dummy sets in their entirety, playing them one at a time and imparting the terminology for each in their anglicised form rather than the traditional Cantonese. Each one is covered with numeric identification, and individual, but sequential, play of each action, encouraging that one's practice should evolve, "To make them smooth and natural".
Each of the sections is explored, explained and broken down technique-by-technique, with attention to one section at a time; the corresponding concepts, how one may adopt the aforementioned elements into practice and drilling with the ultimate goal of application. Although the terms are shared in English during the action-by-action, set-by-set breakdown, the relative traditional Cantonese terms find their way into the dialogue, along with references to the origins of the system's empty-hand forms.
Sifu Taganashi is seemingly small in stature, which is especially apparent when compared with the student acting as his demonstration partner, who looms over him in height and build. This further expands his ability to engage, control and manage a larger individual resulting in, "concepts in motion", rather than fixed techniques and strategies of engagement, moving well from one angle to manage space, position and the person. Well executed in play, illustrating that he is making the system work for him, as it should work relative to everyone's individuality.
The term "Combat Efficiency" is a common denominator of the overall message—the ultimate aim of applying oneself, and the means of engaging your opponent, is to achieve the desired results that one trains for, without complication of application, which Sifu Taganashi does with consistency and efficacy.
As is the intention of Wing Chun in practice and application, Sifu Taganashi cuts through the forest with a concise approach that keeps things simple, from explanation to execution, sowing seeds and establishing strong roots that grow to branches that bear fruit. Square up, post up and work up your understanding and practice so that one knocks on wood for training and not for luck.
Todd Taganashi - Wing Chun Wooden Dummy Vol. 2: Ip Man Lineage Form
Language: English
Running Time: Approx. 70 min.
Availability: This title is no longer available for sale
