Can Wing Chun Be Learned Online?
Is it possible to learn Wing Chun online? You know… learn Wing Chun online from videos or courses. This is what this artcle is about. We will answer the question, “can you learn Wing Chun at home by yourself?“ Now, by “learning Wing Chun online” we mean learning online Wing Chun forms and drills online at home without hands-on instruction from a teacher or at a Wing Chun school.
So…
What to Know Before Learning Wing Chun Online!
Before you consider teaching yourself Wing Chun or learning Wing Chun online, it is important to first learn this about the art of Wing Chun…
Wing Chun has two different, yet very important types of training… solo training and partner training. Neither can be exclusive to how you train Wing Chun.
Both at-home training and partner training MUST be a part of a balanced Wing Chun training program. If it isn’t you simply won’t progress properly. Wing Chun at home training gives you the foundational practice you need in order to take into your partner-based training.
Now…
Can You learn Wing Chun Online at Home?
Despite what many, even long term teachers claim, the reality is YES, you can learn Wing Chun online at home by yourself! You can learn several Wing Chun at home exercises online as well as Wing Chun techniques. You can also gain lots of self knowledge from watching online Wing Chun lessons instructional videos. So if you want to teach yourself Wing Chun, you can learn…
- Wing Chun forms (step-by-step)
- Empty Hand forms
- Siu Nim Tao (Sil Lim Tau) 小念頭 (Wing Chun’s 1st Form)
- Chum Kiu 尋橋 (Wing Chun’s 2nd Form)
- Bil Jee (Biu Jee) 鏢指 (Wing Chun’s 3rd Form)
- Wooden Dummy (Muk Yan Jong) 木人樁 (Wing Chun Dummy Form)
- Solo Footwork
- Solo drills (san sik)
- Wing Chun Concepts & Principles
- Stances and Postures
- Wing Chun Drills to practice with a friend (Partner Drills)
… these are all important parts of Wing Chun that can be learned online at home.
So anyone that says you can’t learn Wing Chun online is clearly missing ALL of this!
However, and this is important too…
In order to completely learn Wing Chun, a student must also have partner-based training. Whether you are an adult or looking for martial arts for your kids, you can not only train Wing Chun online.
That’s why the answer to the question “can I ONLY teach myself Wing Chun” or “can you ONLY learn Wing Chun by yourself” through online lessons alone is no. A student will need someone who can apply Wing Chun better than them …a hands-on Wing Chun training partner to help them, to pressure them, to uproot them, to punch and get punched, and to physically challenge a student.
Because that’s the only way to get really good at Wing Chun and learn the correct touch in order to learn to apply Wing Chun properly.
At the end of the day, no matter how much knowledge you gain, you must be able to turn that knowledge into realistic application. And application requires hands-on training.
Can you Learn Wing Chun Online (the video)
Can I Teach Myself Wing Chun?
Below we answer a more specific question, “Can I teach yourself Wing Chun without a teacher? I mean, can you learn Wing Chun by yourself, without one specific teacher or sifu? Don’t fool yourself. If you want to get good at Wing Chun, you cannot teach yourself Wing Chun without at teacher. You need a teacher (whether online or in person). You need an experienced Wing Chun instructor who knows what they’re doing in order to help you.
If you think you can learn Wing Chun from random teachers on YouTube, you’re just wasting your time.
Learning Wing Chun from YouTube?
YouTube can be a good place to start teaching yourself Wing Chun online, however you won’t get very good from YouTube alone. No one actually good at Wing Chun learns only from YouTube. There’s just too many teachers pulling you this way and that. Trying to learn from multiple Wing Chun teachers at the same time never works. You need to pick a teacher to learn from. If you don’t have a Wing Chun school near you to learn hands-on Wing Chun, find an online Wing Chun course from one teacher. This takes spending money, but here’s the truth so many people refuse to accept… you must invest in yourself in order to honestly progress. Don’t limit yourself to only free YouTube Wing Chun from different teachers. Different teachers have different methods, different focuses. Which means that if you’re trying to learn from more than one teacher (sifu) at a time, you’re training will be too unfocused to take get better. Do what successful Wing Chun students do and find that one specific teacher you want to learn from and invest in their training. This is how you get good! When you invest in one teacher and their method you are investing in yourself. And investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make!
What about Legit Wing Chun Online?
What about finding legit Wing Chun Online? How can you know the difference between legit and made-up BS?
This is where quality and structured learning matter. Simply relying on free YouTube videos will not provide the depth and accuracy required to truly get good at Wing Chun. Investing in a comprehensive program under a legitimate Sifu ensures that you’re receiving teachings directly passed down from a credible source, making your learning journey much more effective.
In Wing Chun, legitimacy matters. Because getting good in Wing Chun comes from years of dedicated study under a qualified Sifu with a recognized lineage. It’s not enough to simply know techniques; you must also understand their application in a truly functional context. This is why choosing a course with a reputable instructor is so critical. By doing so, you ensure that your knowledge isn’t just theoretical but also practical and applicable in real-world scenarios.
Remember, Wing Chun is not just about learning moves; it’s about internalizing a philosophy and habitualizing its concepts.
Great article! Learning Wing Chun online isn’t an easy thing to put onto paper. You did a really good job of talking about what can be learned online and what can’t. I appreciate the honesty in what you said.
Thanks for your comment, Barry. I figure that being honest about learning Wing Chun online saves everyone time. That way people don’t try to learn things online which can’t be learned nor shy away from learning things that can. Thanks again!