Ten Things the Average Joe Needs from Martial Arts

The average male in America is stressed – super stressed. The pace of acceleration in all aspects of his life creates enormous pressure. Deadlines, long hours, time ticking away, the honey-do-list, the office politics, the family needs, financial security, home ownership, not to mention being pegged the Fixer. Dad can fix anything! Because all men are endowed with natural handyman skills and knowledge, right? He's suppose to change a tire in four minutes flat, be a mechanical genius and fix anything and everything that breaks down, and possess the innate ability to negotiate the best deal out of any salesman. He’s suppose to be the family superhero.

What else can we add to this smorgasbord of stress? Many men strive to become good providers, a source of stability and strength for his family and friends. There is always the expectation of being a good protector as well as a good provider.

If you got the Provider portion of your life on track, we can help you with the Protector side of things. We can help you with the stress too.

1. Stress Release

Wing Chun Do can battle stress on several fronts. One way is through mindfulness, which is more about concentration than it is about spirituality. Wing Chun Do focuses your attention on the present. Focused on movement and attaining technique, you are able to quiet your mind and eliminate all distractions.

The concentration benefits of mindfulness while you are training are not just physical; they are behavioral. Studies have shown that deep concentration can effect, at a basic neural level, in how we feel and think. Not only does mindfulness improve emotion regulation, the ability to concentrate deeply improves connectivity and communication within our brain’s attention networks. You stay focused for longer periods when you are in and out of the kwoon.

2. Physical Activity

Study after study reports that the best thing you can do for your mind and body is to get regular exercise, the second front on our battle over stress.  Strengthen muscles, lose a few pounds, boost overall mood, develop fast twitch muscles becoming faster, exercise while learning, have some fun. Eventually, we will all have to admit that the true Fountain of Youth is Exercise. Learning while being physical offers physical training for your brain, brain plasticity. Get training on your Protector Skills.

3. True Self-Defense

This will take a load off your mind. Having confidence in technique, but more importantly is the distinction of having SELF-confidence in your ability to successfully deliver and apply that technique effectively, spontaneously and right on target. Bruce Lee stated, "I don't hit. It hits all by itself." From Save Your Ass Techniques to the No Doubt About It Can of Whoop Ass, the average Joe can deliver if or when the need arises. Long live the Protector!

4. Broseph

Sometimes you just want to hang out with the dudes on the playground. Wing Chun Do is all about brosephs. Egos don’t even bother to apply. Wing Chun Do is partner oriented. You need a good secondary to help you grow into the beast you want to be. So if you’re selfish and not about helping the other guy, then go find someplace else to play. We’re trying to eliminate bad stress, bad karma, and most definitely bad training partners.

5. Bruce Lee! Hell Yea.

Wing Chun Do is a direct lineage to Bruce Lee. That’s pretty cool making you a third generation BL. But no if, and or buts, the man, the founder of Wing Chun Do, Sijo James DeMile is an analytical genius. This is a Golden Opportunity, with detail and science beyond your wildest dreams, with ESP (Efficiency, Simplicity, and Practicality) never seen before. Other arts purport their goal of ESP, we’ve achieved it. So become part of the legacy. Bruce Lee – James DeMile- Rocco Ambrose – You. Between Jun Fan and Jeet Kune Do, there is Wing Chun Do. Not a stepping-stone, as some perceive, but a cornerstone.

6. Grandmaster in the House!

Near Michigan? Then get direct access and learn from the inheritor and Grandmaster (Si Tai) of Wing Chun Do, Rocco Ambrose. Over 30 years in WCD, Rocco Ambrose became inheritor in 2013 and made Grandmaster of Wing Chun Do when Sijo James DeMile retired in 2016. Highly detailed explanations, no holding back (okay maybe a few secrets), but recognized as one of the best instructors you will ever come across. He’ll help you find and develop your own tool pouch of techniques. He'll help you become the person you have always wanted to be.

7. Science, Conceptual - a Thinking Man’s Game  

Our school is full of engineers, philosophers, musicians, IT Techs, doctors, architects, high low drivers, stay at home dads, security guards, former gang members, bartenders, lawyers, former bikers, Marines, sales reps, retail, truck drivers, film editors, writers, moms,  tattoo artists, college and high school students, scientists, foremen, D&D players, veterans, electricians, doctors, executives, laborers, teachers, you know, the Average Joe. Each one is attracted to the science, the bio-mechanics, and the concepts that make Wing Chun Do work for everyone, regardless of size, age, gender or physical condition. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, some perceptive martial artists in the house too. They are all looking for self-defense that works for them and self-defense they can make work. Wing Chun Do can work for you too.

8. Chinese Connection – Ip Man.

Come on admit it. You went to see the movie Ip Man and you’ve been hooked ever since. What perimeter control! What defense! He didn’t even start any offensive techniques until half way through the movie when that little kid on the tricycle cruised through and gave Dad the thumbs up to open that can of whoop ass. You know you want to hear your woman say, “Get him.” (That’s what she said.)

9. A Good Place TO BE – Your Club.

Welcoming, nurturing, and always striving for your success. This is a teaching institution. We are here to educate you, not reduce you to octagon fodder. We treat you like an adult, with time constraints, with responsibilities, and with priorities. Family, School and Work are your first priorities. So if you have to come in late, no problems. If traffic was a bear, don’t turn around keep driving. No bowing except when you come in the front door, but if you want to, or it is so ingrained that you can’t help yourself, bow away. Si-tai won’t mind - too much - at first.

10. Personal Growth – Our Main Reason for Existence.

Bruce Lee’s research, writings and observations are getting more attention. He was on a path of personal growth and transitioning to philosopher in his own right. His writings point to his pursuit of mindfulness, balance, oneness that would make him not only a better martial artist, but also a better human being. Wing Chun Do has been applying those concepts as part of our curriculum for the past thirty years. Sijo DeMile, a clinical psychologist, has been endorsing and promoting these same concepts of personal growth since the inception of Wing Chun Do and founded the 501(c)3 corporation – Tao of Wing Chun Do, non-profit teaching organization. 

When you alleviate the primordial fear of the predator(s), you change profoundly. The only foe holding you back and left to conquer is you. You can now turn and face new challenges or renew passions too long left dormant. It’s up to you.