Tricep Exercises for Wing Chun

Wing chun is meant to be the most direct and efficient way to defeat an opponent in a fight. It is not showy and the hand strikes are simple in style and nature. The straight vertical punch is efficient since the fighter does not have to take the time to rotate his arm to a horizontal punching position. Hand strikes play a double role by acting as both a block and strike at the same time. The 1-inch punch is forceful from a close range, so does not require you to draw back your arm. All of these strikes generate force from the triceps, but weight training is not generally a part of the development of this martial arts style since bulky muscles can limit range of motion and speed. Therefore, the most direct way to develop strong triceps for wing chun is through strike training in wing chun.

  1. Hand Strikes

    • To train the triceps to be strong and effective when you strike using wing chun kung fu, you need to consistently practice the wing chun hand strikes. This will help your muscles get used to generating power appropriately for each strike as you train with your instructor to develop the proper technique. These strikes include the palm strike, knife hand strike, wrist strike, hammer hand strike, back fist, forearm strike, spear hand strike, elbow strike and straight punch. Training with these punches should be done at least three times a week, but can be done every day. Practice your hand strikes with a partner, on a punching bag or in the air.

    Chi Sau Training

    • Chi sau, also known as sticky hands, is another part of hand combat training in wing chun. This training should be done once you are proficient with the hand strikes and requires a partner. The goal of this activity is to move your hands so that your opponent can not break your grasp if you are on the offensive, or so that you can break your opponent's grasp if you are on the defensive. As you hold your arms up and constantly change your arm and hand positions to stick to your partner, or get unstuck from their grasp, you will develop greater triceps strength, particularly as it applies to fighting with wing chun.

    Wooden Dummy Training

    • The muk yan jong form in wing chun, also known as the wooden dummy form, applies the wing chun techniques to a wooden opponent. With this form, students practice the striking and blocking hand techniques learned from the three hand forms, so it is generally practiced at a more advanced level. Striking and blocking against a wooden opponent helps develop triceps strength as the dummy is solid and provides resistances to the strikes. Consistently training in the muk yan jong form will help develop the triceps to prepare a fighter for the force needed to effectively strike an actual opponent.

    Body Weight Exercises

    • Body weight exercises can also be done to develop your triceps for wing chun. Since fighting requires you to manipulate your body weight as well as your opponent's, training your triceps with body weight exercises can help you develop the strength you need to strike, block and throw. Perform pushups and triceps dips at least three times a week in addition to your martial arts training. Do 12 to 15 reps per set and rest for two to three minutes between sets to build muscle.