In short, if you end up in even a half-decent Muay Thai school, you won't regret it.
Training in Wing Chun definitely improves your Wing Chun. Training in Muay Thai will improve your Muay Thai. Training in one does not improve the other. It could compliment each other if you have sufficient training in one and know how to compliment without interfering with what you already have. To do that effectively you need the right teacher much more than a style.
Martial arts is not a bag of tricks and the person with the most tricks wins like in a video game. Quality through patient training is the key, not quantity by jumping around a lot busily trying to collect tricks. If you have a good teacher in Wing Chun that should keep you seriously busy for many years. If you don't find a better Wing Chun teacher first before starting all over somewhere else again.
If you have a bad piano teacher you would look for a better one and not just start violin lessons instead. It's all music and the violin lessons will improve the piano playing? You want to be well rounded? I think not. You won't do either one well.
If you feel the need to go to a Muay Thai school to do more kicks, knees and elbows, you should first speak to your Wing Chun instructor about your concerns. Kicks and elbows are prominent in Wing Chun, especially if you're at least on the 2nd (Chum Kil) form. It's possible your Wing Chun instructor does not realize you are so interested in self-defense, or that he or she doesn't share your focus. For example at our school we primarily cover self-defense topics at certain classes so that those who are combat-oriented can get their fix at these classes, while other slots are designated for work on forms and concepts.
As for knees, most Wing Chun practitioners I know will use knees but sparingly because they are not as effective as other movements except in a few special situations. (In which case, knee away!)
Training in Muay Thai will detriment your Wing Chun because its movements do not follow Wing Chun's principles. There are many rounded movements which would not be considered economical.
Also, remember that the forms, drills, etc. that may not seem combat-oriented build the muscle memory you need to be successful if you apply your Wing Chun in combat. Sparring is also very necessary - we spar 4x/week so if your school doesn't spar at least 1x/week you should look elsewhere - but most students cannot spar without ego so they cannot internalize Wing Chun without practice in more controlled settings.
If you want to get good at Wing Chun, then you train in Wing Chun. Throwing in another style would not help, if anything it would have the opposite effect.
Adding Muay Thai doesn't hurt anything. It will enhance what you're already doing with Wing Chun.
both could work but its easier to learn one first...ok I will give you a example there are different types of wing chun.. like yip man or ip man used low kicks..in his style where some my teach some higher kicks...ok yip man would teach think of a circle if you are rounded then the movements take a lot of space but if you cut the circle in half you need less space.. his attacks are straight forward ..his point was the closer you are you cut the space of the other person..so his reach will be useless if he fights from a distance.. yes in his style of wing chun elbows and knees can be used since it is more useful in close range then a distance.. wing chun uses speed as their most important like in punching..in multiple punching..a 3 inch punch is used a lot.. when Bruce lee learned this he end up make up a 1 inch punch from learning it from yip man.. yip has said a shorter person can defeat a taller person by being in close range.. distance is very important in wing chun.. but this can useful in all styles of martial arts.. good luck
No offense but wing chun has been proved to be ineffective UNLESS you mix it with another form of striking
LIONDANCER is correct again.
Why would you train in football if you wish to play table tennis?
This modern habit of cobbling together some very basic techniques from martial arts and calling it an improvement is going backwards.
In almost every single case (MMA is a great example) the 'improvement' is only leaving things that aren't understood out.
Karta is an example. Anyone claiming kata does not improve skill has no idea how to use the tool called kata.
No.
I agree with Liondancer. If you want to improve your Wing Chun you need to practice your Wing Chun. I will add that you need to practice it correctly to improve.
I'm purely interested in self defence and my primary martial art in Wing Chun, looking at doing some Muay Thsi to develop striking skills such as kicks, knees and elbows just to have a wider range of techniques. Would this be practical or detrimental?
