This blog is not meant to be a comprehensive text on the subjects listed above. However, it helps to define these topics from time to time. True martial arts are practiced mostly as “arts” of movement and physical-mental skills. Getting the movements correct is the most important part. Applying those techniques, outside of the forms, is normally another skill set. When a self-defense encounter occurs, it may not be the same. When entering a tournament, it might also not be the same. Tournaments must have rules. The situation is, by necessity, artificial. However, it can be an opportunity to us ..read more

Many programs offer possible solutions to stress and correcting health issues but not all solutions are suitable for all people. Many self-defense programs offer no solutions at all. WingTsun offers the Siu Nim Tau set which is a series of movements done while standing. Siu Nim Tau is a relatively gentle series of movements, the first section of which is done very slowly. It involves a light meditative focus and a breathing component that can be escalated or left as a gentle, natural breathing. The advantage of this form of stress reduction is that it can be done in most any location. It has a ..read more

The world of martial arts is a mixture of focused students and practitioners and technique collectors. Our Grandmaster Leung Ting warns his students early on about being “technique collectors.” He created his teaching system out of the Wing Chun he was taught and re-named it Wing Tsun. Instead, he says, it is the skills that are important. This theme is a thread throughout the Yip Man lineages. It is stronger in some lineages than others. It even exists in an oft quoted Bruce Lee saying, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one ..read more

If you have been training for a while and have one thing you cannot get past, it can mean that the technique or skill requires a lot more practice by you. If you are determined to overcome this problem, you will commit to far more practice on this one skill. The only way this is done if to use your own time and space and work on it. Sometimes this involves working on it in your mind’s eye as well as well as physical practice. Make sure you have a correct understanding of the skill. You may have mastered the rest of your discipline at your grade or level and so you might want to blame your inst ..read more

Here is probably a partial list of ways Wing Tsun can help you deal with outside stress. Wing Tsun training starts with the slow movements of the first set of movements called Siu Nim Tau. It involves focusing on a “little idea” which means getting rid of negativity, irrelevant thoughts, and focus on the present moment. When the rest of the world and your own life seems to make no sense, the approach of Wing Tsun is entirely logical. It is your chance to get centered and help with your other pursuits. Training and practice allow you to forget the outside world, even for a little while. Wing T ..read more

In order to learn physical structure and, so as not to be too influenced by the attributes of another beginner when learning new material, a new student should get in a good amount of solo practice time. As with many other martial arts, training by oneself in learning new material is encouraged in the Wing Tsun system. Body structure is very important, as is concentration and taking the time to get one’s mind into a relaxed enough state to experience progress. In order to do this, you must find a quiet place alone with all electronics turned off or placed in a way so as not be heard or seen. A ..read more

When learning a subject in school, whether it be in first grade or for your PhD in college, one needs to use the higher brain functions to memorize terms or words or to understand concepts. However, a disconnect can sometimes occur when learning a physical skill that requires automatic actions. If we are to safely drive an automobile, we must do a few things without thinking about them. The idea of true multitasking has been debunked by scientists who study such things. The big brain can truly just handle one thing at a time and must continually shift attention back and forth in order to handl ..read more

Some Mental Training Part of the mental training of WingTsun is in the Siu Nim Tau and Chum Kiu forms training. Doing the Siu Nim Tau each and every day is vitally important to clarifying one’s thinking. Once or twice is enough if it is done well. The movements themselves are less important than one’s mental attitude during the session. The peace and tranquility of the session is the first thing. Turn off radios and televisions. Get some cool air moving gently (not blowing cold air). Move through the faster movements with medium power and medium speed. Do not rush through it. Move and be very ..read more

Our classes address a surprise attack if you are grabbed by somebody attempting to put you into a headlock.  Of course there is a whole series of ideas against grabs that can be addressed.  Many martial art styles have pre-arranged scenarios for a whole variety of attacks.  Unfortunately none of those scenarios is going to be what happens to you in an attack.  It is impossible to know this ahead of time!  That is why we have to know and practice ‘principals’ that can be applied at will in any situation.   Almost all of the actions you can take to defend against a ..read more

Your main goal in a real encounter? Stay standing! The reason that Wing Chun kung fu was invented is survival. Self-defense is a right of every human being. In ancient times, there were tough-man contests, but nothing terribly organized. They were no rules or few rules. Wing Chun kung fu developed separately from those regular contests. It was kept in a narrow family line for generations. Over time, it spread for sure but nothing like the fancier methods or the ring-fighting, tough-man contest methods. The idea in the Wing Chun families was to pass down something that would be useful for their ..read more