Thursday 9 October 2014
Tuesday 9 September 2014
The Lost of Living Legend of Wing Chun Sifu Tsui Sheung Tin, age 81
Sad news reaches us from Hong Kong—we have lost yet another living legend of Wing Chun. Sifu Chu Shong Tin (Tsui Sheung Tin), Grandmaster Ip Man’s third Hong Kong student, has passed away at age 81. He was known as the “King of Siu Nim Tau” for his dedication to the first set. He taught Wing Chun for over 60 years, beginning his training under Ip Man at age 17. Chu Shong Tin was born in 1933 in the Kwong-tung Province of Mainland China. In November 1949, he left China and settled in Hong Kong. During September 1950, he started work as a secretary for the Association of Restaurant Workers of Hong Kong. It was at that time that he first met Grandmaster Ip Man, who had just started teaching Wing Chun at the Union building. Chu Shong Tin lived with Ip Man from 1951 through much of 1955. May he rest in peace. #ChuShongTin#WingChunIllustrated
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.19 - The European WSLVT Connection
"First of all, people should understand that things are not always an application. You can use applications or exercises to show a person how things work, however, you should never think in terms of applications. The most important thing is that people understand that Wing Chun helps you to create certain behaviour and attributes for fighting. For example, Chi Sau is an exercise where we exchange force and it is used to further develop our fighting skills. We need 'knock out' power, so we need to programme our bodies for this. Therefore, we create behaviour that we can punch from any direction, at any time. People need to develop the attributes. If not, they will be stuck in movements like Taan Da against this kind of attack and another fixed movement against another kind of attack. That’s application thinking. It’s all about changing your behaviour. Fighting is fighting, just like swimming is swimming—we have to adapt our bodies to this thinking."
-- Spread of our cover interview with Sifu Philipp Bayer from the upcoming Issue No. 19. New issue on sale August 22.#WingChunIllustrated #WingChun#PhilippBayer
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Wednesday 9 July 2014
Tuesday 10 June 2014
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No. 18 - Learning to Fight without Fighting (Part 3)
"Central to any discussion of the response to a perceived threat is to understand the physiological responses that the body has when a potential menace is initially recognised. One of the first things to realise is that your thinking stimulates the physiological reaction, and that it is your own thinking which can therefore control and harness this response. 'Fear is in the mind of the beholder.' Fear is experienced as a sudden release of adrenaline (a combination of two chemicals, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine), followed immediately by the associated physiological responses. If left uncontrolled, these responses can have a devastating effect on both the body and the mind."
Wednesday 28 May 2014
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issue No.18 - Which Style of Wing Chun do you do?
"Whilst encouraging me to adapt and personalise Wing Chun applications and the deployment of the tools from the forms to suit me and the situations I may find myself in, Sifu was equally insistent that I should practise and teach the forms, structures and techniques in exactly the same as he taught me. The point being that despite the necessity to develop Wing Chun to work for yourself as an individual, there is no need to change Wing Chun as it isn’t a systematic and fixed process of movements, but more a collection of tools and principles that allow for personal exploration—the starting point and journey to learn the tools, concepts and principles of Wing Chun should be the same for my students as it was for myself; no reinventing the wheel!"
-- Spread of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe's article from the upcoming Issue No. 18. New issue on sale June 20.
Tuesday 27 May 2014
Thursday 22 May 2014
Friday 16 May 2014
Thursday 15 May 2014
Monday 12 May 2014
Friday 9 May 2014
Thursday 8 May 2014
Friday 2 May 2014
Wednesday 30 April 2014
Wing Chun Chi Sau/Sticking Hands
Chi Sau is a very important part of Wing Chun. (Chi means 'Stick' and Sau means 'hands', together they mean 'Sticking Hands'.) You can almost say that if someone's Chi Sau is not good, their Wing Chun will not be good.
Students of Wing Chun need to develop sensitivity and correct skill, and this is why Sticking Hands is practised. It is an exercise in which people work in pairs to train their technique, position and sensitivity. It allows both partners to learn the basics of fighting skill without hurting each other. Both partners should be relaxed and should not try to hit each other. They should be focusing on their positioning and the correct use of energy.
-GM Ip Chun with GM Michael Tse
Photo; taken during the celebration of GM Ip Chun's 90th birthday (September 2013), shown here with GM Ip Chun is his Tou-Syun, Master Moy.
Friday 25 April 2014
Thursday 24 April 2014
"Chi Sao is the training method that uniquely differentiates Wing Chun from other systems. Chi Sao allows us to develop the concepts and make our reactions automated and immediate. You have to control the structure of your opponent—keep applying constant forward pressure (Heung Ching), develop automatic reactions (Lat Sao Jik Chong) and train to attack when there is a slight opening. If you practise Chi Sao by only trying to hit each other in any way possible, then you will not achieve the desired benefits—in this case it would be better to do free sparring."
-- Spread of our interview with Sifu José Ortiz from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.17 - Sifu Gregory LeBlanc
"I think Wing Chun is not only about martial arts training, it’s also about being part of a wider community. Especially in our own classes, we will see our Gung Fu brothers and sisters perhaps as much as we see our own families. I think it’s important to develop a generous heart while practising Gung Fu—my own teacher said Gung Fu is really more about becoming a better person than only being the best fighter. It is my goal to provide a safe, ego free training environment for all of my students, where they can learn and explore this precious heritage that we all share."
-- Spread of our cover interview with Sifu Gregory LeBlanc from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Friday 18 April 2014
Dit Da Jow - Sifu Waybe Belonoha's article in Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.17
"It is not surprising to learn that the traditionally prepared Dit Da Jow contained a variety of bioactive compounds that are clearly beneficial for fist conditioning and impact trauma. The liniment is grounded in the long history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which utilises the secret language of plants—chemistry (and science!). The carefully combined plants, fungi and insects that degraded and released their compounds into the alcohol over time produced a liniment rich with bioactive molecules. This time-dependent natural process also created differences between the aged liniments, with each containing a unique combination of bioactive compounds that can be useful for different applications."
-- Spread of Sifu Wayne Belonoha's article from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.17- Moy Bah Hugh (Infinite Love And Gratitude)
"Many years ago I asked Sifu what his method was. Sifu wrote down on a napkin in Chinese two characters called Sum Fot, and in Cantonese it means 'Heart Method'. It was the way of the heart. Little did I understand then how much this would affect my way in life, especially when early on I was focused too much on the way of the fist. The transmission of knowledge is through a direct relationship, like father-and-son. So Sum Fot was the heart’s way and the correct way to care, to guide, and to love. This was the transmission. Ving Tsun is just a system. Just a tool that we use. How you use your tool is the Gung Fu. Gung Fu is the result. But where is it? You can’t see it. Whether it’s Karate, Ju-Jitsu or Ving Tsun, those systems are not Gung Fu. Some may say yes they are Gung Fu; and I always reply with, 'No, they are just methods!' Again the result is Gung Fu."
-- Spread of our interview with Sifu Moy Bah Hugh from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wednesday 16 April 2014
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.17- Gung Fu For Everyone
"Changes haven’t been made to our system intentionally; these changes have evolved naturally through the means of hard training and are therefore necessary. Through these lineages, we learnt how to effectively use the right energy at the right time and in the right space. The engine, what we use in our IMAA Wing Tjun, is totally different now. Everything is based on detachment, relaxation, and importantly, awareness. However, the most important is that we start to learn to control our emotions and our mind in a fight. This gives us the ability to fight in a more relaxed way during real fights. Some of our students have proven this successfully in MMA competitions."
-- Spread of our interview with Sifu Taner and Sifu Graziano from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.17- Siuhing Baan Jung Wing Chun
"When the fight started Ji Sin was standing calmly and asked Wong Kwan to begin. Wong Kwan attacked with Seung Lung Cheut Hoi—punching Ji Sin’s chest with both of his fists. Ji Sin used his palm skills of Tin Wong Tok Taap and flung Wong away. Wong tried to use the force and jumped on the column. Although Wong still didn’t recognise Ji Sin, he suspected that the old man was his teacher because of this gimmick that he deployed. Wong then jumped onto the stage and humbly apologised to his master. The event stunned the King Fa Hall performers. After that, all of the performers asked Ji Sin to teach them Gung Fu."
-- Spread of Sifu Ivan Rzounek's article from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Friday 11 April 2014
Wing Chun: A Lifelong Commitment to Developing Skill
"As a coach, you are primarily responsible for the physical training of your wards; this means you will need to keep on top of latest sports science. In any club, there is likely to be a wide range of different ages and varying levels of strength and fitness. The condition of individuals needs to be considered before planning any programme of exercise. To be able to maintain an effective training regime you need to remain relatively free from injury. Martial arts are repetitive by nature, so it is important to train in methods that are balanced and will not cause habitual, long-term damage."
-- Spread of Sifu Alan Gibson's article from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine No.17- The Legacy of Ip Man
"Chi Sao is the training method that uniquely differentiates Wing Chun from other systems. Chi Sao allows us to develop the concepts and make our reactions automated and immediate. You have to control the structure of your opponent—keep applying constant forward pressure (Heung Ching), develop automatic reactions (Lat Sao Jik Chong) and train to attack when there is a slight opening. If you practise Chi Sao by only trying to hit each other in any way possible, then you will not achieve the desired benefits—in this case it would be better to do free sparring."
-- Spread of our interview with Sifu José Ortiz from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wing Chun Illustrated (WCI) is the world’s only magazine dedicated to Wing Chun, regardless of lineage or style. Published six times a year, each 60-page, full-colour issue features articles by and about the world’s greatest exponents of the art. WCI is available in various formats: Print (ships worldwide), iOS, Kindle Fire, and Desktop. For more details, please refer to:
Wednesday 9 April 2014
Wing Chun Illustrated No.17 - Training the Mind to Train the Body
"Psychologists have identified several 'principles of learning'; the primary one being the 'principle of exercise' which states that those things most often repeated are best remembered—which is the basis of martial arts drill and practice. The reality of it is that the human memory is fallible, so we do not learn complex tasks immediately during a single session. By slowly, meticulously and repetitiously practising the stance and the arm movements of the forms, we improve our ability to retain, evaluate, and apply the new-found concepts or practices. This repetitious practice ensures learning continues, which includes student recall, review and summary, manual drill and physical applications."
-- Spread of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe's article from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.
Wing Chun Illustrated Issued No.17 - Wing Chun must Keep The Times, Sifu Kong Chi Keung
"There are two factors in Wing Chun that have true value: Training and Combat. Those who seek training are seeking to practise self-discipline; those who pursue combat seek practical application, and regardless, both are inseparable! Practice alone, without combat, cannot be called practical martial arts, it can only be called martial arts exercise. Both complement each other, and the experience absorbed during both training and practical combat will naturally help in the development of tactical refinement; only then will one appreciate the real Wing Chun."
-- Spread of Sifu Kong Chi Keung's article from the upcoming Issue No. 17. New issue on sale April 18.#WingChunIllustrated #WingChun#KongChiKeung
Friday 4 April 2014
The Chi Sao of Wing Chun - BRUCE LEE
An article that Bruce Lee did on Chi Sao in 1969 for Black Belt magazine.
-with thanks to Chris Kent (Jeet Kune Do)
Wing Chun/Ving Tsun Chi Sao Exercise
Chi Sao is an exercise for improving close distance focusing with the eyes and contact reflexes.
After a block, there exists a contact point. At this point, an opponent's intended move is transmitted as a vibration. The response to this vibration is a contact reflex action.
The Principle behind contact reflexes is similar to that of fishing. When a fishing line is in water, the fisherman doesn't have to see the bait taken to know there's a fish on the line. When a fish strikes the bait, there's vibration on the line and the fisherman feels the movement where he holds the rod-the contact point.
In Wing Chun training for developing contact reflexes, the practitioner attempts to interrupt an opponent's next movement from the vibration at the point
of contact and counter instantly.
The side benefits of Chi Sao exercise are improvements in mobility at close range, timing of movements, accuracy of strike, generation of power at short range, and control of an opponent's balance and arms from point of contact.
There are three stages of Chi Sao training:
a) single handed Chi Sao, parallel armed
b) single handed Chi Sao, cross armed
c) double handed Chi Sao
At each stage of training, one must progress from predetermined movements to random movements and then at the advanced stage, to training blind-folded.
It is important to understand the techniques used in Chi Sao may not apply to actual combat situations. However, the experience and the coordination achieved from these exercises are essential to combat.
Cross-Arm Chi Sao
Once the practitioner has achieved a certain degree of proficiency from the other Chi Sao exercises (including Larp Sao exercise), he will move on to cross
arm Chi Sao. As with all Chi Sao exercises, cross arm Chi Sao is a drill- the contact sensitivity garnered from these drills will be what carries over into 'the Street." However, of all the Chi Sao exercises, the cross arm drills take the practitioner closest to actual combat. This is because it trains the footwork necessary to bridge the gap between contact distance and exchange distance.
Contact distance is the range at which one can only achieve contact with the extremities of the opponent's limbs. At this distance, one may be able to block, but cannot reach the opponent with the counter attack. The objective from this distance is to get to the range where one can block and counter simultaneously, i.e.: exchange distance. Again, it is the footwork that will allow practitioner to successfully accomplish this objective.
The term 'cross arm' refers to the contact relationship the practitioner has with the opponent at the onset of the exercise. To Begin, the practitioner will start from a forward stance position, with the forward arm making contact with the opponent's forward arm at the wrist area. If the contact relationship is either right arm to right arm or left arm to left, the arms will form an "X" (i.e.: cross) at the point of intersection (if the arms meet right to left or left to right- in Wing Chun- this relationship is called 'parallel'; but that's another drill).
We will now examine the cross arm Chi Sao drills from two primary perspectives: first offensive, then defensive.
The drill commences the instant the two practitioners make contact in this cross arm position. Offensively, the objective is to sense any fluctuation in the opponent's energy. (Are they too tense? Are they pushing down, or to the side? Is there a lack of forward energy in their arm?) If an opening is sensed, then the practitioner should immediately execute an attack.
There are, however, two obstacles that may interfere with this objective. One is the opponent's lead arm and the second is the opponent's rear arm. Therefore, one must first eliminate the opponent's lead arm from the equation (by using a Pak Sao or Larp Sao, for example) and simultaneously step forward to the blind side (outside of the lead arm) and counter attack (arriving at exchange distance). This forces the opponent to block with the rear hand or get hit!
The practitioner will identify the force applied in the opponent's (rear hand) block, redirect or release this force, then execute another attack. This process may continue until the practitioner achieves a clear advantage-trapping up the opponent's arms and disrupting his balance.
When the practitioner successfully forces the opponent to block with the rear hand, the opponent will usually have to reach across his body to defend. If this occurs, the opponent most likely will have crossed his own arms in the process. This is an ideal situation for the practitioner. If the opponent crosses his arms, one should immediately pin the arms at the centre of the "X" and if both arms are trapped, this leaves the opponent completely vulnerable to the practitioner's attack.
A quick review: the contact reflexes are used to first sense an opening, then to determine the nature of the force in the opponent's defense. This energy is redirected or released and another attack is initiated. Whenever possible, force the opponent to cross his own arms and pin them-continuing the offensive.
On the defensive front, the first objective is quite simple: block! Because the opponent's objective is to shut down the lead arm first, the practitioner should ideally counter the attempted trap and strike with his lead arm. If the lead arm defense is successful, this will free up the practitioner's rear hand to immediately counter back, thereby putting the opponent on the defensive.
Even if the opponent manages to get past the lead arm and forces the practitioner to block with the rear hand, the practitioner's objective is still the same: put the opponent on the defensive by immediately counter attacking. Granted, the use of the rear hand to defend is not ideal in this situation, for it does put the opponent one step closer to achieving his objective. But it's not over until it's over. Even if the opponent reaches the rear hand, the possibility still exists to turn the situation around into the practitioner's favour. That's why the rear hand is so important in the Wing Chun system- it backs up the lead arm in case the primary defense fails.
Thus the contact reflexes are used defensively to feel the opponent's attack as it commences. What one feels combined with what one sees (visual reflexes) will determine the most appropriate defense. Again, the objective from a blocking situation is to put the opponent back on the defensive. This, of course, puts the practitioner on the offensive and the contact reflexes now apply as stated previously.
Perhaps because of its realistic street application, cross arm Chi Sao was Bruce Lee's favourite of the Chi Sao exercises. He practiced it religiously.
In fact, cross arm Chi Sao was so important to Bruce, he paid direct homage to this exercise in the film "Enter the Dragon," when he used it in the famous tournament to defeat Han's ruthless bodyguard.
The most valuable and, I believe, indispensable tool Bruce Lee had for understanding the roots of combat came from his grounding in the practice of sticking hands, Chi Sao, which develops the awareness that allowed him to flow into spontaneous expression.
Bruce could say that he was "no style, but all styles" because the reflexes he'd acquired from sticking hands allowed him to automatically match any attack with the appropriate counter. In this way, his technique was the result of his opponent's technique. "You don't know what I'm going to do," Bruce would say. Neither did Bruce-until it happened!
-GM William Cheung
Photo; GM William Cheung and Sifu Andrew Cheung
*GM William Cheung, Thank you for the permission given to us to share this article on Chi Sau with our friends.
-from the book 'Complete Wing Chun System' ©
We wish you all a great day in Wing Chun!
GM Ip Ching said that for his father, GGM Ip Man, the world was not a place to be feared. He had absolute faith in the ability of Wing Chun to protect him, and that he was a man of action, he would do as what he sees was right, because in Wing Chun, there is no hesitation, only right action.
Thursday 3 April 2014
Tuesday 1 April 2014
Thursday 27 March 2014
Wednesday 26 March 2014
Thursday 20 March 2014
Monday 17 March 2014
Friday 14 March 2014
Thursday 13 March 2014
Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu Family, Chrissy Pergolini Pajil
My name is Chrissy Pergolini Pajil. I am wife and simo to Sifu Pete Pajil (Moy Bah Hugh) of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu Family. Three years ago, almost to the day, I stepped into the mokwoon for the first time. I was so moved and attracted to Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu, particularly to the philosophy of suum faat and to everything Sifu represents, stands for, and is committed to, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. I came to the school as often as I could, and I trained sincerely. Through my training I realized that the Ving Tsun System has an integrity, that when maintained, structurally and philosophically, transcends into my daily life. The results are honest, and I get as much as I’m willing to give and sometimes give up!
When I first started training my focus was on my personal development. I remember struggling with the notion that there was an aspect of selfishness to my training. I spent a lot of time away from my son and family. However, they were understanding and generous with me because they enjoyed the character being developed. As simo, my focus is about how I can support Sifu and our kung fu family so that they can make the best of their time and training. Always present to the gift of being in the space of those committed to elevating their lives in a powerful way, being simo is something I take on knowing that the role is so much larger than myself.
Our kung fu life at the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence mokwoon is vibrant. We always have a lot going on—seminars, visiting branch schools, holding demonstrations, and participating in ceremonies. As simo I make sure that events unfold as smoothly as possible. At the moment we're putting together a seminar about how to use Sifu's new book, The Hidden Power of Kung Fu, in daily life and in training.
We've also created a strong Moy Bah Hugh sisters group. We meet monthly to share, train, and discuss what’s we can create that will forward our mission of propagating Moy Yat Ving Tsun while growing our family even more lasting and powerful. Particularly, how can we attract more sisters to the wonderful world of MYVT! We hold an annual retreat where we gather, train, and have seminars as we discuss how we can best support each other. We welcome and encourage sisters from our extended family to join us for this exciting weekend of events, and to share their training and experiences too. We are always looking to grow and strengthen the family and our relationships!
Simo Chrissy Pergolini Pajil
Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu
Wing Chun Lee Kui On
Lee Kui On 李居安 starred in numerous films and was also the first female martial arts action director in Hong Kong.
She was the very first celebrity (woman) who brought publicity to GGM Ip Man when she formally became his disciple in the early 1960's.
Lee Kui On was a graduate from the Opera Institute in Taiwan. She was also a member of the prestigious Hong Kong Cantonese opera 仙鳳鳴, and later on, became the teacher of many famous Cantonese opera stars.
She was married to the late GM Cheung King Kong, who was a direct student of GGM IP Man and was the older brother of GM William Cheung.
Monday 10 March 2014
Friday 7 March 2014
Thursday 6 March 2014
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Tuesday 4 March 2014
Thursday 27 February 2014
Tuesday 25 February 2014
Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine Issued No.16 : Train Slow to Improve Fast, Optimising Muscle Memory Training
"Many people believe that fighting is done fast so it’s necessary for the practitioner to train fast to be a good fighter (I believe this too). To the polarised thinker, fast therefore claims the position of 'good'. He or she will further rationalise that if fast is good then slow is naturally bad. However, there is a wealth of data and experimentation to support that training fast, as well as slow, has immense value. As a general rule, I suggest using fast-paced training for standard fight training (or fighting). Use medium- paced training for any practice, and use slow-paced practice for learning."
-- Spread of Sifu Wayne Belonoha's article from the upcoming Issue No. 16. New issue on sale February 21.
Wing Chun Illustrated (WCI) is the world’s only magazine dedicated to Wing Chun, regardless of lineage or style. Published six times a year, each 60-page, full-colour issue features articles by and about the world’s greatest exponents of the art. WCI is available in various formats: Print (ships worldwide), iOS, Kindle Fire, and Desktop. For more details, please refer to:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)