The Siu-Nim-Tau, or “Little-Idea” form, is Wing Chun’s first curriculum taught to all practitioners, regardless of style or lineage. It is here that the foundation of the art is learned, but many who are new to Wing Chun – as well as some who have been training for extended periods - still have questions about how important it really is to fighting.
In some ways, this is understandable. It is human nature to think that after learning “the beginning” stages of something, progressing to the next stage leaves “the beginning” behind.
In Wing Chun, however, the opposite is true because we will always return to “the beginning” throughout our entire training careers.
You see, the Siu-Nim-Tau introduces us to the art itself. It is the foundation of what the system is really about, as well as a “catalog” of techniques and concepts that makes everything else work. Without Siu-Nim-Tau, there is no Wing Chun.
For example, let’s say that you forego the Siu-Nim-Tau and jump right into the Chum-Kiu. Chum-Kiu training is the intermediate lessons of the art, and here we learn angling, kicking, using the elbows, using the entire body for torquing and adding power, and learning how to “seek out” the opponent. Once found, we “sink” or “leak” through the attacker’s structure in order to drive into his/her most unprotected areas.
How does one learn these elements without a starting place? They can’t. Angling, torquing and making use of the body as a whole makes little sense if we do not first understand how the body is supported, how it moves and how it responds to the opponent’s actions as a counter to our own (and vice versa).
Progressing to the next levels such as Biu-Tze and Muk-Yan-Chong, these are additional elements that require the former to be mastered in order to use them. And again, without a competent Siu-Nim-Tau already in place, this is why many will say that training in an area we are not ready for will do more harm than good.
And they’re right. Without a competent Siu-Nim-Tau in place, everything following it will be of little to no use.
So what “is it” with the Siu-Nim-Tau that does that? In other words, what’s so special about this curriculum that “makes” it so special?
At its most basic level, this where we learn about holding the body and building the correct structure in order to “do what we do.” Adduction, simultaneous attack and defense, straightline and centerline principles, and relaxing in order to “explode” into our attacks (which is how we generate power) are all taught in the Siu-Nim-Tau. So without a firm understanding and competent demonstration of these basic elements, it is like building a house on sand: it will “look” good for a while, but when put to the test, it will crumble and fall apart.
For those new to the art, take your time and work the complete Siu-Nim-Tau curriculum before moving on. And for those who have trained for a while, re-examine the foundation of your training in order to ensure that everything you’ve been building on is actually good to start with. Experience shows us that if we run into a problem or question here or there, it is always answered by examining its roots.
And those roots are almost always found in the Siu-Nim-Tau.
For a thorough look into Siu-Nim-Tau training, I recommend checking out the AWCA’s Volume 1: Siu-Nim-Tau workbook of our eBook Training Series. This workbook doesn’t just “demonstrate” the form; instead, it takes you by the hand and goes step-by-step through the complete Siu-Nim-Tau curriculum.
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