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Archive for July, 2008

Why the Siu-Nim-Tau Is So Important

22 Jul

Whether you are new to Wing Chun or a seasoned veteran, we all start out with the Siu-Nim-Tau. Meaning “Little-Idea” form, this beginning stage can seem mundane to many, yet complex to others.

What makes the Siu-Nim-Tau so important to what we do, and how “should” we view it? Let’s take a look at what it really is and “why” it is so vital to Wing Chun Kuen.

The art as a whole is built on a progression of curriculums. Some feel that instead of building a foundation, they want to jump ahead to areas like the wooden dummy. After all, if the wooden dummy contains such advanced applications, then it must be the best, right?

Well, that might “seem” like a good idea, but it only seems that way. In reality, that is the best way to never create a useful skill set. Instead, it is the quickest way to get the snot smacked out of you.

Everything has a starting point, and in Wing Chun, that is the Siu-Nim-Tau. It is here that we learn about body mechanics, the centerline, adduction, and simultaneous attack and defense. It is here that we learn the core concepts for how to control our actions, for in controlling ourselves, we can control the opponent.

Anyone who has ever flown a plane knows that you cannot just jump into the cockpit of a jet and have a go. First you have to understand the mechanics of flight, followed by an understanding of the aircraft and the instrumentation necessary to maneuver it.

Generally you will fly a trainer with an experienced pilot in order to get used to flying and everything that goes with it, too, and only then – after rigorous and thorough training – will you advance to jets.

In the same, this is how Wing Chun is structured. First comes the foundation, and that foundation is Siu-Nim-Tau. It is here that a variety of mechanics and concepts need to be learned, trained, and honed in order to become useful. Skipping this stage means jumping into the cockpit of a jet without even knowing how to fly: it might be the fastest and most powerful, but without knowing how to use it, it is a one way ticket to disaster.

In the same light, that is how the Siu-Nim-Tau is approached for Wing Chun. Learning the foundation is the absolute most important stage for training, and skipping the fundamentals that it imparts will lead to unusable skills. In fact, it is almost impossible to even learn anything above the Siu-Nim-Tau “without” training in the Siu-Nim-Tau to begin with.

For example, let’s say that you do not believe any of this, and you are new to Wing Chun. You see the wooden dummy and think to yourself, “That looks cool! Forget the Siu-Nim-Tau; instead, I’m going right to the dummy!”

So you buy yourself a dummy and a book or video, and you start training what you see.

The first thing you notice is that you have no clue as to how to position your body. You “think” you do, but then it feels cumbersome and unmovable. And since you are so focused on “banging away” at the dummy’s arms, your footwork is all over the place and you are bouncing off any time you make real contact.

Had you progressed through the stages as you should have, by the time you are ready for the dummy, you will already feel very comfortable with Man-sau, your footwork, how to drive power into an inanimate (unmovable) object, and how to keep your entire structure in check so that it remains stable. Because you trained in the right manner, you are learning to enhance and improve your understanding of force delivery vs. merely whacking away on a dummy.

In short, “skipping stages” in the Wing Chun curriculum is the best way to get pounded. Each successive stage builds on the previous stage, and it all starts with the Siu-Nim-Tau. Without that, then you have nothing to build on.

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Improving Your Wing Chun with Outdoor Fitness

11 Jul

Outside of your Wing Chun training, many of you also have a regular fitness training program in place. And for those that prefer to train outdoors vs. inside a gym, there are some excellent routines that can directly enhance your Wing Chun.

For those that do not like training outside or at home, and “prefer” a gym, there are actually a lot of benefits in it, such as:

  • Little to no equipment is needed in order to have a good workout

  • No obnoxious people to contend with

  • No waiting in line for equipment

  • No need to drive back and forth to the gym

  • Being outside, you can enjoy fresh air vs. stale gym air (depending on where you live, of course)

  • You get a lot of sunshine, which an excellent source of Vitamin D

  • You can workout anytime you choose vs. adhering to a gym’s schedule

There are seven (7) excellent exercises to help enhance your Wing Chun training. If trained properly and consistently, get ready for some work.

  1. Lunges. Lunges should be done slowly and with perfect form in order to get the most out of them. Keep your back straight, and as you lunge forward, ensure that your knee remains over the ankle. Pause and move forward, going to the next leg.

  2. Push ups. Yes, the basic push up is one of the best upper body exercises available, and unfortunately a lot of people have gotten away from it because they prefer bench presses. The basic push up includes standard, wide, and close grips, which works shoulders, chest, and triceps. If you want an easier workout, elevate your hands; if you want a harder workout, elevate your feet.

  3. Squats. Slow, smooth squats with your knees never going beyond your ankle will seriously increase leg strength, and going as far down as possible without weight will also increase flexibility in the knee. If you want a killer workout? Raise one leg and do one-leg squats.

  4. Step ups. If you do this properly, you are giving your legs one serious workout. You can use a bench step, a normal staircase, or anything that is stable that you can step up on and down from. Keep your head level and back straight to get the most from it (and it is also an excellent cardio workout, too).

  5. Chin ups. Also called pull ups, you will need a chin up bar (or if you are outside, a tree branch or playground equipment). Very good for the arms and shoulders, as well as the back for stability training.

  6. Uphill sprints. This one is an outside-only exercise, but you “can” simulate it somewhat on a treadmill. Not much, but a little. The thing here, though, is that you should only do this if you can do a 100 meter dash at full speed because it is a lot of work on the heart. So use caution with this. Once you are done, walk down and do it again.

  7. Duck walks. A lot of lower body work goes on here, which is excellent for kicking and long pole training.

By incorporating any or all of these actions into your current fitness program, you get additional fitness training that positively impacts your Wing Chun training. What could be better than that, right?

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Posted in Exercises, Health and Fitness

 

1,000 Punches a Day

08 Jul

Keep On Punchin’

For many, 1,000 punches a day might seem a little extreme. For the Wing Chun practitioner, however, it is both essential and practical.

Because the art requires a relaxed explosiveness in its actions, every action we take means that we must be devoid of all muscled-type of movements. But without relying on brute strength, how do our attacks actually generate hitting power? From relaxing and then quickly contracting just enough to use speed as the catalyst behind the power vs. powering through with brute force.

This is the type of power that can be applied well into old age, too. Since it does not rely on muscle size or strength, age will actually help us because we get more relaxed as we get older. Sure, many attributes of aging will see a decline in our abilities, but that is par for the course of all physical activities. At least with this type of punching, we can effectively use our skills for defense throughout the duration of our lifetime.

So where does the 1,000 punches fit in with all of this?

For starters, it keeps us relaxed. With so many punches, we cannot rely on physical strength because we simply wear out. But as long as we focus on correct mechanics and being relaxed in order to push through the exhaustion barrier, every punch takes us closer to performing the full 1,000 punches at full-speed and with full power.

With so many punches, it also improves our conditioning. Anyone who does just a few hundred punches knows how tiring it can be, so imagine what 1,000 punches will do. The chest, back, arms, abs, etc., are all being conditioned with each and every punch, and the more we do it, the more in-line with Wing Chun and fitness we become.

For those new to working so many punches every day, I recommend starting with a couple hundred a day for a week or two in order to get used to it. Start with slow punches, too, to ensure that you do not hyper-exted the elbow. Once that happens, your punching days are severely limited until you heal the injury.

After a couple of weeks, increase your punches by 50 – 100. Now with approximately 400 punches a day, maintain this for another couple of weeks or so, and every 2 weeks, increase the amount by 100.

During this time frame, you are getting in better shape by burning calories, conditioning the upper body, and also gaining a valuable fighting skill in Wing Chun. Your body is overcoming the stress it experiences with repeated exhaustion, too, which assists in your overall training.

Within a very short amount of time, your 1,000 punches a day will tremendous gains in your fighting ability, not to mention an improved fitness level.

And all with just punching. Go figure.

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Posted in Health and Fitness, Siu-Nim-Tau