Nature's Laws

When training in martial arts it is often our primary concern that we are training in a way that will make us effective in combat. Although this is important in these modern times there is another consideration that is just as important. Are we training in a way that improves and optimizes our health, also will we continue to have full physical expression of the art we study even as we age?

As human beings we have two arms and two legs yet there is an infinite variety of combative movement that can be performed with the human body. How do we determine which of these movements is effective and at the same time determine if these movements fall within the range of movements that are biomechanically feasible and healthy over the long haul. There are movements we can perform at age 8 that we may not be able to perform at age 80 yet if we start practicing the correct movements at age 8 we will have capabilities that surpass the average 80 year old if we are blessed enough to live that long.

In Ving Tsun we often discuss the attribute of sensitivity usually it is in reference to our training partner or opponent, we must remember that it is important to have sensitivity in reference to yourself. Can you feel your own balance, can you feel the alignment of your various bones and muscles, and can you tell when you are using your structure in the most optimal way. It is very important to have this awareness of your own body, in combat you must be aware of your opponent and yourself. Also it is important to feel when you are using your body in a way that it was not meant to be used. The older we get the less forgiving our bodies become of incorrect use. Our study of martial arts should be a study of nature's laws and the exploration of our mental, physical, and spiritual limits within those laws. Through this endeavor we learn more about our world, ourselves, and each other.