Don't rush!

It is important to remember that Ving Tsun training is about developing attributes and internalizing principles, it is not about accumulation. It is often the case that a junior todai (student) will look at what his seniors are doing and have a desire to learn it. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as the student understands that his ability to perform what his seniors are doing is determined by how well he understands the material he or she is currently studying. There is really no beginner or advanced training it’s all just Ving Tsun but we have to start somewhere and we must move forward in a logical fashion in order for the skills to be developed properly. If the process is rushed or if you are operating under a misapprehension there will be holes in your Kung Fu that will be difficult to correct later.

Let’s take Pak Sao as an example. Pak Sao doesn’t look like much yet every essential attribute and principle can be explored via Pak Sao. The worst thing you can do is to interpret Pak Sao as some sort of combative drill i.e. “blocking punches”. Pak Sao is essentially a physical discussion of centerline, energy, and hand replacement. The key to gaining anything out of the Pak Sao exercise is to understand it in this context. To perform the exercise in a perfunctory manner while thinking about what comes next is a waste of time. This is true for all the exercises leading up to Chi-Sao.

If you cannot teach someone Pak Sao beyond the physical choreography then you do not understand the drill. If at any stage in your training you cannot explain what you are doing and why you are doing it then by definition you do not know what you are doing.

Treat each stage of your training like a research project, try to glean as much insight and skill as you can prior to moving on to the next phase. Do not be eager to move on prematurely. Even consider not taking the opportunity to move forward if you know within your heart you are not ready.

It is also very important to help your sidai (juniors), this will improve your Kung Fu immensely, Once again the best proof that you have a firm understanding of something is your ability to explain and convey it to someone else…face to face, mind to mind, heart to heart.

The Touch of Death

Everyone who loves Kung Fu movies has seen the unbeatable technique where the kung fu master is able to touch specific points on his opponent's body to cause various effects ranging anywhere from lost of various bodily functions up to and including death. The effect of the technique could be immediate or could takes days, weeks, or months all depending on the desire of the person applying the technique. Who wouldn't want to master the five point palm exploding heart technique?

One has to wonder is this in any way shape or form representative of reality. In my opinion there is a shadow of truth in the various movie portrayals of the so called Dim Mak (death touch). Anyone with a basic knowledge of anatomy and some very basic training could take advantage of obvious anatomical weak points on the body that if struck would cause temporary to permanent injury and or death.Targets such as the eyes, ears, nose, throat, solar plexus, groin etc.

That 's not really quite the theatrical effect we were looking for, another possibility is deep knowledge of physiology and anatomy. If a highly skilled martial artist was also trained as a doctor he would know precisely where to strike to create specific effects and shut down specific bodily systems. Although this is closer to what one might imagine it's still not quite the same.

One last option might be an expert martial artist who is also an expert in traditional chinese medicine. With this knowledge he may be able to attack the body's energetic network of meridians and cause more subtle negative effects to the intended target. This is probably the least likely scenario as those who possess very deep martial arts knowledge as well as deep knowledge of TCM are very rare indeed...

Ving Tsun Footwork

It may seem that the Ving Tsun system has limited footwork, in actuality there is a great deal of footwork in the system hidden in plain sight. The Ving Tsun Kung Fu system contains linear, circular, and angular footwork. The elements of Ving Tsun footwork are contained in the forms, exercises, and weapons training.

In some ways learning Ving Tsun is like having a set of Legos, there are a variety of building blocks of various shapes and sizes. What you do with those building blocks is based on your own intelligence and creativity. Much of the basic knowledge of the system is explicit, the intermediate to advanced level knowledge is mostly implicit, do the work and you will figure it out. This is how it goes for learning the footwork as well as anything else at the higher levels.

For the purposes of training and research I would suggest the following categories.

1.       Maintaining and controlling distance

2.       Closing to bridge and finish (while minimizing your chances of being hit)

3.       Close range footwork based on contact sensitivity

4.       All of the above versus an armed opponent

This will serve as a great study and research guide and help you analyze what you are learning while you experiment with how it can be used. I am not going to get into specifics because the real learning is in your experience, experimentation, and discussion.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

 

The Ving Tsun Long Pole

From a layperson’s standpoint one of the most impractical weapons you could learn how to use is the Ving Tsun Long Pole. How many scenarios can you imagine where it would be necessary to defend yourself with a 9 foot pole. If anyone can think of a realistic scenario when this would be the case please email me at sifubryant@vtkfsystem.com. All joking aside, there is a great deal of practical benefit in becoming proficient with the Luk Dim Poon Kwan (6 and ½ point pole). 

The first benefit is physical conditioning, you must have coordinated full body strength as well as stamina to use the pole. As a matter of matter of fact it is recommend that you do at least three months of moving low stance work (Jin Choi) before you even touch the pole. Many do not even complete this process simply because of lack of will power.

That reminds me of another benefit of Ving Tsun pole training, developing mental toughness. Having the will power to force your body to its limits and endure a training process that many will find very challenging and unpleasant. Of course the attributes of discipline and mental toughness have value in everyday living. There are many things worth doing that we may find challenging and unpleasant.

The last benefit I will discuss is punching power. As I mentioned previously it takes full body coordinated strength to wield the Luk Dim Poon Kwan. The process of developing this kind of strength and power and the ability to express it at the end of a nine foot pole also develops significant punching power. In unarmed combat we want our punches not only to be physically damaging but also psychologically demoralizing. When you hit someone you don’t want them to simply get angry, you want them to reflect deeply on their life and the choices that led them to such severe punishment. You want to extinguish both their ability and desire to fight.

 

 

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.

 

Sun Character Fist

Yat Ji Chung Kuen – Sun Character Fist

This is the signature technique of the Ving Tsun Kung Fu System, often seen as multiple punches launched down the Ving Tsun practitioner’s center line. When done in this fashion it is known as lin wan kuen or chain punching, each punched linked to the preceding punch. People have often expressed the opinion that the Ving Tsun punch lacks power, the reality is nothing could be further from the truth. Considering that punching is one of the primary techniques of Ving Tsun, it is imperative that the punches have power. The reason that most people perceive Ving Tsun punches as weak is because there is very little overt body movement, but the body movement that does happen is very important and very subtle. Mike Tyson’s punching power is obvious in both how he creates it and what its effects are. Believe it or not there is a lot of similarity between Mike Tyson’s knockout punch and a correctly executed Ving Tsun punch, they both start at the feet and end with power expressed in the hand. The power spirals up the body though the joints and muscles, the difference is that the Ving Tsun spiral is so tight that it is almost invisible.

The ability draw power up from the floor and express it in the hands is developed in Siu Nim Tau. It’s something you will not fully realize until you have been playing Siu Nim Tau for several years. You must look at the form, really all the forms, and determine when you are being tense and when you are being relaxed or loose. It is this ability quickly to go from loose to tense and then back to loose along with coordination that allows us to produce power with the Ving Tsun punch. It is the sequential muscle activation passing energy from the legs, to the torso, and finally to the arms that produces a wave of power that is expressed in the fist. When this skill has been mastered it is possible to produce a significant amount of force in a very short distance with no preparatory motion.

The punch is also developed with focus mitt drills both stationary and moving. It is important to gradually condition the bones muscles and tendons of the hand to inoculate them to the force of hitting another object. Part of the conditioning process is the use of a sao bao, this is a bag that is mounted on the wall and used specifically for punching. The contents of the bag can vary from sand, to rice, to hard beans, to stone gravel. The use of a sao bao should be supervised by a competent Sifu to avoid the risk of injury. We want to be able to shatter bones and yet still have the dexterity to sign a check.

With proper training and guidance the Ving Tsun punch is devastatingly powerful and effective, but just like any other skill it requires that time be invested in persistent training and development. It is not easy but the results are well worth the effort. This is the nature of Kung Fu, skill acquired through hard work.

 

 

The Three Pillars

The Three Pillars of Ving Tsun : Tan – Bong – Fook

The three basic hands of Ving Tsun are;

Tan Sao – Spread out hand (as in to spread something out, like butter on bread)

Bong Sao – “Birds Wing”

Fook Sao – Smothering Hand

These three hand positions are not static but should be understood as dynamic or transitional movements. The purpose of each hand position being to redirect incoming energy away from your centerline.  Imagine you are facing a clock, at the top is 12 o’clock, to the immediate left is 9 o’clock, to the immediate right is 3 o’clock, and at the bottom is 6 o’clock. Now, imagine you are practicing these basic hand positions with your right hand as you face the clock. Tan Sao will redirect energy towards 3 o’clock away from your centerline. Bong Sao will redirect energy towards 9 o’clock away from your centerline. Fook Sao will redirect energy towards 6 o’clock away from your centerline. Also keep in mind that energetically each hand position has a forward component.

The hand positions should not been thought of as blocks. They can be used that way but it is not optimal and indicates a low level of skill. Ideally you want to be in a position to attack, in offense we attack, in defense we attack. In the process of attacking we may meet an obstruction. What we want to do is remove or redirect the obstruction based on sensitivity. Sensitivity and relative position determine which hand position is most optimal. This is not easy to do, and cannot be an intellectual process as things happen to quickly in the heat of combat. This is an ability that must be developed naturally and applied intuitively. The method used to develop this skill in the Ving Tsun Kung Fu system is Chi Sao (sticking hands). Chi Sao is not fighting and should not be thought as an equivalent or substitute for sparring. Chi-Sao does develop skills that are useful in fighting. That usefulness may only be for a fraction of a second, because our primary goal is striking, not sticking, we only stick when we cannot strike. Chi Sao gives us a skill set that helps us instinctively problem solve if something prevents us from accomplishing our primary goal of striking.

Tan, Bong, and Fook must be understood in this context, as dynamic changing shapes meant to meet and redirect energy away from center line, not as static techniques. Your homework assignment is to determine what hand positions within the Ving Tsun system redirect energy towards the 12 o’clock position on the previously described clock?