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RichW.
Starting Member
USA
10 Posts |
 Posted - 08/06/2007 : 17:35:31
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Hi,
My name is Rich (screen name RichW.). I recently joined Sifu Rene's Sarasota Wing Chun Club... and wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.
I recently found an interview by Sifu Ho Kam Ming and thought everyone would like to read it... in case you haven't already.
Thanks and enjoy.
http://www.chisao.com/main/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=15
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pete
Administrator
30 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2007 : 18:53:03
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Rich,
Nice to meet you. My name is Pete and I've been training with Rene since 1991. Thanks for sharing. That is a Q&A from his seminar in Tucson way back when. I'd read it once. Practice. Read it again. Trust me, the second time around things will make more sense and then raise more questions. Oh ya, and keep reading it. I've had that since about the time I start and I'll reread it every once in a while to realize I was doing something wrong. ;-)
Anyway.. nice to meet you!!
Pete |
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RichW.
Starting Member
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2007 : 22:46:15
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Pete,
Thanks for taking the time to reply... I will probably read and re-read the interview many times. I am becoming aware that I have alot (an understatment) to learn from Rene Sifu. And look foward too it!
Rich
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pete
Administrator
30 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 15:48:02
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Rich,
Any time mate. You are in awesome hands. I still pinch myself that I was lucky enough to have Rene as a sifu. The one thing that everyone in Sarasota will soon realize, is that learning is a progression that "lives" deep inside if you let yourself be taught. Many westerners have a very difficult time understanding this concept because you have to "trust" what is being taught. Once you understand the system, your Wing Chun because an expression of who you are as a person. Passive, yet vigilant. Supple, yet explosive. Relaxed, yet focused. Rene taught me a lesson in my first class that will always stay with me and really defines the system; "wing Chun is like learning a language, once you understand the rules, structure and expression of the language, you can express yourself in any way you wish. There are no two poets that write the same. There are no two masters of art that paint the same. There are no two Wing Chun practitioners that apply the art the same. WC is a flow art and we are all built differently with unique levels of skill and capabilities. Once you have the foundation of the system ingrained, how you express it will be yours to own.
To get there you must “trust” Rene and let yourself go. I remember struggling when I first started learning chi sao and then one day I just kind of gave up and asked Rene to “beat me up”. Who would of thought that that was a pivotal day in my training. I have told the group here over and over that to gain the skill, you have to first learn to let go and flow. Again, a very difficult concept for many westerners for they try to “score points” when practicing (i.e. applying a sports mindset). To gain a high level of skill you have to flow because the difference between good WC players and not so good players is the ability to not only sense/control your own center of gravity (COG) but to sense/control your opponents COG. Trying to score is like trying to see with one eye; you can do it, but you lose depth perception and you limit you field of view. The concept of being “beat up” is me telling myself to let Rene lead and to not worry about being hit. The more I relaxed, the stronger my structure became. The stronger my structure, the more I relaxed. The more I relaxed, the more I was able to sense slight changes in body balance and energy flow. The more I was able to sense body balance, the easier it was for me to feel my opponent shift his weight. The easier I could feel his weight shift the easier it was to stop an attack before it happened or to flow into a counter attack. But if you stop yourself from “letting go” you limit yourself to a lower level of wing chun. And the art is not natural. When you first start training you are going through a “rewiring” process when your energy is being driven by the elbow. Most people think hitting is with the fist and if they never let themselves feel the elbow in the process (i.e. they only want to hit), they will never rewire themselves to fully understand what is being taught.
And just so you know, they is a pretty high turnover rate in WC. At the first class Rene taught publicly in San Diego 30 students showed up. Rene said, “oh boy, this is way to many students, I only really want 4”. Someone asked, “Rene, how are you going to select four students” to which Rene replied, “I’m not. You are.” The point? To do the art correctly and to get to a high level you have to have a certain mindset that most people don’t have. You have to enjoy a 1 hour SLT. You have to enjoy getting beat up… ;-). But once you do, the beauty of the art is soon revealed and you fall in love with it all over again.
So my advice to everyone in Sarasota is to enjoy the ride and practice twice a day. You can work your wu sao sitting at your desk at work, you can do many things throughout the day that will really help you improve. Heck, I’ve even heard of a student that sits in his horse at work all day long.
Anyway… sorry for the long winded reply but it’s slow at work for a change and I’d much rather talk WC than work.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Pete
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Interview with Ho Kam Ming.
