We work on relaxing until we understand what it takes to not be tense.
To a large extent, this is another dimension to the last post.
My late sister was a dancer and from as far back as I can remember I was her ‘Crash Test Dummy’, I was expected to make her IDEAS become movement.
I would not consider myself a dancer because of this, but I was allowed to peek behind the curtain, or maybe just inside the tent.
Something I became very aware of is that the most important attribute of a ‘dancer’ is to not become fatigued.
I am not just talking about stamina here, not drifting towards ‘gassing out’.
It is the subtleties.
Like having the ability to shake a leg or to make expansive arm gestures for extended periods without losing shape or articulation.
It is here that ‘dancing’ and ‘ Wing Chun’ tread the same path.
Or perhaps I could say stage.
The pursuit of easy movement is ‘super’ important in Wing Chun, but I do believe that many follow this path for the wrong reason.
They pursue relaxation.
And end up missing the point.
Something all Wing Chun Instructors say is that Wing Chun is NOT meant for match fighting, it is meant for the real world, violent street encounters.
A violent street encounter is brief and rapid.
It will be over before it has begun.
Ask yourself ‘in the 5 seconds before someone {possibly you} has a position of unassailable dominance how will I relax’?
Nobody with any IDEA of violence is training to relax.
This is another case of “the finger pointing at the moon”.
We work on relaxing until we understand what it takes to not be tense.
If this is confusing get a chat going on the whatsapp group.
An average Boxer knocks people out on the street every day of the week, an average martial artist would struggle to fight off sleep.
Geoff Thompson
Wing Chun Sydney, Australia 