Wing Chun
Inspired by Ruanne's derby update, here is a rundown of how I've been going in my new Wing Chun school.
Wing chun is a style of Chinese martial art that is undergoing a bit of a popularity boom at the moment. It is very punchy and fast. Not pretty to look at.
I first started Wing Chun in Kiama about 15 years ago under the tutelage of John Smith. I grew to love it but generally fell out of practice when I moved to Sydney.
After a lot of years of either practising in a half-arsed manner or not at all, in August last year I joined the Derek Fung Ping Bor Wing Chun school.
Derek Fung is a relatively little known Sifu, but is one of the last remaining true Wing Chun masters. He is 73 and has been practising Wing Chun for over 50 years. as Guy Ritchie would say, he is harder than a coffin nail. Derek was trained by Ip Man himself during Ip Man's most successful period (please refer to the Ip Man films with Donnie Yen for a nice cinematic rundown of who he was) and is one of the most skilled Wing Chun practitioners on the planet. I cannot fathom the odds that he would be teaching in Sydney and available to me. The mind boggles.
The training is hard. It has to be, and frankly I don't train nearly as often as I should. Daily would be ideal. The first form - Siu Nim Tau - takes 20 minutes of each lesson and is painful every time.
My legs and core are stronger than they have ever been.
My stance is starting to feel real strength. Tonight I was knocking around a fellow student who is both taller and stronger than I am, almost entirely due to the improving strength in my stance.
My technique is improving. I am making progress in both the skill and strength of my techniques. I am gaining a good understanding of the second form - Chum Kiu - and am starting to learn the third form - Biu Jee.
I have made up for all of my years of not practicing or treading water in my skills and are starting to make real progress.
It feels fantastic. Hopefully in a year or two I can throw people around and have it look like magic.
If anyone cares to try it out, a new school is opening in Surry Hills in the next month or so. Try it and you'll love it.