I try not to get involved in arguments on the Internet. There is an old farmers’ saying that explains my reticence. It goes:
You should never try to teach a pig to sing, because:
- It will never be able to
- People will think you are stupid for trying
- It annoys the pig
However I do find myself reading some things that drive me to distraction. There is a certain level of intelligence required to be aware of how ignorant one is. Intelligent people tend to question their beliefs while stupid people are not smart enough to question their own understanding. The latter tend to be the ones who feel the need to educate everyone else on the Internet. (He states as he writes an article on the Internet). Okay, I get the irony, but let’s carry on.
Many years ago, I believed that to deliver force it is necessary to use the ground. I thought that when striking, our energy was driven from the ground up through our limbs in the same way that a boxer strikes. My instructor explained this to me when I trained in that discipline for a short while many years ago. With correct timing and alignment one can deliver force in much the same way that one lifts a weight – using the ground as support to push from. I should stop here to concede that we do use the ground to support ourselves; that is, we do not levitate. However my point is we do not push off the ground to strike and furthermore when we make contact the equal opposite reaction does not bounce back to the ground.
On my first trip to Hong Kong almost thirty years ago, Chu Shong Tin managed to get me to transfer force to the ground. I was astonished to feel that I could deliver some force without applying muscular effort. I could feel the equal/opposite reaction pressing me directly down to the ground rather than pushing me backwards. The clear sensation was one of pressure on the soles of my feet. The weight was redirected to a vertical path down my spine rather than attacking my balance horizontally. I thought I had finally grasped the essence of how Wing Chun works! I was completely wrong.
I mentioned this, ‘pressing on the soles of the feet to the ground’, to CST expecting an exultant nodding of the head, a physical “Yep you got it!’ His reaction was pretty much ‘meh’. I felt deflated. Surely he felt at least some excitement that I had finally cracked the code? Was he not happy for me and my earth-shattering breakthrough? Well, actually no. All I had done was take the first baby step towards correct Wing Chun power generation, or at least power generation as it is produced in the Chu Shong Tin lineage.
You see this is the mistake that so many practitioners make. We do something that is quite common in martial arts. It works better than all our previous efforts so we think we have arrived. From that point on we just try to do this trick more and more efficiently. We feel we have found the true path and strut forward with our eyes firmly closed. Should someone disagree we feel sorry for them and their basic misunderstanding of physics. In essence we become pompous dicks, scorning all this internal hippy magic stuff. That was me until CST put me straight.
While explaining the concept in a seminar, CST went through the stages of skill development. He began by standing on a set of scales and having someone push on him. He could not be moved, (of course!). Confirming my theory, the scales registered extra weight pushing him down. So far so good. My scientific theory was holding up just swimmingly. He then explained that this was just a beginner’s stage – (what?!). Next he had the person try to push him over as before. Once again he could not be moved, but this time the scales registered almost no extra weight. Previously they had gained some 20 kgs or more. This time they barely flickered. My whole theory fell apart. I was shattered!
It was never my inclination to argue with CST, but I was seriously miffed. What right did he have going beyond the laws of physics? What was this spooky magic thing he was doing? I actually said to him, “ But that does not make sense!” CST simply smiled cheerfully. Bless his patience! Trying hard not to bluster I said, “If you should carry me in your arms then my weight must register on the scales”. He nodded. “It’s the law of physics.” I added hopefully. “Yes”, he said, “but I am not carrying this person. They are on the ground and pushing at me.” “But the weight must go somewhere,” I half stated half asked, my resolve weakening. Maybe he was magic!
CST then said a wonderful thing. He matter of factly explained that he was not sure exactly how he could do this but he hoped that one day we may be able to work it out, (fat chance!). He then said that he could get me to do this very thing that I said was impossible. Bewildered I clambered onto the stage and then to the scales and he went through the process again. After setting me up I could transfer the weight down to the scales. This was not surprising, as I had already acquired that particular skill. He then spent some time getting me to relax further and asked me to focus my force past the person pushing and over to the other side of the room. With more tweaking and adjustment I was able to resist the force and lo and behold the scales registered hardly any extra weight. I had to concede my argument was on shaky ground!
The interested reader may now wonder what exactly is happening and how is it done? I have my theory but that is for another article. For now I just wish to make the point to the many keyboard warriors I try so hard not to be upset by, (but still am); Just because you cannot do something does not prove that it cannot be done, and the fact that you do not understand a concept does not mean that it does not make sense. Even more importantly don’t argue the point with people who can do what you have not yet learned to do!
I learned this lesson from Chu Shong Tin.
~ Mark Spence