To the best of my ability I run my school exactly as Chu Shong Tin ran his in Hong Kong, focusing on the internal side of Wing Chun with an emphasis on attaining Nim Tau through the Wing Chun stance. This is quite different to schools in western countries.
How does Chi Sau Club differ?
The program at our school involves standing meditation to attain the physiological qualities required to achieve power without resorting to brute strength. This requires long periods practicing standing meditation, and receiving instruction on how to “sing” the spine to achieve the Nim Tau state.
Form training is practiced in-depth, and once you’ve obtained a suitable level of skill you’ll be taught to generate mind force (or Nim Lik) in each movement of the training form sets. This also teaches an understanding of the bio-mechanics involved, along with geometrical and leverage aspects of each movement.
Fighting reflexes and further practical application are developed through Chi Sau (sticking hands) exercises and Chi Sau sparring.
Although this path is slow, difficult and requires commitment, it quickly becomes addictive once one can appreciate and produce this hidden power. If you enjoy using your mind, and seek to enhance your mental and physical well-being through meditative and physical exercise, you’ll enjoy this process.
No Set Classes
With this approach, instruction is by necessity hands on. Students are taught individually rather than in a group. I am in attendance all the time and put people through the system according to their individual progress. During busy periods senior students may assist with teaching to ensure every student receives attention.
I also offer private tuition. Though this is not mandatory, a majority of students decide to partake in these. Private lessons can be done at the school, and I also offer these at Crows Nest by appointment.
No uniforms, no ranking/grading
As in Hong Kong, most of the trappings of western martial arts schools, such as compulsory uniforms and official ranks, are not enforced in Chi Sau Club. I find this creates a friendlier and more productive training environment.
The Training Process – Internal vs. External
The development of skill in an internal style is generally approached in a very different fashion to that of external martial arts. By external martial arts, I mean those that place importance on strength and physical conditioning as a means to developing power.
Accordingly, my definition of an internal style is one that believes that physical strength, size, muscularity etc., will not improve one’s ability to a significant degree. Simply put, an old man or woman with small stature and little brute strength should still be able to produce devastating force entirely through virtue of their skill, rather than natural physical attributes and conditioning of the body.
Posture/Stance – Tai Gung
Many schools pretty much ignore the process of attaining correct posture and alignment of the spine. The consequent level of relaxation may be quite inferior and training will progress slowly if at all.
The first aim in this approach is to be able to stand correctly. Students are taught a kind of standing meditation. Before adjusting our posture we need to be able to feel the body properly. This is an ongoing process and, while demanding to begin with, is tremendously gratifying in itself, rather than just a means to an end. If successful, the student will feel a significantly heightened awareness of the body and an improved ability to control muscular tension.