Mind and Body

Wing Tsun training has built-in training for the mind and the body. To learn our footwork, you must practice, like most disciplines. In this case, however, you must correct yourself. This self-correcting is the mental training that is so beneficial.

Wing Tsun footwork is not that same as other lineages of the art of Yip Man. Its subtleties are exclusive to the Leung Ting lineage and allow a practitioner to borrow the force of an attacker. It also allows a trainee to get good fitness and toning in the legs.

Starting out, you must train just one arm at a time and move slowly, the slower, the better. The first set of movements is called “little idea form.” This is the translation of this set of movements: Siu Nim Tau. It explains the simplicity of the form and allows a student to learn easier than starting at a faster speed.

While you are committing these movements to your muscle memory, you are learning a fast, practical system of self-defense.

Wing Tsun uses the shortest distance when striking which is normally a straight line. This is at the core of Wing Tsun. This automatically makes you faster than somebody that uses a curved path in punches, palm strikes and kicks. Of course it is possible to squander this advantage.

Si-fu Keith Sonnenberg