A Reason To NOT Stop Your Training

 

Keep strong internally

 

For the vast majority of us, never before in our lives have we seen such strange and difficult times, a global pandemic destroying everything as we have grown to know it, and with this in mind we can also say that never before has there been such a need for us to take care of ourselves.

 

Not only do we need to protect ourselves from the outside, through lockdowns, social distancing, face masks and the like, but we also need to protect ourselves from the inside too, keeping our internal defences at their highest so that our cells are able to protect us from disease.

 

The good news is that we can help to do this

By training Wing Chun.

 

Wing Chun is an amazing street self defence system, but it is much more than that, it is a wonderful way of keeping us healthy, both physically and mentally.

 

Be ready

 

So many people stop their Wing Chun training after saying that they cannot find a partner and therefore they are not able to train, but what I am referring to is the personal training of Wing Chun, and the first thing that jumps out at us is your Siu Lim Tau (the Little idea Form), helping the development our own internal energy in a way that may make us strong enough to get through this should we encounter it.

 

Think of the Siu Lim Tau helping like this:

Within our bodies we have white blood cells, which help to kill off diseases, but this is very difficult for them to do their job when we bombard ourselves with stress, strain, nerves, tension and so on.  You may think…

 

Well what about when we sleep,

Do they get a chance to work then? 

 

Unfortunately not, this is why we have bad sleep due to tossing and turning, uncomfortable dreams and restlessness etc.

Although, by giving ourselves a reason to direct 100% of our focus and attention on to something, anything in fact (in Siu Lim Tau it will be the elbow), allows our body to do its job, to protect us from the inside out.

 

Add to this mental focus, the right kind of breathing, and the result can be an incredible stimulation of these white blood cells, therefore enhancing your chances of keeping you strong from the inside out.

The effects of training Siu Lim Tau are immediate, with an instant feeling of wakefulness, clarity and the energy to take on all the challenges of the day ahead.

 

So do not stop your Wing Chun training just because you are not able to play Chi Sau or spar, of course this is great fun and the method we use to train our fighting skills, but there is so much more to this wonderful art than we often realise, such as leg strength, suppleness of the joints, good circulation, mental focus and much more.

Partner requirements such as, Drills, Chi Sau, Sparring and even fighting principles are not the only elements to Wing Chun, they are just one of the many benefits.

In fact training with only this in mind can be such a waste.

 

Grandmaster Ip Chun once said to me:

“Do not train your Wing Chun purely to fight, if so you may train for ten or twenty years for a fight that could last just a few seconds, or it may be that you practice all of your life for a fight that never happens!  

But, you may train for just a matter of months and it ‘could’ save your life”

 

 

He also says:

“You don’t stop Wing Chun because you get old,

You get old because you stopped Wing Chun”

 

 

 

Here is some additional information on cells taken from an article by:

UNIVERSITY of ROCHESTER

MEDICAL CENTER

 

What Are White Blood Cells?

Your blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

Your white blood cells account for only about 1% of your blood, but their impact is big. White blood cells are also called leukocytes. They protect you against illness and disease.

Think of white blood cells as your immunity cells. In a sense, they are always at war. They flow through your bloodstream to fight viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders that threaten your health. When your body is in distress and a particular area is under attack, white blood cells rush in to help destroy the harmful substance and prevent illness.

White blood cells are made in the bone marrow. They are stored in your blood and lymph tissues. Because some white blood cells have a short life of 1 to 3 days, your bone marrow is always making them.

Types of white blood cells

Among your white blood cells are:

  • Monocytes. They have a longer lifespan than many white blood cells and help to break down bacteria.

  • Lymphocytes. They create antibodies to fight against bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful invaders.

  • Neutrophils. They kill and digest bacteria and fungi. They are the most numerous type of white blood cell and your first line of defense when infection strikes.

  • Basophils. These small cells seem to sound an alarm when infectious agents invade your blood. They secrete chemicals such as histamine, a marker of allergic disease, that help control the body’s immune response.

  • Eosinophils. They attack and kill parasites and cancer cells, and help with allergic responses.

Problems affecting white blood cells

Your white blood cell count can be low for a number of reasons. This includes when something is destroying the cells more quickly than the body can replenish them. Or when the bone marrow stops making enough white blood cells to keep you healthy. When your white blood cell count is low, you are at great risk for any illness or infection, which can spiral into a serious health threat.

Your healthcare provider can do a blood test to see whether your white blood cell count is normal.   If your count is too low or too high, you may have a white blood cell disorder.

A number of diseases and conditions may affect white blood cell levels:

  • Weak immune system. This is often caused by illnesses such as HIV/AIDS or by cancer treatment. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy can destroy white blood cells and leave you at risk for infection.

  • Infection. A higher-than-normal white blood cell count usually means you have some type of infection. White blood cells are multiplying to destroy the bacteria or virus.

  • Myelodysplastic syndrome. This condition causes abnormal production of blood cells. This includes white blood cells in the bone marrow.

  • Cancer of the blood. Cancers including leukemia and lymphoma can cause uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell in the bone marrow. This results in a greatly increased risk for infection or serious bleeding.

  • Myeloproliferative disorder. This disorder refers to various conditions that trigger the excessive production of immature blood cells. This can result in an unhealthy balance of all types of blood cells in the bone marrow and too many or too few white blood cells in the blood.

  • Medicines. Some medicines can raise or lower the body’s white blood cell count.

Conditions such as extreme physical stress caused by an injury or emotional stress can also trigger high white blood cell levels. So can inflammation, labor or the end of pregnancy, smoking, or even extreme exercise.

Medical Reviewers:

  • Donna Freeborn PhD CNM FNP
  • Lu Cunningham
  • Richard LoCicero MD

 

 

 

 

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