Full Body Siu Lim Tau
Another Discovery
For one reason or another, it seems an age once again since I have written a blog, however, this one I felt I had to share, not because of its immediate relevance but simply because I was so excited in wanting to share with you.
I am currently on holiday in Scotland, on the Isle of Harris, a long journey but one our family enjoy every year. A journey which to starts at 6.00am and requires an eleven-hour drive from Northamptonshire to Skye, plus toilet and food stops for kids and the dog (not necessarily in that order).
We arrived in Skye around 9.00pm with some very tired children (after their 5.00am wakeup call) and finally had everyone settled shortly after 10.00pm.
As I watched the sun setting, for some reason felt the need to run through a form, the sky was red as I dropped into my stance and began to play my Siu Lim Tau, but with a difference…
Ordinarily, when we play the SLT we can have all kinds of thoughts and energies being played, either focussing on the elbow pushing forward, your overall relaxation, your breathing, and so on. Of late I have been encouraging the idea of 1st section being like waves, lapping forwards and backwards, as a way of helping those with heavy Chi Sau to engage more in their ability to receive and to follow arms, rather than just being pushed and pulled all over the place.
Well, on this occasion, I felt as though I needed a bit of a reboot, so focussed on ‘No one area in particular’, not that I trained it with no energy, but that I trained with energy, everywhere.
WOW!
It was amazing, my focus was to keep the same amount of energy, not only in my elbow and wrist, but also in my shoulders, back, neck, back-arm and even through my legs, I felt as though I was glowing, with everything being connected. Then, I gradually turned up the heat, only slightly, but everywhere, all at the same time.
We only arrived in Harris yesterday and I’ve run the form this way, half a dozen times since already, I cannot get enough of it!
So many people poo-poo the first form, thinking that it is too basic for them, and yet forty-three years on from first discovering the Siu Lim Tau and I am still finding excitement in discovering all the new mysteries this beautiful art has to offer.
I do recommend you try this for yourself, and the waves idea too.
Do remember to keep open-minded, not only in the forms but in all your Wing Chun, as to only think of the style as a method of self-defence is criminal.
The personal benefits and daily wellness of training Wing Chun, will always outweigh that of its street applications, remember that and it will be a lifelong companion to you, from day-one to old age.
Thank you for reading.