The Chance For A New Start

 

A return to class

 

 

Back in March 2020, our schools closed and lockdowns were introduced, as Covid 19 swept across the Uk and indeed, the world.

 

Here in the UK, fourteen months later we are once again, finally, able to open our doors, hopefully with no further interruption to training.

 

Over this whole time away, I have provided livestream Zoom classes for my students, four times per week, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (with the Monday and Thursday sessions also being available for our members at wingchun.online (do not worry, this will not change for you)).

Tonight, will (hopefully) be my last Tuesday night Zoom class, as from next week the school will be open and I will be able to be face-to-face with those students and finally even get some ‘hands-on’ training again.

 

But before we all start rushing back to class and get back into our old routines, ask yourself a question:

 

‘How can I make this break from class, work in my favour?’

 

I believe this is a very important blog, as, if properly understood, will help many practitioners, no matter what your experience.

I say practitioners because this is aimed at students and Instructors alike.

 

One of the most common annoyances for me, is when a student, usually advanced ones, think that within a class, even a sizeable one, there are only a few people that they can play Chi Sau with, that they believe are good enough to train with or learn from.

 

WHAT A LOAD OF BULL S**T.

 

Everybody has something that they need to work on but are usually hindered from doing so by their egos.

 

It may be trying to relax more, to roll closer in Chi Sau, to stop backing off, OR, the most common issue, training your bad side.

 

I was once asked to view a few Chi Sau techniques on Youtube, where the Instructor was showing something with his right Tan and Bong facing toward the camera, ok, no problem there, but then he wanted to show a move from his Fook Sau, instead of simply changing hand positions, the guy swapped places with his partner so his left hand was now nearest to the camera!

 

Are you so bad that you can only play on the one side?

 

Even when making a teaching video?

 

This shocks me when a person who is teaching, only has the use of one side!

I see this a lot.  SO often people visit my school to show their skills, to only have trained one side of their Chi Sau?

To me one of the very best points of Wing Chun is the fact of it being ambidextrous.

 

Anyway, I digress, the point is this, having had a break from class, no one will expect you to be at your best, therefore you have nothing to prove, you can take that step back, embrace the basics and use the chance to sharpen them again, leaving your ego at the door!

 

SO…

 

WHEN you find what you need to work on (and you will), do not go to the highest skilled people in the school to train, as you will immediately go back to defending and attacking at that highest level, therefore straight away going back to your favourite moves or techniques, and therefore once again not addressing the very things you need to work on.

 

It’s simple, if you want to improve (and we all do), try to work on the things you cannot do, not the things you’ve already nailed.

 

This is where beginners are great…

Find the new guys, the ones with little experience, and offer to help them.

 

Here you can roll left Tan/Bong and right Fook Sau with no fear of being attacked.

Here you can work your left side (if that is what you need), again with no fear of being attacked.

 

This is great and can only be a Win Win, YOU get to train what you NEED to, with no danger of damaging your ego, AND, the BEGINNER get’s to roll with someone with experience.

 

So, next time you’re in class and you see a new student or a student with little experience, go help them, this way you will both learn.