SIL LIM TAO (Little Idea)

This is the open door to the wing chun system.  Here a beginner must approach the art without preconceived notions of advancement.This ‘little idea’ should be thought of as a test of the candidates willingness to learn.

SIL LIM TAO (Little Idea) - Wing Chin First Form

PART I - The Way Of Practitioner 

Martial Arts, probably having their origins in India, have in China developed in close connection with the Schools of Spritual Enlightment mostly linked with Buddhism and Taoism as a comprehensive religious, natural and body-mind changing -approach.

The Heart of Martial Arts is a radical transformation of the very being of the Practitioner from simple fighter toward s a spritual change, transmutation of the Soul in similar matter than Alchemists tried to do in the West.

The Philosophy is based on believe that Laws of Physics have corresponding Laws in Spiritual world which function in living organism and internal energy is generated due Practice. This energy can be delivered to any direction using body as channel and medium

Such is the case of Wingchun Kungfu which originates from Shaolin from the year 1500 onwards – the Art developed by Buddhist Nuns as a total system Self-Protection and of turning Body to Golden and Mind into Light.

The Philosophy, teachings and technics of Wingchun are closely guarded secrets, and not known by general Practitioners and often abandoned by their Teachers, and for this reason, we have prepared here principal steps towards progressive enlightment from technical aspects to spritual transformation with the ultimate aim of purification of the soul and unification to Universal Energy.

The roots of WingChun Martial Art lies in the ancient belief of the existence of universal-physical energy, LIFE FORCE which behaves like water waves, moves freely and teaching the skills to acquire and accumulate such energy in body and create self-awareness of how to externally and internally flow such energy.

ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner 

The Essense is to syncronise the Practitioner towards universal integrated Harmony to enable power storage, and gradually make the entire body, mind and breathe follow the movement.The Aim is to make the Mind-Body organism is in coherence with the surrounding World where the energy flows back and forth vibrating in tune with Universal Energy like fine tuned musical instrument.

The body and mind, material and immaterial interact within the Practitioner to create balanced physical energy where body and mind slowly harmonize and unite and start to follow The Way as explained in ancient China Taoism.

ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner 

SnakeSnakeInner-power, Chi Inner-power, Chi

and internal and internal transformation of transformation of

SoulSoul

LeopardLeopardAttack, speed and Attack, speed and sudden twists and sudden twists and

movementsmovements

GrainGrainBody balance, Body balance,

correct postures correct postures and internal and internal

networknetwork

TigerTigerExtreme power, Extreme power,

dynamic and dynamic and muscular body muscular body

strengthstrength

DragonDragonSlowness and soft Slowness and soft

movements, movements, concentration of concentration of

MindMind

Ancient Chinese Animal Symbolism demonstrate the The Way of Practitioner and show how to acquired skills as presented at the Form 1-3 stages of WingChun Kungfu:

In the Western context, The Way of Taoism can be explained in Alchemist terms and symbolism. In Alchemistry, natural laws have spiritual parallels and experiments concerns of indentifying LIFE FORCE at various elements. Alchemistry focuses in raising of vibrations, cultivating the seed within us and assist the LIFE FORCE to find harmonious balance in our body towards transformation of the entire individual.Alchemical transformation is from animal kingdom towards mineral kingdom, raising of vibrations, achieving harmonious balance and peace of Mind.*Everything comes out from a Seed but the Fruits must be inside the Seed from the very beginning*

ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner 

ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner 

Buddhist and Taoist Spiritual Dimensions are strange in the Christianity influenced West, where a fundamental split of Body and Mind is proglaimed and our brains divided in Right and Left halves, each with specialized functions - our Body and Mind are separated, the approach is Duality.

In the East, the approach is Unity where the entire World with Yang (male) and Yin (female) principles interact to create harmonious balance. The ultimate aim of The Practitioner is to achieve Balance where these polarities unite under Heart Principle or as in Wing Chun terminology The Centre-Line.The Heart Principle is the integration Body and Mind which Status is generating a Force itself, a new fighting dimension with pulsating energy - The Practitioner with achieved Heart Principle will counter-balance opposing Forces and unite them into targeted singularity. The Heart -principle and integration can be best illustrated as follows:

THE CENTRE LINE - The way of Practitioner 

FutureFuture

IndividualIndividual

Right side Right side

ExternalExternal

HardHard

FatherFather

MasculineMasculine

FeminineFeminine

MotherMother

SoftSoft InternalInternal

PastPast

GroupGroup Left side Left side

PresentPresent

BalanceBalanceEntiretyEntirety

UnityUnity

EnduranceEnduranceHumanHuman

LoveLove

INTERNAL ASPECTS - The way of Practitioner 

In Practice, this means that aggressive, YANG types of persons drawn to masculine /external styles must balance themselves towards softer –sides of The Heart principle to achieve harmonious balance, and similarly softer and relaxed styles must be practiced. In aggressive dominated images of Martial Arts, we might find this principle difficult to enforce with Practitioners, and many beginners might find it extremely difficult adapt to themselves to soft sides but in close proximity fighting the emphasis of sensing, soft constant movements and harmonizing external- internal energy flows with Attackers moves, can not be over-emphasized This new dimension is more than Hard and Soft sides combined, it is a new Integrated Power stage where polarities have united into Oneness, imbalances are Corrected and Mind-Body is directly sensing Inner-Reality generating a new Force, strength and speed itself.

EXTERNAL ASPECTS - The way of Practitioner 

External Aspects in WingChun Kungfu refer to Fighting Strategy, Correct Body Angles, Techniques, Speed, Accuracy and Strength. The Practitioners must due ardeous exercise achieve the knowledge of strategy, correct body movements, rapid twists, distances and timing to create powerful hits like bullet fired from gun coming NOT coming from strength but from Springy Connections Build-up throughout the Body.

In WingChun, the Speed is the Essence and One-Inch Punches, as demonstrated by Bruce Lee - You double the weight, You double to energy but when You double the Speed, You increase the Energy by Four.

WingChun hits must be so fast that attacker should fall without seeing any body movement by hands or legs or sensing any hits coming - what he only can see is his own downfall.

FORM I – Postures and Movements 

In WingChun training there are three levels of external Forms which are directed to teach The Practitioner to master strategy, tactics and correct body movements. At the First Level, The Practitioner is guided through Form I exercises targeting to teach correct postures to enable body to withstand heavy blows, how to develop Centre line and localized strength hits, and how to change rapidly from tension to relaxation which are the very foundations of further advancement at WingChun Kungfu.

FORM I – Postures and Movements 

Here some pictures of Form I - Correct Postures from Stephan Chan book.

FORM I – External Aspects

WingChun Form I teaches The Practitioner both External Principles as well as Internal Aspects The Way. The External training concentrates on corrects position, accuracy and speed but, simultaneously, introduced the importance of relaxation, slowness of the moments and shifting sensations to modify the body towards senses of inner-reality, internal energy flows and how to deliver internal energy by hand movements.

FORM I – Internal Aspects

Internal energy requires slowness, stillness and softness of movement and is it cultivated by slow easy movements and freedom inside the body, slow breathing and internal awareness.Energy can not be acquired mechanically such as muscles in weight training but only by mental concentration, slow flowing and continues movements.The Internal energy development requires adaption of the Heart Principle and Centre Line in harmonious body-mind combination.

The Way of Practitioner Summary

1. Understand the Difference of Martial Arts vs. Simple Fighting

2. Realize the External and Internal Aspects of WingChuni. External - technics, forms, angles, speedii. Internal – energy, mental stage, health, life force

3. Energy is Vibration, Resonance Allows Energy to Move

i. slow, stillness and soft movements4. Remember that Body is External Manifestation of the

Spiriti. eliminate inner conflicts / disharmony

5. The Way of Movement Affects the entire Human Being

Part II – The Way of Master

To be revealed to the Worthy One