#lmkwingchun

Nothing can match the refinement that an expert brings. We're so blessed to have Sifu. He blesses me with rich knowledge and creates the environment for me to gain the experiences needed to facilitate my classes well. I enjoy what I do. Every pain, every hour spent training that could be invested elsewhere, every hardship, and ever revelation; they make me who I am. I appreciate it all. I just feel blessed to be able to do what I do and follow my passion. - #blacksthoughts #lmkwingchun #vbwingchun #longpole (at Wing Chun School)

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. - Jim Goodwin/Sydney J. Harris A key component in #chisao, and #wingchun in general, is relaxation. Our speed isn't based on brute effort, but proper use of our body's potential. It's the step and the turn that drives the hands forward to reach the opponent. Using economy of motion allows us to start from the last stopping point. We don't always have to cock our arm back and throw our raw weight into a strike. We use short distance power and quick snaps of force. To say, "I'm not fast enough, so I can't do wing chun," is the same as saying, "I'm not flexible, so I can't practice yoga." It's the training that gets you there. Once you understand the "how" and begin the training that gets you there, the shroud of mystery begins to dissolve. So just relax and let it flow. - #blacksthoughts #vbwingchun #lmkwingchun (at Wing Chun School)

After stealing your partner's hand, sometimes he may have a free hand to throw a reactionary strike with. If so, you should use your good structure, economy of motion and quick response to handle the reactionary punch that he throws, and follow up with a combination of attacks. Since your back fist is there aimed at his center (good structure), when he throws the punch with the free hand you can use that back fist hand to deal with his attack. It's the closest hand to your partner's free hand (economy of motion - use the shortest distances), so slap (pak sao) or pull (lop sao) the free hand down when he swings it (quick reaction). Then follow your attack. This drill required good execution of setups, quick reaction time, and the ability to know how to properly follow up. In wing chun, just any attack won't do. It has to follow wing chun principles. You shouldn't open yourself back up for counter attacks, you should use your attack as a cover, and the series of attacks have to make sense in accordance to how your opponent will naturally react to them. If you strike your opponent in his mid-section, his natural reaction is to buckle over. This will bring his head down towards you. This is when it's easier to strike him in the face. So it makes sense to strike his mid-section, then strike up to the face. This is one example. The purpose of this drill is to set your partner up for him to throw a reactionary punch with his free hand, trap or steal the free hand, and continue with a series of counter attacks. This builds up reaction time and response to counter attacks, while training you to not stop the attack after the first punch. It also develops speed and accuracy. - #blacksthoughts #vbwingchun #lmkwingchun #chisao (at Wing Chun School)

"May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children." - Rainer Maria Rilke This is an intermediate level reaction drill. Your partner's job is to steal your hand away from you while attacking you simultaneously. Your job is to not resist his attack, but to go with it while following wing chun principles. Over time you will learn how to relax more, and through proper training you will learn how to allow your body to naturally deliver an adequate response that will keep you, first and foremost, safe. The speed is hidden inside of the structure of your arms, and the reaction is a byproduct of relaxation. Many people say, "I can't practice yoga because I'm not flexible," or "I can't practice wing chun because I'm not fast enough." I love to witness the amazement when a student develops his or her skill past the level of their preconceived notions. Don't limit yourself. Push yourself and allow yourself to fully express and embrace your potential. Never say never. Believe in yourself, no matter what it is you do. #LMKWingChun #NorfolkBaseballAcademy #blacksthoughts (at Norfolk Baseball Academy)