We all crave positive change. But probably for most of us, positive change doesn’t happen overnight. There are so many factors that go into changing one’s lifestyle that really takes a little bit of time to get right, therefore probably the most important reason why people choose to take up martial arts in general and 詠春, in particular, is because it has the power to improve the quality of our everyday lives. From just being healthier and fitter up to unlocking your potential, practicing Martial arts and 詠春 on a regular basis help us to become better versions of ourselves while learning about ancient ideas and concepts on how to deal with all kinds of interactions in life.
About 詠春 (Wing Chun / Wing Tsun)
詠春 is a rare gem of Chinese martial arts — traditional and classical, yet modern and functional: Practitioners engage in many ancient exercises such as forms, solo drills, and unique partner training methods as meditation in motion applying philosophy in action. For example, rather than relying on brute strength or pre-arranged sequences, 詠春 applies unique principles and strategies not only to challenge yourself physically but also to teach you how to examine all forms of interaction in life helping you to balance your body, mind, and soul by becoming more focused by increasing awareness and mindfulness in training and life.
Start to train your body
Whoever learns 詠春 develops an intensive understanding of their own body, awareness of yourself, and thus a new sense of self-confidence. Through regular training, practitioners become more aware of themselves and their possibilities. Starting from breathing and stretching exercises up to action through movement exercises and combat sessions, the newly acquired skills while being in the moment with oneself and others leads to a new awareness of and confidence for life through continuous self-assessment and self-improvement.
Start to guard your mind
Martial arts help practitioners build mental skills by teaching them how to focus: Before executing certain moves, practitioners need to focus and enter a Zen-like state. A calm mind focuses more and is effective compared to a distracted one. This type of focus is beneficial in all areas of life, for example, in school and work. 詠春 will not only challenge you physically but will also teach you how to examine all forms of interaction in life using its concepts and guidelines. Whether at work, with friends, or meeting people, 春 will give you a whole new sense of self-confidence. You will find yourself able to stay calmer under pressure with an unwavering sense of self-esteem and self-assuredness. Focusing with a calm mind enables us to finish what we’re doing quicker. It trains our mind and teaches it to work in collaboration with our body. 詠春 teaches practitioners the connection between the mind and the body, and the connection between the physical and the mental.
Start to free your spirit
The deeper spiritual benefits of martial arts are often overlooked because of focusing on the combative and self-defense skills it brings. The deeper value of martial arts and becoming a (peaceful) warrior is helping individuals harness their natural strength and increase resilience. Most martial arts classes normally begin with or include meditation. Students are expected to concentrate on some thought or object as a way of clarifying their minds. This is a deeply spiritual practice that includes relaxation and breathing. These act as mental preparation before or for training. Studies have shown that learning proper breathing techniques is crucial for physical activities. Similarly, meditation is now used in curing mental and physical ailments. The most notable benefits of practicing meditation include improving the immune system, enhanced confidence, and emotional wellness. Lastly, the meditation practiced in martial arts enables people to have conversations with their inner selves (soul). This is important because in modern society many people struggle with self-identity. People who don’t know what they are capable of physically and mentally are likely to have identity issues. Most people live and die with significant potential because of the disconnect between their minds and body. Meditation in martial arts serves as the bridge channeling communication between the mind and the body.
Additional Benefits are acquiring Self-Defense Skills while gaining more confidence by getting to know yourself better
詠春 is based on using the body in an efficient and practical manner against aggression and in a very unique way, Wing Tsun adapts its strategies according to the opponent’s attack and adaptation and yielding to greater force allow the practitioner to defend different types of attacks while at the same time as the fighting skills, the training aimed to keep body, soul, and spirit healthy. The techniques of 詠春 are very straightforward, practical, and based on principles rather than acrobatic displays of athleticism. The techniques of 詠春 work within a natural range of motion and don’t require extreme flexibility or strength to work. 詠春 teaches to behave according to basic principles so that in case of emergency the decision is” felt” instead for example to decide which technique to use. In case of an „emergency situation“, intuitive action has the greatest speed and chance to be successful. Thus, even physically weaker persons (and a potential attacker is usually stronger) are able to defend themselves efficiently. 詠春 is suitable for males and females, of all ages and physiques. The effectiveness of 詠春 is dependent on and is achieved by well-coordinated attacks with simultaneous defense and vice versa. Practitioners earn to deliver the correct amount of energy, whilst staying relaxed when possible.
Don´t compare yourself with others — compare yourself one month or a year ago.
“The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday” (Matty Mullins)
The most important part of changing your lives by building new habits is staying consistent. It doesn’t matter how well you perform on any individual day. Sustained effort is what makes the real difference. For that reason, when you start a new habit it should be so easy that you can’t say no to it. In fact, when starting a new behavior it should be so easy that it’s almost laughable. It doesn’t matter if you start small because there will be plenty of time to pick up the intensity later. Prove to yourself that you can stick to something small for 30 days. Then, once you are on a roll and remaining consistent, you can worry about increasing the difficulty.
