MY5 VING TSUN KUNG FU

Ving Tsun Kung Fu is considered technology in some circles. What I mean by this is the optimization of the human structure for means of efficiency and precision. The reality is, people that actually practice Ving Tsun are a small minority compared to the whole of population. What this does is grants the practicioner an edge, in many scenarios/applications. Whether it be work, school, home, and self defense. Ving Tsun grants geometric awareness through practice of the centerline/sagittal-axis, and the various tools that the kung fu has to offer (tan, bong, fuk). Think of it as a structural and geometric encryption for the individual against a vast amount of various barriers and complications the person may be faced with. During my tenure as a Sifu in the Moy Yat lineage, I have found that geometry does not just exist on a spacial/physical plane, but can be measured and traced in time as well. We practice very slow forms to highlight micro details in structure with internal/yin energy.

Sensory training is a keystone in Ving Tsun Kung Fu. All the various drills leading to Chi Sau, as well as the Chi Sau itself emphasizes this. Responses become reflexes through natural instinct, not just calculated determinations. To the point where your subconscious will quite literally wake you up from sleep say if any encroachments arise.

With this being said, it is important to highlight that Ving Tsun has only been available to the general public since about the 1960's, with special recognition to Grandmaster Yip Man, and his student, Moy Yat, teaching in the states. Bruce Lee also played a pivotal role by popularizing the practice globally.

To a non practitioner, a Sifu level, or even an expert may seem “supernatural” to the untrained eye. For both parties, this can be a psycho-social challenge. if you either have no concept of understanding what is happening beneath the surface, or if you lack a proper mentor, or Sifu (kung fu Teacher) to teach you the navigational fundamentals. Regardless, humility on both sides is critically important, because the reality is, it is VERY natural.

Ving Tsun was a hidden form of kung fu for about 400 years, only passed down from a Sifu to a single student during the majority of that time (maybe even longer). Highlighting the potency of the kung fu. What that also means is that the tradition is purely in tact, at the very least a formidable percentage of the subtle nuances of a traditional kung fu Family.

Regardless of the personal path and choices within one's kung fu, and choices within in a kung fu family, it remains. The wisdom of the kung fu is in the movements. I specifically remember my Sifu saying, "one form is like adding a layer of kung fu on your bones".

I believe it to be relevant to share some of my personal discoveries, even if the means of how I achieved the insights were through hard choices and ultimately separated myself from my lineage. Moy Yat has a saying, "the knowledge that you gain from your own experiences is your own true kung fu." I interpret this as even the experiences BEFORE you train.

With that being said, I want to talk a little about "how you train"..

I was shown verbal appreciation from my Sifu. Only once, for practicing faithfully. Which is a statement that is widely open for interpretation. When we accept new students into our Kwoon, what is the first thing that is asked? WHY do you want to learn? We all want to learn for various reasons. Some people want to improve their mobility, stay active, improve their health etc. Some people actually are in high risk environments and genuinely need to learn a skill that can save their lives (which is where the kung fu was intentionally created for in the first place). I firmly believe, that no one is at fault for their upbringing, and environmental circumstances.

Along with my initial instruction from my Sifu, during my transition from a novice to understanding more advanced concepts. I spent the majority of my time with my SiGung (Sifu's Sifu) Uncles, Grand Uncles, and SiTaiGung (Great Grand Master). It was during this period where my training took a much more intense and grueling turn. Traveling to seminars around the country, training 8 hours a day..

One day at my family's Headquarter School, one of my Grand Uncles pointed out to me the look of the "Boat Style" in the most subtle way in passing while performing the Sil Nim Tao form. Now that I think about it, my Si-Gung-Bak showed me a lot in the very few encounters that I actually had with him. At the time, I did not think much of it. Yet, it very much is crucial to the development of my own true kung fu that I took the time to develop over the years.

Relevant to my experiences before my actual training. When I was a teenager I was a street dancer, and I did not want to lose those skills or get lost in translation in my Kung Fu. Not that they would anyway. But this is why I was always inspired by the Red Boat Opera in China.

The Red Boat Opera, was a Cantonese troupe of performers, some of whom were also Ving Tsun Masters (Leung Lan Kui, Leung Yee Tei, and Wong Wah-Bo). During that time, they were actually rebels/resistance to a government that were actually encroaching on their humanity. The same government that burned the Southern Shaolin Temple, forcing five elders (Pak Mei, Chi Shin, Fung To Tak, Miu Hin, and an Abbess Ng Mui, founder of the Ving Tsun system) into hiding along with their kung fu. The Red Boat Opera Troupe, under the guise of mere entertainers, were actually heirs to the Ving Tsun Kung Fu System from Shaolin.

Today, with new technology and harder times being more apparent in society. The geometric encryption (cryptometry) of Ving Tsun Kung Fu is a clear choice, and an open option for self preservation, vitality, and purpose for the evolving future.