Tai Gong, mind over matter. It never ceases to amaze me how the subtlety of the internal art of Wing Chun is so involved and inter linked to the mind.
In watching Sifu Seb demonstrate and explain the Tai Gong test; that is establishing the state, the relaxation of the anus area and the seng, or rising of the spine, we then have our partner apply pressure to test the state.
We look for reactions, locking of muscles to counteract the applied force. Whereas, the successful participants absorb the force maintain the state and disempower their opponent. The subtlety is that gap, that space, that presence of mind, not to react to that applied force. Rather the presence of mind to ‘respond’. There is a real sense of grasping and slowing down time if we get this right.
fight or flight
The fight or flight inbuilt programming typically responds to incoming “force/attack” by tensing and being prepared to fight or flight. This internal practice is about actually managing the transmission of brain signal between the body and your energy fields to such that you manage and control your fight or flight programming. All within milliseconds.
Step out of Wing Chun and think of how often we have reacted to a situation, which invariably was not our best performance. Simply, we were in charge of the presence to manage our fight or flight. We didn’t own our state.
If we could have presence of our mind over matter, how much more effective and efficient would our lives, our worlds be?
All this depth and realization from a simple martial art tells me that simple its not and an art it is. Mind over matter, without control of the mind the art simply doesn’t matter. Thanks Sifu Seb of Mindful Wing Chun.
– David McCann