What are Wing Chun’s transformative properties? Of all the things I have learnt so far, Martial Arts training has undoubtedly had the biggest impact on my life. From wanting to train in Wing Chun for practical reasons, training quickly evolved in a journey of discovery. It has been a somehow rugged path for which my dedication has never vanished albeit softened at times in keeping with life’s demands.
While training in Wing Chun, I soon realised that learning was different from anything else I had learnt before and that I had to depart from the idea of becoming ‘good at it’ when practising. Training in Wing Chun is a life long journey so I have to remind myself to let go of the idea of achievement. Yet the reward has surpassed my expectations because the journey has a depth of exploration like no other.
The other upside is that I can keep training in ‘sickness and health’, adapting training to my own body and mind and to their forever evolving state. Recognising this took me a while as I came to recognise that even with reduced physical capacity, training could become a support mechanism to sustain me through tough times rather than being something I could only do when well. I mainly train for the health benefits it gives me and really enjoy the powerful connection between the mind and the body it provides.
WING CHUN’S TRANSFORMATIVE PROPERTIES by senior practitioners
Training in Wing Chun has also contributed in busting most preconceived ideas I had about strength and power generation. I am really fascinated by what senior practitioners can do with so little effort and I enjoy exploring the counter-intuitive way of using one’s body that can produce brilliant results in terms of power generation. This has given me a different outlook on my own physical capacities and has opened my mind to the possibilities of the body and the realisation that the synergy between body and mind can do wonders. This in turn gives me the power to never underestimate the coping mechanism of my body and mind and I have really witnessed the resilience I have developed thanks to training in Wing Chun.
Authenticity and honesty are key components in Martial Arts and when navigating the complexities of the Art and going through plateaus and regressions, instead of feeling completely dejected by it; I try and remember the few times when I felt good and light, my moves met no resistance within my body nor within my partner’s and my mind was soft and clear. The joy experienced can really feed the soul for a long time. The skills being learnt are full of goodness and can be transferred to my daily life; ever so gently reminding me to move with less tension, adopt a good posture and a relaxed, balanced state.
And best of all, training in Wing Chun has enabled me to meet many great people from around the world. In the uncertain times we are currently facing, I am truly grateful to be experiencing a sense of belonging to this wonderful family.
Amandine Bachmann