| Something worth dying for... | |
| By Si- Fu onThursday, May 06, 2010 | |
| Good morning. I have a number of quite interesting points that I would like to discuss regarding recent events. However, these will take place in following posts as today is an important day, being Election Day. I am not interested in discussing politics or even an analysis of the policies of the various parties. It is the prerogative and responsibility of each individual to find out and make a decision according to what each person believes is right. Indeed, it has long been the tradition of a martial arts master to be neutral; people of all beliefs, backgrounds and religions should be able to train together united by the art, but free to hold their own private opinions without subject to undue influence. While I certainly hold my own opinions, this is not the ... |  | |
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| A different kind of marathon... | |
| By Si- Fu onSunday, May 02, 2010 | |
| Bruised, battered and quietly shattered… but nevertheless elated. It was a dignified, jubilant atmosphere that swept across the room after the students completed the record breaking 29 hours of continuous training last Sunday afternoon. It was certainly a poignant moment; the participants had seen the sun set, the sun rise and the following afternoon gradually disappear. This has an unusual effect on anyone but particularly when you have been standing on your feet for so long, let alone physically training non-stop. What made the occasion so exceptional however, was not so much the record itself, but the events that lead up to it. In particular, none of the participants had had anything in the way of preparation training for the event. This would normally be ill ... | | |
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| Record Attempt | |
| By Si- Fu onThursday, April 22, 2010 | |
| Good morning. This week sees the highly anticipated commencement of two special events. The first, starting tonight, is the Chi-Dan-Sau seminar. The second, starting Saturday (and also encompasses part of the first) is the world record attempt to raise money for charity. Regular readers will know I have written a brief précis about the Chi-Dan-Sau seminar already, but I will elaborate a little more. While seeming a rather innocuous subject, it is of significant importance for disciples of the art of Wing Tsun. Not leas ... | | |
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| Highest accolade | |
| By Si- Fu onThursday, March 18, 2010 | |
| Good afternoon. There is only one thing more special in Chinese Kung Fu than being accepted as a private student and that is being accepted as a to-dai (‘son’). As a serious martial artist, there is no higher accolade.... So what is the difference between a private student and a to-dai? In fact, being accepted as a to-dai is one step further on from being a private student. It is when a master and student are so close, and the bond between them is so strong, that the student is no longer just a student but is accepted as th ... | | |
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| Learning process | |
| By Si- Fu onWednesday, March 10, 2010 | |
| Good morning. I have a few more points that I would like to add to my previous post regarding private lessons. Like my Sifu, I only teach students that have reached an advanced level. This is not only traditional, but eminently sensible. No matter how skilled a judge of people you are, time al ... | | |
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| Special honour... | |
| By Si- Fu onSaturday, March 06, 2010 | |
| Good morning. Today I would like to talk about one of the traditions in Chinese Kung Fu, namely the custom of being accepted as a private student. I was recently discussing this topic with some of the teachers and I feel students should be aware of its significance in the art. This is particularly poign ... | | |
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| Serious | |
| By Si- Fu onFriday, February 26, 2010 | |
| Good afternoon. While on the topic of seminars there is an additionally point I would like to raise. Although the recent event was well attended (as normal), the seminars have an added effect of showing the character of the students. Not only does it reveal which students are the most determined, but shows who is a ‘dreamer’ and who is serious. Many students proclaim their intention to become masters, but it is through the seminars that the truth becomes apparent. The seminar programme is intense, so only those that really have the ‘inner steel’ are present at all (and in all my time as a student I only missed 1). There are many reasons why a person cannot do something but those that really desire something always find a way. Lethargy and laziness is often at the forefront of being human, but determination, no matter the odds, is the characteristic of a martial artist. It is good to remember that in life ... | | |
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