Good afternoon,

 

Thursday sees the commencement of the first ever seminar dedicated to the Siu Nim Tao. Whilst not the most ‘glamorous’ of topics in Wing Tsun, it is perhaps the most important seminar for all students that I have taught so far. It is certainly something which is both misunderstood, and sadly often ignored, by students and teachers alike. I cannot stress enough that this form should not be taken lightly; students who think that they ‘know’ the form simply because they have learnt the movements could not be more mistaken (or, quite frankly, more foolish). Knowledge and understanding are two worlds apart, and applying both of these is a different universe. Just pause for a moment and think – effective self defence is one thing, but if true mastery of the art were so easy then why did the ancient Shaolin masters dedicate their lives to it…?

 

The importance of Siu Nim Tao can not be overestimated in Wing Tsun – as Grandmaster Yip Man simply stated ‘Bad Siu Nim Tao, bad Wing Tsun’. The techniques and concepts from this form literally put together the whole art. It is very easy to see ‘masters’ (and even ‘grandmasters’) who do not understand this. Developing through the art without a high level of aptitude in Siu Nim Tao is like building on sand. It doesn’t mean that a building will fall down right away, but when a strong wave comes you have serious problems… Without the appropriate understanding of the Siu Nim Tao it is better to forget learning Biu Jee or the Wooden Dummy as you will be just wasting your time.

 

Although on the face of it the seminar appears to be basic, it is far from it. In fact the content is unique; it particularly designed for my students by my Sifu a number of years ago. And to this extent it will take the form of a masterclass, quite unlike anything I have taught before. Students that attend will not only learn what is correct and why, but also how to recognise mistakes in other practitioners and the effect of those mistakes.

 

Each day will focus on different parts of the form and, as usual, there will be theory. In particular I will cover the 8 principles of SNT, which are, without doubt, a secret in Wing Tsun. There are only a very few who know these - most practitioners don’t even know they exist! I will also be teaching extra applications that I have not taught before, so there is a lot to look forward to.

 

All in all, the seminar is essential learning for students of every level – in my opinion no person who wants to achieve a high level can afford to miss it. If you can only attend one seminar this year, this would be the one you should choose.

 

Finally, I don’t apologise for seeming harsh in this post; in life it is better to know the truth than to have ‘silver-plated’ words which mean nothing. My role as a master is not to say what people would prefer to hear. The principles in Siu Nim Tao are also there to show you what is right from what is wrong – without these you have no directions or guidance and you soon get lost in the ‘maze’ of the art. From how to fight to how to live, these all emanate from the Siu Nim Tao…

 

Sifu

 

Ps. On a separate note: for those students who have been fortunate enough to have a place to go to Montenegro there will be a meeting at lunchtime on this coming Saturday. As it concerns the details of the trip all students who are going need to attend.