Good afternoon on this lovely spring day.

 

Just a short message to say that I am looking forward to teaching the seminar tonight. I have a lot of information to teach and it should be pretty special. It is imperative (as with all classes in our schools) that every student brings pen and paper with them. This is as essential as having the correct equipment and uniform. I am aware that most martial arts do not require this for their lessons, but Wing Tsun is unusual in that it places a major emphasis on self development. Wing Tsun is also an exceptionally detailed system and I personally think that it is extremely hard to build on your knowledge if you have no accurate way of recalling what was taught to you at an earlier stage. To be honest, this is not a secret; if you study anything – from literature to fashion - you need to make notes so that you can develop and build on your ideas.

 

For me one of the founding principles of teaching Chinese Wing Tsun is that it should both be educational and enjoyable. One without the other potentially negates its benefits. I have to say that my biggest problem with many martial art and Wing Tsun teachers is that they tell rather than educate. In my experience I don’t think that this is the best way to help best develop students. You should be there to stimulate interest and help people walk their own path – not try to force them to go a particular way (but please note that at the same times the rules of the art must be upheld). I also feel this is not in keeping with the heritage of the arts, but I hope that this will change in the future. I am always thankful to my Sifu for his emphasis on this way of teaching.

 

To confirm: there will not be any normal classes running tonight. If you haven’t already booked a place for the seminar and wish to do so please call the school telephone.

 

Sifu