Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu Essays

[Savi]

I'd like to start a new thread on the philosophy of our wonderful system Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen. I was inspired by David Bowman's essay posted in "Fau Kiu, Too!!!" and wish to present it here. My acknowledgement is below.
Originally posted by David Bowman:
Saam Mo Kiu
Style and the Three Connecting Bridges
Saam Mo Kiu

The popularity of martial arts in the U.S. has created a conceptual separation of activities that historically didn’t exist in the Shaolin Temples.

One only has to take a ride around any major metropolitan area to see example after example of martial arts specialization. These observations are further enhanced by picking-up any martial arts magazine extolling the next greatest style or long lost hidden secret that is better than anything that has come before it.

From a western business perspective this is understandable; create a niche and market its uniqueness. From a martial arts perspective this approach confuses those that approach martial arts from a more sophisticated understanding than a consumer product approach.

The ultimate purpose for studying martial arts is to recognize and deal with all aspects of reality as it exits not as we want it to exist. This understanding of reality takes on three distinct stages that apply regardless of whether we’re talking about emotional, intellectual, or physical reality.

Samm Mo Kiu is the process for recognizing reality and our journeys through it. It’s important to mention that there is no such thing as a good or bad stage of reality. Reality is always changing therefore we must change with it. This is not a matter of good/bad, right/wrong, it just is. The other thing to mention is that the journey through the stages is not a one time event. Because reality is always changing and our perspectives become more developed, we go back through the stages again and again. Part of this maturation process is being able to honestly assess what stage we’re in at any given time.

The bridges that help us to form our perspectives are Fau Kiu, Saan Kiu, and Weng Kiu; Fau Kiu is the first stage of development in which one is not even aware that our understanding of reality has changed. If the physics of reality can be described as the interactive elements of time, space, and energy, than a Fau Kiu person is one in which there is no physical context to their thoughts and movements.

Again, this is not a bad stage to be, it’s simply a necessary part of a constantly changing world and our understanding of it. The world being flat is a perfect analogy for Fau Kiu perspective. This perspective though historically accepted widely as fact is one devoid of any awareness of reality. The person or persons who first point out this change in understanding of reality risks being labeled a heretic.

Saan Kiu is the stage of development which is characterized by a strong reliance on collecting data from all of our senses. We’re seeing new things, we’re thinking of things a little bit differently and we’re physically doing things differently. This is sometimes described as an awareness stage in the sense that we know something in our perspective has changed but we can’t quite find a context to place all the new data. In this stage we somehow recognize that there are holes in our existing paradigms but we’re not sure what to do with the data that is an exception to our current understanding. These people are early adopters or pioneers in accepting the new reality. This is especially true for people who have a vested interest in the status quo, but can see enough exceptions to the current understanding to know that a new perspective is needed. One may not understand all the ramifications of the new reality, but they believe that it’s a more complete perspective than the one currently in use.

There are some caveats that apply to this stage. One is traditionally trained in Saan Kiu while simultaneously being introduced to how they connect to a Weng Kiu perspective. The tendency is to think in terms of Weng Kiu is good and anything that is not Weng Kiu is not useful and may even be viewed as bad. This introduction to Weng Kiu is a natural part of the training progression and though at times it may be more interesting due to its preciseness it does not signify the end of the Saan Kiu stage of training. It’s a natural human tendency for us to think of ourselves in the highest of terms, but in the realities of martial arts there is a huge difference in being able to mimic Weng Kiu methods and truly understanding all aspects of our physical reality.

A good analogy for this would be that someone who likes to drive his sports car very fast and is a good driver whenever he takes it out on winding country roads. Even though the person has a lot of skill and can relate to and even use many of the same driving techniques seen on the NASCAR circuit, this is not the same as strapping into a state of the art race car and run on a track at over 200 miles per hour with 30 others doing the same thing.

Weng Kiu represents a stage of development that is characterized by a complete mastery of one’s own elements of reality (time, space, and energy), but also that of their opponents. This is a very transient stage in that things are always changing. One only has a single chance to respond perfectly to a given place in time and space. Weng Kiu is described as being completely efficient, which means that nothing could be added or subtracted to a given response.

A universal understanding of this stage is what differentiates a Weng Kiu perspective from the Saan Kiu early adapter. Weng Kiu is represented as an enlightened understanding of all parts of the whole and the entirety of what the whole represents. It also represents an ability to physically express all principles and concepts without any preconceived notion of intent or preferences. This is a complete mastery of the current reality which is not the same as being introduced or even perfecting components of the new reality.

In summary, the Three Connecting Bridges gives us a medium for viewing our changing world. This Saam Mo Kiu perspective provides us a way to look at the reality of human form and function relative to any conflict (mental, physical, emotional) and break away from a styles perspective to focus on the universality of what it means to be human.

Secondly, the three stages are natural and qualitatively neutral. We can train to a Weng Kiu level without being Weng Kiu. We can appreciate the skills and body methods of Saan Kiu while simultaneously recognizing the difference between Saan Kiu methods and a Weng Kiu approach even though we haven’t fully achieved Weng Kiu. We can also point out a Fau Kiu perspective without demeaning or devaluing the person.

My wish is for people to develop a deeper meaning for their lives through the practice of martial arts regardless of style or approach. I hope that this post helps at least one person view their journey with a little different perspective.


David Bowman
Kalamazoo, MI

I have an essay that I wrote about the Hung Fa Yi philo back in February, and your essay inspired me to revisit mine. I decided to revise it and want to share it here as well. I want to thank you for sharing your wonderful essay with all of us.

[Savi]

Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu
the philosophy behind
Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen

Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu is the thread that connects the system of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen together. It is the backbone of the science behind this combat system, and the guide to the spiritual aspects beyond combat. The purpose of Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu is to help us understand that everything has its own Time Space and Energy. A flower is no less important than the universe itself. The following essay will attempt to explain why.

The literal translation of the name is “Heaven Human Earth, Three Connecting Bridges” and consists of two main segments. This essay will describe to the best of my comprehension what they mean and represent.

Tin Yan Dei:
The first segment of the name is Tin Yan Dei, translated as Heaven Human Earth. Though there may be an innumerable amount of ways to explain its functions, I will present it in relation to technique (sik) and principle (lei). For example, a martial artist may look upon a technique simply as a technique; realizing that the function of a technique serves nothing more than a means to express a personal preference which may seem appropriate to address a situation. When judging which technique may best suit his/her want, the judgment itself naturally falls upon the limitations of his/her experience, perception, and preference. That person may look to another martial art for answers to unanswered questions, but the probability for a more satisfactory answer would still be in the realms of their current understanding.

Across the many different expressions of Wing Chun and speaking from personal observation, there really is no "consistent" use of the technique called Bong Sau within the lineages. I have learned of three different ways to do it, and all three are different in structure and energies. One Bong Sau (called Hok Bong Sau) utilizes forward centerline energy and requires that the fingers point forward and the entire arm be level from fingertip to shoulder. Another type is called Ying Bong Sau, and operates mechanically on a vertical plane, where the area from the fingertips to the elbow must remain completely straight. The third Bong Sau I learned is used to redirect an incoming straight punch up and away from your center of gravity. The classic argument is that there is only one correct way to do Bong Sau.

The idea behind Tin Yan Dei is to realize that preference cannot substitute Reality. One must be able to measure the balance between the extremes of the combat spectrum in order to apply the correct action. In Tin Yan Dei, Heaven and Earth represent two extremes, or each side of the coin, in other words. The resulting interaction of these two extremes must be balanced within for Reality to exist. The essence of this balance points us to Yan (Human) - the result of the interaction. Through the wisdoms of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen we are able to see both extremes of the spectrum, and identify what to do based on the Yan. This knowledge allows us to neutralize or capitalize on the immediate reality by applying the proper tool and energetic at the right moment.

Now, we shift our perspective to principle in order to distinguish the differences between what we see and what we should know. At the principle level of awareness, one looks beyond the surface (sik) to identify which technique’s specific nature corresponds to the situation at hand for the solution. One can conclude that an answer at a technique level (sik) may end up being quite different at a principle level (lei) because of the consideration of Yan in addition to Tin and Dei.

Saam Mo Kiu:
The second segment of the name is Saam Mo Kiu, translated as Three Connecting Bridges. The context for my explanation will be based on its literal translation, what does each bridge signify, and how that relates to Time Space and Energy. The reference of three bridges illustrates that there are three different levels of awareness. Those levels are Fau Kiu “wandering/floating bridge”, Saan Kiu “aware bridge”, and Weng Kiu “focus bridge”. The operative word in Saam Mo Kiu, for purposes of this essay is ‘Mo’, which translates to ‘connecting’. The implication is that this is a progression of total developmental awareness.

The first bridge of Fau Kiu (wandering/floating) identifies someone who has not yet considered time, space, or energy in regard to reality. If this person were to throw a punch towards an object, he/she would not have a true sense of awareness for where the punch starts, how it gets to the target, and/or how many resources it takes to get the job done so long as the punch hits the target. They cannot really explain why things happen, and in combat may concede to the idea of “luck of the draw” or something akin to that. Fighting at this level is ultimately based on attributes, yet should not be looked upon as good or bad.

The second bridge of Saan Kiu (aware) occurs when that same person, through experience and/or guidance, realizes that all action and reaction are a part of a bigger picture. Attaining this level of awareness is due to a paradigm shift. All things are a part of cause and effect, which can be measured with Time Space and Energy. A person now looks at the world in a new way and begins to weigh cause, effect, and consequence. Concepts and models (Yi) may be developed and used to better understand and control time space and energy, albeit done through the conscious mind.

The third bridge of Weng Kiu (focus) refers to the highest level of awareness a person can attain. At the Weng Kiu, a person is truly harmonized with the universe at hand. Once a person reaches this level he/she sees reality at a principle level (lei), where in any circumstance Time Space and Energy is clearly identified and the wisdom gained through the understanding of Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu is at his/her disposal. The laws of Nature itself become the guide of our awareness. To be at Weng Kiu with our awareness is to have traveled and experienced our journey through Fau Kiu and Saan Kiu to reach Weng Kiu, hence the “Mo” – the connections - in Saam Mo Kiu as the keyword. To me, I liken this to the idea of seeing the world in full color. When you take out certain colors of light, your view of the world around you will always be different from the full color picture.

As students, when we combine the wisdom of Tin Yan Dei with Saam Mo Kiu we have the potential to come full circle in understanding that through our growth and experiences, to walk the middle road we must be able to see the entire spectrum of reality. We must remember that everything has its own Time Space and Energy. Having preferences is a natural part of our human experience, but we must recognize the journey does not end there. Going back to the Bong Sau, rather than state that Hok Bong Sau is better than Ying Bong Sau (or vice versa), we recognize they both have their own nature and their own identity. For that reason alone we can say that neither one is purely right or wrong, or in this case better or worse. That is why we say the flower holds no greater or lesser value than the whole universe. To my understanding, this is the philosophy of our unique system, and it can be applied to all areas of life, including combat.

Respectfully,
Savi Kruich.

[Cang Long]

The ultimate purpose for studying martial arts is to recognize and deal with all aspects of reality as it exits not as we want it to exist. This understanding of reality takes on three distinct stages that apply regardless of whether we’re talking about emotional, intellectual, or physical reality. Such a good point I would like to try and comment on it further myself. The reason awareness is such a good fit for the state and stages of progression with regard to saam mo kiu is because it does appear so many of us want to only invision a connection between tin yan dei saam mo kiu and our present training in martial arts because that has been for most of us where we gained our first insight of this remarkable philosophy.

Weng kiu will not solely apply to a combative reactionary response. Weng Kiu is an attitude or state of mind that is aware that the struggle of life consist if constant change. Harmony or (balance of change) of tin yan dei (taiji or "grand ultimate" or all things)for every individual is dependent upon their individual awareness of reality and their unique ability to achieve their fullest individual potential by constantly maximizing the use of this awareness.

Tin Yan Dei Saam Mo Kiu provides a connecting bridge of reality -- self -- potential which ultimately provides us the means to evaluate our present level of awareness. Hung Fa Yi even at our SNT level has provided an enormous amount of information to think about and try and implement into our daily lives.

[JamesHFYofAZ]

:cool:

Since Buddhism and martial art have been connected for thousands of years with Shaolin temples across China, it is no surprise to see the term exist in traditional styles such as, Hung Fa Yi, Chi Sim, Tai Chi, and even northern styles for example Shandong. Although the term is used may differ from system to system, it still consists of the universal truth. HFY uses the term as, a philosophical approach, three points ie. Hei Gung, but also as a universal truth to describing structural connection between ones own body parts.

[JamesHFYofAZ]

The Term Tin Yan Dai, used by Buddhists for several thousand years*, has influenced many different cultural aspects of the East. In Buddhist sects across the Land this term can be found and used as a universal description, for example the Three Levels of Reality, the three fates of life, or the Three Layers of Life (God/universe and the Living thing that inhabit the earth). Religious practices of some ancient Chinese believe in the inseparability of the trinity: Heaven-Human-Earth, in the often quoted, “Heaven and Human are One”, and “Heaven, Human and Earth co-exist”. In Lao Tzu’s Tal Te Ching, verse #67, one of the 3 Treasures is frugality, teaching of the danger of overblown consumerism in the exploitation of the earth’s resources. TYD is also used in Chinese medicine, which is founded by the Tao healing arts, to describe Chi ‘Chi is created by opposing forces, yin and yang, and having three layers of support within all living thing, Chi, Jing, and Shen’ (TYD). In short the Taoist fraise “Tao creates One (Energy), from One comes Two (Yin/Yang), Two generates Three (TYD), but three generates all things” has had a great influence across the Land in many different aspects.