Steve
10-24-2004, 09:42 AM
Did the Hung Fa Wui do its job too well, or just right?
Yesterday before the Sparring began in the Tournament at the VTM, Sifu Meng had us (Tae Hayden, Jeremy Roadruck, Brad Ryan, Mike Matthews, Chango Noaks and myself) perform some sparring progressions to begin planning for next year’s tournament. This was to see how things would work and to help create an interest for the adult students to spar. The progressions went from:
1. Earth line Balance (1 push the other who’s holding their ground, then switch roles, then both pushing each other; out of the ring for a point, or felling our opponent to one knee for a point)
2. Chi Sau (Single hand, free, with one hand, then the other; then double hand, free)
3. Heaven fighting (long distance a la Kicking and Punching)
4. Heaven to Human (long to medium distance)
5. Heaven to Human to Earth (all ranges, with takedowns)
Yes, I know, what does this have to do with the title? Well, during one of my rests, while catching my breath, for some reason I began to wonder about the secret societies and their intentional misdirection of the history of Wing Chun to prevent its falling into the wrong hands. As I was huffing away, realizing what mediocre shape I’m currently in, I wondered that, with all of the nonsense and arguing that goes on at KFO and elsewhere, did the Hung Fa Wui do its job too well?
Obviously, they were intending to keep the Wing Chun a secret, and now its been divided several times, most of it becoming an incomplete system taught to people with little or no background in the martial arts. They specialize in thew WC, and then argue about how it works against other systems/styles that they have little or no experience with, or which system is the best, blah, blah, blah, you know the deal. Debates seem to rage and burn bridges that could have otherwise been productive learning experiences resulting in more solidified knowledge for everyone. Other individuals pose questions to get info, but offer none in return. Others just seem to nit-pick, troll and cause other issues amongst families of Wing Chun. The Shaolin Monks already knew that the knowledge of Weng/Wing Chun was for those with the experience and who could transcend their own egos. The Hung Fa Wui, in my opinion, further complicated this aspect of the art (unintentionally?) via their methods of confusing the Qing with several stories of the art’s origins.
Later, after the Red Boats were disbanded/destroyed, the art began to spread publicly, but not as a complete system. Personal expressions of those taught parts of the system were taught, only to be personalized again and again. The complete systems remained hidden. Only recently were the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun and Chi Sim Weng Chun systems revealed to the public. These two systems have proven to be complete, objective Shaolin combat systems, with fully integrated concepts and principles common to both. One validates the other, and each can be used to explain all other martial arts from what I have seen so far. The recent ‘discovery/exposure’ of these systems has since exacerbated some of the already heated lineage wars/debates and has seemingly fragmented the Wing Chun world further.
Now, my question is: In your opinion, did the HFW do its job just right, or too well, with regards to keeping the true Wing Chun reserved for the few who seek to know the truth and comprehend it? It seems as if they made it a permanent requirement to get over one’s ego in order to truly be able to learn the ‘mysteries’ of Wing Chun Kuen. Is the WC world to remain divided forever, with only a few in each generation learning the complete systems, or is it to be painfully re-united for the benefit of all?
Any thoughts?
Yesterday before the Sparring began in the Tournament at the VTM, Sifu Meng had us (Tae Hayden, Jeremy Roadruck, Brad Ryan, Mike Matthews, Chango Noaks and myself) perform some sparring progressions to begin planning for next year’s tournament. This was to see how things would work and to help create an interest for the adult students to spar. The progressions went from:
1. Earth line Balance (1 push the other who’s holding their ground, then switch roles, then both pushing each other; out of the ring for a point, or felling our opponent to one knee for a point)
2. Chi Sau (Single hand, free, with one hand, then the other; then double hand, free)
3. Heaven fighting (long distance a la Kicking and Punching)
4. Heaven to Human (long to medium distance)
5. Heaven to Human to Earth (all ranges, with takedowns)
Yes, I know, what does this have to do with the title? Well, during one of my rests, while catching my breath, for some reason I began to wonder about the secret societies and their intentional misdirection of the history of Wing Chun to prevent its falling into the wrong hands. As I was huffing away, realizing what mediocre shape I’m currently in, I wondered that, with all of the nonsense and arguing that goes on at KFO and elsewhere, did the Hung Fa Wui do its job too well?
Obviously, they were intending to keep the Wing Chun a secret, and now its been divided several times, most of it becoming an incomplete system taught to people with little or no background in the martial arts. They specialize in thew WC, and then argue about how it works against other systems/styles that they have little or no experience with, or which system is the best, blah, blah, blah, you know the deal. Debates seem to rage and burn bridges that could have otherwise been productive learning experiences resulting in more solidified knowledge for everyone. Other individuals pose questions to get info, but offer none in return. Others just seem to nit-pick, troll and cause other issues amongst families of Wing Chun. The Shaolin Monks already knew that the knowledge of Weng/Wing Chun was for those with the experience and who could transcend their own egos. The Hung Fa Wui, in my opinion, further complicated this aspect of the art (unintentionally?) via their methods of confusing the Qing with several stories of the art’s origins.
Later, after the Red Boats were disbanded/destroyed, the art began to spread publicly, but not as a complete system. Personal expressions of those taught parts of the system were taught, only to be personalized again and again. The complete systems remained hidden. Only recently were the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun and Chi Sim Weng Chun systems revealed to the public. These two systems have proven to be complete, objective Shaolin combat systems, with fully integrated concepts and principles common to both. One validates the other, and each can be used to explain all other martial arts from what I have seen so far. The recent ‘discovery/exposure’ of these systems has since exacerbated some of the already heated lineage wars/debates and has seemingly fragmented the Wing Chun world further.
Now, my question is: In your opinion, did the HFW do its job just right, or too well, with regards to keeping the true Wing Chun reserved for the few who seek to know the truth and comprehend it? It seems as if they made it a permanent requirement to get over one’s ego in order to truly be able to learn the ‘mysteries’ of Wing Chun Kuen. Is the WC world to remain divided forever, with only a few in each generation learning the complete systems, or is it to be painfully re-united for the benefit of all?
Any thoughts?