Structure And Relaxation - THE “DYNAMIC DUO”

OVER THE MANY YEARS I have been involved in the teaching of Wing Chun, time and time again, my students (and visitors to our classes) have asked the same question: “What are the key factors that determine one is making good progress through the system?”

- David Peterson

Whilst the possible answers may seem endless and could involve everything from diligent practice and understanding the detail within the forms to practising specific drills or even mastering one’s “inner powers” (I’m kidding!), my answer has invariably been to focus on two things: correct structure of the body and the ability to relax under all circumstances.

Structure and relaxation are, in my humble opinion, the keys to not only being good at Wing Chun but to excelling at it! I base this belief upon the close observation of my many peers over the years and upon my late teacher, Sifu Wong Shun Leung, who was the ultimate example of this philosophy. Although not a big man, by any stretch of the imagination, on multiple occasions I witnessed him easily deal with training partners larger and heavier than himself, with relative ease and no signs of stress. He would deflect their strength with subtle adjustments to his structure and with relaxed movements, with both speed and power—much to the amazement of his opponent and all those watching.

Not being a big person myself and definitely not someone you would call powerful in bodily strength, I quickly realised the means to my own improvement in the system was to emulate his example as much as possible, so I would engage him in conversations about why he could do what he did so effortlessly. It became very clear that two things stood out as being his “secret recipe” in that regard: correct structure and relaxation of the body. As such, I have sought to improve my understanding and application of these two concepts ever since, and to share the same advice with my own students. On several occasions when teaching, particularly in seminar presentations, I have referred to structure and relaxation as “The Dynamic Duo” when it comes to great Wing Chun skill.