The Journey Of Siu Nim Tao

From Humble Beginnings To Humble Mastery

- Adam Williss

DON’T YOU THINK that it’s time we finally disregard Siu Nim Tao? Let’s face it; modern times have changed. People have changed. Martial arts have changed. Do we really have time to waste practising something so far removed from the actual act of fighting? Isn’t there a faster and more practical way to learn to apply Wing Chun?

These are the questions people ask, especially beginners trying to learn Wing Chun. Let’s face it, Siu Nim Tao looks and feels downright boring to a beginner! What’s more, it seems too weird looking and impractical to help us to learn how to fight. And because of that, quite honestly, a waste of our precious time.

But, at the end of the day, Wing Chun doesn’t care whether or not a beginner can wrap their mind around its subtle power. It’s first form, Siu Nim Tao, basically tells you that outright. It says, “I’m going to make no efforts to try to dumb this down for you, to make it interesting or exciting for you. In fact, I’m going to give you the most boring looking part of what we do first. I’m going to make you do the master’s form right from the beginning. And because it’s the master’s form, you won’t really have a clue what’s going on.” Because that’s how the art was designed—fully knowing this isn’t something you can wrap your mind around because you really aren’t supposed to know. Well, not at first.