Hitting The Wall
Wing Chun Illustrated|Issue No. 49, 2019

HITTING THE WALL. No, not like that.

Colin Ward
Hitting The Wall

As a Wing Chun practitioner, using the phrase “hitting the wall” may summon up images of wall-bags. However, the wall I am referring to is the one marathon runners face around mile 21.

The kind of wall that many people struggle with, a wall that is too high to climb over and too long to go around. So, what do we do? Well, we smash through it!

Or, in some cases, we slowly but surely dig deep and go underneath it. We, finally get through to the other side, dust ourselves off, feel the sun on our face, give a big smile and crack on with steady progression.

In simple terms, you could say, if you want to be the best you can be at something, you must keep going, and going and going—and never give up. But this does not have to mean 24/7.

During the last 30 years of teaching, every time a beginner has finished their introduction course and said to me, something along the lines of, Wing Chun is awesome”; “I’m going to train every day and be your best student”; ”I’ll never stop this”; “I want to be a teacher” and so on… they’re gone within three months, at best!

Don’t get me wrong, I admire such enthusiasm. But, in reality, this way is just misguided, and even if they truly meant what they said at the time, and really did want to achieve these goals, they’re going about it all the wrong way.

So, instead, you need to try to start (and keep) your training as a comfortable part of your life, that way it will integrate and become part of your life. Don’t go in all guns blazing.

“ The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.” —Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

This story is from the Issue No. 49, 2019 edition of Wing Chun Illustrated.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue No. 49, 2019 edition of Wing Chun Illustrated.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.