The fighting Snowdrop

So a few years back at the hospital fête (I think) I got hold of a bunch of kung fu instruction books, and this week I dug them out and decided that (in the run up to the season of peace and goodwill to all - the irony does not escape me) this was the perfect time to start trying to learn a bit of them.

I have books on T'ai Chi Ch'uan (that's the fighting form of tai chi), Wing Chun (or Wing Tsun as it's also spelt in Roman alphabet) and Hung Gar. The Hung Gar and one of the Wung Chun books are both from a US publishing company called Ohara.

I recently learned that Earthbending in Avatar: The Legend of Aang was based on the Hung Gar kung fu, and having tried out some of the basic stances, I was instantly reminded of the earthbenders' stances in the cartoon. It was rather intriguing to notice the connection (albeit having been primed for it already).

I have started with looking at the first couple of exercises in the Hung Gar book and the two Wing Chun books (both of which reference the same origins, but one, by Dr. Leung Ting, spells it "Wing Tsun"). At the moment, I am mostly interested in understanding the basic principles behind the physical ethos of the forms, but these overlap quite clearly with the philosophy guiding the arts, and I read the introduction passages about those for each before attempting anything else.

I was fascinated to learn that Wing Chun is credited to a woman, Yim Wing-Chun, who learned and developed the form from the teaching of a Buddhist nun and abbess, and went on to defend herself against unwanted sexual advances using the form. The Ohara book describes how Wing-Chun adapted the form to avoid confrontation of a stronegr force but utilising it; the Dr. Ting book describes this in practical terms of confronting an aggressive and unknown enemy, in which you cannot know for sure what strengths the enemy has and thus confronting him is foolish.

I like the Wing Chun philosophy, both the version described by Dr Ting and the Ohara book's version. It is curious that have noted differences already in the teaching styles of the two books, with Dr. Ting seeming to place much more emphasis on feet placement in the stances, and also a more external, practical focus. However, the diagrams are quite bemusing at times with a lot of angles listed that obscure rather than reveal (for me anyway) what the body is doing; the Ohara book uses a lot of photographs with detailed descriptions, and I am finding that easier to get to grips with. I hope that by using two sources, I will get a better idea of the concepts, or at least, be able to understand why the two books differ on them.

This is really my logic in choosing two different forms to learn at the same time: by learning two fighting forms with differing styles and philosophies, I hope to discern what general physical concepts underpin the fighting body, or to understand each better by comparison and contrast with the other. I will also be able to get a better sense of what works and what is right for me.

The solid, physical set of the Hung Gar kung fu seems to suit my build quite well in some ways, but some of the very low stances I struggle to complete because I seem not to be able to get the balance right. This is frustrating and I suspect that it's one of those things where book-learning is not going to be enough; I would need an instructor to show me how to do it better. I like the breathing element, and the sense of rootedness that the form involves, and it seems to sit well with my more stubborn side of my character, and the "red beast of fire" in my soul.

As mentioned, the Wing Chun philosophy seems to match my natural sense of self, and it also seems to match my sense of bodily positioning (I found that when I tried out the first couple of stances, I was automatically doing what the Dr. Ting book recommended, without needing to read what it says "most people" misunderstand about the stances). On the other hand, I feel as though my size and strength are more of a liability than an asset with the art (that may prove to be a misconception once I get deeper into the forms and routines of it). It suits the white beast, and my more mild-mannered character.

The Hung Gar and Wing Chun approaches seem very different, strongly contrasted, but the principles of a solid, balanced foundation in the various stances seems to be common to both. As noted above, I think each one reflects a different side to my personality and I may well end up finding that I have ways to utilise each in my self-expression and (should it come to that) self-defence, depending on the situation.

For the time being, I am gradually adding the exercises from the books into my daily exercise routine (such as it is) and we will see where it goes!