SIL LIM TAO (Little Idea)
SIL LIM TAO (Little Idea) Wing Chin First Form
This is the open door to the
wing chun system. Here a
beginner must approach the
art without preconceived
notions of advancement.
This ‘little idea’ should be
thought of as a test of the
candidates willingness to
learn.
PART I - The Way Of Practitioner
Martial Arts, probably having their origins in India, have in China
developed in close connection with the Schools of Spritual
Enlightment mostly linked with Buddhism and Taoism as a
comprehensive religious, natural and body-mind changing -approach.
The Heart of Martial Arts is a radical transformation of the very being
of the Practitioner from simple fighter toward s a spritual change,
transmutation of the Soul in similar matter than Alchemists tried to do
in the West.
The Philosophy is based on believe that Laws of Physics have
corresponding Laws in Spiritual world which function in living
organism and internal energy is generated due Practice. This energy
can be delivered to any direction using body as channel and medium
Such is the case of Wingchun Kungfu which originates from Shaolin
from the year 1500 onwards – the Art developed by Buddhist Nuns as
a total system Self-Protection and of turning Body to Golden and Mind
into Light.
The Philosophy, teachings and technics of Wingchun are closely
guarded secrets, and not known by general Practitioners and often
abandoned by their Teachers, and for this reason, we have prepared
here principal steps towards progressive enlightment from technical
aspects to spritual transformation with the ultimate aim of purification
ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner
The roots of WingChun Martial Art lies in
the ancient belief of the existence of
universal-physical energy, LIFE FORCE
which behaves like water waves, moves
freely and teaching the skills to acquire
and accumulate such energy in body and
create self-awareness of how to
externally and internally flow such energy.
The Essense is to syncronise the
Practitioner towards universal
integrated Harmony to enable
power storage, and gradually
make the entire body, mind and
breathe follow the movement.
The Aim is to make the Mind-Body
organism is in coherence with the surrounding
World where the energy flows back and forth
vibrating in tune with Universal Energy like fine
tuned musical instrument.
ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner
Dragon
Snake
Tiger
Leopard
Grain
Slowness and soft
movements,
concentration of
Mind
Inner-power, Chi and
internal
transformation of Soul
Extreme power,
dynamic and muscular
body strength
Attack, speed and
sudden twists and
movements
Body balance,
correct postures
and internal
network
Ancient Chinese Animal Symbolism demonstrate the The Way of Practitioner and show how
to acquired skills as presented at the Form 1-3 stages of WingChun Kungfu:
The body and mind, material and immaterial interact within the Practitioner to create
balanced physical energy where body and mind slowly harmonize and unite and start to
follow The Way as explained in ancient China Taoism.
ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner
In the Western context, The Way of Taoism can be
explained in Alchemist terms and symbolism. In
Alchemistry, natural laws have spiritual parallels and
experiments concerns of indentifying LIFE FORCE at
various elements.
Alchemistry focuses in raising of vibrations,
cultivating the seed within us and assist the
LIFE FORCE to find harmonious balance in our body
towards transformation of the entire individual.
Alchemical transformation is from animal kingdom
towards mineral kingdom, raising of vibrations,
achieving harmonious balance and peace of Mind.
*Everything comes out from a Seed but the Fruits
must be inside the Seed from the very beginning*
ALCHEMISTRY - The way of Practitioner
Buddhist and Taoist Spiritual Dimensions are strange in the Christianity influenced West, where a
fundamental split of Body and Mind is proglaimed and our brains divided in Right and Left halves,
each with specialized functions - our Body and Mind are separated, the approach is Duality.
In the East, the approach is Unity where the entire World with Yang (male) and Yin (female)
principles interact to create harmonious balance.
The ultimate aim of The Practitioner is to achieve Balance where these polarities unite under Heart
Principle or as in Wing Chun terminology The Centre-Line.
The Heart Principle is the integration Body and Mind which Status is generating a Force itself, a new
fighting dimension with pulsating energy - The Practitioner with achieved Heart Principle will
counter-balance opposing Forces and unite them into targeted singularity.
The Heart -principle and integration can be best illustrated as follows:
THE CENTRE LINE - The way of Practitioner
Individual
Mother
Soft
Internal
Masculine
External
Father
Hard
Group
Left side
Right side
Future
Feminine
Human
Endurance
Past
Entirety
Balance
Unity
Present
Love
INTERNAL ASPECTS - The way of Practitioner
In Practice, this means that aggressive,
YANG types of persons drawn to masculine /
external styles must balance themselves towards
softer –sides of The Heart principle to achieve
harmonious balance, and similarly softer and relaxed
styles must be practiced.
In aggressive dominated images of Martial Arts, we
might find this principle difficult to enforce with
Practitioners, and many beginners might find it
extremely difficult adapt to themselves to soft sides but
in close proximity fighting the emphasis of sensing,
soft constant movements and harmonizing externalinternal energy flows with Attackers moves, can not be
over-emphasized
This new dimension is more than Hard and Soft sides
combined, it is a new Integrated Power stage where
polarities have united into Oneness, imbalances are
Corrected and Mind-Body is directly sensing InnerReality generating a new Force, strength and speed
itself.
EXTERNAL ASPECTS - The way of Practitioner
External Aspects in WingChun Kungfu refer to
Fighting Strategy, Correct Body Angles,
Techniques, Speed, Accuracy and Strength.
The Practitioners must due ardeous exercise
achieve the knowledge of strategy, correct body
movements, rapid twists, distances and timing
to create powerful hits like bullet fired from gun
coming NOT coming from strength but from
Springy Connections Build-up throughout the
Body.
In WingChun, the Speed is the Essence and
One-Inch Punches, as demonstrated by Bruce
Lee - You double the weight, You double to
energy but when You double the Speed, You
increase the Energy by Four.
WingChun hits must be so fast that attacker
should fall without seeing any body movement
by hands or legs or sensing any hits coming what he only can see is his own downfall.
FORM I – Postures and Movements
In WingChun training there are three
levels of external Forms which are
directed to teach The Practitioner to
master strategy, tactics and correct
body movements.
At the First Level, The Practitioner is
guided through Form I exercises
targeting to teach correct postures to
enable body to withstand heavy
blows, how to develop Centre line
and localized strength hits, and how
to change rapidly from tension to
relaxation which are the very
foundations of further advancement
at WingChun Kungfu.
FORM I – Postures and Movements
Here some pictures of Form I Correct Postures from Stephan
Chan book.
FORM I – External Aspects
WingChun Form I teaches The Practitioner
both External Principles as well as Internal
Aspects The Way.
The External training concentrates
on corrects position, accuracy and speed
but, simultaneously, introduced the
importance of relaxation, slowness of the
moments and shifting sensations to modify
the body towards senses of inner-reality,
internal energy flows and how to deliver
internal energy by hand movements.
FORM I – Internal Aspects
Internal energy requires slowness, stillness and softness of movement and is it
cultivated by slow easy movements and freedom inside the body, slow
breathing and internal awareness.
Energy can not be acquired mechanically such as muscles in weight training but
only by mental concentration, slow flowing and continues movements.
The Internal energy development requires adaption of the Heart Principle and
Centre Line in harmonious body-mind combination.
The Way of Practitioner Summary
1.
2.
3.
i.
4.
5.
Understand the Difference of Martial Arts vs. Simple
Fighting
Realize the External and Internal Aspects of WingChun
i. External - technics, forms, angles, speed
ii. Internal – energy, mental stage, health, life force
Energy is Vibration, Resonance Allows Energy to Move
slow, stillness and soft movements
Remember that Body is External Manifestation of the Spirit
i. eliminate inner conflicts / disharmony
The Way of Movement Affects the entire Human Being
Part II – The Way of Master
To be revealed to the Worthy One