06.20.08
Siu Lim Tao
After training three years at the United States Kung Fu Academy with Sifu Chris Chan, I was instructed by Uncle Chris to train with my Uncle Stanley Chan. Uncle Stanley was a closed door student learning private lessons from the Great Grandmaster Yip Man for 10 years. Yip Man said that Uncle Stanley had the fastest hands of all the students he had ever taught. Believe me he was not only fast but smooth and super strong as well.
Training with a group class was much easier because of the group energy. It was tough training with Uncle Stanley because it was one on one. Uncle Stanley had a great eye and could point out every mistake. There was no hiding anything. I had always to be on or else. I felt so dumb at times because of the complicated hand combinations that were taught. Also flexibility, Ling Wood, had to be trained. Body positioning was simple but not easy to execute.
I remember watching both my uncles, and their moving hands were like a blur. My uncles would say, practice what you think you saw. Their power was true power. Unless one felt their hands, you have no idea. To be truly great, one first needs the master to orally explain the philosophy of the style. Then the master must to take you by the hands in Chi Sao or Sticky Hands practice. In order for the student who really wants to learn the proper way, the teacher has to take time to lead, guide, and care. It is really a perfection of a system that to lead to self mastery.
I trained with Uncle Stanley for 2 years. A martial arts philosophy is after training diligently for one year opens the little idea. Five years one begins to understand the little idea. Ten years the little idea becomes the reality. Twenty years and the big idea will appear.
Traditionally, the first form of Wing Chun, Siu Lim Tao, is practiced for the first year. The second form, Chum Kui, is practice for four years. Then the third form, Bui Zhi, is taught. When taught properly, and if the student had natural physical skills, mental capability, the Wing Chun system can be learned in a year.
Uncle Stanley and Uncle Chris had created their own training system for Wing Chun. It is the same thing what Bruce Lee did. The beauty of the Wing Chun system is that even though we learn the same forms and techniques, everyone could adapt the Wing Chun system to their own mind and body. Thus the first form is called the “Little Idea Form.” My personal opinion is “Siu Lim Tao” is the greatest form from Shaolin.
More on the Siu Lim Tao which lead me to co-creating a self healing system for the 21st century is next.
