Questions to the Master

I am often asked: “What can Yun Chun (Wing Chun) school give to the ordinary person who does not want to learn to fight, to become a sportsman or even to become a Yun Chun Master.”

Answer.

The problem with asking such a question is that this person does not consider themselves as being ordinary and, in fact, wants everything and straight away...

In reality, however, most cases involve people who come to us are really in need of correction’ and are far from being a balanced person. The Yun Chun School is traditionally viewed as a litmus-paper’ for highlighting all people's negative character traits. Yun Chun technology has been perfected by its Eastern teachers' with centuries of practice. Nowadays is an ideal, even timely, moment to be able to fix the character defects’ and imbalances in a person's individuality. Starting with the etiquette of the tea ceremony. Relations within a group of workers dictate that older workers are respected, one of mankind’s everlasting values. Fundamental to the Yun Chun school sign is the special set of words making the phrase: light and clarity’.

A pupil who follows the main stages on a learning path, step by step, will gain a physical-psycological balance, coordination of movement (actions) and increases the potential of their intellectual ability. Engaging the hand and foot exercises aids development of sensitivity’. One gains a balanced and responsive attitude towards people and environments as a whole. A student engaged in Yun Chun supresses his European know-it-all’ arrogance, thereby avoiding becoming an object of aggresive attack among people, animals etc.

Having learned to breathe and move correctly, a human restores his health and rejects bad habits: e.g. smoking, drinking, gluttony, etc. He finally stops being ill. The main thing he gains is the key to psycological energy. This gives him the ability to constantly sense the meaning of life’, to be here and now’, to create, to love and to be loved. Thanks to this he will feel free and gain personal strength.

We can continue our talk further – just ask!

10 questions to Martynov Valeriy Vasilyevich. (Gennadiy Vorobyev)

What are the stages of preparing warriors in Wing Chun’s traditional school?

Following on from Shaolin traditions, students gain a strengthened body and spirit. They will develop their abilities through the learned technique and only then choose a form which matches their individuality.

After the monastery was destroyed, Yun Chun Quan became a secret closed school and the knowledge of Warrior training’ was also kept secret by the clans. The Liberation movement engaged in a hidden war’ and Wing Chun warriors were trained as Ninjas. Many secrets were passed to warriors under hypnosis in an entranced state of a mind.

What stages of warrior preparation are for You? We take into consideration that people wishing to attend this training generally have a busy life-style and, therefore, cannot devote a significant part of their time to it.

There are types of warrior’ who are constantly battling with themselves. The problem faced is one of survival: to survive at the physical, psycological and intellectual level. To survive within a social structure surrounded by public facelessness, spiritual poverty, information chaos and ecological destruction.

The Warrior's task is to stand upon a path and not to become separated from it. Executing this task requires the modern person to create himself a double’ of himself. This double’ is a warrior who fights for the person and must realise himself in his environment. His warrior lives outside time and space but, at the same time, must not be viewed as the result of ill-imagination or a split-personality. This consious psyho-technique enables us to self-perfect’ ourselves, completely unnoticed by our ill and aggresive environment. I am not my body. I am not my feelings. I am not my mind... I am, simply, Me.

The Wing Chun school’s principles are timely for the world of today: gauging an opponent's strength, controlling the centre line, softness versus rudeness etc. Wing Chun represents health, youth, energy, steadiness, adequate reaction, speed and rationality etc. That is all in the context of Warrior ethics and honour: never attack first! Be fair and generous to any display of agression.

''There are neither good nor bad people – there are only developed or undeveloped people.'' N.K. Rerikh.

Understanding that Wing Chun is an extremely effective and economical system, enabling a weak person to achieve victory. What is your attitude to physical strength training and are any there special methods in Wing Chun practice?

Strength in Wing Chun is replaced by speed. Physical strength is replaced by spirit strength and personal strength. To make the foot and hand strikes lighter and faster, clasps and weights (for hands and feet) are employed during warm-ups.

All other unusual, non traditional work-outs, which utilize lifting-weights and barbells result in damage to ones metabolism. The metabolism suffers due to the violence on nature.

In the same way, the Wing Chun shool traditionally utilizes Chi-gong (isometric exercises). These are endurance exercises.

Are there any religious aspects to Wing Chun practice?

Religion is a contact point between the highest and lowest aspects in a human. The question of if there is or isn't one’ depends solely on the mind.

Rituals demand discipline and put order to the unknown.

Yes, in the beginning this works as a crutch for the student. But this it’ is the highest order. It becomes the essence for You. Crutches will no longer be needed. From Confucian traditions we can easily move to Tao. But not in the opposite way as a lot of falsity might become the norm.

Europeans reject the experience of the past and long for the new’, always remaining in chaotic cycle of destruction and beginning’.

In the East, they respect the wisdom of their great forefathers and move further. Towards the natural essence of all things.

What is the esoteric part of Wing Chun?

“The Esoteric’ is the closed, innermost knowledge which remains forever for those in strict confidence, those who can withstand the enlightment.”

What is the correlation in educational practice between an individual’s work and work with a partner?

“Human consciousness is like the retina of the eye: it only detects light from the reflected object. Understanding Wing Chun teaching also requires a certain type of reflection’: i.e. a partner. We are all put on this earth to reflect in each other. In Wing Chun school there is a particular rule. Its states that, in pairs, partners are divided up into either Teacher or Student’, each strictly adhering to its own role. The teacher patiently assists the student and, in turn, the student obediently strives for a result. They then exchange roles. In this way mutual respect is nurtured and brotherly relations formed in the school. Adequacy of reactions is the result”.

Is there meditation in Wing Chun?

“Meditation is the foundation by which true knowledge maybe cognitively passed on. Without this practice we communicate only with illusions and others’ knowledge and revelations.”

What are the traditional weapons of Wing Chun and its education system?

At the highest stages of Wing Chun development everything becomes a weapon. During the Shaolin Golden Age the Master would use many types of weapon but would choose one matching his own individuality.

Wing Chun students and sportsmen are asked to master the Long Pole, the spear, the parallel shaped double-knives (Butterfly Knives), ropes, single- or pairs of short sticks, the Dze and knives, etc.

“The Great Master Te Kong amazingly fired two guns, one in each hand!”

Does Wing Chun practice defence against fire arms?

It is important to study your Karma’. There are no accidents in life. There is an inexorable rule of cause and effect.

The fire arm defence’ problem is solved at the very first level, which means simulating the situation/s where shootings take place.

In extreme situations the Wing Chun martial arts stance places the body in such a way that a shooter’s target is minimised. A move forward psycologically knocks the shooter down. Hypnosis is employed at higher stages of training. At the highest levels the Master has the psyhological ability to bend’ the space between him (the target) and the shooter.

This is a very special technique which is invisible to the opponent.

What are the typical methods and practice of Wing Chun stretching and joints warm-up?

“In Wing Chun all of the warriors’ preparation techniques have to be natural. The question, therefore, of stretching is not percieved as a problem. Correct nutrition and a good way of life make a body flexible and young.”