Michigan Friendship Seminar report (continued)

Workshop group photo
 

After lunch, Sifu Meng reviewed the material he presented the day before. Following the discussion on Time and Space, Sifu Meng went on to talk about Combat Space in terms of Positional Space and Structural Space. Positional Space refers to the positions between one's own limbs while Structural Space refers to the alignments and structure of one's body. To make this information clearer, workshop participants were taken through a series of progressions in training the punch. The first step was to train the upper body. Once that was understood the lower body because of the focus. As an understanding was reached in regards to the lower body, the final progression put the two parts together. Due to time constraints the progression stopped there. The progression starts with knowing oneself by training first the upper body, then lower body, and finally putting the two parts together. Once one understands one's own reality, one must learn to live in the outside world. The progression continues by working with first a stationary target, then a moving target, and finally a moving person. The last step in the progression details learning the proper angles of attack to apply the weapon.

After the physical training, Mike Mathews, a student of Sifu Meng, spoke about the origins of the Time and Space concept. The Time and Space concept originated in the Southern Shaolin Temple with the Chan concept of Saam Mouh Kiuh or Three Connecting Bridge. The Saam Mouh Kiuh concept points to three levels of reality: 1) Fou Kiuh, or wandering, 2) Saan Kiuh, or separate and 3) Wing Kiuh, or eternal. At the Fou Kiuh stage of realty, one is not aware. In terms of combat one is not aware of time and space. At the Saan Kiuh stage of reality one realizes reality but is separate from it. In terms of combat one can recognize time and space, usually referred to as timing and distance. At the Wing Kiuh stage of reality, one is aware of time and space and maintains harmony with it. In terms of combat each motion is in harmony with time and space, there is neither wasted time, wasted space, nor wasted energy.

The workshop ended after a question and answer session with Sifu Meng. Group Photos were taken and everyone agreed that the information presented was well worth the time. More workshops like this will be offered in the future. As members of the martial arts community reach out to teach other in brotherhood and spread the knowledge of the myriad Chinese styles, it is hoped that a sense of community will evolve.

Out at dinner after a hard day's workshop!

The Ving Tsun Museum would like to thank Sifu Eddie Chong for his time and effort in promoting the traditional Chinese styles of Bak Mei, Pan Nam Wing Chun, and Yip Man Wing Chun.