"Neglect practice at a young age...

worthless trying in life's later age."

It's what the martial proverb made by Patriarch Moy Yat says (Neglect practice at a young age, worthless trying in life's later age). There are many ways to think about this proverb, like any other Chinese proverb, and I hope in the future don't repeat more that there are many ways to think. I specially chose it because this week I get hurt my shoulder in a daily common practice, on Monday. As consequence, the pain forbade me to go to the gym or to make either other activities that requires the use of my right arm. Three days later, I remembered this martial proverb and achieve some conclusions.

The histories that my Si Fu, Senior Master Julio Camacho, tells with some frequency about his young age, represents a strong kind of martial artist, in the sense of a man willing to do anything to get abilities in real combat, sports, professional career, etc. However, many times the events spoke about his performances are followed by consequences not so glorious: injuries for all lifetime, pain in his legs and spine, life risk, etc.

Both all histories of my Si Fu and the mine at daily practice three days ago reveal not the absence of practice, but the negligence of practice, as the proverb says. If the Ving Tsun practitioner isn't able to see the error in these situations, don't have sense practicing years along till the end of the life expecting results in life's later age. In the sense of effort and honor is beautiful valorizing the pain of the practitioners, but in real life, it can make serious injuries in their bodies, if the effort doesn't have Kung Fu.

Exemple: a dangerous kidding simulating Kwan (long Ving Tsun's pole) with a stiff and heavy wooden trunk

Personal Development and Human Development

Have you already thought about the difference between these two developments? Today I gonna write about it basing in a speech given last week by my Si Fu, Senior Master Julio Camacho. He wanted to explain to the practitioners that the center of this differentiation between Personal and Humanity is in the Chinese ideogram that means "humanity" (人). 



In these two traces in 人 is explicit the necessity of two persons for the construction of humanity. An alone person cannot form humanity, there are so many things, centrally generated by the variation of the point of view, that an alone person wouldn't replace. Thus, is a requirement for the Human Development the relationship between two persons. Another conclusion we can get from the ideogram is that the basis of Human Development is in relation between two humans at a time. Even in an ambient with hundreds of people, I only can practice my humanity one by one.

Otherwise, if I want to develop myself, not necessarily I should search another to achieve my goal. Is possible to obtain Personal Development by reading a book, viewing a movie, writing something about Ving Tsun, taking pictures, at the gym etc. By all means, the necessity of another human is implicit in the context, because I can't read without a book written by someone or write a letter without a computer or paper, equally made by someone or many others. However, the other people aren't in the same real situation that I live in the moment that I am developing myself. Although the presence of the other is a requirement, it is not at the same time. Because of it, making any of these things I develop myself as a person, not like a human being.

This explanation given by my Si Fu was not to convince the practitioners that one type of development is better than another. The division made by him I believe was to provide the capacity to the practitioners exploring with more intelligence these two types of development.

10 years and the reality, by a still young practitioner of Ving Tsun

My first ceremony

In the year 2018, I completed ten years in kung fu family. My voice has been changing, and sometimes I feel that I can't talk as loud as before without bad consequences. My face shows signs of the years, maybe in a short period of time I won't be recognized by others as a young guy. When I get in my kung fu school weekly, isn't difficult to perceive the difference between the first day that I entered there and nowadays. Many people left the school and many others come. My brothers and my Si Fu are getting old. Until the walls changed.

Along these ten years, I reached a sure that I don't need as many things that I thought I need in the first years of practice. The learning is an interrupt and unconscious process. The only attitude you need is to be there, in the kung fu school. When your hair is turning white and your organic body is falling down, an indescribable force will raise. This force will be scare inclusive for young. This force is not an acknowledgment of what to do or don't, but the capacity to stay in anywhere perceiving your potential in the context, and only this. At a given moment, inadvertently, the right and the wrong thing to do stop worrying ourselves. But believe: even without worrying you will do best things as never as before.

My last ceremony

If you perceive the potential in each situation, white or black hair can be different for an analytic person, but the same real thing. The reality doesn't understand your spectate for the future or miss in the past. The reality is only reality, in 2008 or 2018.

The challenge of moving forward and the ways to overcome difficulties

Sometimes we can ask what the purpose of moving forward in Ving Tsun System and keep going to Mo Gun in our weekly or daily practice and tasks. If you ask that, I say: something may be wrong with your conception of practicing Ving Tsun. In one sense, everyone can have problems in its own personal live, and that problems can lead to a temporally or permanent separation of Kung Fu Family.

Although all the difficulties, an experienced Si Fu, like my own, the Senior Master Julio Camacho, would help in some way, personally or by other practitioners of Kung Fu Family, to overcome the difficult of disciple or To Dai; sometimes only making himself available and making this clear. In other meaning, that I believe through my 9 years of practice, all the difficulties can be transformed in an opportunity to keep going to Mo Gun or to keep contact with Si Fu or Kung Fu Family.

In the classic Chinese sense, the use of difficulties to keep the ties with something that we can extract benefits for ourselves is not only desirable, but the natural thing; and not only in Kung Fu Family. At the same time, every ambient can be a fountain of benefits even in periods of extreme difficulties.

In really, I believe that exists one choice in the past what can help us to answer if we must leave or not something we do frequently. This choice occurred in the remote times, when we decided to enter in some routine or accept some way of live. What was the support of this choice? It exists yet today? If it has changed, still worth in totality of your present life? If the answer is yes, you must not leave, independent of what it is.

               

Take easy! Post for younger people.

What to talk about the expression "take easy"? Well... many things. Along days, months and years of convivence and practices in the Kung Fu Family, some events get a change of meaning. I am speaking not necessarily the big events like tradicional cerimonies. I will explain. And this explanation will be dedicated from young practitioners (depending on the space and reference).

Initially, the new practitioner in Ving Tsun get in a uncharted space and ambient. As if it were not enough, some proposals will mess, or diverge, of concepts like classroom, teaching and learning like we hear common sense. Would not be strange if this ambient be disconfortable at first moment.

Si Gung Leo Imamura, Si Fu Julio Camacho and others members from Great Moy Yay Sang Clan and Moy Jo Lei Ou Clan.

In the course of time, some new characters emerge: Si Fu, Si Hing, Si Suk, Si Daai, Si Jeh, Si Gung, Tutor, etc. What to do to be aceppt in this new ambient?! Oh! Would be much easier if there were only teachers and students! Some people do well with these new classifications and characters, but some others, at least for some time, don't.

Take easy, young people of family ambient! Don't seek approval from the old people. In the chinese culture, the parameter for the actions of subject is not the model, insted it is the development of situation. Therefore, do not exist the "right thing" and the "wrong thing" to do in the moments of practice.

The classic chinese think makes new member free of a lot of suffering. They make all actions possible for the new practitioners! Why? Because they are learning to read an unknown ambient. In the case of day-to-day practice in the Mo Gun, the responsability to provide a appropriate ambient for expressions and learnings of the youngest members is from the responsible Tutor for the practice, and in the last instance, from the oldest member in the space. It's a gerontocracy?! No! It is because the oldest member present is the most experienced subject in the Mo Lan. Experience, in rule, brings wisdom.

The kung fu family recognize, in the majority of situations, that the oldest member is the more capable to provide experiences to all younger practitioners, including the responsible tutor for the practice, if was not himself.

Alice with her feature sincerity reveals the core of Sam Fat concept. Her procedure in Thuersday's practice was the inspiration for me to make this post. Tip to Alice: do not let yourself down ever. Over the time all will be taking easy.

Think with me: if you are the youngest brother or sister in the Mo Gun, you are the member of kung fu family that receives more care from the others. In other words, your main concern must be learn the maximum that you can, and be the most sincere in your words and movements. But this formulation changes a bit if there are younger practitioners than you.

If you are seeing something wrong or weird with the proposes of some old kung fu brother or sister, at first it is good, but keep this thinking and wait for the appropriate moment to place it. The appropriate moment is the key to "take easy", to not get tired fast. A good thing in a wrong moment for this thing is a wrong thing! A wrong thing in a good moment for this thing can be a good thing! This phrase charge many contradictions, but it is satisfactory for this moment and to close this topic.

The "nature" through sequence of movements

Most of the time I was distressed when my si hings asked me to do the sequence of movements of Siu Nin Do or Siu Nin Tao. The anguish came because then, while I was doing it, they did not pay attention to what I was doing. I thought, if they told me to do it, why did not they pay attention? It was revolting, and my Si Fu Júlio Camacho was one of those who always listened to my complaints. But behind this apparent lack of attention was an intention.

Senior Master Julio Camacho demonstrating the sequence of Biu Ji nature, in China.

What took me a long time to understand (and it was not too long, I think from 2008 until 2010) is that the sequence of movements itself is formulated so that the Ving Tsun practitioner can try it, and there is no wrong way to experiment. It is possible that older practitioners provide tips, draw attention to certain inconsiderate or other aspects that catch their eye. But if some of these comments are in the sense of a correction or shaping ... danger!

I attempted to make the Luk Dim Bun Kwaan domain sequence inappropriately with a wood trunk, which undoubtedly distanced me from the nature of the domain.

When correcting a practitioner, or evaluating it all the time (which is worse), the hing si or tutor responsible for the practice is inducing to see the sequence from the perspective of who corrects. This goes against the development of Kung Fu. Kung Fu is a particular quest, and the sequence of movements, each according to the nature of its domain, is what enables this quest in a pure way.

I in 2013 doing the sequence of Biu Ji in my ceremony of access to Mui Fa Jong

Having pure access to the Ving Tsun System goes straight through the sequence of moves. It provides a chance for the practitioner to know the listing and to withdraw learning independently, exploring for themselves the nature of the domain. I see that the patience that my Si Fu had and the good explanations he gave me about the importance of the sequence were only making sense when I understood by my body what a nature would be. And how did I do that? Doing the sequel!

The genesis of the opportune moment

Si Fu Julio Camacho in airport before his trip to California

After many years and Kung Fu encounters, I have perceived that exists some moments with different qualities. My Si Fu usually choose, to show these different moments, to apply a void in day-to-day scheduled moments to be occupied by disciple energy. But this void is not introduced abruptly, it is placed gently so that the disciple can appropriate it for his own benefit. The central message provided I think is: Kung Fu ability is to transform all moments in opportune moments. The scheduled moments at the beginning is only an excuse to it.

This message is hard to understand. At first I thought that “to transform all moments in opportune moments I need to have force or ability to submit situations to my desire”. Wrong! What initially Si Fu points for us, that I named “void”, really is the flow of reality itself. That means that the more we try to create moments programmed according to our way without thinking if this moment is the opportune moments, we are increasing the distance between reality and desire.

Si Fu speeaks on a night of Thursday

We don’t aways live opportune moment in things that we doing. As well? At certain times we can make plans to reach our goals. For this, a good way is finding the moments that are favorable for us goals. But it is not always that we find this good moment, this “opportune moment”. It means that the opportune moment is linked to what reality more than our wishes. The only way to realiy our wishes is finding the opportune moment, therefore is a waste of time to have desires that cannot find spaces of realization in the flow of reality. The encounter between desire and flow of reality is the “opportune moment”!