@Shaina Tran love it! 🥰 I agree completely with what you have stated!

@Adam Marlow SPOT ON @Michael Kirwan If you would like a deeper explanation, please see the post that I had written. But essentially, belts don’t determine skill level. You can be a black belt but if you stop training, skills diminish as quickly as its acquisition if you don’t apply it to your life. Hope this clears up your mindset brother.

@Michael Kirwan

@Dave Ellis I have trained with a Lo Man Kam student here in Australia who goes to Taiwan for refresh/progress sessions. I have found that he too, had created a unique way of expressing Wing Chun. I have found his Siu Nim Tao very unique, along with the William Cheung, Moy Yat, Wan Kam Leung from the Ip Man lineage. If you would like an unbiased and educated understanding about the above statement, I please feel free to go onto YouTube, search Ip Man Siu Nim Tao, Lo Man Kam Siu Nim Tao and make a comparison between the two. If you have time, can I please see a video of you practicing the Siu Nim Tao to also confirm my understanding as well? Thank you for creating this awesome post as well as the opportunity to read and comment on it.

@Dave Ellis awesome, the form that my friend has practiced contained a rather rigid structure and exaggerated movements and his chi sau consisted of pushing on the contact points. Of which the above is contrary to what we are taught in the Chu Shong Tin Lineage. He still goes to Taiwan with his son to practice with the grandmaster Lo Man Kam directly. But I think due to his old age, his son Gorgon LU does the teaching and travelling in place of the grandmaster. I will check your post with your form. Thank you!

@Zachery Harp The following phases that I would term as ‘learning phases’ are my interpretation of the method of learning that can be applied to any art form or daily action: Phase 1- The Action (copying) Phase: Make all actions or ‘shapes’ beautiful - meaning, ensuring that every action is copied according to the shapes that are presented and taught to you. During this phase, you will have minimal to no concept of the applications other than creating neural pathways and muscle memory. Phase 2 - The Technique (structural) Phase: Apply your structure to the practice - Transition from Action to Technique. During this phase, you will start to understand how your structure can enhance your power generation (Fa Jing/fat Geng) of each technique. During this phase your techniques will lack fluidity as you are still conscious of your shapes and structure. Phase 3 - The Art (state) Phase: Apply all knowledge of the techniques such as power generation, structure, perfection of the action and application. During this phase you will ‘become’ or ‘be at one’ with the state, which allows you to eliminate thoughts and activate what Bruce Lee termed as ‘unconscious consciousness’. The term means reaching the stage where your body reacts instantaneously to any external force successfully via counter attacking and deflection. Phase 4 - The Maintenance (longevity) Phase: long term practice to ‘retain’ or ‘keep’ the art alive. Phase 5 - The Sharing/Spreading (teaching) Phase: Spreading the art to further enhance and retain your knowledge by teaching the art to others. PRACTICING THE ART IS ONLY ONE SIDE OF SKILL ENHANCEMENT AND PROGRESS, BEING ABLE TO TEACH THE ART IS WHERE THE REAL SKILL SHOWS. When you are able to teach the skill to others, that is when you know that you own the skill. The above information is roughly based on my own interpretations of learning and can be termed in different ways according to the user’s background and experiences.

@Nimarta Paul WSL is short for Wong Shun Leung.

@Nimarta Paul you are welcome 🤗