Train Smart by Minh N.
Paris, 29th of March 2013
I have been willing to write a testimonial about David's Wing Chun classes for a long time. But I kept having trouble writing down my thoughts because his teaching have found in me resonances in different forms and in multiple fields ever since, not only in my personal gongfu training but also in my academic studies, strategic thinking, personal and professional life etc...
So, I decided to share my thoughts firstly in the form of a personal, yet public, memo that may help cast a light on some aspects of David's training methods.
- Don't Compromise, Keep your Standards High
I learned from David that in order to achieve the level of skills I yield for, and no matter the external temptations of compromising, be it by adding or removing elements, it is of paramount importance to keep very high standards in my training. This principle can be expressed in multiple ways. The most literal acceptation is that I would rather train for a short period of time trying to respect all the core principles of Wing Chun, than train and sweat for hours just for the sake of it. Quality over quantity.
- Soft Power over Brute Force
This principle is said to be a guideline in many martial arts. David is one of the few I have had the chance to meet to say it as well as demonstrate it. But not only is David capable of demonstrating it, he gives us a path, a gradual roadmap to develop the skills necessary to express this soft power. In other words, he shows the path, walks it, and invites us by his sides. This soft power is an expression of a strong position, high sensitivity and an acute sense of timing.
- Back to Basics
David emphasizes the importance of basics in Wing Chun and in all kind of serious training. It lays the, vital yet too often neglected, foundation of any discipline. In Wing Chun, position is key to effectiveness, and essential to utilize and optimize incoming force, as well as to express efficient soft power. This emphasis on basics requires humility and somehow equates, because one may feel less strong at first, to investing in loss. I believe this mental and physical asceticism must be seen as a constant reminder to stay in a beginner state of mind and to continuously challenge ourselves.
- Intelligent Training
"If gongfu is hard work, the secret of the art lies in deep thinking". First, I understand it as being able to be entirely committed in training and to stay mindful while training, in order to be receptive to what our own mind-body has to express, but also what others, be it from our school or not, can teach us. Secondly intelligent training means to me that it is vital to follow a blueprint in order to stay on tracks. But it also means to find ways to have a feedback, be it while practicing with a partner or as autocorrect a toolbox of tests, so as to be able to trigger red flags when we are off tracks. Finally the third aspect of intelligent training is to me creativity, so that the tradition still lives and becomes incarnate.
These guidelines that I always carry with me and that I try today to capture in a few words are one of the many he was able to share with me during my stay in Shanghai. In retrospect, I believe he was able to inspire this much only thanks to his:
- Deep knowledge and long practice of Wing Chun
- Total commitment and high integrity
- Ability to communicate and inspire using Chinese and Western cultural frameworks
As I already did for people close to me, I would recommend all those who are genuinely interested in martial arts to seize the unique opportunity to train with David.
Minh N.
I have been willing to write a testimonial about David's Wing Chun classes for a long time. But I kept having trouble writing down my thoughts because his teaching have found in me resonances in different forms and in multiple fields ever since, not only in my personal gongfu training but also in my academic studies, strategic thinking, personal and professional life etc...
So, I decided to share my thoughts firstly in the form of a personal, yet public, memo that may help cast a light on some aspects of David's training methods.
- Don't Compromise, Keep your Standards High
I learned from David that in order to achieve the level of skills I yield for, and no matter the external temptations of compromising, be it by adding or removing elements, it is of paramount importance to keep very high standards in my training. This principle can be expressed in multiple ways. The most literal acceptation is that I would rather train for a short period of time trying to respect all the core principles of Wing Chun, than train and sweat for hours just for the sake of it. Quality over quantity.
- Soft Power over Brute Force
This principle is said to be a guideline in many martial arts. David is one of the few I have had the chance to meet to say it as well as demonstrate it. But not only is David capable of demonstrating it, he gives us a path, a gradual roadmap to develop the skills necessary to express this soft power. In other words, he shows the path, walks it, and invites us by his sides. This soft power is an expression of a strong position, high sensitivity and an acute sense of timing.
- Back to Basics
David emphasizes the importance of basics in Wing Chun and in all kind of serious training. It lays the, vital yet too often neglected, foundation of any discipline. In Wing Chun, position is key to effectiveness, and essential to utilize and optimize incoming force, as well as to express efficient soft power. This emphasis on basics requires humility and somehow equates, because one may feel less strong at first, to investing in loss. I believe this mental and physical asceticism must be seen as a constant reminder to stay in a beginner state of mind and to continuously challenge ourselves.
- Intelligent Training
"If gongfu is hard work, the secret of the art lies in deep thinking". First, I understand it as being able to be entirely committed in training and to stay mindful while training, in order to be receptive to what our own mind-body has to express, but also what others, be it from our school or not, can teach us. Secondly intelligent training means to me that it is vital to follow a blueprint in order to stay on tracks. But it also means to find ways to have a feedback, be it while practicing with a partner or as autocorrect a toolbox of tests, so as to be able to trigger red flags when we are off tracks. Finally the third aspect of intelligent training is to me creativity, so that the tradition still lives and becomes incarnate.
These guidelines that I always carry with me and that I try today to capture in a few words are one of the many he was able to share with me during my stay in Shanghai. In retrospect, I believe he was able to inspire this much only thanks to his:
- Deep knowledge and long practice of Wing Chun
- Total commitment and high integrity
- Ability to communicate and inspire using Chinese and Western cultural frameworks
As I already did for people close to me, I would recommend all those who are genuinely interested in martial arts to seize the unique opportunity to train with David.
Minh N.
