# The most important part of your art



## zuti car (Apr 29, 2015)

What is the most important part of your art ? Is it the technical part , history, lineage , or maybe spirituality if your art practice such a thing, or is it something else ? What part you enjoy most ? For me the most important is technical part in a sense that I can use it efficiently . But what I enjoy the most is a movement  , performed perfectly  , when the mind is empty and concentrated on each single movement whether I am doing forms , dummy , knives or chi sao , I simply disconnect my self from the world and enjoy , I have similar feeling when I listen some musical pieces I like so much .


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## Vajramusti (Apr 29, 2015)

zuti car said:


> What is the most important part of your art ? Is it the technical part , history, lineage , or maybe spirituality if your art practice such a thing, or is it something else ? What part you enjoy most ? For me the most important is technical part in a sense that I can use it efficiently . But what I enjoy the most is a movement  , performed perfectly  , when the mind is empty and concentrated on each single movement whether I am doing forms , dummy , knives or chi sao , I simply disconnect my self from the world and enjoy , I have similar feeling when I listen some musical pieces I like so much .[/QUOTE
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> Taking your question in good faith. I simply love and enjoy my art. Understanding it and practicing it  and working out the applications and problem solving are of first importance. Consider my self very lucky to have the gifts from sifu, sigung and my sihings and my students. If I didnt live in Tucson when I did  and still in Arizona I probably would have done something else. Wing chun is a hands on art-so you tube and videos are not my tea. Spirituality has different meanings-so I will stay away from discussing that in short forum messages. I do strive for unity of body, mind and energy.Wing chun "history" is riddled with holes.Given my background in a tentative was I enjoy finding some historical insights.
> Disconnect myself from the world? No-  I am very much in it.


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## Buka (Apr 29, 2015)

For us, the two most important parts of our art art keeping the hands up when sparring, and being a gentleman or lady. Boring and corny perhaps, but hey.


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## Touch Of Death (Apr 29, 2015)

zuti car said:


> What is the most important part of your art ? Is it the technical part , history, lineage , or maybe spirituality if your art practice such a thing, or is it something else ? What part you enjoy most ? For me the most important is technical part in a sense that I can use it efficiently . But what I enjoy the most is a movement  , performed perfectly  , when the mind is empty and concentrated on each single movement whether I am doing forms , dummy , knives or chi sao , I simply disconnect my self from the world and enjoy , I have similar feeling when I listen some musical pieces I like so much .


Attitude is always first, but yeah, I like the idea of refining motion to the point where you are scary good, is a great second choice.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Apr 30, 2015)

zuti car said:


> What is the most important part of your art ?


If you keep your arms inside of your opponent's arms, his head will be exposed to your arms.


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## Treznor (May 8, 2015)

The most important part isn't necessarily the bit you enjoy most...

For enjoyment, I would say a good bit of free chi-sau / lap sau (even though it's bloody frustrating if you keep getting tagged... but that's how you improve)...

For importance, hit the other bloke...  everything else is just a means to this end.

Mat


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## Danny T (May 8, 2015)

Improvement of the fundamentals.
Respect,
Discipline,
Conditioning (mind, body, spirit)
Being able to actually use the training in a physical confrontation in an effective and functional way.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 4, 2015)

If I had to single it down. I would have to say the purity of the art.  My style isn't a watered down martial arts style and it has been tested in actual combat (non-sport fighting). While some things are applied differently to different situations, the root of it stays the same.  Any new application for our techniques are only added to the existing ones. We don't replace techniques even if they are outdated.


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## Vajramusti (Aug 4, 2015)

The most important single thing in wing chun is imo- integrating the external and internal elements of the sil lim tao. Easier said than done.


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## PiedmontChun (Aug 5, 2015)

For enjoyment's sake, I feel most satisfied when a previously foreign or new movement becomes natural, i.e. those moments where you use something in friendly sparring without thinking about it and you know it was reaction versus trying to "make it work".

Important in term of most central to the art? Maybe I can answer that years from now. At the moment it is trying to ignore preconceptions about fighting and just absorb what is taught, to "empty my cup".


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## marques (Aug 5, 2015)

To train well (to feel), instead of just put hours or techniques on that.


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## Danny T (Aug 5, 2015)

Vajramusti said:


> The most important single thing in wing chun is imo- integrating the external and internal elements of the sil lim tao. Easier said than done.


And to do so without thinking.


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## drop bear (Aug 5, 2015)

Walkouts.


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## Jake104 (Aug 5, 2015)

drop bear said:


> Walkouts.


Too bad his fighting couldn't live up to his hype. I like "Mayhem".


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## Eric_H (Aug 6, 2015)

Winning every online argument.


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## Danny T (Aug 6, 2015)

Eric_H said:


> Winning every online argument.


Did you just do this?! You actually pulled the Chuck Norris card!! 
FOUL!! I call Foul!


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## Jake104 (Aug 6, 2015)

The most important part for me is learning self control, humility and respect. 

The most amazing part is learning new and simpler ways of doing things. I'll never stop learning and I'll always be a student. I learn from people of all levels. Both above and below my level. 

My favorite part is no matter how bad my day is going prior to training. I always feel way better after a good training session. It seems to always put me in a great mood.


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## LFJ (Aug 7, 2015)

I would say the most important thing in the system that I train, is that one sees the big picture; understands how each part of the system, from SNT to BJD to full on sparring and everything in between, fits together to create a coherent approach to fighting/ fight training. 

This way, students don't miss the forest for the trees and get caught up in trying to see 1:1 applications to each action in the forms, or take the forms as separate levels of fighting, or any of the other nonsense theories the imagination can come up with when one isn't directed well by a competent teacher who knows the full system.

It's all about training to develop certain behaviors in fighting to have a favorable chance of winning or at least coming out alive. It all comes down to that instant where violence occurs and what may or may not happen...


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## Tez3 (Aug 7, 2015)

PiedmontChun said:


> For enjoyment's sake, I feel most satisfied when a previously foreign or new movement becomes natural, i.e. those moments where you use something in friendly sparring without thinking about it and you know it was reaction versus trying to "make it work".



I agree, the feeling is fantastic when that happens.



Jake104 said:


> The most important part for me is learning self control, humility and respect.



To be honest these are things I would expect to be used in martial arts but learnt outside. I would hope that people are brought up to have self control, humility and respect. I get rather tired of parents bringing children to martial arts and telling me they want them to learn self control and discipline, that's not martial arts job that's parent's work. One needs self control and discipline to learn anything, coming into martial arts without these qualities means a student can't learn, of course martial arts strengthens these qualities but I don't believe they teach them in the first instance.


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## Danny T (Aug 7, 2015)

Tez3 said:


> To be honest these are things I would expect to be used in martial arts but learnt outside. I would hope that people are brought up to have self control, humility and respect. I get rather tired of parents bringing children to martial arts and telling me they want them to learn self control and discipline, that's not martial arts job that's parent's work. One needs self control and discipline to learn anything, coming into martial arts without these qualities means a student can't learn, of course martial arts strengthens these qualities but I don't believe they teach them in the first instance.


Agreed.
Martial training can re-enforce how one is brought up. When I have a parent who says their child needs to learn respect or discipline...etc. My response is along the lines of; "we would be happy to partner with you in that regard and to help foster those with you; what specifically are you doing at home with your child to develop respect or discipline... or whatever? We will be happy to continue that development."

Training and practicing the martial arts can and does help but it has to come from family life.


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## Jake104 (Aug 7, 2015)

I see your point. I wasn't talking about regular common etiquette and courtesy. I was assuming most people already have some of this prior to MA's and have hopefully been raised properly.

I have seen were people who take a martial art and get a black belt, then become overly confident, arrogant and even obnoxious. They can't be taught and they think they know everything. It's a personality flaw that many have. They seem completely normal until they obtain a bit of power or rank. Martial arts affects people in different ways. For me, it keeps me grounded. It "reinforces" my confidence, discipline, humility, and self control. It just makes me that much more of a better person. Like previously said, learning new movements is great, but it takes time. So you're learning to be more patient and have more self control, both mentally and physically. Also, learning to respect yourself and your training partners is important and are all part of good martial arts training?

Reaching and connecting with people is another important part of Martial arts. Let's say a punk Kid comes to you who didn't have a stable home life? If you can make a difference and help that person learn those things, why not? Martial arts can be a very positive influence on "troubled people". If approached in the right way.


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## mograph (Aug 8, 2015)

Yes. Kids, depending on the age, react to authority differently: they may prefer to learn discipline from a martial arts teacher rather than from their parents. 
Maybe this is more true of older kids?


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## Tez3 (Aug 8, 2015)

mograph said:


> Yes. Kids, depending on the age, react to authority differently: they may prefer to learn discipline from a martial arts teacher rather than from their parents.
> Maybe this is more true of older kids?




Depends on what you think 'discipline' is, many think it's taking orders or doing as you're told. There's many parents and teachers/instructors who believe that is exactly what it is. For me it's not, it's the ability to make decisions for oneself in such a way that makes the most sense for me and those around me, being able to reason why I should work hard at something and being able to do it rather than take an easy way out. A disciplined mind doesn't mean behaving as others wish rather behaving as one should.
For many discipline in martial arts means students doing as they are told, a row of silent students moving in unison as the instructor barks orders, parents can see this and think it's wonderful. For some students it's a haven for laziness, they just follow what everyone else is doing and are told they are 'disciplined'.


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## mograph (Aug 9, 2015)

I think we're on the same page. I don't think discipline is order-taking ... it's basically, delay of gratification: self-discipline. It's also, along your lines, the ability to set one's own framing of a situation rather than always needing someone else to set the framing. For example, in my opinion, the military really only has taught someone discipline if they can discipline themselves once they're outside of a military framework; they'd be expanding and extrapolating their military training to exercise delay of gratification in civilian situations. 

My earlier post  only suggested that different students respond to different teachers, in any domain. But I see your point regarding the younger kids: they may be too young to be able to learn self-discipline if they require a teacher to tell them when to apply it.

Here's a classic delayed-gratification study:
Stanford marshmallow experiment - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


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## Yendokuen (Aug 11, 2015)

There's a lot I love about the martial arts I train, but the most important part to me is the technical part. In the world of martial arts, there are always going to be people making big claims to what they can do. It all comes down to two words: *prove it*. And I'm just talking at the most basic level. I'm not saying you have to get into a street fight or show me some amateur/pro fight record, but at least be able to use the mechanics to prove that you can generate power/use sensitivity/use structure to break a persons balance/etc. 

As dumb as this may sound, one of my favorite things about kung fu is that it's...well..kind of weird. It's not stuff you see people do naturally (for the most part). However, to train it until it's natural and to figure out how to use it efficiently and effectively...that, to me, is the true embodiment of using it as an art.


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## Bkouba (Aug 23, 2015)

zuti car said:


> What is the most important part of your art ? Is it the technical part , history, lineage , or maybe spirituality if your art practice such a thing, or is it something else ? What part you enjoy most ? For me the most important is technical part in a sense that I can use it efficiently . But what I enjoy the most is a movement  , performed perfectly  , when the mind is empty and concentrated on each single movement whether I am doing forms , dummy , knives or chi sao , I simply disconnect my self from the world and enjoy , I have similar feeling when I listen some musical pieces I like so much .


For me it's changed a lot. Initially I wanted to learn to fight an compete in order to prove something, now that I've done that training is more a spiritual practice.
Sparring is like my mediation, and the people I've meet through training have become like family. I've seen this a lot with people who come through our gym, often angry young men that slowly transform under the guidance of our Sifu.
The ignorant see martial arts as simply violence, I can't help but think they have never trained or at least trained under the right teacher. I see this a lot with the popularity of MMA which is a shame.


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## Isaiah90 (May 1, 2016)

zuti car said:


> What is the most important part of your art ? Is it the technical part , history, lineage , or maybe spirituality if your art practice such a thing, or is it something else ? What part you enjoy most ? For me the most important is technical part in a sense that I can use it efficiently . But what I enjoy the most is a movement  , performed perfectly  , when the mind is empty and concentrated on each single movement whether I am doing forms , dummy , knives or chi sao , I simply disconnect my self from the world and enjoy , I have similar feeling when I listen some musical pieces I like so much .



The most important part of Wing Chun is the philosophy. It's about humility, self control, and living a better life according to the basic principles.


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## JP3 (May 1, 2016)

I very much enjoy the practical/technical expression of what I do, on a purely physical level, and the second part is the mental/emotional boost I get from teaching and talking about it with other-like minded folks, my students and my own colleagues and the instructors with much more knowledge than I.  it's all good.


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## Touch Of Death (May 2, 2016)

mograph said:


> I think we're on the same page. I don't think discipline is order-taking ... it's basically, delay of gratification: self-discipline. It's also, along your lines, the ability to set one's own framing of a situation rather than always needing someone else to set the framing. For example, in my opinion, the military really only has taught someone discipline if they can discipline themselves once they're outside of a military framework; they'd be expanding and extrapolating their military training to exercise delay of gratification in civilian situations.
> 
> My earlier post  only suggested that different students respond to different teachers, in any domain. But I see your point regarding the younger kids: they may be too young to be able to learn self-discipline if they require a teacher to tell them when to apply it.
> 
> ...


Simply put discipline is where others won't let you fail, self discipline is not letting your self fail. If you start a kata and you mess up, start over. You don't deserve to go on.


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## mograph (May 2, 2016)

Touch Of Death said:


> If you start a kata and you mess up, start over. You don't deserve to go on.


Yeah. I had a trumpet teacher who said, "if you play a note badly in an exercise, go back to the beginning. Strive to make all your notes sound beautiful." Now, as I progress, I find progressively finer measures of beauty.


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