The natural stress regulating effect of a Wing Tsun kung fu class is remarkable. It doesn’t happen all at once. Any change in one’s routine can be a bit jarring and even a bit scary. A new student may wonder, “How will I perform?” “How will I look to others in the class?” Will the instructor think I am clumsy?” “Can I cut it?”

Wing Tsun classes have the wonderful effect of taking you away from the almost 100% stress of modern living. Think of it: Stressful jobs and bosses, stressful bills, stressful car repairs and house maintenance, spousal problems, child’s problems, the list continues. Where DO you go to relieve stress during the week? The local bar? That’s a good place to improve your health --- with alcohol and tobacco smoke. Do you take a walk along a busy street? That’s another good place to de-stress --- with auto noise and exhaust fumes. Does the Phoenix area have any open spaces that haven’t been bought out by developers yet? Maybe. Where DO you go??? Do you sit in front of the television? That should work. No exercise there. You don’t have to use your brain at all. You can let the cable TV and network TV corporations decide how you should think about the world and what products to buy. Can you really get away from the din and crass of everyday life with the above methods? Of course, not but you can in a Wing Tsun kung fu class.

Stress is not just unpleasant or inconvenient – something you should take a pill for. Stress is destructive. It eats away at your body’s composition. It changes your glands for the worse. It goes beyond the intent of this article to describe and examine the long list of serious health problems that continued daily stress causes. It has been called the silent killer because your body adapts so well - for a while. Most people do not notice it creeping up on them. Often other people do. They notice it in your face, your mannerisms and your attitude. Productivity often suffers as well as disposition.

Wing Tsun kung fu has a unique exercise called the Siu Nim Tau. The literal translation is “Little Idea Form.” For once you can learn to do something skillful with your whole body. No machine can do this for you. The body craves purposeful movement. The Siu Nim Tau is a series of slow movements and some faster movements. Siu Nim Tau gives you the time to contemplate what you are learning. It falls between full meditation and a self-contained kung-fu lesson.

Wing Tsun is taught in a safe environment free from the stressful distractions of modern life, away from computers, rush hour driving, multi-tasking, and brings you into a separate world of learning to cope with yourself. You get to fine-tune your body and mind under the watchful eyes of expert instructors.

Wing Tsun’s movements are not beyond the capabilities of middle-aged people. Many people in their 40’s and 50’s have gone far with the skills of Wing Tsun. At the same time and person at any age can benefit from Wing Tsun, which offers an alternative to the more external techniques of other martial arts or sports.

By the time class is over, you probably forgot completely about your troubles. You realize that Wing Tsun training makes it possible for you to learn a significant martial art and

the best thing might be the camaraderie that you build when you and your classmates are all learning and achieving something that is positively unique in the world. What is that worth?

by Sifu Keith Sonnenberg

© Copyright, Keith Sonnenberg 2010 All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

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