The Siu Nim Tau is the first set of movements of Wing Tsun kungfu. The literal translation is the “Little Idea Form.” The first section of the form is done slowly. We are told by our instructors that doing it daily is important and the slower the better. The form has multiple benefits including a deep breathing subset which has a de-stressing benefit.
After you perform the Siu Nim Tau, is that the end of it? Are there not lessons we can gain from this form, this practice?
What is meant by “internal martial arts?” Generally, it refers to an emphasis on structure, breathing, and dealing with opposing forces to defend against an attack. In Wing Tsun, to strengthen the body, many joint exercises are represented in the three forms to unify the body as a coordinated whole. Structure, angles and in the case of Leung Ting WingTsun®, mobility are paramount issues in dealing with an attack. The development of the elastic qualities of the body are used to facilitate defense when encountering stronger forces. Read more
The Siu Nim Tau form, Wing Tsun’s most basic set of movements, may be the perfect antidote to anxiety we hear about in modern people. The name of this form, Siu Nim Tau, means literally Little Idea Form. It is meant to convey the purpose of this set of movements. It is intended to be done slowly in a quiet environment with self-reflection and focus. It gives a student of Wing Tsun time to slow down everything, thinking, breathing, even one’s heart-beat with more natural breathing in the abdomen instead of high in the chest. If a focus is placed on abdominal breathing, it tends to reduce attention on shoulder tension.
We start you, the new student, at the beginning of the Wing Tsun journey learning self-discipline, exercising the body from the inside out, and self-confidence. The beginning movement set is the first form called Siu Nim Tau. It is important that a new student learn the essence of this form first. Siu Nim Tau is translated as “Little Idea Form.” The contains the essential basics that form the rest of the system.
The things you learn later, all have a representative movement within Siu Nim Tau.
In the first few martial arts defense movements one learns in Wing Tsun classes, it is not immediately apparent what the techniques could be used for. Wing Tsun kung-fu is like a car in that if one takes a mechanical part off the engine and show it to a student of auto mechanics, the student might not know how this helps to make the car run. This is because the car needs all the engine and drive train parts to make it run.
Leung Ting WingTsun® training starts out with the Siu Nim Tau form. This form is an important way to start your training. The first third of its 108 points are performed slowly. This allows a few things to take place. First, a beginning student or a practitioner can slow down from a hectic day. One can also contemplate the movements and correct any positions, flight path, and tension. The form contains a second and third section which build on the first section. The applications of all these movements are taught concurrently with the form over the next few student grades.
Many programs offer possible solutions to stress and correcting health issues but not all solutions are suitable for all people. Many self-defense programs offer no solutions at all. WingTsun™ offers the Siu Nim Tau set which is a series of movements done while standing. Siu Nim Tau is a relatively gentle series of movements, the first section of which is done very slowly. It involves a light meditative focus and a breathing component that can be escalated or left as a gentle, natural breathing. The advantage of this form of stress reduction is that it can be done in most any location. It has a small ‘footprint’ which does not require a large amount of space. It does not require sitting or lying on a floor and is a suitable form of training for an aspiring beginner martial artist. The movements have definite self-defense applications which are taught in subsequent classes.
It comes as no revelation that kung fu moves are Asian in origin. The cultures have several traditions that go back 5,000 or more years. Some of these traditions involve meditation that helps quiet the mental chatter that disturbs health and progress in one’s life.
Wing Tsun has a meditation that one can utilize and it is a prerequisite to more advanced forms of learning. It is called Siu Nim Tau. Some traditions focus on just this one thing – quieting the mind. Keep in mind that not every Siu Nim Tau session will be equally tranquil. It takes repeated sessions to get the hang of obtaining a tranquil state of mind.
The martial arts stretching methods we use are built-in to the Leung Ting WingTsun® system. The first stretching practice comes in the upper body stretching in the first form which is called Siu Nim Tau. Wing Tsun™ forms (kuen) are not used for performance purposes. They are intended for the student practitioner to improve him or herself.
Little things add up to plenty
Speaking as a Wing Tsun Self Defense instructor, in Wing Tsun, little things add up to plenty. The Leung Ting WingTsun® system works on skills, which is a difference from some performance-oriented martial arts wherein the goal is to look good. When working on skills, we teach the way things function for maximum results in a self defense situation. In the process of doing this, the student learns the way the body works and how to self-train at home between classes for self defense application.
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