Читать книгу Wing Chun Kung-fu Volume 1 - Joseph Wayne Smith Dr. - Страница 7

Introduction

This book is the first in a series of three volumes that collectively give a theoretical overview as well as practical instructions for the entire system of Wing Chun kung-fu. There are many Wing Chun books on the market today, and the addition of more requires justification. First, Wing Chun today is not a homogeneous phenomenon: there are various types of Wing Chun/Wing Tsun in Hong Kong based on the style of Yip Man, many American and Southeast Asian forms of Wing Chun, and at least three forms of Wing Chun in mainland China. In this book, I cautiously wish to stay away from the internal disputes between these schools. It is sufficient to say that each of these styles has its strengths and weaknesses.

Saying that there is a best style is like saying that there is a best gun—however, it is well-known that handguns, shotguns, semiautomatics, and machine guns all have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, a handgun is for close-range work and is easily concealed, whereas a carbine and shotgun are not easily concealed without sawing off the barrel, which reduces power. However, the carbine and shotgun are typically more powerful than the handgun (see T. Lesce, Shootout II: More Techniques of Modern, Gunfighting [Phoenix, Arizona: Desert Publications, 1981]).

The same thing can be said about martial-arts styles and sub-styles. My approach is a synthetic one: not to mix together an eclectic bag of randomly selected techniques, but to systematically unify and integrate a diverse array of martial-arts knowledge into a concise and functional whole that is both meaningful and practical. The resulting theory of Wing Chun, while obviously in debt to historical systems of Wing Chun, is a rational reconstruction that is an expression of my own understanding and beliefs.

In addition, the approach I have taken toward martial-arts knowledge and teaching gives priority to scientific analysis rather than to history and tradition. While I am a teacher of a classical system, I approach it in a non-classical way. Scientific analysis, when conducted properly, emphasizes rationality, logic, justification, and criticism. It is also honest, meaning that the limits and weaknesses of the approach are clearly stated, not hidden from discussion.

In the first volume, Basic Forms and Principles, I shall discuss and illustrate in full the three empty-hand forms of Wing Chun kung-fu: Sil Lum Tao, Chum Kil, and Bil Jee;in the second volume, Fighting and Grappling, I shall describe sticky-fighting and grappling techniques, as well as the concept of vital points; and in the third volume, Weapons and Advanced Techniques, I shall describe the wooden-dummy set, the use of butterfly knives and other weapons, and advanced techniques of Wing Chun.

In each of these books I hope to present a scientific approach to the martial arts, explaining why techniques work and also when they will not work. Further, I hope to be able to do this without undue technicalities, so that this material is readable and concise, and illustrated with photographs that are meaningful.

In the light of the above comments, it goes almost without saying that I have no wish to enter into political disputes about what is the real Sil Lum Tao, Chum Kil, and Bil Jee, who is a real master, what is the authentic style of Wing Chun (or Wing Tsun), and so on. These political questions have no part in a truly scientific study of the martial arts; consequently I do not claim to present here the sacred Truth about Wing Chun as revealed to me by God! The scientific method and the true martial-arts spirit are both conducive to humility and selflessness; I therefore give thanks and homage to all of my teachers and the masters of their lineages, and hope that these works are free of the vice of self-promotion and serve to enrich the science and art of Wing Chun kung-fu.