Luke Roberts - London
I have studied on and off at this class for about 8 years. I like the Wing Chung system for its simplicity and practical application. I have always enjoyed martial arts and like to experience how different martial arts apply techniques and concepts. I have practiced Eskrima, Taekwondo, Shaolin Kung Fu, Capoeria, Boxing, Jeet Kune Do and Tai Chi at various points in my life. These styles have taught me how to spot if a teacher has relevant knowledge and expertise to help the individual pupil. I have seen the amazing, the crap and the passionate all talk about martial arts. What is important is how a teacher helps you to progress based on your body and your mind set. Raymond is a teacher who has helped all those in the class learn suited to their individual style.
The Unified Theory Wing Chung Class is excellent at developing thought processes of both beginners and seasoned practitioners. It looks at practical application together with the concepts you use to express a fighting system. As Mixed Martial Arts has helped developed the athleticism of martial artists, the mental/conceptual understanding has been lagging behind. What I mean by this is martial arts moves in fads in the West, from Karate, Kung fu, Jujitsu to MMA. Current trends are focusing on speed, aggression, stand-up and groundwork. The fighting concepts that link all these together are often missed or implicit in the information presented by schools, teachers and practitioners.
The focus of the unified theory class has been to articulate various fighting concepts in a way most schools feel rather than explain. I will identify two concepts that have made a difference to me personally: (1) Time and (2) Imposing one’s will.
For me, I originally thought to be a good martial artist was to be fast. But what is the point of being fast if you don’t know where you’re going! The concept of time is a unifying concept to all styles, but how well do you understand this in a fight? The affect time has on your ability to make decisions and how you can influence the opponent has been made explicit through time-line and time-frame concepts in Raymond's class. The understanding of time I have developed in class through practice and feedback has helped me become more deceptive as a martial artist.
The second concept of imposing one’s will on the opponent comes from either overloading your opponent with too much information to process, or not giving them any information to make a decision. This concept leads to an understanding of how to impose your will on the opponent. Not necessarily knocking them out which seems to be the goal of so many. But if someone mentally shuts down, they can no longer function. They become predictable, lack confidence and doubt themselves. To impose one’s will is to determine the rules of the game and change them to keep suiting you. The skill is in being able to constantly change, which tests your mental capacity. But is also determined by whether your opponent can keep up with the amount of change in order to impose their will on you.
The personal development I have gained through attending The Unified Theory Wing Chun class has helped me from being concerned about street situations and practical techniques to understanding how I think and feel about myself under pressure. Ultimately all journeys are journeys of self-discovery, you might not like all the sites you see but they also become moments of enlightenment and self growth.
Luke's Story