Chu Shong Tin was a genuinely happy man. His natural delight in living would light up the room. His genial smile exuded warmth that was almost physical. In his last year he seemed even more joyful. On our second to last trip I mentioned to one of his senior students (Ada) that CST appeared to have stepped up in his level of bliss. She replied that, “Yes he has finally worked out how to discard all negative thoughts.” I don’t understand what she meant exactly, but to me it seemed as if he had moved closer towards a state of nirvana.
It is tempting to divide the health benefits of Wing Chun into mental and physical subjects. However, treating mind and body as separate entities is a very unsatisfactory approach to this topic. One affects the other fundamentally and we should always consider that in our analysis.
When I am feeling unhappy this will inevitably change my posture. A depressed person will tend to slump. My spine will be less erect, shoulders may sag forward, and my neck and head may crane downward. This posture is a physical manifestation of what is going on mentally. One could chase one’s tail by then arguing that the initial mental unhappiness could have been caused by a physical condition even if the sufferer is not aware of pain or discomfort.
Falling further down the chicken vs egg rabbit hole we can then look at how to cure this physical ailment of temporary bad posture. Let’s assume that my depression was brought about by a specific incident. My share market stocks have plummeted and I have lost a few million dollars that I really did not need but definitely wanted. (Of course this is in an imaginary world!) I could speak to a psychiatrist or a close friend and they may cure my depression by reminding me that such a loss will not really make any difference to my well-being. They could explain that there are many things more important than money, that I have much to be grateful for. If the treatment is successful I may rise from my depression due to the power of reasoning and the therapeutic value of self examination and caring conversation. I have effected a mental change to deal with the mental cause of my affliction and consequently my natural good posture has returned.
There is also an alternative approach to the problem. I may choose to ignore the psychological cause of my bad posture and treat the condition in an entirely physical way. By lifting the spine, looking straight ahead, allowing my chest to open up and my shoulders to fall to a more natural position along with other Wing Chun type adjustments I can bring my bearing back to that of a cheerful person. If I hold this happy, relaxed posture for long enough I feel a change in mood. This change allows me to see things more clearly. I realise that the big picture is what matters and stop fretting about my loss. Now that I am happy my deportment reflects my mood and my illness of bad posture is cured.
Chu Shong Tin spent sixty-five or so years practicing the upright relaxed stance of Wing Chun. His view of our stance encapsulated many facets of happiness and he emphasised that when doing the forms we should keep our mood light and playful. One time he described to me the way we stand in Wing Chun as the posture that would arise after receiving an immense compliment; a lifting up with pride and satisfaction.
I believe that the thousands of hours Chu Shong Tin spent in the Wing Chun stance influenced his mental state. His discipline in maintaining his physical training overflowed into his mental world. Each is intertwined. We should not separate the two realms. If you wish to be as happy as Chu Shong Tin – then training correctly in Wing Chun is a good way to start!
~ Mark Spence