Sometimes the simplest, clearest instruction can appear mysterious. Chu Shong Tin would often use the term “I just relax” when explaining how he moved. Anyone who trained in his Hong Kong kwoon would soon learn the Chinese term, ‘fàngsōng’, as CST reminded his students again and again that the main thing to do was to just “relax”.
We all know this yet we constantly forget. Being reminded can feel like being told to stop worrying when you are anxious, or to cheer up when depressed. In fact the analogy is quite apt. We know that anxiety will disappear if we simply stop worrying; if we could cheer up of course we would no longer be depressed. If we could release the tension in our body then we would be relaxed. But it is not that simple.
A student of mine also trains under a Chi Gung master. He told me that when he explained the convolutions we go through in order to learn how to relax the master was puzzled. He said that for every movement there is only one way to do it relaxed. He is correct.
Furthermore we already know how to move in a relaxed manner. We do this all the time when performing any task that does not require force. If I pass someone a cup of tea I am relaxed. Turning on a light switch is generally done with relaxed movement. The problem is to avoid using force. This is no easier than stopping worrying or cheering up. The instinct to employ brute strength is incredibly difficult to tame.
Thinking of the problem area and willing it to relax is not enough. We need to think differently. When asked if he ever spent a lot of time working on relaxing a particular muscle Chu Shong Tin answered with an emphatic no. He said that he “always worked on relaxing the whole body and on the idea of relaxation”. This makes sense when one considers that the objective is to integrate the body. This feeling of connection is brought about by softness rather than tension. We connect our bodies in the same way that a pool of water is connected; everything is involved. Problems arise when we seek connection with structural tension treating our body like a building.
Chu Shong Tin did have a few more tricks up his sleeve beyond just reminding us to relax. He had a particular way of touching and using chi to help our muscles let go. The effect was quite remarkable. As well he used word pictures. He told us to imagine that our bodies were turning from ice to water and melting downwards. He advised us to imagine that we were breathing out through our muscles in order to release tension. Both of these techniques are not unique to Chu Shong Tin Wing Chun. I have heard them used in Chi Gung practice also. However when delivered by CST himself coupled with his incredible charisma, they sounded new and meaningful.
Chu Shong Tin understood that the mind and body are not separate entities. He told us that in order to relax the body one must also relax the mind. The images he conveyed still resonate strongly with me today. He said to pretend that our bodies were smiling on the inside. Even more evocative was his idea of imagining that our joints were laughing. These instructions would induce us to relax and remind us that it was something that we actually already knew how to do.
This is a very important point. We know how to relax. It is not as hard as it seems. We forget because we try too hard and fall into analysis when we should be diving into the refreshing pool of actual experience. Relaxation exists in the here and now. A wonderful calm arises when we realise that this moment is the only one we have to exist in.
In searching for relaxation we are like the cyclist that asks “if I turn this corner at this speed, how far should I lean?” We know the answer even if we cannot express it. Seeking to quantify relaxation into data that we can refer to when needed misses the point entirely.
After I have told a student to relax for the hundredth time, I simply try a different approach. I ask them what they are up to this weekend. More often than not they instantly relax and the movement works. If I can make them laugh or smile the same thing happens. They stop trying and stuff works. We know how to relax!
A simple instruction can really be just that – simple. The problem is that it is also very hard to do.
~ Mark Spence