Wing Chun - The smart person's art?

[mun hung]

Do you feel that the skill level of a Wing Chun practitioner is greatly influenced by his or her intelligence? Or can an intellectually challenged person still learn and apply as well?

[TjD]

i think the greatest limiting factor in ones WC is how intelligent they are... unfortunately that puts me in a big deal of trouble

[PHILBERT]

No I don't feel intelligence plays a large factor, not over all at least. I worked with a few people at my old WT school who were, well...less than intelligent yet were very good at WT.

[Savi]

My 2 cents:
Your question could be the reigning factor seperating the Sifu from the student...

little model for thought:
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1. physical skills --> combat = X

X = have no answers to "WHY" or even "WHEN" things are done. Just, one day I'm lucky or not.

2. physical skills + techincal knowledge --> combat = Y

Y = have the answers to why, when, where, what and how about combat.
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A real master should have both the wisdom and skill to be recognized as such.

[Phenix]

WCK is stupid person art. The smart one think too much and end up living in Qing Dynasty or trying to write a book about Swiming before even get the body wet.

The stupid one end up doing it and doing it and doing it everyday.

[Savi]

Originally posted by Phenix
WCK is stupid person art. The smart one think too much and end up living in Ming or Qing Dynasty.

The stupid one end up doing it and doing it and doing it everyday.

Hendrik's Trolling. Please do not hijack Mun Hung's thread. Please respect Mun Hung and leave your politics out of this.

[Savi]

Originally posted by mun hung
Do you feel that the skill level of a Wing Chun practitioner is greatly influenced by his or her intelligence?

I would have to agree. From what I have witnessed in the WC that is taught at MengsofAZ, the students that know how to understand the system intellectually can execute the applications more consistently. The ones that are more apt in the physical side of learning express their understanding through energy, but grow a bit slower in the system. Neither is bad nor good, so long as they understand where they are in their learning development.

Originally posted by mun hung
Or can an intellectually challenged person still learn and apply as well?

I would have to say yes to this question as well. Understanding kung fu, but not having the physcial competance to express what you know in mind will always balance out in the end. I feel it is only a matter of time. That is unless the student loses focus and gives up.
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There is quite a unique way of teaching in HFY which addresses this issue:

Hung Fa Yi Siu Lin Tau: Little Drilling in the Beginning
1. We develop the combat skills in the practitioner soley on drills. Drills with and without partners, coupled with what people might consider 'sparring'. This is similar to getting your High School diploma.

Hung Fa Yi Siu Nihm Tau: Little Ideas/Concepts in the Beginning
2. The same approach is taken as #1, but supplimented with the technical know-how which addresses why things are being done in order to balance out the mind and body understanding. This is similar to getting your Master's Degree.

[PaulH]

"Stupid is what stupid does.." Forrest Gumb. A stupid person like Gumb is stupidly intelligent when he avoided using his brain too much to play ping pong. I like to play like that. There is nothing but the unbearable lightness of the ball back and forth across the forum. Ha! Ha!

Regards,

[John Weiland]

Originally posted by Phenix
WCK is stupid person art. The smart one think too much and end up living in Qing Dynasty or trying to write a book about Swiming before even get the body wet.

An apt set of analogies.

The stupid one end up doing it and doing it and doing it everyday.

That would be me then. It's good to know I'm on the right track.

Regards,

[kj]

My teacher has a couple of lightheated, yet serious sayings about this:

"You have to be smart enough to understand it, and dumb enough to do it."

... and ...

"Smart people tend not to practice hard. Don't rely on smartness."

Based on my own experience, I have to agree with these. I just haven't figured out whether I am too smart or too dumb yet!

Either way, Nike's advice says it best: "Just do it!

Regards,
- Kathy Jo

P.S. "Gumb"??? Sounds like a cross between Gump and Gumby.

[PaulH]

Good catch, Kathy! Gumb like Ernie tends to rub on me the wrong way! Ha! Ha!

Regards,

[Tom Kagan]

... This is similar to getting your High School diploma.

... This is similar to getting your Master's Degree.

A random thought:

Bill Gates has a high school diploma.

George W. Bush has a Master's degree.

Who is smarter? Who has a better grasp of their subject material? Who is better able to convey their thoughts?

Just thinking outloud ...

[kj]

Tom is on to something.

There are so many different types of intelligence and different ways to learn.

Then of course, there is our "emotional intelligence" and the role it plays.

Not to mention the added complexities of personality types and communication styles.

Sometimes even a simple question makes my head spin.

Regards,
- Kathy Jo

[Ernie]

hey paul
Good catch, Kathy! Gumb like Ernie tends to rub on me the wrong way! Ha! Ha!

that's it next time i see you it's on , no gloves , in fact i wont even use my hands , in fact i wont even use wing chun , pure savate .............. and a touch of thai

bring a cup




i was staying out and you had to suck me back in.
a less intelegent person , will just do with hesitiation or thought , this makes them dangerous ,
they will do as the are told with full commitment , since they are not to worried about what happens to themselves .
this type of person can use wing chun very well or any other type of fighting .

if they are drilled right they will respond acordingly.
but they will never teach or fully understand what they do.
do you know ever nook and cranny that makes your car work . no but you can drive with ease .

a smart person has more on there mind they often try to analyze everything and get a internal dialogue going . this might in hibit there ability to respond , or create doubt .

but this person will grasp every detail and seek out every secret.
the engineer that desighned the car may not even now how to drive .

do you think the chi-wa-wa would rush up and start barking at the pit bull if it had any idea what the reality of the situation was.... yet sometimes the pit bull backs down

[PaulH]

I regret to inform you, Ernie, that Hendrix has provided me the full blueprint of Rainbow technology. How does it go?

My body is iron
My soul is air
I destroy Evil.
Slash!

That's it. There is no such thing as a fight between us. I just walk right through you - Savage Thai or not. Ha! Ha!