Interview with Combat Magazine: Classical Workings. by Pasco David SiFu July 1997 His love of the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu has made him determined to preserve the style by teaching in the traditional way. COMBAT: What determines classical Wing Chun? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Simply this, it works! I feel that its much closer to the source of the undiluted art. After much trial and error I realised that the techniques I was using were at their most effective in certain critical positions, and these were the exact positions taught in the classical Wing Chun method. The traditional method has been honed and perfected through many years and generations of teachers, with the result that every technique is taught in its optimum form. COMBAT: In what ways, then, does this differ from what you are taught in non classical Wing Chun Schools? Sifu PASCO DAVID: In many non-traditional schools, juniors are often taught by the senior students whereas the classical way of teaching Wing Chun involves passing on the art personally from teacher to student. Thats why my schools could only have a limited number of students. In the early 1950s, Grand Master Yip mans teaching methods were very traditional. During this period he put a lot more into his teachings, both physically and verbally, and so during this time his students standard was very high. He was still quite young when he began teaching in Hong Kong. He was fit, had plenty of stamina and his reactions were still sharp, so when he practised Chi Sau sticking hands with his students, they had the full benefit of his skills, knowledge and experience. I have had those traditions personally passed onto me in the same way. I try to ensure that my students reach the same high standard as my former teacher. COMBAT: Wasnt it during the 1950s when Bruce Lee trained under Grand Master Yip Man? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Yes, Thats correct. Bruce Lee learned Wing Chun alongside my former teacher and that provided the basis for his personal art of Jeet Kune Do. COMBAT: How would you compare current JKD and Classical Wing Chun Sifu PASCO DAVID: Judging by one mans interpretation which I have seen recently on book and video, many of the movements are the same as those of Wing Chun. Bruce Lees fame has encouraged his students to promote his own personal art. This is fine because any outstanding and clever student can develop their own system based on classical Wing Chun, and this is the beauty of this art. Once a thorough grounding has been attained, the system is so flexible and complete, that you can apply the techniques in a totally individual manner. You need a solid foundation on which to build, and Classical Wing Chun was the original foundation for J.K.D. People recognise Classical Wing Chun as a very good street fighting art, and they take from it what they feel is street effective , such as its centre line theories and the concepts of simultaneous attack and defence. However what such people fail to realise is that in doing this, they are only touching the surface of the real art. To the onlooker some of these applied methods may appear very similar to classical Wing Chun, but they often lack true depth and understanding. A part of the trouble is that people want to learn quickly and do not want to take the time to learn correctly. COMBAT: Do you think that, some of these students are taught too much too soon? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Exactly! A good foundation is the most important thing to have because all the higher levels are built upon it. If the foundation is weak, then any techniques learned later will also have that underlying weakness. Wing Chun is known for its lightning fast reactions. Learning the correct technique is only the first stage.- we must then practice that technique over and over again until it becomes instinctive. When someone throws a punch at you, the last thing you need to do is to have to decide which block to use - it must be there immediately and without thinking. This speed of reaction (relying on feel and not on thought) cannot be achieved overnight! COMBAT: How important is physical fitness to your Wing chun practise? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Physical fitness is important to practise and in the classical Wing Chun, our training automatically increases a students stamina, power and strength, at the exact rate required for progressing through the techniques. This is yet another reason why the traditional method is such a complete system. In schools where the system is taught too quickly, students need to have extra time given over to physical fitness, just so their bodies can catch up. But why spend valuable time doing press ups, when you can be both practising a technique, and gaining physical fitness at the same time! Additionally, many instructors who teach non classical Wing Chun have little knowledge of the arts internal side, so they train there students in a way reminiscent to that of a western boxer. This external training of course has its place, but its not the complete way. COMBAT: What then is the internal side of Classical Wing Chun? Sifu PASCO DAVID: The main aspect is the concentration of energy built up by the correct and consistent practice of the Siu Nim Tao (Little idea form). The internal energy built up through this practise is necessary for Chi Sao sticking hands which we learn in order to develop sensitivity, position and reaction speed. I teach my students to be completely aware of the technique they are practising and I do this by limiting the techniques which they must learn at any one time. Awareness and concentration creates a mental focus which automatically directs the internal energy. People look for complexity, but the key to an almost completely internal art like Tai Chi is not to perform strange rituals or complex breathing exercises, but to be aware of your every move. COMBAT: Is Siu Nim Tao a very important aspect of classical Wing Chun? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Yes-in fact it is the most important thing in Classical Wing Chun. So far as Im concerned, bad Siu Nim Tao means bad Wing Chun! This being the case, it is not at all unusual to spend half an hour or more just on parts of the form whereas I have seen students from other schools spend as little as five minutes practising the complete form! I cant see how they can benefit from training at that speed. The form simply becomes an empty set of moves. COMBAT: When I visited your school, I witnessed your students practising one part of the Siu Nim Tao for a considerable amount of time. Is this a normal occurrence? Sifu PASCO DAVID: It is not unusual for this section to take half an hour or more. As we have established., Siu Nim Tao is the foundation for good Wing Chun, so the longer you spend practising, the better.. COMBAT: So you confirm that classical training has benefited you personally? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Yes, it has benefited me tremendously! I simply cannot compare my past experience of non-classical Wing Chun with the traditional method. Classical Wing Chun will slowly unfold before you and as you reach the higher levels, so you will come to realise just how important those first steps were and how they were assembled into form a complete and comprehensive system. Through the classical system you will gain confidence, patience, determination, understanding, and a healthy thirst for knowledge. When I first began training I was only interested in self defence, but by studying the classical system I soon realised that it is so much more than just a physical set of drills. It is very satisfying to realise how great and deep the original art is! COMBAT: On the competition side, you competed in and won your weight category in the Chi Sao division of Dan Dochertys first London festival of Chinese Martial Arts. How did you find it? Sifu PASCO DAVID: I must say that the event was very well organised and the judging was done in a very fair manner. I found the whole experience interesting and enjoyable, though I had never entered any kind of competition before. COMBAT: During the competition, you obviously touched hands with practitioners of non classical Wing Chun. Could you feel the difference in their touch and strategies? Sifu PASCO DAVID: Yes I could! Although the other schools looked very similar to my own on appearance, I could sense a vast difference when I performed chi sao with them. Basically it seemed that although a few had some knowledge of chi sao, that knowledge was limited. You see, by actual linking in chi sao, you can feel the intention of your opponent, how long they have been studying, and how much they have absorbed from the art. You can feel the whole depth of their Kung Fu! On the other hand to an inexperienced onlooker, the difference between a skilled and unskilled practitioner is minimal. It is only by actually engaging an opponent in Chi Sao that you can tell who is skilled and who is not. Chi Sau is the true test of any wing chun practitioner. COMBAT: How do you see your own schools developing in the future? Sifu PASCO DAVID: I do not want to expand too quickly because I am concerned with quality and not quantity. Once a good standard has been established with my current students, then I will expand. I would like to pass on the benefits of Wing Chun, sure, but I owe it to the generations of teachers before me to ensure the survival of the classical Wing Chun system in its true form.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:08:17 +0000
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