10 years of Wing Chun - Why a hobby does not need to be useful
Hi!
As I crossed my 10th anniversary of learning Wing Chun a few weeks ago, I thought back on what Wing Chun has meant to me the past 10 years.
Wing Chun is a core part of my identity. I am passionate about it, and I like to think I have some proficiency in it. I see myself continuing to practise Wing Chun until my body gives up. Having enjoyed and benefited so much from it, I am always happy to share my art with anyone who is interested. Most of all, I hope to one day teach it to Joy.
Will I be the female Bruce Lee?
I realise that my passion for Wing Chun is not sustained because of utility or external approval, or trying to achieve certain goals. Instead, I manage to keep at it simply because I enjoy doing it, regardless of the outcome. Along the way, without intending it, everything else seemed to fall in place and my life has changed very positively from learning Wing Chun.
Wing Chun doesn't do much for my Linkedin profile
We are often encouraged to choose what we do based on whether they boost our resume or portfolio. In school we join CCAs which can win competitions. In university we think about which modules are useful and which firms would look good on a resume.
Martial arts is not a great addition to a resume.
Fighting is a useless skill. The visible final product of martial arts training - to fight - is quite useless in a modern society. We should not be fighting. Ever. I sometimes get asked if I can handle a bar fight, or if I can fight 10 karatekas. I don't know. I have never fought, I plan to avoid ever getting in a fight, and I hope never to need to use my Wing Chun.
Martial arts is hard to share. The end product of most hobbies can be shared for others to admire: artwork, yoga poses, food, travel. Truly capturing Wing Chun on photo or video is near impossible. Even a demonstration would be slightly artificial, or can only be appreciated by those in the know. It's not a great skill to get recognition or build an audience.
Did you know? There was Wing Chun in this scene! (Giri/Haji)
What keeps me going?
Learning Wing Chun might seem like a frivolous use of my time. It adds little to my career, and it is a skill I would probably never use. None of these have mattered to me. Wing Chun resonates with my soul in some way. I enjoy every part of the training process, and so I keep going on.
I realise if I were looking for an achievement to make myself look good, or a skill to monetise, I would not have lasted till now. I would likely keep wondering if this is really the best thing to spend my time on, should be I learning something else instead. When we do things because of what we might get at the end, it is easy to be distracted by the latest trends, and end up abandoning things halfway.
Wing Chun has made me a better person
Wing Chun and martial arts do not appear useful in a modern context. Yet, when I stop and think about how I have changed over these 10 years, it really amazes me how much it has made me a better person, and made my life better.
Confidence. Learning Wing Chun grounds my identity in something internal. Unlike a career or material possession, it exists within me, and is not dependent on others. Knowing who I am and what I enjoy, I am less insecure or self-conscious than I was 10 years ago. I worry less about what others think, and compare myself to others less. I can approach challenges or setbacks in life with less anxiety, and thus respond better. I am happier and do better in all other aspects of life.
Safety. Violence may seem remote, but we cannot deny it exists. Even if I have never been in a violent situation, it is good to know I have trained to handle one. I know that I am equipped to protect my family or help someone in need. Around 15 years ago, I saw someone harass a girl on a bus. I did nothing. I can't remember what I thought at that point, but looking back on it now, I feel very disappointed with myself. I hope that now if the same thing happens I would have the courage to act better.
Vulnerability. Feeling safe allows me to be vulnerable. I can let my guard down when interacting with strangers. I can have a softer, more gentle outlook, and thus treat others better. Even though violence itself is rare, people still project dominant or aggressive body language. I find this tends to work less on me, and I also do not feel any need to project a similar false confidence.
Thought. It might be strange that a physical activity is good for the mind, but I find that Wing Chun has improved my ability to think. Wing Chun was developed by a woman, so it always assumes dealing with a physically stronger opponent. We learn how to maximise the efficiency of the body, and also handle overwhelming force by redirection instead of direct conflict. These ideas don't stay within the martial arts context. I often find that the same frameworks are applicable for all challenges in daily life. Training with others in an up close and physical situation also teaches me about people. The more intense the training, the more a person's character is laid open. I learn to read and adapt to people better (though my introvert self still has much to learn in dealing with people).
People. The greatest thing I gained are the friendships I made. I have met with many people of different backgrounds, tied together by similar passion. Beyond improving my skills through them, I have received companionship, support, career advice and much more. To my Sifu, Simu, and fellow students who might be reading this, it has been a great honor and pleasure to have gotten to know and learn from all of you.
Training trip in Copenhagen. I never imagined that Europeans would be so interested and knowledgeable about chinese culture.
Do something for the sake of it, everything else will follow.
All these came about incidentally as I enjoyed my training. I did not start this journey aiming for them. I think this shows that we do not need to try and optimise every aspect of our lives. In any event, we are bad at optimising. We tend to only consider on the pros and cons on the surface, and not what lies deeper. Instead of thinking what we need for external approval, we should follow our gut and do what resonates. The benefits will follow.
I believe if we all had space to pursue a passion, much more value will be created. The world will be better. Unfortunately, the world is so competitive, and so many are merely getting by, that it does not feel like this is a viable option. I definitely find myself lucky that my day job provides me with enough that I can keep investing time into Wing Chun. Yet I think the structure of our society and economy can be much better.
Do drop me a reply to tell me what you think about this. If you are curious about learning a martial art, do reach out and I would be glad to share my experience about Wing Chun or martial arts in general. I train at the Singapore Wing Tsun Training Center, so do also check them out if this has piqued your interest.
James
About Ideothetic Flow
Ideothetic Flow is a small passion project where I share my reflections on challenging common norms and trying to be a better person.
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