“Learn to control yourself first, then controlling the opponent is easy.”
Sifu Matt Johnson
martial arts
Three Things About Movie Martial Arts Which Aren’t True in Real Life
It’s not unreasonable to say that martial arts movies have been one of the driving forces behind the arrival and spread of martial arts and kung fu in the United States. On one hand this has been great because it’s helped introduce generations of new people to many wonderful martial arts styles and families of kung fu.
On the downside, some movie martial arts may sometimes give some people misconceptions and misunderstandings about the realities of kung fu. This is problematic because when people are looking to study a martial art, all they may know is based on what they’ve seen in the movies.
Here’s three things people believe with enough frequency, that they walk into martial arts schools and ask about them:
1. You can fight 10 guys (or more) at once and win. Admittedly, this scene from the Ip Man movie is spectacular to watch but as the saying goes, “don’t try this at home.”
2. Flashy moves and fancy techniques are effective in a fight. Everyone loves Bruce Lee movies. They’ve started more than one martial arts career, mine included but they’re a veritable catalog of flashy and fancy.
3. You are unbeatable. The Matrix is an awesome movie. Love it. But Neo, sorry, no one is unbeatable.
This leads to unrealistic expectations on numerous levels. There are better ways to approach figuring out what style might be right for you and then for finding a qualified school with a teacher and atmosphere that feels right for you too. But no matter the style you choose, three things will always be true:
1. No one will ever fight ten guys at the same time and win. We should all try to be smart and avoid situations that could lead to something like that. One thing any real martial art, any genuine Sifu should teach you is humility and good sense. Humble sensible folks don’t go around starting fights and avoid places where they’re likely to erupt.
2. Simple, direct, straightforward techniques will get the job done. Ving tsun (pronounced wing chun) kung fu is famous for it’s center line theory. While the other guy gets fancy you can just hit him. Or in life, find simple direct solutions for every day challenges.
3. No one is unbeatable. There’s always someone bigger or tougher; or someone who’s just trained more. Or someone who got more sleep that day. And anyway, the real winner is the person who avoids the fight in the first place. Being a peaceful person, now that’s really unbeatable.
If you’re looking for a martial art to learn, we’re happy to talk to you about what we do here. And we promise, nothing flashy, just real, traditional kung fu in a friendly, informal environment. Call us. We’re happy to answer your questions. 1-773-301-6257 Thanks so much for stopping by.
Meditation, Qigong and Kung Fu
Sifu Matt believes that to just train external Kung Fu is only half of the training. The other half is meditation and Chi Gung practice. At the academy we don’t just train Kung Fu, we also train the mind with meditation and the internal state of the body with the practice of Chi Gung or energy/breath work. Sifu Matt teaches sitting meditation help to relieve stress and helps us to live in mindfulness everyday. We must learn to keep our mind balanced and calm. Not only is this important for Kung Fu practice, it is important for everyday life outside of the academy.
Chi Gung is the practice of gentle movement combined with breathing in order to exercise our internal energy, or “Chi”. It seeks to work the internal, whereas Kung Fu Training works the external. There are many different kinds of Chi Gung exercise, some are slower, more like Tai Chi Chuan, some are faster and use more power to strenghten the muscles and tendons. Contact the academy to learn more about learning these two practices.
Stuff Sifu Says
“If fighting is all you’re concerned with, you don’t need to learn kung fu for that. Just go out and get in a lot of fights. Eventually, you’ll figure it out. Of course, you might get killed in the process. So, there’s that.”
Sifu Matt Johnson
Two Reasons to Keep Training Your Martial Arts
The Martial Arts Trap
Anyone can get to that place where we feel like we know it all. I know all my forms. I got my certificates. I’m a certified bad-ass. This however is a trap leading to mediocrity in our kung fu or martial arts training. Even worse, this belief can lead to so-so performance in other areas of life. The way we do one thing is the way we do everything. Think about it.
Pursuit of Mastery is Ongoing
It’s important that current kung fu students are always coming in on a regular basis to train and continue learning. Critical that even “advanced” students come in to train and work with younger, less experienced students. This is a central part of martial arts schools everywhere. There are several reasons.
1. Investigate, Try, Apply, Repeat
Here’s part of the answer: Because, “advanced” students who have completed learning a set number of forms etc. have not really completed their martial arts study; they’ve only finished a segment of their training. The certificate which says you’ve learned a kung fu form means that you know all the moves and have a basic understanding of what they all mean. To fully investigate how they might be applied in a self defense situation, requires more training, more chi sau, more conversations and questions with your Sifu.
2. Martial Arts is a Way of Life
This is yet another beginning. This is where the next level of understanding of practice begins which informs not only the body but the mind and the spirit. This is where we begin to crack open the doors to understanding how kung fu is a way of living and not just a solution to being in a rough spot if someone threatens you with their fist. Ving Tsun kung fu is how we approach life every day. Focused. Relaxed yet Determined. Pure of intent. Like the Chinese coin; strong in the center, round on the outside. Doing all we can to make the world a better place.
Sifu Matt and the VTSDA Demo at U of I Champaign for Mid-Autumn Festival
The Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy was invited to the University of Illinois to share a demonstration of Ving Tsun kung fu as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, September 2012.
Please enjoy the video.
Many thanks to:
Mathew Mario Digiovanni
Humberto Flores Jr.
Aaron Harper
Whitten Hau
Christian Tillich
Robert Veitch
All the disciples and students of Sifu Matt Johnson
The University of Illinois at
Champaign/Urbana
Grandmaster Ip Ching
Great Grandmaster Ip Man
The VTSDA is the only school in Chicago and one of the few in the United States with a direct link to the Ip Man lineage of the Ving Tsun/Wing Chun system.
To learn Ving Tsun in it’s purest form, come to the Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy.
We teach you to train your body and your mind for self defense, fitness and to help you find peace of mind in daily life.
The VTSDA is the only school in Chicago offering comprehensive mind/body training for development of your physical, mental and spiritual capacities.
Come visit the school.
773-301-6257
mjvingtsun.org
Related articles
- Ving Tsun Students All Levels (mjvingtsun.org)
- Training the Mind in Martial Arts: Why is it Important? (mjvingtsun.org)
- Sifu Matt Featured in 2City News (mjvingtsun.org)
Ving Tsun Students All Levels
At the Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy we train everyone together. Beginners, long-time students, adults and youth. It makes for better training and more of a traditional feel. This is how my Sifu, Ip Ching teaches in Hong Kong at the VTAA. Not only do I see that it works well for him, but in my own school, I see that students learn better, form the kinds of tight bonds and lack of ego that you want in a good school of kung fu sisters and brothers and that their ving tsun develops nicely.
Here are some photos from tonight’s class. You can see every kind of ving tsun training happening at the same time.
Think it loks good? We’re currently accepting new students. Register or call for your interview today.
Saturday Training at the VSTDA
We had a great night….
…during the Chicago Arts District 2nd Friday last night. It was super busy and lots of people came by to check out Ving Tsun student, Rok Teasley’s new art work and to see what ving tsun is.
We followed it up with some mighty fine training. (Especially with some visiting members of our far-flung ving tsun family in town. Dr. Josh is in from Boston and Aaron, (who has a new school in the Champaign area) drove in so the kung fu brothers could have some time together training the ving tsun.
Here’s what some of the action looked like.
We also had some really nice new guys stop by to check the school out. Always nice to make new friends.
Sifu Matt Featured in 2City News
Sifu Matt Johnson and the Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy is in the news!
Recently, the local news group 2City News conducted a three-part interview with Sifu Matt Johnson. Here is part one, in which Sifu gives the audience a basic grounding in what ving tsun is and why it’s so effective for self defense.
The article focuses as well on the problem of understaffed, under-served urban areas in which residents often feel they must fend for themselves:
Check out the rest of the article and the first video segment. And of course, stay tuned for part two, tomorrow!
Thanks to Zack Isaacs and the whole 2City crew for focusing on the academy and such an urgent set of security and self defense issues. As one of the very few U.S. schools with direct links to the Ip Man lineage of Ving Tsun/Wing Chun, we are dedicated to teaching ving tsun in it’s purest form to those who wish to defend themselves and their loved ones. We extend an invitation to anyone who may be interested to come in for an interview, watch a class and if interested, attend up to a week of classes free of charge, to make sure the school is a good fit for you and your self defense goals.
Matt Johnson Ving Tsun/Chicago 