A foreign student's perspective of training at Sung

Although we are only a small club at Sung, we have a far reach in respect of our students. Our most distant student is Rini Pijneburg from The Netherlands who travels to us twice yearly. Below is an account of his experience so far with us.

On the 2nd of June I ended my third, 10 days to 2 weeks, training at Sung Wing Chun in Sheffield within a years time. Earlier in my life I had trained Wing Chun for about 14 years in the Wang Kiu lineage and later on for a year and a half in the Wong Shun Leung lineage, all in The Netherlands. I had in both instances stopped the formal training due to the fact that I was too tense and didn't manage to do anything about it. I sort of gave up on it. But somehow Wing Chun never gave up on me. It always kept coming back to me. I always kept coming back to doing the three hand forms at home, on my own. During the Wang Kiu years a grandmaster seminar had been organized that besides Wang Kiu and Wong Shun Leung also featured Chu Shong Tin. I was impressed by the latter. Years later, early 2015 I did some research on the internet on Chu Shong Tin lineage Wing Chun. I found out that Sung Wing Chun had started half a year earlier and that they were teaching Chu Shong Tin Wing Chun in Sheffield.

In total I have now spent 39 days in Sheffield. Most important for me is that my problem, being tense, is a central subject in the way Wing Chun is being taught. Being 'Sung' (relaxed with purpose) is essential and is a core theme of the teachings. Being Sung while being under stress because of the force your opponent puts on you is what I am learning through 'Standing Practice', Wing Chun's first form Siu Lim Tao and single and double hand Chi Sau. Standing Practice is about relaxing your muscles while standing, about learning to let go your muscles on a conscious and a sub-conscious level, about 'opening' joints and about learning to deal with ones own mass. Siu Lim Tao and Chi Sau are standard elements of Wing Chun training.

The way Wing Chun is being taught in class differs from my earlier experiences in that a lot of the teacher's attention goes on the Wing Chun body structure and helping students to 'letting go' their muscles and to learn to put ones mass on the opponent. While students individually do Standing Practise or a form, teachers correct stanches and help with 'letting go'. Forms are taught group wise; movements are being copied and the intension of the different moves are discussed. Students are encouraged to test their skills in partner exercises and in Chi Sau training. In doing partner exercises and Chi Sau with the teachers, students are taught a better understanding of what 'letting go' means. (Luckily there 3 teachers.) There is no sparring at this stage.

Mark, Daniel and Jonathan are three excellent teachers who together 'run' Sung Wing Chun. They themselves are well trained, travelled to Hong Kong for 7 years to train at Chu Shong Tin's kwoon and are still actively training amongst themselves to upgrade the level of their skills. Besides that they are kind and do their utmost in supporting their students. I always feel very welcome and enormously supported when attending the classes and private lessons. Besides the lessons they provide me with applicable guidance at how to develop my abilities while being at home in The Netherlands in between my time in Sheffield.

While being in Sheffield I use to stay at the Buddhist Centre on Ecclesall Road which is within walking distance of the training facilities and a nice and affordable place to stay.