Sung's approach to Chu Shong Tin Method

Chu Shong Tin was most clear in articulating his approach to his method when in 2007 he made the decision that he would rather close his club than continuing in the way he had previously taught. At that point his focus changed to an internal method of guided release of excess tension and teaching an expanding and balanced posture in standing (and movement).

Can you imagine how this felt for his senior students?  After decades of training there would now be no more chi sau for an indeterminate period of time.  If you are addicted to chi sau (like most wing chun practitioners are), then going to his kwoon would be like an alcoholic going to the pub each night and having to drink coke.  Sigung took a risk which meant that many old students left, but at the same time more came from far and wide to replace them.
My belief is that just as important as the new method of standing which he introduced, was the stopping of the chi sau in its previous guise.  The mentality of forward focus along a centre line (compressing yourself into contested area), power generation testing and ‘winning’ which had become normal was never the goal which he had set himself.
Chu Shong Tin spent the next 7 years trying to perfect a method of passing on his skill, but he was soon to be diagnosed with cancer and that led him to unfortunately refocus on teaching the whole wing chun curriculum to his students (for which he allowed 3 years).
Was his new method a success?  I think that the answer is partially.  To my eyes the issue which still dogs the growth of his system is that even those teachers who teach his internal method, they then go on to ‘test’ it using the previously disavowed tools.  So again forward focus along a centre line (compressing yourself into contested area), power generation and ‘winning’.  These very goals may have been what was main problem in the first place.  They take you back to square one. Can you expand yourself and then choose to compress that state into yours and someone else’s forearms?  Is success that your power moved someone?    If you need to find a tangible result to prove that it works, you will subconsciously seek that thing and loose the state which you spent your time trying to develop.  When it hits the fan, I’ve rarely seen anyone who doesn’t go for the tactic of ‘the ends justifiy the means’.  If that is the case, you are just a cheat.
 
How does Sung approach this issue?
In line with CST’s final stage of teaching our paramount focus is on achieving a state of release and expansion in the spine and whole back, so that it can lengthen and widen (sing).  That then provides for unified body movement in an expanded state with the emphasis of release of undue muscular tension.
 
Wing chun method themselves are then used in the class to test and refine the above ability.  Any wing chun technique or skill which causes undue tension, compression or reduced mobility is simply not trained. If we find something else that does work, we play with that.
 
The goal of the above is to create an intent in the mind (Yi), which unifies the body.  As an Alexander Technique teacher my preferred method (the one I know which works) involves a process of inhibition and direction before action.  This removes the unhelpful habits (which is also what CST wanted for his students).  It may be possible to use other methods to reach a similar state, and as long as the state is achievable then its legitimate to test that state using chi sau etc.  Without an idea of that correct intent then chi sau practice creates the risk of training an incorrect method which hinders the individuals (and potentially the partners) development.  I would discourage this in class in the same way as CST did from 2007.
 
My memory of Sigung Chu is that he was not the world’s most powerful man, but a man whose movements could not be stopped.  He was an irresistible force.  Perhaps effortless power comes from effortless movement, but if you prioritise the former you will never get either.