Article 6, 29th of January 2012 AJN/RFB

The Tradition and the TRADITION Speaking of "tradition" today one has to face - depending on the topic - the most different kinds of reactions: Tradition often is associated with outdated, backward, old and simply not up-to-date values and opinions. Those themselves are usually just fragments, totally torn out of their initial context and circumstance, fragments which are, although probably no longer fit to go along with our modern behavior and thinking, strongly appealing to some people and by that still being kept up. 2. Tradition, to some people, can at the same time have another meaning: Doing things just the way they have always been done (which is usually also the way they have learned them to do). Such, is then being seen as "passed down from generation to generation", granting it a certain legitimation, institution and right to exist. 3. "TRADITION" ( intentionally in capitals to strongly distinguish it from the above versions ), refers to an absolute passing on, not in a distinct form, but merely in it's essence - the content. But more on that later. Speaking now of Tradition in matters of Wing Tsun, or of 'traditional Wing Tsun' (and all it's ways of spelling), we wonder what might be meant by that? What is Wing Tsun? It is a series of principles, a human being, depending on the degree of development of the necessary skills, can produce an effect by. Now what should be so traditional about Wing Tsun? Certainly not strict exercises, that different people have developed at different times and in different places, due to their diverse levels of understanding each rather different from others. 'Traditional' at Wing Tsun are it's principles. In order to let these principles become alive in oneself, it is not a matter of the ways they are taught by, or the kind of tools for teaching that are used to be just well known and familiar to the student so he can easily develop and harmonize necessary skills. Neither it is the question wether someone uses "traditional" tools (like the longstaff or the double knives) or something different he might not be acquainted to (like sword, glaive, waraxe or combatknive, etc). Seeing an exercise, I should be able to know or understand what skills people are currently training by it. So the same tools, handled differently, can seem rather diverging. The point is the principle / the principles, someone is moving by. Whether he or she has got the skills is important to us watching someone perform an exercise, not if he knows the specified programs from diverse schools and forms of the art. Speaking of "TRADITION" when it comes to the WTU, I am referring to something quite special. Just taking into account the aspect of movement and / or instinct in Wing Tsun would be focusing on only one field of work of human existence. The other fields are for the WTU those of "Thinking" and of "Emotion". All three areas are to be harmonized among each other. The sole, intense development of one field might be promising quick success and gain in matter and power, but effectively a person or entire society doing that, is out of balance, unsatisfied and not fit so cope with unexpected difficulties. Occupying oneself with "TRADITION" for quite some time, one hears a lot about conditioning. Never genetics or ethnic background have been the point or obstacle when trying to engage something new or complex, "conditioning" on the other hand, always is a great problem. 1.

To get a deeper understanding of this, we should name some reference points. Our observation came to 3 basic motives and phases of the situation: Firstly, there is Pleasure: Here people tend to learn just very little, although they themselves might have a different opinion on that, since being full of emotions at the time, which in the process turn into something they are consuming, so to speak. In this phase a person simply amuses oneself, even if he or she - depending on how one actually behaves - thinks to be a "good" person. This is based on greed. Secondly there is Occupation: Here people try to use material ahead (before they are even ready to grasp and comprehend it effectively). Here it is all about, how much is tried to make use of personally. This is based on impatience and selfishness. Thirdly and finally there is Evolvement: Here a person is thus in tune with him- or herself, that the knowledge can actually take effect in oneself and turn active through the individual.

The resulting tasks and necessary skills of a teacher are now as follows: 1. Having the required experience to know the aspired destination's coordinates. 2. Having the qualities to evaluate every person and his needs individually. 3. The ability to overlook the leaning progress, and giving necessary hints and instructions to the right time and in the right apportioning. As "TRADITION" we thus understand those qualities needed to render space- and timeless human abilities possible in a specific place and to a certain time. It is about the skills, enabling someone with such knowledge to create and adapt tools useful for the place and the circumstances, so that aspired results and skills can be realized, and in this situations fill the theory, the life of principles with existence.

AJN + RFB

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