The Ching Mo Wing Chun Centre once again welcomed that enigmatic Wing Chun teacherGrandmaster Samuel Kwok, delivering a great seminar on the wooden dummy. This was the first of two seminars breaking down the wooden dummy form, and giving the students a chance to see what makes this simple yet advanced form work.
	The seminar started off with a question and answer session to get an understanding of the differing abilities of the students. It was a very mixed group, some students having only 2 months training whilst some had over 12 years of experience. When the training started all the students were fully focused and eager to learn. This was a small group, just under 20, but this meant Grandmaster Kwok could work personally with everyone, and correct their basic movements.
After demonstrating the whole first four sections he then asked students to come forward and show him what they had understood watching him do the movements. He then went on to explain in detail what he was doing and to make sure that no matter what level the student was they understood what he was showing them. Then after they had practiced on the dummy he gave them simple drills to practice with each other in a combat application scenario.
	At this point he went round to each group of students and corrected their positions and their use of energy. If the students needed more information he took them over to the wooden dummy and showed them how to train the techniques on it, and why the correct energy was as important and the position. this seemed to be something he felt had to be shown and felt as "if you want to play football you have to learn how to kick a ball" after this in depth explanation of the use of the combat
applications and the form, we moved on to the skills Wing Chun is best known for. After a short break in which time Grandmaster Kwok decided his break would be a few minutes training with the Ching Mo Instructors we finally got him to take 5 for a nice drink of Chinese tea. Chi Sau with the wooden dummy movements was something that the students did not expect, but Master Kwok was determined to make sure that if the students were going to learn how to use the dummy
	then there should be no stone left unturned. With his usual charm he asked for someone to step forward and help him demonstrate, and after a simple explanation on how two people should practice to "work the technique" he set everyone going. Many students were amazed that using the Dummy techniques was so simple in Chi Sau. He then went round each group of students and practiced the movements with them, let the students practice on him saying that "he wanted to feel if the
students used the right energy" so all the students found it a very enlightening day, and they all had the chance to practice there Chi Sau with this gentle but skillful Wing Chun master. We would like to thank all the students that attended the seminar as many had traveled a long way. We will be looking forward to the next seminar which will be based on the last four sections of the wooden dummy with the same energy and enthusiasm