Wing Chun First Form

The Wing Chun first form is known as Siu Lim Tao, and sometimes referred to as Siu Nim Tao.

Siu means little or small

Nim means idea, or “mind”

Tao means starting or beginning 

Siu Nim Tao means therefore the li

The Siu Lim Tao form teaches students how to build structure, relax, and generate force. This relaxation is essential for developing Wing Chun’s power.

During practice of chi sau, you will encounter moments of conflict with your partner. It is during these moments where you are most likely to tense up your muscles – inhibiting ease of movement, sensitivity and power.

Siu Nim Tao teaches you to practice relaxation. Through the regular practice of Siu Nim Tao you can become more aware of this. You’ll start to notice these moments more during practice of chi sau, and relax more and more.

Wing Chun First Form

The word “Nim” refers to the mind and this term indicates that the Wing Chun first form relates to some internal state of mind, rather than a purely physical discipline. The power of Wing Chun comes from the relaxation of the muscles and co-ordination of the body as a whole. During Siu Nim Tao the student learns to get into the “Nim” state, relaxing their mind and body and focusing very intently on practice.

Through regular practice in this way, you can generate a lot of force with your movements. However it is only with regular practice with a highly focused intent that you can grasp this power.

“Within this stage, the entire body starts to fill up with ‘Chi’ or as Grandmaster CST called it ‘Nim Lik’, which is a type of energy released through the control of a highly focused mind.” – Nima King (Mindful Wing Chun)

Sections

The Wing Chun first form is broken down into three main sections. The first section is done very slowly. The slower you can practice it, the better. If you rush through the first section, focusing only on the physical movements, you will miss the internal aspect of the form.

When you focus very intently, you will want to encourage the inner feeling this generates. It helps to do the movements slowly so you can generate this internal feeling.

The first section starts with the opening of the stance and the centreline check. You then move through the positions of tan sau, wu sau, fok sau and finally there is pak sau and a palm strike. You can access a free video series of the Siu Nim Tao pattern here.

In the second section you begin using the hands together, whereas the first section you only use one hand/arm at a time, with the other one drawn back under your shoulder. The second section can be used for delivering power in multiple directions. In the third section you see some techniques combined together, using the power you have developed from the first and second sections.