What is the best martial art for health? Wing Chun Kung Fu is known for its health benefits. Regular exercise improves health, so practicing any martial art regularly will be good for you. However, Wing Chun has other deeper health benefits within its practice. It’s mindful form practice helps you observe tension within the mind and body and release this tension. This helps to promote a relaxed posture and a relaxed mental state of mind.
Chi sau (sticky hands practice) has also many health benefits. In order to learn chi sau, you must learn how to relax both physically and mentally. As a beginner in any discipline you will naturally use more effort and muscular tension than you need in any given action. As you improve, you’ll learn to let go of wasted effort and become more efficient with your movements.
Wing Chun is based on economy of motion and minimum movement and as you improve you’ll learn to let go of wasted effort or tension in the body.
Letting Go Of Tension
Tension in the mind brings tension into the body and vice versa. You cannot be relaxed physically when the mind is tense, or at least this tension will manifest into the physical body in some way. In Wing Chun we seek to release the tension in our body in order to use our bodies more efficiently.
The mental state of relaxation has multiple health benefits. It has a knock on effect to relax the physical body and create more ease and peace of mind. When mentally relaxed the physical body is much freer to move unencumbered.
When we tense the muscles we are “locked in” in this moment, frozen and we become less efficient. Tension held in the mind/body over long periods can become problematic and lead to ill health. By observing the tension as it arises in the mind/body, and releasing it, you are training yourself for better health.
Chu Shong Tin Wing Chun
The Chu Shong Tin method of Wing Chun Kung Fu is particularly beneficial for health. It focuses on creating and maintaining this state of relaxation and connectedness. By being connected holistically throughout the body, you can create a lot of power so long as you maintain this connectedness through your movements.
When you tense a muscle, or group of muscles, you lose connection. This has huge implications for your health as a benefit of training in this way. The mind and body are intricately connected and so a mindset of maintaining a relaxed body has the knock on effect of relaxing the mind also (and vice versa).
Best Martial Art For Mental Health
This also has mental health ramifications too. Learning anything new is good for your mental health. It focuses the mind into an activity which requires your full attention. Studies have shown learning a language, a musical instrument, or a new skill, such as a martial art is beneficial for mental health.
Wing Chun in particular is a martial art which requires a lot of mental focus. Initially to learn the movements and then to identify and release tension from the body. There’s a social benefit to learning a martial art too of course and physical exercise is known for its health benefits too.
5 steps to mental wellbeing (from NHS website): connect with others, be physically active, learn new skills, give to others, pay attention to the present moment.
Wing Chun Kung Fu ticks at least 4 of these boxes for good mental health!
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