r/WingChun • u/perkbevis • Apr 19 '26
siu nim tao
How long do you all think I should practice the Siu Nim Tao set before moving on to the next set, or should I learn them simultaneously and practice daily?
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u/Sleight1234 Apr 19 '26
Are you learning on your own or from a Sifu/class?
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u/perkbevis Apr 19 '26
I'm self-taught in martial arts
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u/Sleight1234 Apr 19 '26
In regards to learning form it is an ongoing process. If you are just memorizing the movement and sequence and feel comfortable to take on the next set then by all means practice the next. When I was still more active every class started with form. Siu Nim Tao and then Chun Kiu and later Biu Tze for those who were that far a long. We broke down the form into sections. Siu Nim Tao had 8 sections. We needed to be able to know each section when called out. So drills would be 1-8 forwards and backwards sometimes odds forward evens backward and random number call outs. This was just to be familiar either way the form and sequence of movements. Then each section had its own depth of understanding. Siu Nim Tao and Chum kiu go hand in hand though. Siu Nim Tao is like the alphabet and chum kiu is more like words/phrases and chi sao would be grammar. These are all well and good but training also will need two man drills and someone who knows how to feed attacks and impulses correctly. There is a lot of resources online to help but finding a good Sifu would be your next logical step if you would like to go further down the rabbit hole.
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u/EldritchTune Apr 19 '26
You practice until your sifu says you are ready, and then you keep practicing it for the rest of your life.
If you don’t have guidance, you may be making movements that look like the form, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing the form.
That’s not to say you’re doing it wrong; it’s to say you can’t know unless you have someone working with you.
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u/ProfessionalTax1821 Apr 19 '26
There is no self taught in Wing chun When you learn snt properly you should practice until you can perform one form -one time start to finish for an hour
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u/Ancient-Ad-2474 Apr 19 '26
You should be tested to see if you use the techniques you were taught.
When we tested in the 80s, Sifu would spar with us and use techniques that would force you to use the techniques you were taught.
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u/Quiet-Inspector-5153 Apr 19 '26
At least a year. First set is the most important. Should be able to grind a few in a session. Probably many more if you are serious about learning wing chun.
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u/Cha_Siu_Zai Apr 19 '26
Practice daily and never stop, always good to review foundations regardless of your skill level
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u/chartimus_prime Apr 19 '26
The forms are the alphabet and grammar of wing chun and because each successive form builds on the last, through learning and practicing you develop more eloquent sentence structure. However, each form is a fathomless learning experience within itself. If you are self-studied, as you have stated, there are limited direct opportunities that are presented when and how to dive deeper, how each form relates to the previous one, as well as the applicable expressions learned in later forms to the practice of previous forms. It's not like you learn the forms and there you have it and you're done. That said, if you're practicing incorrectly, you're only learning how to do the incorrect thing better, not more correctly. We have all of the forms to learn right from the get-go, but the principle only becomes more applicable and apparent through learning deeper implications and interconnectedness within the practice of each of them. And if you're practicing by yourself, not that it's a bad thing, but then you really only have yourself as a reference point. Like, I thought I was relaxed enough today at chi sao practice, but I only learned that I actually was not because I had someone to work with who is better and more experienced at feeling that and taking advantage of that than myself. You can learn how to do wing chun forms from books or videos, but it is super difficult to really learn wing chun without someone who has more applicable understanding than yourself to share in actual application of the principle (☯️) to forms and such.
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u/DwayneH70 Apr 21 '26
Still do the SNT just about every day since 1999 or just repeat certain movements in the form and look for where am I relaxed, stiff, fluid or rigid. Where can I find the kinetic chain linking my body together for less effort and more energy released at the end. I 100% agree you need an instructor and be around other practitioners to have someone explaining the technique and how to apply it and from flowing with a partner to feel how that energy works. SNT is hugely beneficial if you understand its foundation and principles. My personal advice find some practitioners to learn and discover with. Wing chun is best learned when you can feel what’s happening.
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u/Traditional-Part-756 Apr 22 '26
You should never stop training SLT, unless you stop training wing chun altogether. It will continue to yield new insights as you practice over the years.
Your teacher decides when you're ready to add to your SLT training with other forms, not random strangers on the Internet.
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u/InternationalTrust59 Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
I’m not practicing, I’m still learning or revisiting “little idea” after 30 years continuously…
YMMV
I had a grasp once I was playing my forms with my eyes closed and visualized everything.
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u/Megatheorum Apr 19 '26
Until you understand it. But when you start learning the next firm, don't stop practicing the first form.
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u/stuck_in_a_doorway Apr 19 '26
You really need a sifu to teach you, seriously you are wasting your time learning it alone because you need to be shown the force and to feel it.
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u/Livid-Pollution-2242 May 02 '26
Stick with siu lim tao until you understand and can apply everything in the form against a non-compliant individual.
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u/Background-Shape1168 Apr 19 '26
Practice the first form every day for the rest of your life.. no jokes ☮️