I asked my students in Wing Chun Kung Fu if they would write a little about how this discipline has helped them, here are Eric & June.
First Eric's:
'I suffer
from an old injury of a prolapsed disc which happened back in 1999.
Periodically my back will completely give way leaving me completely and utterly
incapacitated. This means that I can't use toilet facilities, stand up, etc
without the pain being too intense.
My GP
visited me, as well as the pain relief nurses from the main hospital, and
prescribed me Morphine and Valium tablets to reduce the pain and relax my
muscles.
The reason this happens is due to stress. If I'm under an inordinate amount of
stress then the muscles in my back tighten to an extent that I only have to
bend from the waist and my back will give way.
'Recently I took on a job
negotiating contracts for some business companies. All went well until I heard
later that one of the companies had dismissed most of its work force, keeping a
skeleton crew and employing non local workers in an effort to save money. I
felt awful about this although I know it's just part and parcel of how business
is done, but I still felt bad for all the families that suffered due to
people being laid off. I have now refused anymore work as my health and moral
compass is far more important to me than making money! '
Normally I am incapacitated for weeks even months, but due to what I believe is
down to the Wing Chun, I have about 90% recovered in the space of under two
weeks.
Once I could stand again I also tried to do the
breathing/stress exercises that you showed us both. These helped, but I really
feel the Siu Lim Tao and very gentle level one warm-ups are what have helped me
recover so quickly. My GP also believes that this is the reason as well and I
have given her the link to the Tse Qigong Centre and your website, as she
is interested from a medical point of view as to the values of Qigong and Wing
Chun.
I
have done 30 minute Siu Lim Tao's everyday for the last few days, and I feel so
much better for it.
Now June's:
'In 2005 I suffered a serious industrial injury;
this resulted in a displaced fracture of the pubis ramus bone, broken
right arm, and severe problems with my right knee and hip leaving
me unable to walk without the use of a walking stick. The problems and
pain associated with my hip and knee were considerable, and I was given very
strong painkillers to alleviate the problem. The problem with my right
knee ended up with me having to have an operation on it in 2006 to remove cartilage,
and scrape the interior of the knee-cap.
Since my youth I have always needed the aid of
inhalers as I suffer terribly with asthma, especially when Rapeseed is in
flower. I began Wing Chun classes in June 2011, and in the subsequent time
since, the pain that I continually had in my hip and right knee has
improved so considerably that I no longer need the aid of a walking
stick to assist me in walking without pain. I also suffer from
Tennis elbow and a trapped nerve in my left shoulder. I was also extremely unfit,
and couldn't even touch my toes.
Now I use my inhaler maybe once a week at
most, sometimes longer. My Tennis elbow has alleviated, and I very rarely
have any problems with the nerve trapped in my left shoulder. Most of all my
fitness and stamina levels have vastly improved, and like Eric, none of this is
anecdotal evidence, it's plain to see from how unhealthy we both were, to how
incredibly healthy we've become in the short space of a year. It is Wing Chun
that has led to this outcome, and it's something that we both never give up,
now knowing the health aspects...physical as well as mental.
If you interested to learn Wing Chun,Chun Yuen Quan,Wild Goose Qigong
taught in Beccles & Palgrave near Diss
Contact:Sifu Natasha Etheridge 07961 033357
Authorised Instructor of the Tse Qigong Centre
