Wing Chun Fut Kung Fu: Muscle Memory

One of the concepts I have learned from my Wing Chun Fut training is the power of muscle memory. I did not grow up in a family that was into participating in sports. In my father's youth, he was really good at cricket, but I didn't have much experience participating in organized sports. So I never had to train for a sport.

Now that I am training kung fu, I realize how hard it is to perfect movements. So much thought goes into making sure my movements are precise because the success of techniques is dependent on the details. This is where muscle memory comes into play. You ever do something physical so often that you don't even need to think about it to get it done. Things like tying your shoes or driving home. These are examples of muscle memory.

Athletes use muscle memory to perfect their skills. For example, basketball players practice shooting from spots on the court so that in a game situation they can make those shots without having to waste time thinking about them. Kung Fu works the same way. In a fight, you don't have time to think about how to block a particular punch. That's why we practice our blocks against street fighter attacks every night. The more punches you see, the less you have to think about things during a fight. Your hand just automatically does what it should to block an attack. It's freaky the first time it happens because you feel like you don't have control, but in reality, you are in control by practicing every night.

The two big things I've gained from muscle memory are reacting quicker to attacks and calming down during a fight because I don't need to look at my blocks to know they are right.