Bao wrote:I also agree that some aspects of what CST absolutely could be labelled as jin, regardless you see the method as having something to do with the ground or not . Though I don't agree whith the generalization of the term/word/character. CST absolutely show use of dongjin, who could disagree about that?
Well, I am. Dongjin just means understanding force. You need to understand incoming force before you understand how to redirect it etc. You could label what he does in many different ways. What's the point of labels? CST just use a word for "thought". In IMA people like to use Yi. I don't like these ways of explaning physical action. Thought or Yi here is useless if there is no physical action. What he does to make it work has to do with leverage and angles, directions of meeting incoming force. People don't like to describe things in simplistic ways in terms of simple mechanics. I don't understand why. Maybe it still don't help people to get it with the body. You must learn to actually do something, teach your body how things feel when you do it right. And of course do instead of think. Then why use a word like think or intent? When the secret to do something is not to think, but to do?
Sorry Bao, I think now I get what you mean by dongjin (懂勁) in which case I have to say that you don't 'use' or 'have' dongjin... you either dong (understand) or you don't dong! You're right, it isn't something like 纏絲勁 (chansijin) or 明勁/暗勁/化勁 (mingjin, anjin, huajin) or 聽勁 (tingjin) to describe a quality of one's movement or sensitivity - it just means you understand jin or not. Neither is jin unique to the IMAs. A lot of southern CMA uses it too - fajin and also the infamous 寸勁 (cunjin) or inch force, which to the best of my knowledge CST actually does not teach as it is at odds with what he does.
念頭 (nian tou) absolutely does not equate to think. That's actually the biggest problem in our training - the tendency to think rather than to just do it. It is a very specific 'thing' for lack of a better word, and the underlying aim of 小念頭 (siu nim tau/xiao nian tou) the little idea, the form, which is an efficient vehicle for enculturating the basics of nim tau. CST goes into a lot of detail on it in video that is publicly available on youtube, and his own writings, so I won't expound further here.
意 (yi) in the context of IMA is an awkward synonym and by no means as specific. Don't get me wrong, in other arts jin or yi or qi are crucial in defining and attaining skill... but if you want to be specific there is a different progression in CST's wing chun that does not map well through these concepts.