Relaxation—The Secret to Mastery in Wing Chun and Life

“No attachment to outcome.”

“Patience – Don’t be in a hurry to ruin your kung fu.”

“If you cannot execute a technique effortlessly, you cannot execute the technique.”
“Only through relaxation can you let the technique fly.”

Almost a decade ago, I wrote this down as a personal truth about skill development—and it’s just as relevant today. It applies to Wing Chun, martial arts in gen

eral, and life itself.

The Problem with Forcing Progress

Too often, people try to muscle their way to skill. They strain through drills, rush toward outcomes, or shortcut the process. And when they do, they miss the lesson:

Kung fu isn’t about effort. It’s about efficiency.

In Ving Tsun, tension is the enemy of speed and structure. If you’re forcing a technique, you’re fighting yourself. You might have the motion, but not the method. True power is fluid. It feels effortless because it’s aligned.

The goal isn’t to try harder. It’s to move with control, trust your structure, and let your preparation do the work.

Relaxation Is Not Passivity

Relaxation isn’t softness or weakness. It’s readiness without rigidity. It’s the quiet confidence that comes from repetition, pressure testing, and clarity.

Relaxation is the skill behind the skill—it lets the technique fly when it counts.

Beyond the Kwoon:

The Life Lesson

This shows up in everyday life too.

In leadership. In parenting. In learning. In decision-making.

When you cling too tightly to outcomes, you act from fear. When you chase speed, you lose quality. But when you trust your preparation, your skill rises naturally. You stop forcing things and start flowing through them.

When you’re straining, ask yourself:

Am I tense because I don’t trust my training?
Am I rushing an outcome instead of deepening my foundation?

Then take a breath.

Let the technique fly.

About the Author

Dale Steigerwald is the head instructor and founder of the Academy of Ving Tsun Kung Fu. He teaches with a focus on biomechanics, principle-based movement, and practical mindset training. His work helps students unlock real-world function and self-mastery through relaxed, pressure-tested martial arts.