Siu Nim Tao
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Siu Nim Tao (Traditional Chinese: 小念頭; Simplified Chinese: 小念头; pinyin: xiăo niàn tóu; Jyutping: siu2 nim6 tau4; Yale: siú nihm taùh; literally means little thought/idea) is a practice routine of Wing Chun, its first "form".
It is practiced following five major principles:
- kim sut ("knees in")
- lok ma ("lower the stance")
- ting yu ("tuck the hips under")
- dung tao ("head erect")
- mai jahng ("elbows in")
All the basic hand and leg movements used in Wing Chun are contained in Siu Nim Tao, although the leg movements are reduced to their most elementary components during the opening of the stance at the beginning of the form. These movements are combined into a fighting system in the Chum Kiu set.
The form trains many things:
- keeping the center line
- keeping the body still while moving the arms correctly
- providing a stable state to return to while executing wing chun
- applying the elbow energy correctly
- breathing correctly
Great emphasis is put on relaxation while performing Siu Nim Tao. Siu Nim Tao can be used as a meditation exercise.