Hidden Zen of Wing Chun: A Journey into Original Mind

Most people come to Wing Chun for practical reasons — self-defense, confidence, practical fighting, and efficiency. But behind its simplicity lies something far deeper. Wing Chun is more than a martial art. It is a direct path back to our Original Mind.

In his new book, Hidden Zen in Wing Chun: A Journey into Original Mind Sifu Michael Herrera reveals that deeper layer. He invites both beginners and advanced practitioners to explore Wing Chun not just as a system of movement, but as a practice of awareness.

What Is Original Mind?

Original Mind is the mind before thought.
Before judgment.
Before narrative.
Before we explain ourselves to ourselves.

It is the mind that experiences reality directly—without filters, habits, or stories.

This is the mind children experience naturally. The mind we once knew before identity formed. The mind that Zen refers to as the mind before thinking.

Through years of training, conditioning, and life experience, we move away from this mind. We replace direct perception with reactions, assumptions, anxieties, and expectations. Yet, Original Mind has never left us. It simply becomes obscured.

Wing Chun provides a way back.

Wing Chun as a Language of Awareness

Wing Chun is often described as simple, efficient, and direct. But what makes it profound is that every movement is rooted in a deeper principle of awareness.

Wing Chun uses:

• Structure to reveal tension

• Sensitivity to reveal resistance

• Timing to reveal impulse

• Relaxation to reveal what is unnecessary

These are not just martial attributes…
They are reflections of the mind.

When the body tensions, so does the mind.
When the body softens, so does perception.
When the mind becomes still, technique becomes effortless.

In this sense, Wing Chun becomes a physical expression of Zen.
A living language of nonverbal communication—shape, pressure, contact, and intention.

A Path Pointing Directly to the Mind

Sifu Herrera explains that when we train Wing Chun in its original way—not as choreography, not as routine—we uncover something extraordinary:

We begin to see our mind while we move.

Every block reveals where we hold fear.
Every punch reveals where we seek control.
Every moment of imbalance reveals the stories the mind tells.

Wing Chun doesn’t just teach.
It shows.

And what it shows, most clearly, is ourselves.

Why This Matters

In a world saturated with distraction, stimulation, and noise, returning to our Original Mind is not simply philosophical — it is fundamentally necessary.

• It gives us calm in conflict.

• It restores clarity in confusion.

• It reconnects us to presence in daily life.

This book is not about becoming better at fighting.
It is about becoming more aligned with your own awareness — on and off the training floor.

Who This Book Is For

• Students who feel there is “more” inside Wing Chun than technique.

• Practitioners seeking depth, clarity, and meaning in their training.

• Instructors who want to articulate the why behind the forms.

• Anyone drawn to Zen and mindfulness through direct practice.

Whether you are new to Wing Chun or have trained for decades, this book opens a door—one that many have sensed, but few have had the language to express.

Begin the Journey

If you’re ready to explore Wing Chun not just as something you do, but as something you become, this is your invitation.

Hidden Zen in Wing Chun: A Journey into Original Mind
See more at https://www.originalmindwingchun.com/