戴维：恋上咏春的金发少年

子昊

时代在变迁，随着万圣节、圣诞节这类洋节日成为我们生活中越来越必不可少的一部分，我们自己几千年历史积淀下来的一些古老文化，譬如中药和功夫，反倒在慢慢淡出我们的视线，转而在西方国家中开始盛行。身处这样一个文化大交流的时代，我们又该如何对待我们的文化、我们的根呢？下面就请跟随本文去认识一位对中国功夫情有独钟的外国少年。他对咏春的热爱也许会让你想要重新审视我们自己的古老文化。

David's blond hair and blue eyes look strangely out of place as he trains in the ancient Chinese martial art of Kung Fu， but he trains with the passion and dedication that is required of a serious student of the art.

The young Australian man shares a house in Brisbane with three Chinese students and one Korean girl on a working holiday. Even though it is a typical Australian house， there are some distinctly Chinese items in it. There is a wooden martial arts training dummy1） in the dining room， from which hangs a bamboo ring. A framed photograph of Yip Man， the grand master of Wing Chun Kung Fu， hangs on the wall. Two large mirrors stand against the wall reflecting the image of the grand master. All of these Chinese items belong to a young Australian man， David， the only person in the house who is not Asian.

David was born in 1987， in the Chinese year of the rabbit， in Basingstoke， England. His childhood was full of Chinese Kung Fu movies， such as Once Upon a Time in China， Enter the Dragon， Drunken Master and Drunken Tai Chi. Names such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan had been in David's mind for a long time， however it was not easy for him to find someone who could teach him the ancient art of Kung Fu. The best that David could do was practice by imitating what he saw in movies. At that time， David considered Kung Fu to be something private， possibly for protection or entertainment， but definitely not for fighting.

After David moved to Australia， when he was 18 years old， the desire to learn Kung Fu became stronger. He researched Kung Fu and discovered Wing Chun which is undoubtedly the best-known Chinese style of Kung Fu in the world today. Wing Chun was created by a woman， as a result of which， it emphasizes technique and strategy rather than strength.

David wanted to become a Wing Chun student， but finding a master who was willing to teach someone who was not Chinese was difficult. David did not stop checking the yellow pages and talking to masters by telephone until he found Ian Protheroe， a man who had 30 years of teaching experience and who was also born in England. The important thing was that the master of Ian's master was grand master Yip Man.

When David had his first class three years ago， the first thing that he wrote in his notebook was： "Kung Fu works over time." Since the day he met his master， every Tuesday and Wednesday at nightfall has become time for David's private classes at Ian's house， even during rain or floods. It takes David 20 minutes to drive there. He never knocks on the door if it is closed. He waits in the yard quietly until Ian is ready to instruct him. The two bow whilst covering their right fist with their left hand. They do warm-up exercises together in front of the mirror， then David practices on the wooden dummy and the bamboo ring. Ian observes and corrects him. The last part of each lesson is sparring2）. Ian uses short and long sticks as weapons. "The weapon must be controlled first. The attacker will be confident with the weapon in his hand， however when you grab it to control it he will instinctively lash out3） with his rear hand. Beware and try to avoid a direct strike，" says Ian Protheroe. David quickly takes notes， even if he is gasping and sweating.

"When I saw him for the first time three years ago， he was young， skinny and weak. Now， he is still skinny， but stronger than before. His technique is good. He has talent but he needs time， at least 10 years，" Ian Protheroe says. David does not question his master's comments. "Chinese culture is amazing，" David says. "It does not tell you the importance of constancy directly. Instead， it creates a philosophy that teaches practice， just like Kung Fu."

"Practising Kung Fu is like paddling4） against the current. Once you stop paddling， you no longer stay where you are， you only go backwards." As well as private lessons， David also participates in Ian's public classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Between the two classes on a Wednesday， David and Ian usually have a cup of Chinese tea. "I have learned from my Sifu not only the skills， but also the right attitude for doing daily routine things，" says David. "Kung Fu is not a way to fight； it is a path for one's personal development."

With David's encouragement and guidance， his Chinese housemates start to practise some Kung Fu techniques on the wooden dummy at home. Unlike in the fight scenes in Kung Fu movies， they are quiet as they train. One of David's housemates asks why a foreigner understands Chinese culture more thoroughly than some Chinese people do. "Actually， it is not easy for me，" says David. "Instead of punching like a boxer， the wooden dummy is more difficult to deal with due to the dozen wooden sticks it has. So， instead of arousing anger and energy without thinking， Wing Chun requires much wisdom. A fighter needs to figure out the next five steps to take， rather than just one， and to consider Game Theory when fighting."

The eight Chinese characters that make up the name of Wing Chun reflect the philosophy of the art. When written individually the characters mean： stay with what comes； follow what goes； if contact is lost， thrust the hand straight forward. David translates into English for his roommates： "Happily engage the task at hand. Should you find it harder than you first imagined or getting harder， don't throw up your hands in despair and say 'I can't deal with this'. Receive or stick to the task at hand and accept the challenge until your goal is achieved."

David left university to devote his life to Kung Fu. "Now， this is my uni." David points to the name on his T-shirt. It says： Queensland Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy. "Stick to one thing， if you truly love it，" he says.

Then， there is one thing we must know that that Wing Chun means eternal or praise springtime. It also represents "hope for the future".

戴维的金发碧眼看上去与他正在训练的古老中国功夫格格不入，但他训练时充满热情，非常投入，这正是这门艺术的虔诚学习者所应具备的。

这个澳大利亚小伙子在布里斯班跟三个中国学生和一个来澳大利亚打工度假的韩国女孩同住一所房子。虽然这是一所典型的澳式住宅，但里面有一些显然是中式风格的陈设。餐厅里摆放着一个武术训练用的木人桩，上面挂着一个藤圈。墙上则挂着一个相框，里面是咏春功夫大师叶问的一张照片。两面大镜子倚墙而立，从镜中可以看得到大师的那张照片。所有这些中式陈设都是澳大利亚小伙戴维的，这所房子里只有他不是亚洲人。

戴维1987年出生在英格兰的贝辛斯托克，按中国的生肖属兔。他小时候看了很多中国功夫片，比如《黄飞鸿》《龙争虎斗》《醉拳》和《笑太极》。戴维对诸如李小龙和成龙这样的名字一直念念不忘，但是想找到能教他古老的中国功夫的人却并不容易。戴维能做的只有模仿在电影里看到的招式自己练习。那时，戴维认为学习功夫是私人的事，可能是为了防身或消遣，但绝不是为了打架。

在18岁移居澳大利亚后，戴维学习功夫的愿望变得更加强烈。在对功夫做了一番研究后，戴维发现了咏春拳——它无疑是当今国际上最知名的中国功夫流派。咏春派的开山祖师是一位女士，因此较之蛮力，这种拳法更强调技艺和策略。

戴维希望拜师学习咏春拳，但要想找到一位肯教外国人学功夫的师傅并不是件易事。戴维在电话号码簿上不停地查找，通过电话跟许多武术师傅交谈，最后终于找到了同样出生于英格兰、有30年教学经验的伊恩·普罗瑟罗。重要的一点是，伊恩的师父的师父正是大师叶问。

三年前，戴维第一次上课时，他在笔记本上写下的第一句话便是：“学习功夫需要假以时日。”从戴维拜师那天开始，每周二和周三傍晚他都要去伊恩家接受单独辅导，风雨无阻。戴维开车到伊恩家需要20分钟。如果门关着，他从不会去敲门，而是会在院子里安静地等待，直到伊恩做好授课的准备。上课前，两人会左手放于右拳之上互相作揖。他们两人一起在镜子前做做准备活动，然后戴维就开始用木人桩和藤圈进行练习，伊恩则在一旁观察并纠正他的动作。每节课下课前，师徒二人都要切磋一番。伊恩会用或长或短的棍棒作为武器。“首先要控制住对方的武器。攻击者有武器在手时会很自信，但是当你抓住武器去控制它时，他会本能地用后手猛击，这时你要当心，尽量避免被直接击中。”伊恩·普罗瑟罗说。虽然已经气喘吁吁、大汗淋漓了，戴维还是快速地记着笔记。

“三年前当我第一次见到他时，他年纪轻轻，十分瘦弱。现在，他依然精瘦，但是比以前强壮了。他技艺不错，很有天赋，但还需要时间，至少要再练十年。”伊恩·普罗瑟罗说。戴维对师父的评语没有异议。“中国文化非常了不起，”戴维说，“它不会直接告诉你持之以恒的重要性，而是创造出一套教人去练习的哲学，就像功夫这样。”

“练习功夫就好像逆水行舟，不进则退。”除了单独辅导之外，戴维在周一、周三的晚上和周六的上午还会上伊恩的大课。在周三的两堂课的课间，戴维和伊恩通常会饮上一杯中国茶。“我从师父那里学到的不仅是武艺，还有做每日惯常之事的正确态度，”戴维说，“功夫不是打斗的一种方式，而是提升自我的一种途径。”

在戴维的鼓励和指导下，他的中国室友们也开始对着家里的木人桩练习一些功夫技艺了。和功夫片里的打斗场面不同，他们练习时非常安静。戴维的一位室友问他，为什么他这个外国人对中国文化的理解比有些中国人还透彻。“其实，这对我而言并不容易，”戴维说，“跟拳击手出拳不一样，因为木人桩上有十几支桩手，因此更难对付。所以，不能不假思索就把愤怒和力量都激发出来，打咏春拳需要多动脑子。拳手需要提前想好五步后招，而不能只想一招。在过招时，还要考虑到博弈理论。”

令咏春派扬名的八字心诀体现了这门艺术中所蕴含的哲学思想。这八个字分别写下来，意为：来留去送，甩手直冲。戴维用英语解释给他的室友听：“要愉快地从事手头的工作。如果你发现它比你最初想象的困难或者变得越来越难时，不要沮丧地两手一摊说‘我干不了这个。要坚持下去，接受挑战，直到达成目标为止。”

为了专心学习功夫，戴维从大学辍学。“现在，这就是我的大学。”戴维指着自己T恤衫上的标志说。那个标志是：昆士兰咏春武术学校。“如果你真正热爱一件事，就要坚持下去。”他说。

最后，有一件事我们必须了解，“咏春”的意思是永恒或歌颂春天，还代表“对未来的希望”。

1.dummy [?d?mi] n. 人体模型

2.spar [spɑ?（r）] vi. （练习时或试探对手反应时的）轻拳出击

3.lash out： （突然）狠打，痛打。lash [l??] vi. 猛击；狠打

4.paddle [?p?dl] vi. 用桨划