Dynamic relaxation

Dynamic relaxation is a numerical method, which, among other things, can be used do "form-finding" for cable and fabric structures. The aim is to find a geometry where all forces are in equilibrium. In the past this was done by direct modelling, using hanging chains and weights (see Gaudi), or by using soap films, which have the property of adjusting to find a "minimal surface".

The dynamic relaxation method is based on discretizing the continuum under consideration by lumping the mass at nodes and defining the relationship between nodes in terms of stiffness (see also the finite element method). The system oscillates about the equilibrium position under the influence of loads. An iterative process is followed by simulating a pseudo-dynamic process in time, with each iteration based on an update of the geometry, similar to Leapfrog integration and related to Velocity Verlet integration.

Main equations use

Considering Newton's second law of motion (force is mass multiplied by acceleration) in the direction at the ^th node at time :

Wing Chun

Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春; pinyin: yǒng chūn; Jyutping: wing⁶ ceon¹; literally: "spring chant"), also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, (and sometimes substituted with the characters 永春 "eternal springtime"); is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilising both striking and grappling while specialising in close-range combat.

The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also associated with some other southern Chinese martial arts, including Weng Chun Kung Fu and Yong Chun .

History

The earliest known mentions of Wing Chun date to the period of Red Boat Opera.

The common legend as told by Yip Man involves the young woman Yim Wing-chun during the period after the destruction by the Qing government of the Southern Shaolin and its associated temples.

Having rebuffed the local warlord's marriage offer, Yim Wing-Chun said she'd reconsider the proposal if he could beat her in a fight. She soon crossed paths with a Buddhist nun named Ng Mui, who was one of the Shaolin Sect survivors, and asked the nun to teach her to fight. According to legend Ng Mui taught Yim Wing-Chun a new system of martial art that had been inspired by the nun's observations of a confrontation between a Snake and a Crane. This then-still nameless style enabled Yim Wing-Chun to beat the warlord in a one-on-one fight. Yim Wing-Chun thereafter married Leung Bac-Chou and taught him the style, which was later named after her.

Schutzstaffel

The Schutzstaffel (SS; also stylized as with Armanen runes; German pronunciation: [ˈʃʊtsˌʃtafəl]; literally "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP; Nazi Party). It began with a small guard unit known as the Saal-Schutz ("Hall-Protection") made up of NSDAP volunteers to provide security for Nazi Party meetings in Munich. In 1925, Heinrich Himmler joined the unit, which had by then been reformed and given its final name. Under Himmler's direction (1929–45), it grew from a small paramilitary formation to one of the most powerful organizations in the Third Reich. From 1929 until Nazi Germany's collapse in 1945, the SS was the foremost agency of surveillance and terror within Germany itself and the occupied territories in Europe.

The main two constituent groups were the Allgemeine SS ("General SS"), and Waffen-SS ("Armed SS"). The Allgemeine SS concerned itself with police and racial matters within the German Reich, whereas the Waffen-SS consisted of combat units of troops within Nazi Germany's military. A third component of the SS, the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV), ran the concentration camps and extermination camps. Additional subdivisions of the SS included the Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) organizations tasked with policing the German people for their commitment to Nazi ideology and providing domestic and foreign intelligence.

Yip Man

Ip Man (1 October 1893 – 1 December 1972), also known as Yip Man, and also Yip Kai-man, was a Chinese martial artist, and a master teacher of Wing Chun. He had several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right, including Wong Shun Leung and Bruce Lee.

Early life

Yip was born to Yip Oi-dor and Wu Shui. He grew up in a wealthy family in Foshan, Guangdong, and received a traditional Chinese education. His elder brother was Yip Kai-gak, his elder sister was Yip Wan-mei and his younger sister was Yip Wan-hum.

Yip started learning Wing Chun from Chan Wah-shun when he was 7. Since Chan was 70 at the time, Yip was Chan's last student. Due to his teacher's age, Yip learned most of his skills and techniques from Chan's second eldest disciple, Wu Chung-sok (吳仲素). Chan lived three years after Yip's training started and one of his dying wishes was to have Wu continue teaching Yip.

At the age of 16, Yip moved to Hong Kong with help from his relative Leung Fut-ting. One year later, he attended school at St. Stephen's College—a secondary school for wealthy families and foreigners living in Hong Kong. During Yip's time at St. Stephen's he saw a foreign police officer beating a woman and intervened. The officer attempted to attack Yip, but Yip struck him down and ran to school with his classmate. Yip's classmate later told an older man who lived in his apartment block. The man met with Yip and asked what martial art Yip practised. The man told Yip that his forms were "not too great". The man challenged Yip's Wing Chun in chi sao (a form of training that involves controlled attack and defence). Yip saw this as an opportunity to prove that his abilities were good, but was defeated by the man after a few strikes. Yip's opponent revealed himself to be Leung Bik, Chan Wah-shun's senior and the son of Chan's teacher, Leung Jan. After that encounter, Yip continued learning from Leung Bik.

Chu Shong-tin

Chu Shong Tin (Chinese: 徐尚田; Jyutping: ceoi⁴ soeng⁶ tin⁴; 1933-2014) was the third student of martial arts teacher Yip Man in the discipline of Wing Chun, and remained at Yip Man's school to become his senior instructor.

He moved to Hong Kong in November 1949, started learning Wing Chun informally in September 1950. The 17-year-old Chu was a secretary at a restaurant at whose premises Ip held classes, which he audited. Chu became Yip's formal student in January 1951. As his health was not good, he took a concept-based form of the discipline. He taught select students from all over the world, communicating with English speaking students through body language and hands on demonstration, or was assisted by other Chinese students, since he didn't speak English. Though he considered himself retired, he accepted students for the purpose of passing on his understanding of Nim Lik to ensure its survival.

He wrote the book 《詠春寶鑑》 and has produced instructional DVDs.

He is known as the 'King of Siu Nim Tao', Wing Chun's most important form and its crucial foundation. This is because he believes that more time should be given to practise Siu Nim Tao than Chum Kiu and Biu Jee.