A prospective student came to the door, interested in martial arts training. When I asked him if he had any previous experience, he replied “yes, I’ve studied for about two years.” His training history consisted of 3 months in aikido, 2 months of karate, 4 months of kung-fu, 3 weeks of tai chi, etc., etc. This is what we call “style hopping”; going from one style to another.
“What’s wrong with going from style to style” some students say. Even Bruce Lee didn’t believe in styles. He believed that styles limited one’s true potential. As far as styles are concerned, Bruce Lee advised us to absorb what is useful and to discard the rest. Why can’t we be like Bruce Lee and just learn what we want and move on?
Bruce Lee’s advice is good for someone who already has a good foundation. Before experimenting with other styles, Bruce Lee studied the art of Wing Chun with Yip Man for approximately 5 years. He had an excellent foundation before he ventured into other areas.
All traditional martial arts were developed after many, many years of experimentation and dedicated study. Most traditional martial arts when studied with sincerity and regularity, will prepare you for expanding into other systems. Committing yourself to any one of these is the first step.
Focusing on one style at the beginning of your training will prevent confusion. At this level, you don’t have the sophistication to separate or integrate the different techniques and philosophies. But you start by developing strength, endurance, and flexibility. You can learn how to stand, kick, punch, and block. You can learn footwork and forms. You can learn how to react by sparring and working with a training partner. You can challenge your body and mind by progressing through your style’s curriculum. You can learn the principles of your art and the foundations of its origins.
Let’s face it. If you commit yourself to one style and study it faithfully until you have at the very least achieved black belt or black sash level, you will have developed a good foundation.
In reality, earning your black belt means that you mastered the basics of that system. A black belt is only the beginning of your martial arts journey. Once you’ve reached this level, then you can explore other styles. At this point the trick is to be able to have an open mind to the new styles and see the weakness in your foundation style!

I am one of those martial artists who have broken away from my traditional routes and have created my own system. It is not an easy road and there are many people who resent this breaking of tradition. But my love for the martial arts, and my drive to seek truth and find the most effective techniques available wouldn’t let me completely absorb myself into any one art. I have taken much criticism, much of which stems from jealousy, but the results my students have seen, and after surviving for more then 30 years in the martial arts industry; I know I am on the right path.
My system includes my unique method of Wing Chun training. While I have used my creativity to expand on the Wing Chun system, I have great respect for the traditional roots of any martial art that I have studied and great reverence for the men I learned from.
In my early years of study and training I learned from several instructors after I spent many years with my Goju Ryu master, Tamojoshi Sakamoto. My reason for doing this was to become a well-rounded martial artist. That is why I studied with others at least to the point of brown belt to get a basic understanding of the differences. I did however; absorb myself in the study of Wing Chun, learning the entire system from Moyat, a master based in Chinatown, New York City, by taking private lessons with him.
I studied Wing Chun because I wanted to learn a martial art from Southern China and to balance my history of training in “hard” styles with a “soft” one. I was also looking to work internally and expand on the philosophy taught to me by Tamojoshi Sakamoto, my Goju Ryu master. I remember having dinner many times with him in the evening and writing down every thing he said. He taught me two great lessons. One is that the enemy lies within; in the obstacles I placed between success and myself. The second was Narano-kan-nin, Surga-kan-nin. This means that forgiving the unforgivable releases the burden of carrying anger and hatred. Studying a “soft” style helped me integrate these lessons on a physical, mental, and spiritual level.
When I left Moyat’s school in 1980, I did so on very good terms. I began teaching Wing Chun with Moyat’s blessing, because I wouldn’t do it any other way. In 1987, Moyat came to my school in Norwalk and conducted a seminar in Wing Chun. He did this out of respect for me, as well as to help my school deal with another Wing Chun school that was creating problems. The instructor at this school gave himself the title of “Grandmaster”, claiming that he too studied under Moyat, which was not the case. Moyat also came to Norwalk out of respect for our student/teacher relationship.
When I was training with Moyat, he was having some trouble with people coming to the school to challenge his students. The students taking the group classes could not handle the problem because at the time, he reserved certain training methods, like wooden dummy, only for his private students. I had been in so many confrontations like this in the Dominican Republic that this was old news to me. I fought any of the guys who came to his school looking to cause trouble and eventually put a stop to the problem without anyone getting seriously hurt.
My method of Wing Chun training is integrated into my system, so that my students have a well-rounded approach, not only to Wing Chun, but also to self-defense. This integration was never meant to disrespect or criticize my Wing Chun teacher or any other Wing Chun instructor. It is my way of expanding this traditional style to supplement its softness with the hardness of other styles, to create a well-rounded martial artist. It is an approach that many have benefited from and enjoyed over the years.