What is a martial art?A martial art can be defined as any skill that can be applied in warfare. The word martial means “military.” So traditionally, a martial art is a military art. The first things that usually come to mind when discussing modern martial arts are leaping, kicking, punching, blocking, inverting elbows, twisting necks, throwing, and weapon fighting. But also horsemanship, javelin throwing, archery, spear fighting, halberd fighting, wrestling, knife fighting, rifle, shotgun and pistol shooting, demolitions, logistics, and battle strategy can all be described as the field of martial arts. Anything that a soldier might do in battle is a martial art.By martial art usually it is meant aikido, arnis, boxing, capoeria, chow gar, choy la fut, hapkido, hsing’i, hun gar, jeet kune do, jow gar, judo, jujitsu, karate, kempo, kick boxing, krav maga, kung fu, pa kua, penjak silat, praying mantis, savate, shaolin, tae kwon do, tai chi, white crane, wing chun, wu shu and more! As you can see the list is quite long and it is actually quite amazing how many martial arts systems there are and how many methods of self defense can be formulated.Often within a martial arts school it is taught that ‘this particular system is the best system and it was created to beat all the others’. Of course every martial artist would have the viewpoint their style is the best because that is the style they have chosen to do, but in reality what they are saying is ‘this is the best style for me as it suits my temperment and I like the teaching environment’.The changing of the artsThroughout this history and development of the martial arts and all the combat systems of man our training tools have played a vital part in evolving and perfecting these systems and techniques.All the martial arts have been effected by the role that mechanical devices play whether it be weapons, dojo mats, breaking boards or even the uniforms we wear – all these paraphanialia indentify the martial arts into their systems and style.The main players in shaping our new martial arts would be the traditional wooden dummy, wing chun rings, iron palm ointments and even the system of using forms and karta have developed the martial arts into their current form.Even today modern training tools are common and again the martial arts are under development with new training products such as the Wavemaster, the BOB training dummy, the Focus Master. All with one thing in common, to create a well rounded combat system.Ideally a martial arts solo training tool should be workable for all and based on sound theory and through constant practice develop into sound physical application. The ideology and theory would have to take into account all the history of the combat technology of man and give this competition and street application.The Martialarm Combat Training PartnerIn a martial arts career you can occationally find your self with no school to go to or no one to train with and so out of neccessity the martialarm solo training partner was born. The Martialarm is a Martial Arts training machine used to develop the entry and trapping skills of any martial arts system. It is designed to actually test any techniques so to improve the ability to trap and control your opponents hands and arms. This can be done because the Martialarm moves and reacts like a real opponent. The Martialarm moves and twists up, down, left and right just like a real opponent would – so it can spring forward and it does strike back!.The Martialarm Combat Training Partner was designed and developed on the following theoriesMartialarm Theory#1) Safety – You must maintain 100% safety when entering into the opponents attack range, this means to limit any variables that could occur by covering them. (Methods of entry must be sophisticated yet simple, fast as well as safe!)#2) Attack – You must have the ability to attack at will, with no concern or hesitation. The attack should incorporate a total control of the opponents weapons. (Attacks must be structured to have within them a 100% defense!)#3) Adaptability – Techniques, attacks and defenses must flow but not necessarily at a constant pace. Adaptability to choose what’s next is key!Whatever martial arts you choose just be sure you do look at a few before you decide and enqire with the school what martial arts equipment they utilize to get the best from your training.

In order to learn Wing Chun, it is important to understand the history behind it. There are many versions of how Wing Chun came into being. Some say it was started by Ng Mui, a Buddhist nun who developed it over 300 years ago in southern China and named it after her student, Yim Wing Chun. While others believe it was started by a Shoalin monk in the early to mid 1700s.
Wing Chun was almost unheard of anywhere else but China until 1950 when Grandmaster Yip Man began teaching in Hong Kong and his students grew in number. One on these students was the late Bruce Lee who became a master of the form and used Wing Chun as the basis for Jeet Kune Do or the Way of the Intercepting Fist, the style of martial arts he used in his ever popular movies. I can still remember being enthralled by “Fists of Fury” and “Enter the Dragon” with Bruce Lee using amazing skills of balance, graceful and agile movements and lightening fast strikes. His movies captivated a whole generation and encouraged many to study a martial art in one form or another.
I believe many women learn Wing Chun because of its simple form, relying on position, the use of energy and angles rather than size and power. With short explosive blows by the hand and very low kicks, people of small stature find learning Wing Chun a remarkable form of self-defense. You can be effective without any massive strength at all. You actually learn to use your attacker’s strength against them. When you learn Wing Chun, you will gain better balance and speed, you will learn about how to position your body and how to refine your movements to their best advantage, mostly getting in close to your attacker. In Wing Chun the principal of the closest point between two points is a straight line holds true. Wing Chun is generally used for defence rather than attack and when first developed strikes were meant to be fatal and pointed at areas such as the throat, eyes and stomach. Many countries have their elite military personal learn Wing Chun, not only for self-defense but also for the quiet execution of the movements in arm to arm combat.
It does not take long to learn Wing Chun, in fact it is quicker than most other forms and you can learn to defend yourself in a fairly shot period of time, but true of all martial arts you can practice it for the rest of your life. When you learn wing Chun you also gain health benefits as the meditative side of Wing Chun is a great stress reliever as Wing Chun is also about using your mind, learning to control impulses, relax into the movement and sense your balance, strength and power. As your fitness levels improve so to does your overall health.
Whether you learn Wing Chun for self-defense, sport or simply as an exercise and meditation tool it will be a valuable asset for the rest of your life.

The danger today – You!

When the World Turns VIOLENT! I bet you run.

What to do if someone wants to fight you!

Help me, Im fat, lazy and afraid of a bully.

The enemy may be next door – afraid to look?

Can you even throw a punch?

Are you martially in danger?

All titles to bring on that chilling fear inside and solicit a response – so read on..

ITS DANGEROUS OUT THERE

Its dangerous out there and especially for you..

The enemy may be next door and you dont know it but you got to have the guts too look. What can you really do once you see some violence or get scared or worse because you receive a bashing or king hit – do you hide in your room?

Were are you on the scared meter of life? Are you out there amongst it or a bit of a shy body or house mummys boy?

You know that given a situation to be a hero and stop a crime, terrorism or violence you’ll be able to step up or chase after them etc – or maybe you’ll cower or be the victim.

TV today scares the shiit out of many people as it promotes violence and turns the meek yellow and nervous.

The danger today is maybe not too obvious to you but you better hone your sensors or youll get hit without seeing it coming.

PHYSICAL COMPETANCE

Have you ever seen raw assault or someone getting ‘owned’? Just search google for “martial street fights” – “martial owned” Watch those movies and cringe!!!

http://www.google.com/search?q=martial+owned

http://www.google.com/search?q=martial+street+fights

Kung Fu, Boxing, dancing, balley, incompetance? What will you present to your attacker?

Today we are lazy, probably fat too.. Go look in the mirror and skip for ten minutes, then check your image again and what do you see?

Can you throw a punch or even stand steady on one leg? can you do a round-house or even give a kick to the knee? Ever heard of a combination?

I can judge I am probably half the strength and endurance form 10 years ago, how about you?

MARTIAL KNOWLEDGE

a martial art is defined as – 1 : of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior 2 : relating to an army or to military life 3 : experienced in or inclined to war : WARLIKE

http://www.martialarm.com/information/martial-arts-definition.html

a martial art is defined as: various forms of self-defense, usually weaponless, based on techniques developed in ancient China, India, and Tibet.

http://www.martialarm.com/information/martial-arts-definition.html

Do you even know the diffference between kung fu and karate? Do you think wing chun is a chinese dish?

The different styles can even be related to shapes or geometry – squares, triangles and circles.

Because karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do have been more prominent than other forms in popular culture, from film to sporting events, many people mistakenly believe that all martial arts are Asian in origin. In fact, diverse cultures throughout history from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East have also given birth to their own martial art forms.

Or a combination of triangles with small circles as can be seen in chinese trapping, wrist locks or Aikido entry and endings.

Despite the array of martial arts and styles, most of them share common techniques, and so they can be organized into broad categories that facilitate understanding. The primary way of classifying martial arts is by the basic physical technique they use: striking or grappling.

If you’ve never studied a martial art, your awareness of them most likely starts at Bruce Lee movies and ends with the stylized theatrics of The Matrix. If that’s the case, you may not realize from what you’ve gleaned onscreen that there are an estimated 200 unique kinds of martial arts, and within these, thousands of different styles. Karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do are among the most popular and well-known of the martial arts in the U.S., but there are numerous others.

MARTIAL TRAINING TO LIVE

Training is hard..really hard. The most hard is to get started and its down-hill easy from there. What you need is a martial arts machine – something new and exciting to get you off your fat ass.

Search for it – martial arts machine – http://www.google.com/search?q=martial+arts+machine

Whats important now is to do something, start with brief excercise, get into stretching, shadow box, then step up and train hard.

Or find a martial arts school in your area – http://www.google.com/search?q=martialarm+schools+directory

GO to the local phone book and look up kung fu or karate. Then give them a call, go along or take your kid.

Everyone knows someone who knows how to fight – with fists, knives, weapons, guns, tactical, sensless, whatever but START!

CONCLUSION IS ACTION

Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you scared.

Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo.

If you are not liking what you see in the mirror, afraid to go down a dark street, scared of a potential confrontation then train now.

Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo.

Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you afraid.

We cant all be Bruce Lee but you also dont want to be an emotional and physical punching bag do you?

There was a time when the karate man was looked upon with respect and feared. A time when, if someone said they were a black belt, it caused others to be impressed. You can say that karate has become outdated. But what has really happened is that karate has become exposed. There has been an interesting development in the martial arts in the late 20th Century and into the 21st. Martial arts have evolved and become much more true to life than ever.

If you are one of those people who like to question things then maybe this thought has gone through your mind. Why are there so many different martial arts systems in the world. We all have two arms and two legs don’t we? So why all the different systems of self defense? I know that systems were usually born out of a need such as one group of people having to fight another group who were better armed. So they developed systems to fight those men who used certain weapons a certain way. Unfortunately these men thought their system more effectual than they should.

So let’s look at what we have in the world without going into a deep history lesson. You basically have karate and ju-jitsu from Okinawa and Japan. You have a multitude of kung fu systems from China. You have Tae Kwon Do and a few others like Tang Soo Do from Korea; boxing and wrestling from Europe of course. Of these there is every variation under the sun. You name it and someone has tried to develop it into a fighting system. But what do we really have. The fact is that all we really have is three men out there. It all boils down to THREE. You have boxers or people who fight predominantly with their hands, kickers who like to use kicks as their main weapon and grapplers who like to take people to the ground and finish them there. That’s really it. Just those three. Now there are people who are good at one, two or even three of those methods. Those guys are now known as mixed martial artists.

Someone once asked, what is truth? I think we can ask that same question here. I mean how can the average guy deal with someone who is skilled in one or even three of the main fighting methods? You know, the grappler who can kick and box. If the guy is good at all three methods then do I have to be good at all three methods, too? Do I have to fight in the same manner? I know karate won’t do the job. Definitely Tae Kwon Do will not do. How about adding a self defense class or two. Will that help? I don’t think so. What about kung fu and all the various animal styles? No. You can pretend to be an animal but that won’t beat the skilled boxer, kicker, grappler. So how do we deal with this guy. It can’t be using his own methods. You can’t box a boxer and expect to win if he’s really good at what he does. Let’s just assume this guy is a really good mixed martial artist who happens to be a thug and wants to rob and maybe even kill you. What’s the answer if you don’t have a weapon at hand?

The answer is elementory yet intricate. In order to effectively deal with a skilled thug you must first put away all your preconceived ideas about what real combat is. Forget the ring. Forget what you see on TV. How can an older man; say middle-aged, defend against a group of younger, stronger and faster opponents. It will not be by speed and power. If he is to win; and he must, he has to do something all together different. Yes the older man is a master of self-defense. But his system is highly evolved. He relies on a core group of concepts rather than techniques. Of course he uses proper technique but it is all grounded in his core principals. He also has the amazing ability to fight in a very apropos manner because he is guided by highly developed contact reflexes. In other words, if he is touched by an aggressor, the older man instantly knows all about him and deals with him in proper time with super preparatory application. That means he stops the first attack and all future attacks immediately. He also uses skeletal alignment to enhance his power. He is able to hit much harder than his younger counterparts who use muscle to deliver their blows. The skilled older man delivers his strikes with his bones which feels like being hit with the end of an iron rod.

The answer is to unite with the opponent’s energy. No struggling or resisting but moving according to “the now”. To be able to discharge a highly potent “motion martial art”. Not static or choppy, muscular movements but relaxed yet aligned motions that can deal with an attack as if it were just a crude language. Yes, the answer is to have a highly developed and fluent martial language as a complete and elaborate communication. Yes, self defense can be like this. The only martial art I know that achieves this elevated dexterity is Wing Chun.

If a person truly dedicates him or herself to only doing and developing a system that is fit for the 21st Century real world self defense, then he must use external defenses guided by internal faculty. A system that encompasses the most effective techniques a person can deliver with the most advanced internal concepts one can make manifest. Now I mentioned Wing Chun earlier but not every Wing Chun teacher has developed in this manner or to this level. It is rare to find people who have this high level skill. But they are out there.

If you really want to get involved with a martial art and want to find verity, then take a few steps back. Get back far enough away from what is traditionally known and taught. Take an honest look around and see if the martial art before you justifies itself intellectually. Ask the hard questions. Will it work against the boxer, kicker, grappler guy? Can it be done effortlessly? What makes the most sense? Study and do research before you join a school. I can tell you right now, forget karate and Tae Kwon Do unless you just want to do a sport. Don’t be too reverent with any martial art system. Be honest with yourself and hopefully you’ll find a good teacher.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing was once considered one of the most effective empty hand systems in the Western world for self-defense. However, most people today think of fighting systems as Asian. Some also even think of Brazil or Israel, but most don’t think of martial arts as being European or American. Some have heard of Bare-Knuckle Boxing but don’t equate it with other martial arts. They really don’t know how effective and brutal a street-minded European boxer could be.

When we think of Bare-Knuckle Boxing we envision the sport scene more than the self-defense aspect of the system. We think of the Queensberry rules and black & white visions of fighters who stood in a strange looking, more upright, primary fighting stance. People today consider the system a rather antiquated form of boxing which has grown to become a high level sport. That is exactly what it has become; A SPORT.

There is a large gap between sport and self-defense, however. As a self-defense, today’s boxing has lost much of its street effectiveness. The Bare knuckle fighter of the past could handle himself quite well against any would-be attacker.

Early in the sport, men still used illegal techniques that they learned from their own fathers and brothers or from the street. These fighters knew how to hide illegal techniques within legal ones like the straight right hand that would slice the opponents lips to ribbons or the eye gouge hidden within a jab. These guys knew all the brutal, vicious, fight-terminating shots. In fact, before rules were in place and before today’s boxing methods were birthed in the ring, men were studying boxing as a self-defense science. The practice of bare-knuckle boxing dates back to ancient times and was unparalleled during the Renaissance where fencing science and human biomechanics were meticulously applied to the system.

European bare-knuckle boxing is an almost forgotten, yet very effective street self-defense system. It is the original form of boxing, more closely related to ancient combat systems. It involves sophisticated self-defense using fists, fingers, elbows, knees, feet and even the head.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing or Western boxing or what I call Long-Bridge Boxing at my school is our indigenous fighting system and is every bit as effective as its oriental counterparts. It also makes up a large part of our martial heritage. The western art of boxing has also had a huge influence on most other martial arts. One system in particular, some believe, that was greatly influenced by Western boxing is Wing Chun. A look into China’s past will tell you that Chinese practitioners had many encounters with Western boxers. They encountered a system of fighting they hadn’t seen before because they were used to fighting people of their own stature, not the taller Europeans.

These Europeans kept their heads back, with their weight on the rear leg. They punched straight and took small, shuffling steps, with a few low kicks or none at all. This was totally different from the Chinese methods as they used low horse stances, with wide, overreaching punches. Undoughtably, the taller European men defeated many of their kung fu opponents. This is a matter of great controversy so we need not say that this is indisputable. What I submit to you is that Wing Chun would be greatly improved by incorporating certain key principles of Bare-Knuckle Boxing.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing came to our line through my Si-Gung, Karl Godwin who with his own teacher went in-depth into the study of the roots of the world’s martial arts. In particular those of Western fighting arts, their development and finally, their compatibility with Wing Chun. As a result, my teacher, Bill Graves, an early, senior student of Karl Godwin, spent much time developing and refining his Western influenced Wing Chun. He then passed it on to me where this innovative method has continued to blossom. The compatibility of Wing Chun and Western boxing is nothing new however. It has been recognized before. Bruce Lee, an early Wing Chun practitioner, found that boxing could fit the principles of Wing Chun better than any of the Asian arts. However, he failed to take note of the pure street aspects of the system and incorporated some sport postures and methods.

So my early training in Wing Chun was a combination of undiluted Leung Sheung (Yip Man’s most senior student) Wing Chun as a skeleton with the Western boxing expression. I learned the sets without alteration but when it came to sparring and ultimately fighting it was certainly pre-sport Western boxing. The posture was tilted back with the arms extended upon interception keeping the head away from the opponent’s fists. All of Wing Chun’s concepts were in place but the emphasis was certainly a polished Long-Bridge Boxing articulation. Back then drawing blood was common. Bloody lips and black eyes and cheekbones were expected. There wasn’t a night that I wouldn’t go home without some injury. Of course the way I train now is much different. It’s becomes fine and subtle, close range devastation. It is the opposite spectrum of my early training and is considered advanced Wing Chun. Our training methods are unique to our line and I believe it is the “Little Idea” that Wing Chun can and should be.

But as a teacher I have come to understand the importance of retaining that early longer range Western Long-Bridge Boxing. My experience has been that without its influence, a three to eight year practitioner of Wing Chun is predominantly a mid to short range fighter who finds kickers and anyone who fights at, or just outside of, boxing range to be problematic. I say this with all due respect not wanting to ruffle feathers, but I’ve touched hands with many of the major lines’ practitioners only to find them wanting. They could not deal with someone who kept them out of their comfort zone. In other words, I found that their interpretation of Wing Chun was somehow limited by tradition. It lacked presence and innovation. There is something else that eludes many Wing Chun practitioners and that’s the anti-grappling aspects of Wing Chun which is an essential part of my system but who’s subject I will save for another article. I am by no means saying that Western Boxing in itself is an unabridged system. I am simply saying that the ability to reason like our Western fathers has greatly improved our Wing Chun.

As a teacher I feel that the most important thing I can do is to look at my students as people I can help. I put their needs first, so teaching the Long-Bridge aspects of Wing Chun is first. To me it’s all Wing Chun but I emphasize the Long-Bridge because of its brutal effectiveness. Its emphasis is on destroying the attacker efficiently and quickly at a longer range than is traditionally taught to 99% of Wing Chun practitioners. This gives a less skilled student more time to respond with adequacy by reason of distance created by larger footwork and additional arm extension. The footwork is not different than Wing Chun, just larger. A great deal of the training focuses on simultaneous blocks and attacks using the power from the legs. Keeping your head away from the action and greater mobility is key. After they get good at fighting they are taught different ranges or distances of fighting and then taught “range recognition”.

Innovation is a concept that we value, so as a system we view Wing Chun as complete. That means that it works against boxers, kickers and grapplers, guns, edged weapons and blunt instruments. I was not looking for Western Boxing when I found my teacher but it was a pleasant surprise. One that I value greatly to this day. We possess not only the skills of the fathers of Wing Chun but also that of our Western fathers. To quote my Si-Gung, “The principles of both arts combined, form the basis for a more scientific fighting method. The assimilation of Western physics, philosophy, and other disciplines into the already effective Chinese Wing Chun creates the potential to develop all of the physical and psychological attributes of an individual. This combination of East and West would allow Yip Man to be joined by Da Vinci, Vesalius, and other great thinkers as the builders of the ultimate pugilistic system.” In other words, there is room for tradition but innovation should rule the day.

Although Bare-Knuckle Boxing is almost gone in the United States, it is still a vital part of our training. More importantly, there is the idea of ownership of our fighting system. The idea that Wing Chun serves us and not the other way around. The tendency is to cry, “Heresy!”, but the proof is there for all to see. If your martial art doesn’t equip you to deal with all comers then it’s not good enough for the real world. If your Wing Chun can’t deal with all comers then you should question it. I don’t mean change it. I don’t mean alter the sets in any way, although some of you have. I mean if you find a place of deficiency in your system then alter your training methods and your manner of interpretation of the sets. We have not altered the sets passed on to us, but certainly the training methods are up to date and answer ancient-to-modern martial questions. This has created a seamless fighting system whether armed or empty-handed.

A renaissance of Bare-Knuckle Boxing has taken place in our school and I intend to conserve and develop it. This vital component of our Wing Chun has allowed us to better appreciate Bruce Lee’s efforts to incorporate fencing and Western Boxing into his system. Tradition is good but if it begins to make any part of the system ineffective then its got to take a back seat to well thought-out training. I think that’s what Bruce Lee meant more than anything in his pursuit of expression in martial arts. Not the technique of the minute or the jack-of-all-trades mentality that is so prevalent in JKD today, but the concepts of more effective training and the idea of a complete fighting system. This unexpected component within our line and the mentality behind it, has unequivocally paved the way to a Wing Chun that has come-of-age.

In most martial arts schools today you can take regular lessons and add some self-defense classes. But there is still the problem of the effectiveness of the martial art and the so called self-defense moves being taught. It has been my experience that many of the martial art methods being taught in the United States are not completely functional in today’s world. You have Tae Kwon Do schools, Karate schools, Ju-Jitsu schools and Kung Fu. For the most part these systems are sport oriented in to some degree. There are few like Wing Chun who claim to be strictly “real world self-defense”. So what happens if you have a martial art that still incorporates RULES in their system? You end up with a less effective fighting method. What happens if you learn one of these sport oriented systems and also learn some self-defense? Well, your chances increase if you’ve learned to make the self-defense seamless with the martial art but that is almost impossible with 95% of what’s being taught out there.

However, if you have a martial art that is concept based, real world minded, no sport orientation, deadly in nature and guided by true scientific biomechanics, then you can have a seamless self-defense system. This way you can become “a motion martial artist’. In other words no matter what the opponent does he has to move to attack you. That becomes his downfall because you are an expert at detecting motion through sight first and then touch. With this you can creating a COMPLETE self-defense system and move effortlessly using the attacker’s energy against them. I know of only one martial art in the world that functions at high levels in this manner. This system is called Wing Chun Kung Fu. The only thing I can add to this complete martial art is weapons in hand. But even those become one with the body of the practitioner as if the weapon was an extension of the body. Even firearms feel like an extension of the body.

If you are serious about learning then consider this fact. Policemen are no one’s personal bodyguards. Their jobs are to find and arrest people who have committed crimes, not to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Clearly, the responsibility for victim-prevention lies with you. The idea is to not become a victim.

Wing Chun and Krav Maga are two martial arts designed for real street self-defense. Let me just say that I like Krav Mag but as a complete martial art only Wing Chun closely adheres to its concepts and the scientific use of the human body. Furthermore it produces a unique seamless and fluid characteristic. It is not sport oriented at all. It is a real world martial art. Its focus is on hand to hand self-defense, whether standing or on the ground, with or without weapons.

With high level control and relaxation, the skilled practitioner is able to defend himself or herself and inflict great damage to any attacker quickly. No matter the sex, body type or muscle development, anyone can these skills are within anyone’s grasp as long as they have dedication and consistency. This proficiency is developed through our unique method of training and has been refined to be one of the most advanced and effective self-defense systems in the world.

I highly recommend if you are looking for a complete fighting / self-defense, real world system, that you give Wing Chun a try. But remember; not all Wing Chun is good Wing Chun so do the research. If you don’t live near my school then I recommend you find a competent Wing Chun instructor in your area. If that is impossible then I recommend you arm yourself. It’s still your right!

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.