Mauro Gibin: Going Back to the Roots of Wing Chun

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 25 Jun 2016 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Mauro Gibin, Sifu Sergio

DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WING CHUN AND ITS ORIGINS, SIFU MAURO GIBIN HAS BEEN ON A QUEST TO UNCOVER THE INTERNAL ROOTS AT THE FOUNDATION OF WING CHUN—A QUEST ANY TRUE LOVER OF WING CHUN SHOULDN’T MISS.

How did you start your martial art journey?
I became fond of Wing Chun because it immediately fascinated me with its quick applications. When I started, I was looking for a functional self-defence system. During these past years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many famous masters in the field. In 2009, I met my current teacher, Sifu Sergio Iadarola, who has literally revolutionised my technical skills and knowledge. Today, after many years, I must say the search for an effective system of self-defence has given way to a journey of study and development that goes well beyond the technical, involving Body, Mind and Energy!

Give Me Face: Should You Hit to the Face in Chi Sau?

Posted by: Mark Phillips In: Articles 30 Apr 2016 Comments: 0 Tags: Chi Sau, Mark Phillips

THE TERM “FACE” COULD MEAN VERY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. “GIVE ME FACE” IS A COMMON TERM. THIS COULD LITERALLY BE A DEMAND FOR RESPECT. OF COURSE, THIS IS A COMPLEX STATEMENT, BUT IT DOES HAVE AN INTERESTING INTERPRETATION FOR TRAINING WING CHUN.

To some, the term, “face”, can refer to the concept of facing, as indicated in the first form. Alternatively, it could mean giving face as a form of respect and not humiliating your opponent or training partner. Furthermore, the term could, quite literally, mean not hitting the face when practising or comparing Wing Chun. It could even be a combination, that is, pay respect by not hitting the face.

Interestingly, there are different perspectives on whether you should focus primarily on hitting to the face in Chi Sau. One school of thought suggests you should not hit the face in training, as this is not only disrespectful but detracts from the true purpose of Chi Sau. Yet, this is in stark contrast to those that believe it is an important part of the training process.

Nima King: Mindfulness is the Key

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 25 Apr 2016 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Nima King

SIFU NIMA KING WAS FORCED INTO MARTIAL ARTS, DUE TO A VERY INTENSE FIGHTING PERIOD, DURING HIS TEENAGE YEARS; BY PURE LUCK, HE DISCOVERED AND BEGAN TRAINING WING CHUN, UNAWARE IT WAS A MINDFUL CHOICE, ONE THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS LIFE.

What do you believe to be the core attribute of Wing Chun?
The most important attribute is mindfulness; that is the ability to activate the Nim Tau (“Mind Force”) state and a deep level of relaxation through the correct and prolonged practice of Siu Nim Tau. This state is the pinnacle of this remarkable art and is an aspect that can change one’s quality of life tremendously. From a martial point of view, Wing Chun’s harmony with the laws of physics enables supreme efficiency, practicality and power to be unleashed.

Mark Hobbs: Unleashing Wing Chun in the Cage

Posted by: Eric Lilleør In: Articles 28 Mar 2016 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Mark Hobbs

MARK HOBBS PROBABLY HAS MORE ACTIVE FIGHTERS IN THE CAGE THAN ANY OTHER WING CHUN SCHOOL AND EVEN MORE THAN MOST UK MMA CLUBS. MARK’S STUDENTS REGULARLY COMPETE IN PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR MMA, BOXING, K1, MUAY THAI AND BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU COMPETITIONS, WHICH SURELY MAKES HIM A LEADING AUTHORITY ON HOW TO GET WING CHUN WORKING IN THE CAGE.

This is a fascinating and controversial subject, as this is an area where most Wing Chun practitioners have had very little success. What makes Sifu Hobbs’ approach different? Why is his Fight Team so successful? We wanted to find out, so we “cornered” him.

Allan Lee: Short and Long-Bridge Fighting

Posted by: Kenton Sefcik In: Articles 21 Feb 2016 Comments: 0 Tags: Allan Lee, Applied Wing Chun, Interview

SIFU ALLAN LEE STARTED LEARNING WING CHUN IN 1967. HE BECAME AN ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR WHILE LEARNING FROM SIFU LOK YIU, THEN LATER BECAME A PRIVATE DISCIPLE OF SIFU IP MAN. IN 1974, WITH THE BLESSING OF SIFU IP MAN, HE SOUGHT OUT SIFU DUNCAN LEUNG IN THE HOPES TO COMPLETE HIS STUDIES IN THE ART OF WING CHUN.

What kind of teacher was Grandmaster Ip Man?
Sifu was a traditional, extremely well educated, refined and humble man. He also possessed an unparalleled knowledge of martial arts and a stunning level of skill in Wing Chun. When he gave an explanation, he did so with an incisive and concise analysis insight that could only have come from a lifetime of experimentation, fighting, research and above all, diligent training.