Paul Fernandez: A New Era of Wing Chun

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 23 Nov 2015 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Sifu Fernandez, Wing Tsun

SIFU PAUL FERNANDEZ BEGAN TRAINING WING CHUN IN 1972 UNDER THE DIRECT IP MAN LINEAGE OF GRANDMASTER CHU SHONG TIN IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE HE TRAINED WITH GREAT PASSION AND DEDICATION UNDER THE LATE SIFU JIM FUNG FROM 1972 UNTIL THE EARLY 1990s.

In 1992, Sifu Fernandez started practising the Leung Ting lineage of Wing Tsun under Sifu Stefan Fischer in Australia and remained his personal student for seven years. He later moved to Europe and became a personal student of Sifu Filippo Cuciuffo and Grandmaster Keith R. Kernspecht, and also became Grandmaster Leung Ting’s private student for about three years. During that period, Sifu Fernandez also had the opportunity to learn directly under the second highest ranked Wing Tsun master in the world, namely Sifu Cheng Chuen Fun.

In 2005, Sifu Fernandez officially founded his own system called Wing Tchun Do.

Chris Collins: A Warrior’s Journey

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 23 Aug 2015 Comments: 0 Tags: Chris Collins, Interview, Wing Tsun

BROUGHT INTO BOXING, COMBAT SPORTS AND KALI FROM A YOUNG AGE AND EXPERIENCING THE TOUGH LIFE OF THE US MARINES CORPS, SIFU CHRIS COLLINS IS A VERSATILE AND OPEN-MINDED FIGHTER AND TEACHER WHO APPROACHED EVERYTHING HE LEARNED ON HIS JOURNEY WITH ONE PRINCIPLE IN MIND: EFFICIENCY.

What are the most important attributes to be developed through Wing Chun training?
It’s about being able to relax the muscles and allow the joints to work by way of the tendons and ligaments. This boils down to structure. If we have good structure, then we can allow our body to trust the system completely. Once you align them it becomes supportive. It’s not the same as hyper-extending the arm—it’s aligning the joints. In order to do this, we need to understand the capsule in the elbow. It’s where the ulna and radius meet the pivot joint in the elbow. If we were to tighten the fist in any way, it would cause the forearm muscles to tighten and therefore lock up the capsule “elbow”, which means we can’t release our force. Therefore, relaxation in this joint is perhaps the most important attribute in Wing Chun.

Mauro Antonino D’Angelo: The Inner Mind of Wing Chun

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 21 Apr 2015 Comments: 0 Tags: Internal Wing Chun, Interview, Mauro Antonino D’Angelo

BROUGHT TO MARTIAL ARTS AT A YOUNG AGE AND EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT WING CHUN STYLES, NOWADAYS, SIFU D’ANGELO TEACHES A UNIQUE APPROACH TO THE ART, WHICH HE HAS ENRICHED WITH HIS COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH INTO THE INTERNAL STYLES IN CHINA.

Tell us a little about your martial arts journey.
I started my Gung Fu journey when I was eight, and since then I have dedicated my life to martial arts. I started teaching professionally at the age of 17. In Wing Chun, I had experiences with the Lok Yiu, Lee Shing and Wong Shun Leung lineages, and I’m still continuing my research in China, where I live today. I have always been attracted to internal styles and I’ve studied Taijiquan while travelling the world to find the most relevant master of this art. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated a lot of the time on the study of Baguazhang.

In your opinion, what are the most important attributes to be developed through Wing Chun training?
With Wing Chun being a Taoist style, the main core is about “Changing”. Being confident with “Change” is the best way to find new solutions to different problems. However, in order to do so, you have to eliminate tensions in your mind and body in order to apply those in your life and in real fighting situations.

Chau Lin Fat: Destined to Wing Chun

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 25 Sep 2014 Comments: 0 Tags: Chau Lin Fat, Interview

SIFU CHAU LIN FAT IS A VERY HUMBLE GENTLEMAN WITH GENUINE MARTIAL SKILLS AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING. AT AGE 70, HE IS PASSIONATELY TEACHING A VERY EFFECTIVE WING CHUN APPROACH TO HIS STUDENTS.

When did you start training Wing Chun?
My passion for Wing Chun began while I attended a secondary school in Hong Kong and one of my neighbours introduced me to the art. However, it wasn’t until 1968 that I started studying it properly under my first Sifu, Wong Cze Wing—who was a direct student of the late Ip Man. He taught me a very “traditional” type of Wing Chun, which I trained up until 1981 when I encountered my second Sifu, Wan Kam Leung.

Pui Yee: Wing Chun through a Woman’s Eyes

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 19 Sep 2014 Comments: 0 Tags: Interview, Practical Wing Chun

WHETHER IT’S A LEGEND OR NOT, WE HAVE ALL HEARD THAT OUR ART WAS SUPPOSEDLY CREATED BY A WOMAN. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL VERY RARE TO SEE WOMEN REACH HIGH LEVEL OF SKILLS IN OUR BELOVED ART. ONE SUCH EXCEPTION IS SIFU PUI YEE, A WOMAN WHO HAS DEDICATED HER ENTIRE LIFE TO THE ART.

Pui Yee is a closed-door student of Grandmaster Wan Kam Leung, as well as a Licensed Instructor and the International Coordinator of Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun. She has been assisting Grandmaster Wan in most of his overseas seminars and private classes since 2007.

Pui Yee is also currently the Head Instructor at Practical Wing Chun Central, a Senior Instructor at the Practical Wing Chun HQ in Hong Kong and a Freelance Instructor at Practical Wing Chun Shanghai.

Donald Mak: The Art of Self-improvement

Posted by: Kleber Battaglia In: Articles 16 Apr 2013 Comments: 0 Tags: Donald Mak, Interview

IT WAS VERY INSPIRATIONAL TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO SIFU DONALD MAK AT HIS SCHOOL IN PRINCE EDWARD, JUST BEHIND THE VING TSUN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION IN HONG KONG. HE IS A DOWN-TO-EARTH GENTLEMAN AND EVEN THOUGH HE ONLY TEACHES WING CHUN PART-TIME, HE HAS MANAGED TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION WITH NEARLY 100 SCHOOLS IN 15 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

Sifu Mak started learning Wing Chun in 1979 from Master Chow Tze Chuen, a direct student of the late Grandmaster Ip Man. In 1987, he became an instructor in Master Chow’s school, and in 1993, with his teacher’s encouragement and blessing, he set up his own school.

During our meeting, Sifu Mak impressed me with his way of approaching Wing Chun, giving me an insight into the philosophical aspect of the system, seeing the three forms not just as physical training, but as a way of “seeking a bridge” to reach a higher level of consciousness.