Jürgen
21-09-2001, 20:29
Wong Shun-Leung & a personal statement...
Firstly and it really goes without saying that these comments are not directed at those who truly love Ving Tsun,respect the memory of Wong Shun-Leung and have a desire to improve themselves in an honest and realistic way.
Ving Tsun seems to have become a competition as to who can spread the largest amount of bull shit in the shortest period of time,without being detected and the fact that they seem to linger on without being detected is some cause for concern.What really worries me however is the apparent need of some individuals to promote themselves far above their own ability or knowledge,while at the same time chipping away (usually through inuendo,not directly) at the image of others who have proven their knowledge and worth through many years of hard real training and study.
Recently it was brought to my attention that through e-mail and on the net certain misguided and/or calculating individuals have suggested that Wong Shun-Leung lost this fight or that,was not as good as such and such,did not care for or teach his students correctly,plus remarks concerning his personal life which noone has a right to comment on.
My Sifu was the first to say that anyone can lose a fight (the man who says he does not get hit is lying to himself),although in the fight usually mentioned I would suggest that those so quick to open their mouths,make an effort to find out the true and complete story before jumping in half cocked.It is how we deal with a loss and what we learn from it that is important.Being able to analize what happened:did you use the wrong technique for the movement used against you..did you not have an answer for what was used..were you too anxious and prone to moving too quickly rather than waiting and picking the optimum time to move..were you simply inexperienced and/or over matched..asking yourself what you can do to make it better next time and then training to make it work for you in all situations.Even when you win,being able to ask yourself "Was that an easy win because the opponent was just not very good?".."Could I have won more easily without tiring myself so much,by perhaps using a better technique or by moving more efficiently?".."Did I win simply because I had better stamina and could outlast my oponent and if this was the case,what happens as I become older or develop an injury?".Above all,whether you win or lose,the ability to lose your ego and take steps to train harder and more productively on a daily basis is of paramount importance.
Wong Shun-Leung was one of those unique individuals who could take any situation or defeat and turn it to his advantage.Wong Shun-Leung often made the comment that we are all human,we all make mistakes.It is how we deal with these mistakes that is important,how we live our lives,true to ourselves and maligning no man.To speak the truth as you know it is very different to what I hear from time to time on the net and elsewhere.I never heard my Sifu speak ill of his Kung Fu Brothers and through the years he had gone out of his way to help many of them,not to mention being responsible for keeping the Ving Tsun Association alive at a crucial period in its existence,although as I understand it there were often times in private when some of them were less than charitable about him.I believe there was a great deal of jealousy while he was still alive regarding what he was,his unique knowledge and his ability to pass this to his students in a very special way,with absolute confidence and such a vast proven experience.It was not until some time after his death however that the worms began to rise to the surface with a renewed confidence in their ability to promote themselves while chipping away at his legend,often in a covert way,for their own selfish reasons.Or in the case of Yip Chun,who could not even wait for him to be buried before placing a most degrading and factless story in a certain Hong Kong newspaper.One has to ask what he was worried about or perhaps what he had to hide,to feel the need to malign a so called friend in such a way even before his body had left the hospital.
Wong Shun-Leung proved himself time and time again by fighting the best of every style and then went on to become a truly gifted teacher willing to pass his unique knowledge to any who would listen and train hard.He was directly responsible for building the fame of Ving Tsun and the name of Yip Man (whom he greatly respected) in Hong Kong in the early days and then latter through his seminars for the spread of Ving Tsun elsewhere in the world.My first wife and others who were there used to say that in his prime"...he took never more than three punches to finish a fight ...you would see two men facing each other,then you would hear bang,bang,bang and one man was lying on the ground...and you could not remember seeing Sifu move..."
As we become older we move differently,sustain injuries more easily,lose stamina.With correct training over long years we begin to understand how to compensate for the human bodies limitations,how to achieve a better result with much less effort,through experience we learn what to expect and how to deal with it.In a real situation we cannot play games as we once did when we were younger and indeed you feel no desire to put yourself in that situation in the first place having been there and done it all before.A younger man who wants to prove himself against say a man in his sixties should ask himself why he is doing that.Could he have stood up to that same man in his prime and could he win in a life and death situation,where experience is often more important than stamina or strength..as far as Wong Shun-Leung is concerned I very much doubt it.
Those who use Wong Shun-Leungs name to promote themselves and their standing in Ving Tsun (Wing Chun)when they really have not earned the right to do so should ask themselves seriously why they feel the need to do this.Those who feel a need to compare themselves or others to him would do better to concentrate on making themselves a little better each day.YOU are the hardest man to defeat..first master yourself mentally and physically and as a natural result you will be able to fight and win.Always look to the other man and you seriously limit yourself,you will not grow and there will always be someone out there better than you.
I would like to say the following and then I will go on to make a small statement of my own concerning my efforts in Europe:
For Wong Shun-Leung:
Greatness is never appreciated in youth..
Called pride in life..
Dismissed in death..
Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst,we do all we can to destroy it..
Ving Tsun is becoming a memorial to his unfinished work..
Do not let the bastards drag him down.
Now,I will make this as quick as possible as it is with a heavy heart that I feel the necessity to make any statement at all.I DO NOT HAVE AND HAVE MEVER HAD ANY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPE.Due to a rather serious health problem I teach privately and semi-privately,on an irregular basis,mainly teachers of other Ving Tsun (Wing Chun)schools and some students of other schools who come to me to improve their knowledge,understanding and physical ability in Ving Tsun,to fine tune as it were.I also have a very small number of students who train exclusively with me.Many of the people who visit me train once a month or even two monthly,a much smaller number train more regularly.Given that very few people actually train exclusively with me and that a great majority train irregularly as stated it is not hard to understand that even though the lessons provide a great deal of information and hard training there are not many that have as yet reached a higher standard in Ving Tsun.Therefore when someone claims to have a certain amount of experience in training with me it should be asked how long,how hard and how diligently they actually trained.
Having said the above however,I am pleased to say that I have many talented and willing students that show potential and a few with above average potential and understanding.Almost all work very hard and having had unpleasant experiences with Wing Chun training in the past are eager to learn the correct way even if it takes time to perfect the basics,for as Sifu used to say.."Without the roots the first good wind will blow the tree down".
The easy way to ascertain just how much experience someone has with me and what their current standard is would be to e-mail me or to phone me on Germany:49/07260-1307.Also if comments are made concerning my person or my teaching it would be best,if you are really interested in knowing the truth,for you to also contact me personally.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my students past and present,for their loyalty,hard work and unending desire to learn correctly and without compromise to make their Ving Tsun work for them.Particularly my students in Australia,many of whom I watched grow up,marry and have children,buy homes and cars,find jobs and change jobs.I have seen them through the good times and the bad and a many have seen me at my best and worst;all are friends,some are close personal friends and almost all have retained a love of Ving Tsun which endures to this day even with their teacher so far away.A few will remember the early days when those with financial problems would learn for nothing,all eventually making an effort to pay their own way and when other problems were discussed and solved or mulled over while they stayed at my home overnight.I often wish I was able to teach for nothing again,although I know what my Sifu would say about this and I believe he was right in the long run.
Thank you all for your friendship and support through the years and I end with a thought about Chi Sau : "Every movement is a new movement"...Think about it - and then "Feel,don't think".
Best wishes,
Barry Lee
Firstly and it really goes without saying that these comments are not directed at those who truly love Ving Tsun,respect the memory of Wong Shun-Leung and have a desire to improve themselves in an honest and realistic way.
Ving Tsun seems to have become a competition as to who can spread the largest amount of bull shit in the shortest period of time,without being detected and the fact that they seem to linger on without being detected is some cause for concern.What really worries me however is the apparent need of some individuals to promote themselves far above their own ability or knowledge,while at the same time chipping away (usually through inuendo,not directly) at the image of others who have proven their knowledge and worth through many years of hard real training and study.
Recently it was brought to my attention that through e-mail and on the net certain misguided and/or calculating individuals have suggested that Wong Shun-Leung lost this fight or that,was not as good as such and such,did not care for or teach his students correctly,plus remarks concerning his personal life which noone has a right to comment on.
My Sifu was the first to say that anyone can lose a fight (the man who says he does not get hit is lying to himself),although in the fight usually mentioned I would suggest that those so quick to open their mouths,make an effort to find out the true and complete story before jumping in half cocked.It is how we deal with a loss and what we learn from it that is important.Being able to analize what happened:did you use the wrong technique for the movement used against you..did you not have an answer for what was used..were you too anxious and prone to moving too quickly rather than waiting and picking the optimum time to move..were you simply inexperienced and/or over matched..asking yourself what you can do to make it better next time and then training to make it work for you in all situations.Even when you win,being able to ask yourself "Was that an easy win because the opponent was just not very good?".."Could I have won more easily without tiring myself so much,by perhaps using a better technique or by moving more efficiently?".."Did I win simply because I had better stamina and could outlast my oponent and if this was the case,what happens as I become older or develop an injury?".Above all,whether you win or lose,the ability to lose your ego and take steps to train harder and more productively on a daily basis is of paramount importance.
Wong Shun-Leung was one of those unique individuals who could take any situation or defeat and turn it to his advantage.Wong Shun-Leung often made the comment that we are all human,we all make mistakes.It is how we deal with these mistakes that is important,how we live our lives,true to ourselves and maligning no man.To speak the truth as you know it is very different to what I hear from time to time on the net and elsewhere.I never heard my Sifu speak ill of his Kung Fu Brothers and through the years he had gone out of his way to help many of them,not to mention being responsible for keeping the Ving Tsun Association alive at a crucial period in its existence,although as I understand it there were often times in private when some of them were less than charitable about him.I believe there was a great deal of jealousy while he was still alive regarding what he was,his unique knowledge and his ability to pass this to his students in a very special way,with absolute confidence and such a vast proven experience.It was not until some time after his death however that the worms began to rise to the surface with a renewed confidence in their ability to promote themselves while chipping away at his legend,often in a covert way,for their own selfish reasons.Or in the case of Yip Chun,who could not even wait for him to be buried before placing a most degrading and factless story in a certain Hong Kong newspaper.One has to ask what he was worried about or perhaps what he had to hide,to feel the need to malign a so called friend in such a way even before his body had left the hospital.
Wong Shun-Leung proved himself time and time again by fighting the best of every style and then went on to become a truly gifted teacher willing to pass his unique knowledge to any who would listen and train hard.He was directly responsible for building the fame of Ving Tsun and the name of Yip Man (whom he greatly respected) in Hong Kong in the early days and then latter through his seminars for the spread of Ving Tsun elsewhere in the world.My first wife and others who were there used to say that in his prime"...he took never more than three punches to finish a fight ...you would see two men facing each other,then you would hear bang,bang,bang and one man was lying on the ground...and you could not remember seeing Sifu move..."
As we become older we move differently,sustain injuries more easily,lose stamina.With correct training over long years we begin to understand how to compensate for the human bodies limitations,how to achieve a better result with much less effort,through experience we learn what to expect and how to deal with it.In a real situation we cannot play games as we once did when we were younger and indeed you feel no desire to put yourself in that situation in the first place having been there and done it all before.A younger man who wants to prove himself against say a man in his sixties should ask himself why he is doing that.Could he have stood up to that same man in his prime and could he win in a life and death situation,where experience is often more important than stamina or strength..as far as Wong Shun-Leung is concerned I very much doubt it.
Those who use Wong Shun-Leungs name to promote themselves and their standing in Ving Tsun (Wing Chun)when they really have not earned the right to do so should ask themselves seriously why they feel the need to do this.Those who feel a need to compare themselves or others to him would do better to concentrate on making themselves a little better each day.YOU are the hardest man to defeat..first master yourself mentally and physically and as a natural result you will be able to fight and win.Always look to the other man and you seriously limit yourself,you will not grow and there will always be someone out there better than you.
I would like to say the following and then I will go on to make a small statement of my own concerning my efforts in Europe:
For Wong Shun-Leung:
Greatness is never appreciated in youth..
Called pride in life..
Dismissed in death..
Because we cannot tolerate greatness in our midst,we do all we can to destroy it..
Ving Tsun is becoming a memorial to his unfinished work..
Do not let the bastards drag him down.
Now,I will make this as quick as possible as it is with a heavy heart that I feel the necessity to make any statement at all.I DO NOT HAVE AND HAVE MEVER HAD ANY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPE.Due to a rather serious health problem I teach privately and semi-privately,on an irregular basis,mainly teachers of other Ving Tsun (Wing Chun)schools and some students of other schools who come to me to improve their knowledge,understanding and physical ability in Ving Tsun,to fine tune as it were.I also have a very small number of students who train exclusively with me.Many of the people who visit me train once a month or even two monthly,a much smaller number train more regularly.Given that very few people actually train exclusively with me and that a great majority train irregularly as stated it is not hard to understand that even though the lessons provide a great deal of information and hard training there are not many that have as yet reached a higher standard in Ving Tsun.Therefore when someone claims to have a certain amount of experience in training with me it should be asked how long,how hard and how diligently they actually trained.
Having said the above however,I am pleased to say that I have many talented and willing students that show potential and a few with above average potential and understanding.Almost all work very hard and having had unpleasant experiences with Wing Chun training in the past are eager to learn the correct way even if it takes time to perfect the basics,for as Sifu used to say.."Without the roots the first good wind will blow the tree down".
The easy way to ascertain just how much experience someone has with me and what their current standard is would be to e-mail me or to phone me on Germany:49/07260-1307.Also if comments are made concerning my person or my teaching it would be best,if you are really interested in knowing the truth,for you to also contact me personally.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my students past and present,for their loyalty,hard work and unending desire to learn correctly and without compromise to make their Ving Tsun work for them.Particularly my students in Australia,many of whom I watched grow up,marry and have children,buy homes and cars,find jobs and change jobs.I have seen them through the good times and the bad and a many have seen me at my best and worst;all are friends,some are close personal friends and almost all have retained a love of Ving Tsun which endures to this day even with their teacher so far away.A few will remember the early days when those with financial problems would learn for nothing,all eventually making an effort to pay their own way and when other problems were discussed and solved or mulled over while they stayed at my home overnight.I often wish I was able to teach for nothing again,although I know what my Sifu would say about this and I believe he was right in the long run.
Thank you all for your friendship and support through the years and I end with a thought about Chi Sau : "Every movement is a new movement"...Think about it - and then "Feel,don't think".
Best wishes,
Barry Lee