Editorial
Mar/01/2013

Do we imitate the style – the handwriting! – of our SiFu?

  • Grandmaster Dr. Leung Jan was
        the SiFu of Chan Wah Shun,
        but Chan Wah Shun did not
        imitate the "Dr Leung Jan style".
     
  • Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun was
        the SiFu of Yip Man,
        but Yip Man did not
        imitate the "Chan Wah Shun style".

 

  • Grandmaster Yip Man was
        the SiFu of Leung Ting,
        but Leung Ting does not
        imitate the "Yip Man style".
     
  • Grandmaster Leung Ting is my SiFu,
        but I do not imitate the
        "Leung Ting style".

I have learned from his examples of how to solve combat problems, and freely apply these principles plus my own findings.

When some of my students are themselves grandmasters, I do not want them to be copies of me. As grandmasters I expect them to interpret the eternal principles of WingTsun for themselves, their body, their psyche etc., but to express themselves. They should not learn fixed "movements", but rather how to "move" flexibly, i.e. adaptively and technically skilfully.

They must not imitate my personal style, the "Kernspecht style", as for me WT is not a style – or handwriting – but rather a science, the logic of combat, and perhaps also the art of expressing oneself.

I do not want my students to slavishly imitate the image of the movements they see me perform, but rather to understand how I move in order to resolve the problem posed by my opponent.

Your SiFu/SiGung
Keith R. Kernspecht