After long preparation it now seems that WingTsunWelt will go online today. If everything works this is due to the hard work of Mirko and Markus, but also the entire team at the Castle and especially Andreas Gross.

As you may know the Internet has never been my thing. I only use it to write emails, I don't surf, I don't chat, I read and write books instead. But I shall read WingTsunWelt-online and contribute articles to it – that's a promise.

There is plenty of exciting WingTsun-related news for me to share with you. What's more, I have been told that this medium is so fast that I can keep you informed about current events without irritating delays, e.g. about GGM Leung Ting's special tutorials (which are not featured in the new WT-Welt 26):
My Si-Fu, Prof. Leung Ting, will begin the series on 27.1.03 in KIEL. His tutorials are open to any member (from 9th student grade) who has absolved the basic version of this programme. This means that even those who do not yet have the 1st TG can take part in tutorials 1 to 5. It is GGM Leung Ting's wish that everybody starts with tutorial 1 (Siu-Nim-Tau) to be sure of having the necessary theoretical principles. Incidentally, those repeating a tutorial only pay half the fee.

In addition to a number of pleasant and not so pleasant events, the last year has brought us a net increase in EWTO membership of three thousand, something for which we are grateful in a time of general recession.

However we have also received criticism and the lessons of life. As WT practitioners we welcome these gratefully, for difficulties lead to inner growth and we would actually need to ask for problems and friction if they did not occur anyway. And who can yet say whether developments which at present seem negative will not turn out to be a fortuitous shock, a life-changing and necessary Jut-Sao, in the medium term? For the good of WT? We shall apply our favourite principle, that of borrowing strength, and treat everything that comes as an impulse for the change demanded by life's circumstances. For WT is traditional in that we are untraditional and know that we only remain true to ourselves if we change. The central theme in WingTsun is only SUPERFICIALLY how to give others a good hiding – in fact all three levels in WingTsun are concerned with change and transformation, i.e. with developing our highest capabilities to claim our birthright as conscious human beings.

In this spirit I wish you all a successful New Year, also on behalf of my only Si-Fu, and a festive season during which you will perhaps come to remember or find yourselves.

Yours sincerly
Keith R. Kernspecht