Around 4 years ago my training partner and I would drive to Munich every 2 weeks to take private Escrima lessons from Sihing Robert Bauer. Since we had no fixed training premises, we would train on the rooftops of Munich.

The different weapon types and their uses captured my enthusiasm from the very start, and I was particularly fascinated by the power developed during competitions.

It was in this school that I performed my first WT steps and Escrima blows. Years later, when I was offered the licence for this area by virtue of my commitment, I was immediately enthusiastic. I expanded my teaching programme with Escrima and WT-Chikung, and a new breeze began to blow through my training rooms in Mainburg. All this was no problem, thanks to my wonderful instructor team with Willi Sternecker (2nd TG WT) and Peter Hartung (12th SG WT).

Fortunately my daughter Kim (aged 13, 6th SG) also instructs and gives me active support, whether by sticking up posters or caring for her younger WT siblings.

The town of Mainburg has approx. 13 000 inhabitants and lies in the middle of the Hallertau region. A number of medium-size companies are based there. The nearest larger towns, such as Landshut and Ingolstadt, are around 35 km away.

Approx. 50 students. The youngest are aged 7, the oldest 45, with roughly equal numbers of males and females. Many of my students make use of everything my school has to offer, though the younger students are excluded from Escrima because I only teach Escrima to those aged 16 and over.

Where advertising is concerned I use both the official ETWO material and my own ideas for creative posters and flyers. Public relations work has increased the level of awareness in my birthplace, and I have been able to use this positive recognition value in my flyers and posters. An Internet site is currently being created, as I think it important to use the medium too.

Every week I invite Sihing Robert Bauer from Munich to my school, where he heads the Escrima classes with great skill and commitment. Our teaching approach is very similar, therefore be have pulled in the same direction right from the start. We pay particular attention to a successful mixture of new teaching content and already familiar exercises. Our students especially enjoy the wide variety of weapon types, e.g. machete, tonfa, sabre, sword, stick etc., and set to with a will in different sparring matches. The teaching concept is rounded off with forms, focus-mitt training and self-defence using day-to-day objects as weapons.

My medium-term objectives in Escrima are to achieve my Technician grade, take part in competitions and ensure that my personal enthusiasm is communicated to other martial arts followers in the future.