WTW: How did you discover WT?

Sifu Jörg: Quite by chance. I already had some experience of the martial arts, but then a friend told me about the art of WingTsun and enthused about how effective it was. Despite some initial scepticism I went along to a training session held by Sifu Frank Ringeisen. What happened there exceeded all my thoughts and expectations: in just a few seconds Sifu Frank was able to make me completely incapable of resisting, and to convince me about WingTsun to the extent that it became part of my life from that moment on.     

WTW: In all your own training sessions you always give your students a great deal of background knowledge. Why do you find this important?

Sifu Jörg: By “background knowledge“ you probably mean that I always explain the techniques in conjunction of the concept on which they are based. By applying the relevant motto, and taking into account the level of his knowledge, I try to give the student a kind of “guideline“ which is intended to help him understand the techniques better. In my view this form of teaching helps to show the student solutions, rather than making him focus on his problems.

WTW: Can well-founded knowledge in WingTsun be achieved through personal analysis?

Sifu Jörg: Most of the knowledge I have gained to date is due to my teachers and their sometimes different teaching concepts. But some of it is also the result of looking at the movement structure itself. When I began to train with the wooden dummy, for example, where the object in front of me was suddenly rigid and immovable, I understood why I needed to use and pay attention to footwork and precise angles. It is therefore possible to find a number of answers through practical analysis.

WTW: What personal conclusions have you drawn from WT?

Sifu Jörg: The WingTsun principles are applicable and useful in many situations in daily life, e.g. within the family or with friends and colleagues. WingTsun has greatly influenced my life in various areas and when making decisions, as it has shown me the need to react flexibly to situations and life consciously, which naturally includes a conscious perception of processes and events, as well as their analysis.
 
WTW: What form does you own training take?

Sifu Jörg: I train on a daily basis so that I do not stand still. The different forms are very important to me. If you know what you should be practicing, there is the added aspect of ”conscious training”. Starting to “learn WT“ means practicing fixed movement patterns with certain angles. Daily practice gives these movements a function which turns them into techniques.

WTW: What do you do when you are not doing WT?

Sifu Jörg: Apart from WingTsun, my family, who support me in my activities related to WT, and my profession as a civil servant, I unfortunately have little time for other hobbies. I sometimes read or draw when I have time. 

WTW: Has WT ever helped you verbally or physically in a conflict situation?

Sifu Jörg: Yes, there have been situations in which I had to defend myself with WingTsun, but I have been able to resolve most conflicts at the verbal level.

WTW: As you have already mentioned, WT as a system particularly lives on its “mottos“. What is your motto in life?

Sifu Jörg: I try not to take myself and others too seriously, or to see things in black-and-white terms all the time.

WTW: What advice would you give students and readers on their way towards mastery of WT?

Sifu Jörg: Always and constantly to work on themselves, whatever happens. There will always be difficulties along the way, but in the final analysis it is these difficulties and resolving them that brings mastery a little closer. Naturally this also means that one should be open to changes to avoid adhering rigidly to old behaviour patterns. But also not to build up unnecessary pressure on themselves despite hard work and pursuit of their goal. Pressure does not automatically bring anybody to their goal more quickly, as a well-known phenomenon in daily life shows: during a drive when one is under time pressure all the traffic lights seem to be on red, but they are magically all green during a drive when one is completely relaxed.

WTW: What further aims do you have?

Sifu Jörg: Both privately and with reference to WingTsun, I still have many ideas and projects which I would like to realise, therefore I will not be coming to rest for the foreseeable future.

WTW: What is important to you otherwise?

Sifu Jörg: Always to be in the company of people with whom I can work productively and realise plans together. Working together with others is important to me because it is only in this way that knowledge comes together to become an overall picture   which an individual cannot see for himself. It reminds me of the three blind people who are trying to describe an elephant. Each of them recognises certain details: the first detects the rough surface of its skin, the second the enormous size of the animal and the third its extremities and ears. None of them are able to describe the animal as a whole. It is only their shared knowledge that enables them to describe the elephant as it really is. For me this means that in a community like e.g. the EWTO, everybody benefits from the others. This means that the students and teachers create WT together; they are on the same road together. The longer they take this road together, the more productive the knowledge they will gain as a result. It is also important to me to remain true to myself and my principles, and to develop a high level of consciousness for things that happen around me. This also includes the willingness to compromise and the ability to see things on a more global level.

WTW: Sifu Jörg thank you for this detailed interview.

Edited by Mirko Kannenwischer