Since moving from Dreiecksplatz to Knooperweg in 1992, Sifu Frank Schmalz and Rainer Wagner have been able to attract more and more people to WT. The move was accompanied by a number of innovations. As Grandmaster Kernspecht has always felt very much at home in Kiel (which is after all his home town) and is very attached to the present WT Academy, he came up with the idea of holding instructor seminars and other special courses here.

In 2004 a Technician Week was introduced with great success. During this, would-be Technicians are prepared for their examination by Sifu Frank Schmalz and can absolve the remainder of their examination with Grandmaster Kernspecht on the last day, once they have passed the first part with Sifu Frank.

This is not all, for WT-ChiKung seminars have also been held in Kiel for some time, i.e. the north is also completely up-to-date where the health division of the EWTO is concerned. From 16th to 22nd May there will be a "WT-ChiKung Week" for all levels with Sifu Roland Liebscher-Bracht at the WT Academy in Kiel. A perfect opportunity to look behind the scenes of this health system and focus on it in a relaxed atmosphere (see calendar for details).

After the 2004 Technician Week was such a success, it has now become a fixture in the seminar programme of the Kiel WT Academy. As in the previous year, would-be and advanced Technicians practiced for their demanding examinations under the guidance of Sifu Frank Schmalz. Most of the twenty participants wanted to submit their patiently and hard-won capabilities to the critical gaze of GM Kernspecht on the following Friday.

WT-people from Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Pommerania and Lower Saxony trained for eight hours per day from Monday to Thursday, taking only short lunch breaks. The mornings were dedicated to the basics of WT: Siu-Nim-Tao, Cham-Kiu and exercises for the stance, footwork, turns, chain-punching, simultaneous movements, breathing and much more included in the traditional Chinese syllabus. Sifu Frank corrected each individual and only released him from the exercise when consistent progress was being made. Success in this requires a high level of concentration and a lot of patience. The flowing sweat was also rather indicative.

This Technician Week gave every participant the opportunity to show the skills gained. Sifu Frank corrected variations in positioning and brought everybody up to date.

During a whole week of intensive training Sifu Frank also has enough time to check the would-be Technicians out for personal suitability, and a positive assessment is indispensable to achieve an overall pass.

Some of the participants opted to be tested on the Thursday, and Sifu Frank attached great importance to detailed movements. By the end the examinees were left in no doubt that WT (Kung-Fu) is indeed hard work.

On the Friday Grandmaster Kernspecht examined all the participants personally, giving them the benefit of the original and most precise form of WingTsun. The day was very exciting for everyone, for after a successfully passed examination it opened up a new and dramatic chapter in each individual’s personal WT history.

Thanks to the thorough preparation by Sifu Frank the day was a success for everyone, and many will be looking forward to the next TG Week.