Bachelor in Martial Arts (Uni Derby GB)

School(s) in: Amsterdam

School Owner since: 1982

Motto:

For me, WingTsun means lifelong learning in an essential area that has given me an infinite amount over the past 36 years.

Why did you start with WingTsun?

The primary reason was the need for safety, as I grew up in a less sheltered environment, “on the street” so to speak.

Why are you still doing WingTsun?

WingTsun is and remains my passion, because it is fun and effective! Today, self-defense no longer plays a major motivational role for myself, but self-development does.

What was your standout WT experience?

Very difficult to say, because there were so many outstanding events.
Such as GM Leung Ting’s visit to Kassel in 1982, me becoming the national coach for the Netherlands in 1986, the 1992 Budogala where Chuck Norris was present, GM Leung Ting’s 50th birthday celebration in Hong Kong in 1997, the Millennium in Cape Town in 2000, the awarding of the 7th MG in Livorno in 2009, the start of the Bachelor’s program at the University of Derby-Buxton in 2012 followed by Plovdiv 2016 where the Master’s program started – just to name a few of my WT highlights.

What changed for you when you received the 1st HG or 5th MG?

When I received my 1st HG (then TG) in 1985, a then quite secretive and mysterious world opened up for me and I was allowed to be part of it from then on. When I passed my 5th MG (then PG) in 1997, many of the so-called “secrets” were already publicly available – not least through the Internet. On the one hand a fascinating development, on the other hand a robbery of motivation …

… Why learn the unknown yourself laboriously through diligence and patience, when YouTube and Co. already provide everything “free of charge” … Of course, passive observation cannot be a substitute for active teaching, but it can very easily impart an illusory knowledge, which can be counterproductive for future training use. So according to the motto: “Oh yes, I already know that …”.