Beyond Dumbells by

Wendy McCready for Nature and Health Magazine

Working out at the gym can sometimes seem pointless, and often becomes a chore. Boxing will speed up your reflexes and get you fit, but you are still helpless in the face of attack by someone with superior strength. WingTsun, however, teaches women and men of all ages to successfully defend themselves and has the added benefits of fitness, improved coordination, and mental relaxation.

RECLAIM THE NIGHT

For many women, travelling home after an evening out can mean that they feel nervous and vulnerable, or even really afraid. While the male of the species unthinkingly strides across the park at night, women feel they must stay close to crowds and lights. Women assess the other passengers in the carriage of the train and either stay, sitting rigidly in a corner, or find another carriage that seems less threatening. They enter their home cautiously, checking rooms for hidden strangers before going to bed with windows and doors locked and bolted. The feared attack will probably never happen, but women who are unable to defend themselves must be ever-vigilant and cautious.

News headlines seem to confirm that we are right to live this way: An elderly woman is sexually assaulted in her apartment in country New South Wales, the graves of three women are discovered in Queensland and a young prostitute is battered to death in an alley just metres from a busy city street. In fact, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Recorded Crime Australia Report, in 1999 there were 133,602 reported cases of assault and 14,704 reported cases of sexual assault in Australia.

Wouldn't you like to 'reclaim the night'? If women felt confident that they could defend themselves if attacked, they might at least be able to relax their vigil and enjoy themselves more - although, sensibly, they should continue to take the same precautionary measures that they do today. Perhaps with this increased confidence more women would be out and about and the streets a less threatening place for all.

WHAT IS WING TSUN?

WingTsun is a form of martial arts, unique because it was specifically developed as a method of self-defence. In fact, WingTsun was developed over 250 years ago in south China by Ng Mui, a nun left to defend herself during a period of war. Fearing attack by younger and stronger males she thought about how she might fight back and realised that the best method was to use their strength against them.

"Don't fight the force. Give in to it. Go with it. Use it!" These are the words of Dr Leung Ting. Dr Leung was the last master student of the legendary Grandmaster Yip Man, the last WingTsun teacher to teach only Chinese students. Dr Leung has, with the endorsement of Yip Man's son, Yip Chun, brought this martial arts form to the West, enabling hundreds of thousands of members in over 65 countries to learn and practise this unique system.

D r Leung's WingTsun is perhaps the 'softest' version of the art used today. Students learn to become soft and flexible so that they may harmlessly absorb and redirect an attack. A step by step training program gradually develops the necessary sensitivity, flexibility and reflexes for realistic self defence.
 

Note: WingTsun refers specifically to the Leung Ting system of WingTsun, which differs significantly from other styles of Wing Chun or Ving Tsun. The only authentic WingTsun schools in Australia are those authorised by the Australian WingTsun Network (AWTN), Chief Instructor Sifu Stefan Fischer, which is authorised by the International Wing Tsun Association, Hong Kong, Chief Instructor Grandmaster Leung Ting, 10th Level MOC and the European WingTsun Organisation Grandmaster Professor K R Kernspecht.

Students of WingTsun are taught to 'borrow' the energy of an attacker, 'charging' up their own body and then redirecting the energy against its source. Instead of retreating, WingTsun students will advance on and 'glue' themselves to their assailant. This proximity, combined with well-defined movements, disables and disorganises the attacker, forcing him into a helpless position.

Unlike many forms of martial arts training, WingTsun has a developed and specific training and graduation program which does not involve competitions or tournaments. Students are taught in a group, yet they are guided individually.

WING TSUN IN AUSTRALIA

WingTsun is fairly new to Australia but is well established world-wide with branches in over 65 countries. It is particularly popular in Europe - there are more than 2, 000 registered WingTsun schools in Germany alone.

Sifu Stefan Fischer is the Chief Instructor of WingTsun in Australia and has more than 27 years of martial arts experience. He started judo at the age of five and his interest in martial arts and fitness developed from there. At one stage he used his training to work as a bodyguard to celebrities such as Jean-Claude van Damme, Chuck Norris and Bob Wall.

Sifu Fischer believes that other martial arts are “…great sport, but not great self defence. In WingTsun there are no rules - students learn to kick the lower body and to use every weapon available. "

After graduating from the European WingTsun headquarters where he was a private student of Grandmaster K R Kernspecht, the European Chief Instructor and second highest WingTsun master in the world, Sifu Stefan Fischer was head instructor of more than 20 schools in Germany. He was delighted to be offered the opportunity of bringing Wing Tsun to Australia. " Germany is too cold," laughs Sifu* Fischer. (*Sifu is a title - it might be translated as father, teacher or mentor.)

WHO CAN DO IT?

WingTsun is relatively easy to learn and can be taken up by students of all ages, shapes, sizes and levels of fitness. Courses are regularly run for senior citizens and these have proven very successful. Kids' classes will suit children aged 5 to 12 years.

Currently there are more men than women (approximately 25 per cent) studying WingTsun, although Sifu Fischer would like to see this change. He is a strong advocate for women learning to defend themselves. The classes give women a chance to safely express the aggression they have spent a lifetime suppressing - this way they become confident that it will be there when we need it.

The schools are bright and clean and have a nice atmosphere to suit all students. No sweaty gyms for men in this sport! After three years in Australia there are schools in Randwick, Liverpool, Parramatta, Hurstville, and Newtown in New South Wales. There are schools in Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. It takes a while for new schools to open: a basic instructor's course is for two years. There are 10 people studying currently - so there will be more schools to come.

FINALLY, DOES IT WORK?

Sifu Fischer tells a story that had been reported in the papers in Germany. A woman trained in WingTsun came upon two men attempting to assault another woman. She surprised them and kicked one man in the head, disabling him completely. She then fought with the other man while the woman who had been attacked managed to run away. Ultimately the defending woman was slightly hurt, but had successfully prevented another woman from suffering probable serious hurt and psychological damage.+--+

Wendy McCready is a health writer and full-time mother of three. She loves writing, not only "because it lets me escape from the daily chaos of domestic life" but because she is passionate about health and environment issues that affect her family.

Nature & Health Magazine