Allright guys, Im going to do my best as to tell this as unbiased as possible. And hopefully you all can shed some light on the subject because Im still in disbelief.
From what I have read and seen of the leung ting organization, It seems that they are not seen in the highest regard by most wing chun community. From their seemingly superior attitude, to their egotistical nature (“great”-grandmaster leung ting?), to their inter-organizational power squabbles…all the way to some people’s critiques of their skills being nothing more then using chain punches and a couple of slap blocks as their main weapons.
I thought to put all that aside, as I wished to continue my wing chun training to it’s entirety. My stepbrother (who I learned from years ago…) no longer teaches. The only school in town is as you guessed, a LT school. I had met the sifu about 8 years ago, it seemed very up on himself then…but I thought that maybe I just didn’t remember the occasion right. SO I went back to the school just yesterday…
I go in and the sifu has me sit down with a younger assistant sifu in the front foyer. They have me watch a video on wing tsun, and then afterwards I asked it it was okay to check out their class a little bit. The assistant says to go ahead and sit on the benches just inside the actual training room. My girlfriend and I sit, and watch as the three pairs of people are working on gor sau / poon sau.
The main sifu then says condescendingly “Im sorry, it’s my fault. You don’t know whats going on, please ask the assistant some questions” I said it’s okay, I don’t want to interrupt the training, I don’t mind watching. " He then stops what he’s doing and comes back to where Im sitting and says “look, it’s not that Im saying you can’t stay and watch, it’s just that we’re not setup for specators…and the students get - " “…self consience, I know” I finished the sentence for him. “I won’t take any more of your time” I said. The assistant says “go ahead and ask anything you can think of…”. I said okay…and sat back down. I asked the assistant “are you guys going to be doing this exercise the whole time?” He said yea that most of the people in there are more advanced and as they will probably go over …” “Their poon sau?” I said. “yes, he replied their rolling.” We paused for a moment and the instructer then again says something along the lines of “you don’t know whats going on just by watching, so ask anything you can think of..” Again his down talk comes across loud and clear. I asked about the class rates and the times one can train based on the amt paid. The assistant explained that to me and then went on to show me the lop da drill, and lat sau, and don chi sau. I informed him I was familiar with his drills and what he was doing, that’s why I didn’t have many questions. I told him that I had wing chun training from my step brother many years ago and he doesnt teach any longer and that’s why I came in today. He asked where my stepbrother trained, I said from Robert Yeung in Hawaii. He didn’t say anything after that. I said thanks for HIS hospitality, and proceeded to leave. He came out and gave me a brochure for the school, and said to call if I wanted to come back.
On the way to the gym, I asked my Girlfriend what she thought. Keep in mind she doesnt know anything about martial arts…aside from what she sees me going over outside with my own private training partners and students. She said he talks down to people, is ****ey, and didnt have the character to be teaching. She said she wants me to open my own school and put him out of business. I thought this was funny because I had the same impression of him without saying a word to her.
So is it just dumb luck that all the bad press and the local school here seem to go hand in hand or is it that maybe the LT school here is an exception to the good training that obviously lies elsewhere?
