On Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th Sept Martin and I travelled to Cambridge to attend a kung fu seminar hosted by our instructor Ross Sargent at his club. We were privileged to spend two days learning from Sifu Benno Westra of UCT International.
Learning focused around concepts and techniques that Sifu Benno has been developing from his training with Grand Master Wan Kam Leung. As such they were simple, focused on good angles and structure and naturally very effective. We learnt how to use movements from the first section of the Sui Nim Tao to control the centre line whilst bridging the gap between ones self and an attacker. These simple ideas we then practiced in Chi Sao to take this control through to a finishing move.
Martin and I also worked with Col and Andrew with whom we will be doing our Technician grading, organised for Nov 1st in Cambridge. Technician level comes after senior or black level. In preparation we discussed the grading and worked on some ground fighting, take down, elbow and knee attack drills. Sifu Westra demonstrated an enormous breadth of knowledge and the structural precision and industrially pneumatic power of his movements were an inspiration.
We would both like to say a big thank you to Ross for his many years of friendship, support and consistant progress in the attainment of great kung fu and to Sifu Westra for coming to England to share his fine company and world class expertise with us both!
Charlie, Sept 08