| Wing Chun is arguably the most effective self | | | | teach some mish mosh kung fu. I taught the best |
| defense system in the world and yet most of its | | | | martial art in the world. A martial art worthy of |
| teachers teach from their garage. Maybe it is time | | | | kings and anyone in need of self-defense. I began |
| for these teachers to employ some good | | | | to develop the "luxury mentality". After all Wing |
| business tactics and bring Wing Chun to the | | | | Chun is the Cadillac of martial arts. It has all the |
| masses. | | | | buttons and gadgets anyone needs in a martial |
| There are several reputable schools out there | | | | art. But wait a minute, I bet you're thinking that I |
| that have the complete package. Great martial | | | | have some kind of big head or something. No. |
| arts and a great business for the owner. I believe | | | | The opposite is true. I decided that I would |
| the McDojo's are the extreme and we should not | | | | become a servant of sorts. That's right. I would |
| throw out the baby with the bath water. Perhaps | | | | serve my students and help them achieve their |
| we should take a good look at how martial arts | | | | martial arts goals. How did they hear about me? |
| are taught today and the different mentalities | | | | Well, an ingenious idea I found. I advertise on the |
| involved. Maybe we should question not our | | | | internet with a very nice, well thought out |
| methods of Wing Chun, but our motivations for | | | | website. No, advertising is not selling out! It's |
| teaching this great fighting system. There are | | | | getting the word out that you have something |
| several questions that come to mind when I think | | | | good you want to show others. It's how we let |
| about how excellent Wing Chun is as a fighting | | | | people know about us and of course word of |
| system and yet here in the United States, we | | | | mouth is always good. |
| are few in number. If we were to compare to | | | | So now my mentality is this... I provide a beautiful, |
| Tae Kwon Do schools we are last place. They | | | | very Feng Shui kind of school for my students. I |
| have really nice schools that are not only beautiful | | | | mean we have a real store-bought, CUSTOM-built |
| to look at, but also safe to train in. | | | | Muk Jong. The walls a beautifully painted and floor |
| What if Wing Chun were to become as popular as | | | | is finished and flat. The dressing room and |
| Tae Kwon Do in the U.S. without "selling out". Is it | | | | bathroom actually work and they are clean and |
| possible to run a very successful Wing Chun | | | | sanitary. I have a desk, beautiful Asian decor on |
| school that not only makes the owner really good | | | | the walls and lovely furniture. We have a |
| money; but also produces above average, highly | | | | systematic approach to getting people in the |
| skilled fighters? Hasn't our mentality been... you | | | | door, interviewing them to find out their goals and |
| can't teach wing chun in a beautiful school with 50, | | | | sign them up in a very professional way. Most |
| 75, 100 or 200 students without somehow | | | | importantly we use a billing company that keeps |
| sacrificing quality.'? We all know famous masters | | | | track of membership for me. |
| who still teach out of a garage with only 6 or 8 | | | | The way I teach is this. I look for someone to |
| students with this way of thinking. Of course they | | | | help reach the goals they set. I am not looking for |
| have to keep a day job to survive and there's | | | | the so called "worthy student". I have found that |
| nothing wrong with that. I believe many of us | | | | this way I have their utmost respect and loyalty. |
| suffer from a mentality that has either been | | | | Not only that, they want to stick around and learn |
| passed on to us, or we just assumed that this is | | | | more. And the highly sought-after, worthy |
| the way it's done because after all, Master Dun Ol | | | | student? I have them too and they get special |
| Way does it that way. | | | | training because of their commitment to high level |
| I used to think that if my Wing Chun was really | | | | quality. I even have inner-core students who I |
| good, I mean if I practiced so that no one in my | | | | thought would never make it but stuck it out and |
| city could come close to my skill, that people | | | | now have become very proficient, excellent |
| would just be busting my door down to learn | | | | fighters. What if I would have run them off early |
| from me. I wanted to at least achieve what my | | | | on? |
| Sifu did in his school. The truth is I really wanted | | | | Imagine large Wing Chun schools in the United |
| to exeed his numbers in the way of students. He | | | | States that are the most beautiful places to train |
| didn't hold back. He taught me with utmost care. | | | | and contain the best martial artists in the world. I |
| Surely many people would just show up. I could | | | | suggest we do away with the old poverty |
| not have been more mistaken. I was actually | | | | mentality ways if they bring us down. That old |
| surprised that I didn't have large numbers even | | | | poverty mentality that would keep us in garages, |
| though I saw other Wing Chun masters working | | | | poor and unknown. That old way of thinking that |
| out of ugly and sometimes dangerous looking | | | | says Wing Chun and good business are not |
| buildings with only a hand full of students. No they | | | | compatible. I say it can be done because we do it |
| didn't come. In fact if it were not for the few | | | | every day. If I'm not mistaken, our school is one |
| "hard core fighter types" that darkened my door | | | | of the nicest and largest Wing Chun schools in the |
| I would not have any students at all. I found out I | | | | South East and the Wing Chun is high level, intact |
| was really good at running people off. Of course I | | | | and undiluted. My Sifu and Si-Gung are pleased |
| would justify it by saying that they were not | | | | with our success and they quietly keep an eye on |
| worthy any way. Not worthy to learn from a | | | | our success with familial pride. Now we have |
| master like me who possessed this level of skill. | | | | students who are happy to do it the "New |
| Why this skill was only for the few who I could | | | | Improved old way" if you will. And their skill level |
| pass it on to. I could pass on my Wing Chun to | | | | is excellent. |
| my worthy students and the rest could go take a | | | | I would like to see teachers who want to train |
| hike. Yea!!! Now I'm poor! | | | | people for a living to believe that it is a possibility |
| My friends, I discovered that I had the Wing Chun | | | | to have the best of both worlds and no longer |
| Poverty Mentality. I don't quite know where it | | | | think they are wrong for wanting a nice school |
| came from. Maybe it came from our Chinese | | | | with nice things in it. If Wing Chun is the Cadillac of |
| fathers who operated out of the backs of | | | | martial arts, lets begin to put on that mentality. |
| restaurants and in homes. I don't know and I don't | | | | Let's begin to recognize who we are in the world. |
| care any more. I made a decision that totally | | | | We are the best. If there was a better way we |
| changed my school and made it not only an | | | | would employ it, right? Well there it is. It's the |
| awesome place to learn hard core Wing Chun, but | | | | more balanced approach to running a Wing Chun |
| also a growing business with a high number of | | | | school. Let us trust we can overcome this poor |
| students. | | | | man mentallity and and act like we have |
| I decided that I would have a new attitude and a | | | | something really good and well-balanced to offer |
| new mentality about teaching. The first thing was | | | | people interested in self-defense. |
| to get rid of that old "poverty mentality" I didn't | | | | |