The art of Wing Chun probably has one of the most loyal followings from it's many practitioners. If we could, we would all probably have a little "WC" placed somewhere on our tombstones. We all have an undeniable thirst for knowledge - but also think we know everything already. The reason why I bring this up is because I've been on this discussion forum for about 10 years now and everytime I come around to check things out - I see the same thing over and over again. People arguing over their superiority and knowledge. I would swear that WC was a cult following.
IMHO - Wing Chun people are too arrogant to learn anything new - especially from other WC groups. They would rather go incorporate grappling, boxing, stick fighting and ballet into what they know instead. Why is that? If everyone on this board pooled all their practical knowledge of Wing Chun together - it could almost replicate how this style was started in the first place. Whatever worked best was used.
I met a pratitioner from William Cheung's WC lineage last night and instead of the old "my Wing Chun is better than yours" he watched our class, we discussed our differences and parted with a warm handshake. (of course my WC was superior - LOL) But anyway, it was a pleasant experience for both. We kept an open mind the entire time.
There will be an open kung fu tournament going on in NYC in June. I plan on going with possibly a few of my kung fu brothers just as spectators. If anyone is interested in going and possibly meeting up with us - let me know.
Here's the information I received:
It is our pleasure to invite your school to participate in the 2010 US Open Martial Arts Championship to be held on June 6th, 2010 in New York City. This is the only Chinese Martial Arts competition offered in the New York City and New York State Area. Our competition will have competitors from all over the United States, and competitors and renowned martial artists from China and Europe. Our purpose for hosting this competition is to strengthen the Chinese martial arts community, to provide a friendly social environment for martial artists to exchange knowledge and make friends, and to improve the awareness of Chinese Martial Arts in general.
The 2010 US Open Martial Arts Championship is divided into Long Fist division, Northern Style division, Southern Style division, Internal Style division, Light Contact Sparring division, Taichi Push Hands division, and Chi Sao division.Our competition is held at Queens College, New York City on June 6th, 2010. This is a prime location with easy access to different types of transportations (bus, subway, railroad, and airports) and it’s only 20 minutes from Manhattan.
The participation of your school is vital to the long term growth and success of the Chinese martial arts community and your school in particular. With awards received from competing, it will strengthen your students’ dedication and determination to your system, improve their skill levels, and increase the spirit and reputation of your school. Last year’s 2009 US Open Martial Arts Championship was particularly successful with over 200 US and international competitors. We would like to continue our success and we hope to invite your school to be part of our success. If your school has participated in the 2009 competition, we sincerely thank you for your participation and support.
For more detailed information about the 2010 US Open Martial Arts Championship, please visit our website at www.usopenmartialarts.com. If you have any questions about the competition, please contact us via email at usopenma@gmail.com.