Our time with hendrik Santo sifu

[kung fu fighter]

Hi everyone,


Here is a brief write up about my visit and training with Hendrik santo sifu in San Jose over the last few days!


For a few years now like most of you I have been trying to understand What the heck HS was talking about in regards to terminologies such as 6 directional force vector, momentum handling, snake engine, hua jing and a few other things. I also have a good friend sifu Michael Mc Ilwrath from the Fut sao wing chun linage whom also shared my curiosity concerning HS and his wing chun approach. So we finally decided to visit HS at the same time and once and for all find out directly.


I arrived in San Jose last Thursday night but came in pretty late. I was expectating to see my friend sifu Mike back at the hotel room because he arrived a few hours earlier than me. When i knocked on the hotel door I got a very pleasant suprise. Not only was i greeted by sifu Mike but Sifu Hendrik santo was also there. I couldn't help but get the feeling that I just interupted a very intense wing chun conversation so I felt like i missed out on quite a bit. but i got right in there and we ended up talking for another couple of hours.


The next day and every day that we were there we spent training and discussing wing chun at Hendrik's house. Hendrik was extremely humble and had a great sense of humor. He also shared the same passion for his art as we did. He spoke to us with no reservation explaining every details of his art and approach, it was quite refreshing compared with some other wing chun people i've met in the past whom held back so called secrets. He was without a doubt one of the most intellegent wing chun person that i ever met. Everything he showed us can be explained very clearly.

Every day that we were there we spent between 6-8 hours training and discussing wing chun and philosophy.

What i really enjoyed was the direct feeling of the Gong and energy flow that HS introduced us to via his 5 layers of training which can be felt immediately.

We also learnt his 4 core chi sao cycle and got a chance to see his SLT set.

My greatest thanks and appreciation to Hendrik, GM CHC Yik Kam and the ancestors for preserving such an incredible art.

Hendrik thank you so much for the time you spent with us.