Shameless Advertising-redux

To me, it's an amazing feeling to know that one (like myself) can easily switch from being a student of Wing Chun to a teacher of the art! Of course, I have found that it is not so easy, but what makes it easier is that I know quite a bit about the art, having taken private lessons in New Iberia for over 10 years. I also have studied other Sifu's and how they teach it and have learned a great deal from that. Reading does not hurt either. I alwasys tell my students though, that you can't learn Wing Chun from a book, but you can learn ABOUT Wing Chun from books. And there is nothing wrong with that. You just have to be careful though, because some of the stuff you find in books and dvd's is just plain wrong.
Well, here goes with the shameless advertising. Of course I have a google add but am poor, so it is very skimpy. I teach mostly private lessons Sunday mornings in my garage. I call it Garage Kung Fu and this is nothing unusual. Many (I would say most) WC teachers got started and some stayed this way, i.e. teaching in the garage or back yard. It is almost a tradition. Anyway, I can be reached via email: vanceap3@sudddenlink.net, OR my cell at: 318-446-1236. Leave a message and I promise to call you back. I am fairly old, but remember that Yip Man started teaching Wing Chun when he was 56 and taught until the year of his death when he was 79!

New Private Student

It is a delight to be teaching a new student. If ever I believed the following, I certainly do believe it now! In most endeavors, including and especially Wing Chun, a "teacher" or sifu learns more by teaching than ever as a previous student. There is now no doubt in my mind that this is true. I have also found that it takes very much preparation for private lessons (and I'm sure regular lessons). I spend several hours each week going over notes, memory, and even tapes of other disciplines and then typing it up so that I can give the student a copy. This will go on until we have reached the point where the student is no longer a beginner and does not need these things. At that point, the student throws the forms away and can certainly take care of himself. I have also determined (found out) that the teaching/learning starts out with a whole lot of basics and information, practice (and on his own too), and then is whittled down to just a few very important things, like Centerline, Chi Sao, Chi Gerk. Eventually, we will get there, and in the meantime, I am enjoying as much or more than when I was a student!