"...after experience with various other forms of martial arts over the years, which included taekwondo, aikido, tai chi and others I was led to WT by a close friend. After training with the system for only a short time I have found it to be a very effective and efficient form of self-defence. the forms are not overly complicated and the system of training introduces practical self- defence examples from the outset. The classes are enjoyable, and students and teachers are easy to approach and always happy to help with queries.I look forward to continuing my training in WT!"

Frank Carfora

I'm 51 years old, not naturally athletic (have to work at fitness a bit) and I work with people who have serious problems - emotional injuries, addictions, anger management issues, offending, lack of self esteem, you name it. ..... To be effective in this kind of work - in fact in any kind of work where you're near other people - you need to feel confident in yourself. You need to carry that solid, inner sense that you can look after yourself, that you are not vulnerable and weak, that whatever life, your client or some idiot in a club or on the street might throw at you you'll handle it. I definitely lacked that confidence before I started training in Wing Tsun 5 years ago. I was scared a lot of my waking day. I had tried judo years before, broken a toe and been put off martial arts, but all the time I knew I wanted to learn basic, effective, unarmed self-defence. I was lost until I attended a demonstration that Sifu Stefan Fischer held in Sydney one evening. Then I knew that this was what I'd been looking for all along (I have long been interested in Taoist philosophies of living, and this art is based on Taoist principles: of flowing naturally forward, of sticking when you make contact, of bending in the face of excessive force rather than resisting, of practicing the techniques - under pressure sometimes - so that eventually they are there without you having to consciously think of them - the state of "no mind" that makes advanced practitioners appear almost superhuman..... ...). I have that confidence now, thanks to my WT training. I feel immensely grateful to Si Fu Stefan Fischer and the dedicated Si Hings who have been my teachers along the way. Learning Wing Tsun has not just changed my level of confidence in threatening situations, it's also transformed how I feel in all situations: at work, at play, in my relationships.............. .it has changed my whole life and continues to do so.

Chris Corcos

I happened upon the practice of Wing Tsun earlier this year after reading an article that sufficiently interested me to front up to a demonstration. At first I wondered if it was akin to fisticuffs at 20 paces as I watched Si-Hing Andrew effortlessly floor some hapless student and graphically demonstrate how to best put them out of action all the while being told that this was invented by a Chinese nun (presumably bearing a fiery cross). Of course, as he has repeatedly emphasised, these skills are used as a last resort to an unavoidable scrap. So, from one generally skewed towards pacifist thinking, I dovetailed into the world of Wing Tsun: a forward flowing, close contact and confrontational form of martial arts. Having now been with the group for nearly six months, Ive come to appreciate that layered beneath its sometimes rough exterior is an art and grace that informs not only finely honed combat skills, but a general attitude and approach to life.

Having myself struggled with assertiveness and confidence in certain situations, I now realise that skills learnt in Wing Tsun may translate into real life predicaments: we may need to invalidate inappropriate authority by moving forward in the face of aggression, or insist upon equal footing by blocking. Describing the warrior Queen, Queen Boadicea, poet Judy Grahn writes:

I am the wall at the lip of the water

I am the rock that refused to be battered.

It teaches us not to fear an opponents strength but to stick close and turn it to an advantage; achieving control, not necessarily over other people, but over the tensions within a situation. Si-Hing Andrew shows, through repetition, how different sensory triggers intuitively evoke concise and effective responses - to think through the body. In fact, the practice of Wing Tsun helps reduce conflicts back to their bare essentials and anchors behaviour to a sense of resilience, self-confidence and strength.

Wing Tsun, furthermore, provides the opportunity for small group activity that allows for the intermingling of people from different walks of life. In my daily travels, I too often see people washed up and marooned on the shores of contemporary culture, where some may find themselves increasingly alienated from a sense of community and meaningful social interactions. As well as being part of a community-based activity, students get to kick and punch and potentially burn up some of their combustible material all in a safe and relaxed manner. I am happy to be part of a fun group of people with an enthusiastic and dedicated instructor. I believe Wing Tsun provides both physical and mental nourishment and is an option worth considering to staying home and watching TV.

Kathy Calder