|
Since the WingTsun system does not have Black-belt, what is the nearest equivalent and how is it signified?
The equivalent would be the 1st Technician Level. With the 2nd Technician grade, you get your thin red stripes on the pants and instead of wearing shirts in black with white print, you wear black with red print.
Can your students become instructors on completion of the 1st Technician Level, or can they instruct before reaching that level?
Yes, students can become an instructor on completion of 1st Technician Level. Students who do our instructor education program start assisting classes from around the 8th Student Level onwards and can usually open a school from the 12th Student Level onwards. All instructor-students also have a Senior First Aid Certificate and a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment.
How many other ranks must be earned before reaching this Black-belt equivalent level, and how many more can be earned afterward?
There are 12 Student Levels before reaching the 1st Technician level. The 6th Student Level is a double grading, due to the very large content in that program.
Where does the syllabus come from and who designed it?
The core syllabus is the same syllabus used in Europe, designed by Grandmaster KR Kernspecht. However, I have made some changes to reflect his very practical and pragmatic approach, which incorporates far more physical conditioning, ‘anti-grappling’ and ground-fighting.
Are you looking to refine or add to your 1st Technician syllabus or training?
Yes, we are constantly refining and adding to our technical syllabus as our combined knowledge and experience grows.
Is your school’s 1st Technician grading as difficult or punishing as your own was, or less so?
It is challenging, but not as challenging as my own grading was. When I did my 1st Technician Level, we were all crazy and did not always train safely. We took many unnecessary risks and often went beyond what you would describe even as hard training. The quota of people graduating the first time was probably around 30 per cent and I was lucky to belong to that group who made it the first attempt.
What does the actual grading involve, who instructs and grades the participants, and how long does it go for?
I conduct all Technician gradings over the duration of a weekend, which incorporates 12 hours of training. The grading involves a test of all previous Student Level programs, the programs on the 1st Technician Level, scenario training, stress training, one hour of uninterrupted chain-punching, plus a written exam and a six-page essay on a subject set by me.
Do the grading requirements focus more on the physical aspects of the art, and are you looking mainly for an indication of effective self-defence skills or proof of the spiritual and disciplinary outcomes of the training?
The 1st Technician grading encompasses everything. Being a pure self-defence system, it’s obviously important that the student can defend himself effectively so that is a part of the grading, but it is as important that he has the knowledge and skill which his level requires. A character test is performed over the prior several years, as it is important for us that the student is of a good character and represents our style and organisation well.
Are injuries common in the grading?
Three-to-four days of serious soreness and some bruises and bloody noses are to be expected, but we try to avoid any serious injury.
How do you think your 1st Technician grading compares to the Black-belt or equivalent tests of other schools?
I would assume it’s definitely on the top end of the scale in regards to thoroughness, time involved and requirements.
What is the success rate among students who attempt this Black-belt equivalent grading?
The success rate is about 85 per cent. The grading process is quite long and has many milestones that need to be completed, like attending and finishing a ‘Warrior Day’ stress-training and obtaining a Senior First Aid certificate. These are done before the actual grading, but are counted as pre-requisites for the grading. The final examination is only done when I feel the student is ready to take the plunge and hence it has a fairly high success rate.
I should mention that personally I would rather have a 6th Student Level who beats a Technician’s arse, than the other way around; it’s not what grading you have, but what you can do with it, so I’m rather on the slow side with my own grading and also how I grade my students.
What do you think a 1st Technician or Black-belt grading should aim to achieve and instil in the student?
It should instil the longing to learn further and train harder, as it’s only one milestone on the road of learning, even though it is a milestone you can be proud of achieving.
What level of achievement does the 1st Technician represent? Does instructor–student contact and further learning slow down thereafter?
No, rather it intensifies. We offer over 30 hours a month of instructor training and even students who run their schools in different states usually come to the Sydney [Chippendale] HQ for one of the instructor weekends held every month, which offer small-group training for instructor-students only and which I usually hold myself. The local instructor students are also welcome to attend any of the 10 regular classes held per week at the Chippendale HQ.
How many students of those who join your school will make it to 1st Technican Level and how long does it usually take them?
It takes around five years to reach the 1st Technican Level if they join the instructor program, and six or seven years for regular students. So far, I’ve promoted four students who all hold the 2nd Technican Level in WingTsun. Three more students are currently preparing for the 1st Technician Level. I probably promote one every two years or so.
What should achieving the 1st Technician Level mean to the student?
It’s the first step on the way to the Master Level and a great achievement as the student has mastered all the basic programs and now goes on to the advanced programs and forms like Biu- Tze [Bil-Jee], wooden dummy and higher chi-sau [sticky-hands] sections.
Is Black-belt as important a milestone as it is generally seen to be?
It’s one big step forward on the eternal path of learning.
The Wing Tsun student:
Peter Caro
What do you think a Black-belt (or equivalent) test should look for in the student?
Dedication, perseverance, respect, self-awareness and, of course, skill.
How do you think your 1st Technician Level rates against the Black-belt or equivalent level of other schools in terms of skills, difficulty, etc.?
I am in no position to answer that.
Is Black-belt — or the WT equivalent, 1st Technician Level — as important a milestone as it is generally seen to be?
That would depend on who is being asked. Personally, I found it a good place to see where you came from and a good place to see where you could head.
Did earning your Black-belt change you?
Yes, it reinforced in me the importance of mastering the basics of the WingTsun system.
Was the process difficult? How does it rate among the hardest things you’ve ever done?
The process was difficult, but I had set my goal. So when the going got tough, I focused on where I wanted to get. It is definitely up there with the hardest things I’ve done. On my first class of the instructor training directly under Sifu [Fischer], I had my nose broken and a rib cracked. It was an interesting and painful start to my journey.
How long and how often had you been training before you got your 1st Technician rank?
I had been training for over three years. For those first three years I was training six days a week, between three and six hours a day in formal classes. Plus [I was] doing informal training away from the kwoon [school].
In your opinion, could the 1st Technician syllabus or the method by which the rank is achieved be altered or improved in any way?
The syllabus as designed by my Sifu has a base from which he is always looking for ways to improve it. My Sifu is not one to remain fixed at one point; he is forever searching to elevate and expand. Perhaps when I have covered some of the ground he has, I will offer my opinion if asked.
Do you feel you earned your 1st Technician rank?
Yes! I have been with my Sifu for nine years and have seen in that time that he does not give anything away that is not earned.
What, essentially, does the Black-belt represent to you?
One of many signposts on a very unique road that martial artist travel.
|
Have your say (0)