Compilation of Articles (the newest first)
Recognising the truth requires independent thinking.
Accepting the truth requires considerable mental strength.
Acknowledging and implementing the truth requires courage.
The way is the way.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
February 2026
The Key to Understanding
Even IAW (WingChun/SAT) students are occasionally confused or intoxicated by the media's misunderstanding of the art of self-defence and sportive martial arts. This is because very few people understand the difference between the enjoyment of combative, technical exchange (sport) and fighting as a tool for survival in hopeless, dangerous situations (war). When I say few, I mean one in a thousand, and that's being generous. The general public has no knowledge of martial arts and will never acquire it. This should appear to us, in a certain sense, sobering and at the same time reassuring.
A self-defence system like WingChun or S.A.T teaches specific techniques that lead to the swift resolution of a life-threatening conflict between two parties. I define a conflict as life-threatening when one party threatens the other from a critical distance, prepares an attack, or has already started an attack. Most of these conflicts begin between two parties (people). Everything that occurs before the resolution of a conflict can legitimately be called combat. The art of war is about the swift and irrevocable end of conflict, minimizing risks and especially the potential for escalation that can occur if it is prolonged. All other options are illogical and foolish.
When it comes to general martial arts, combat is the primary focus. However, no one explains this to you when you start martial arts, which leads to serious misunderstandings. Martial arts are all interesting and can offer the practitioner numerous benefits, which I won't go into here. However, the idea of seeking competitive combat within the art of war is beyond my comprehension.
Today I simply want to talk about things that have preoccupied me for a long time, and it took years for the inconsistencies to become clear. Years passed before I understood that countless paths are offered for the same goal, and most of them never lead where they should. In fact, many people set goals that can never be achieved with the path they choose. Paths are no longer chosen because they are the right ones. People choose paths because they seem pleasant and uncomplicated, because friends have already taken them, or because they promise not to take much time. Sometimes, it's clear from the advertising that what's being offered can scarcely be the art of self-defence. It's hard to believe, but there are even idiots who promote the art of self-defence with the words: "Self-defence is fun."
Learning the art of self-defence is a desirable goal for many. Mastering the art of self-defence, however, is attainable only by very few. Of course, it is also of great benefit for relatively and entirely untalented people to at least acquire the most important aspects of self-defence. Learning a few relevant self-defence techniques is certainly possible for everyone. However, methods are being touted to achieve this goal which would very quickly prove to be wrong, even for absolute laymen. And then it begins: the constant pursuit of a path that cannot possibly lead to the desired goal, while simultaneously defending that very path. The longer an absurd path is followed, the more it is euphemistically portrayed as the right one. Logical thinking gives way to confidence and, above all, hope. Gradually, the follower no longer obeys their own logical thoughts. New thoughts and beliefs are formed from promises, dreams, and expectations. Occasionally, loyalty is rewarded with a certificate and a new degree to encourage continued pursuit. The longer the path is followed, the harder it becomes to accept that one has been led astray. It takes iron mental fortitude to abandon such a path and relinquish the many achievements in the form of a grade. Although it would be perfectly logical to immediately embark on a path recognized as superior, some hesitate for many years and decades, and most never manage to do so. I myself have had contact with countless higher grades of other styles who contacted me every two to three years, requesting to book a few hours with me because they had questions that I could hardly answer theoretically. Very few actually showed up, and each of those hours was the best of my life, showing these people the way and looking into their happy faces.
It's been almost 40 years since I started WingChun. In fact, I can still vividly recall my very first training sessions. I also remember the feeling I had when I assumed a stance I didn't know, was supposed to execute a punch that was completely foreign to me, and then a defensive technique so different from anything I had ever known or practiced. Despite years of martial arts experience, I felt like a complete beginner. But it felt good, and the best part was: every single movement made sense. I immediately realized that I had learned the essence of fighting, not just fighting itself. Remembering those first hours helped me later, in the decades I spent as an instructor, to understand those who came to me. I understood their initial resistance, I understood their doubts, I understood their gestures, I understood their fears. From that point on, my task was to reassure those who, like me at the time, saw the end of their journey that they had arrived and that a promising path lay ahead. Back then, I couldn't imagine that many didn't actually want to arrive and were instead looking for a reason to confirm they were on the right track. All logic was dismissed with a "but." It simply couldn't be true. Here and there, someone would have an epiphany and be fascinated by the simplicity of things. This lasted about as long as it took them to run into their friends, who pulled them back into their little world of fighting, wrestling, and grappling. That wasn't difficult, because all they had was their enthusiasm and a first impression. Of course, that wasn't enough to convince their martial arts friends. How could it be? You're not going to convince anyone with one or two newly learned, insufficiently practiced techniques that certainly didn't cover all the bases.
It took me over a decade to realize that the art I had developed wasn't what the average martial artist was looking for. In my book, I wrote about the skilled fighter who never, rarely, or only by chance wins a fight. Perhaps precisely because he loves fighting so much, constantly thinking about the fight, his techniques, what his opponent might do, or other aspects that keep him further and further away from the true objective. And then, in the end, the winner is the one who can take a beating, the one who displays the most beautiful technique, or the one who lands the most hits.
Winning a fight, however, means an open, unpleasant ending. In reality, the opponent is the enemy, and anyone who doesn't see it that way has a flawed, fundamental attitude toward war. Since there is no longer a fight at the end of a sporting contest, sporting fights are often artificially prolonged.
I've never made a secret of the fact that books like "Five Rings" or "The Art of War" are among my favourites, which I reread again and again. The fool likes to display (or rather, betray) all his techniques in a fight. Rules, sparring, and other fight games distance everyone so far from the art of war that they no longer understand what the essence of fighting might be. And because it became a game, the original idea of the fight was lost, even if the audience doesn't see it. A fight that ideally ends after the first attack attempt by one of the opponents doesn't appeal to the players at all. Nothing happens, or at least nothing spectacular. All that happens is that the fight is over. And that, in turn, is simply not enough for the players who like to fight.
Understanding that perhaps only one in a thousand people was looking for what I had to offer troubled me at times. Today I know that I can only truly reach a select few with the core principles of real combat. What burdened me years ago is now crystal clear. Today I no longer have to waste time figuring out how to convince one person or another. Remembering my first hours made me realize that no one ever had to convince me. I saw it, I did it, and I felt it in every cell of my body, and I knew: I had arrived (on the way). One interesting question remains: Who is the type of person we are after and what is that binds us?
However, there is a second category. These are the people who want neither to fight nor anything else, and who have even reduced the art of war to a pathetic game. I discuss this in detail in my book (chapter: Dream Factories). They believe they can circumvent reality with absurd laws. This side of the coin also kept me up at night ten years ago. I remember trying to set the record straight with essays. Especially during my research, I was so intoxicated by the original understanding of art and by what I discovered that I couldn't resist wanting to bring everyone along. Today, these dreamers only elicit a smile from me, because now I know they are exactly where they belong.
Those from the martial arts community who fight and perhaps even enjoy winning, although fighting is central to them, sooner or later lose themselves in the vastness of the sport. That's perfectly fine, because competitive fighting is what they love. This isn't self-defence, and it never can be, and that's how it should be. The serious consequences would be failing to understand this.
A warrior neither seeks out combat nor enjoys fighting. A warrior is perfectly trained to avoid a fight or to end it as quickly as possible, which ultimately amounts to the same thing. Is a quick victory truly fighting without fighting, and can what one does to win a fight immediately be called fighting? Probably any answer is correct. Those who have mastered the art of war don't display it and don't need an audience, but rather follow their virtues and train to constantly improve and test themselves. The skills you learn to win a fight don't require you to be carried away by the idea of loving fighting. And this is precisely where the misconception lies, and I would argue that over 90% of people give up at this point.
But what about these two categories of people? On the one hand, we had those who absolutely loved to fight, those for whom winning could be described as a pleasant, but rather secondary, effect. Let's be clear: they certainly enjoy winning, but something spectacular has to happen beforehand, because that's the primary thrill. On the other hand, we had those who learned other styles of our beloved art. They were told about borrowing strength, yielding, being soft, and other such tales created to lure the sluggish, weak, and lazy masses. The followers of these styles want nothing to do with toughness and strength. They were either unsuited for it, too timid, too weak, or whatever else might be considered. They dream of touch and feeling an attack, of yielding, of the shortest routes out of the centre, and other absurdities. And so, as I describe in my book, the years passed while I waited for the big bang, which, surprisingly, never came. Everyone can figure out for themselves why things turned out this way, why people (especially men) allowed themselves to be so influenced and weakened. I have to say, I always much preferred the martial artists in my classes to these dreamy freaks whose understanding is sometimes so far removed from reality that during the toughest classical training, namely Chi Sao training, they close their eyes or look to the side to feel better. Furthermore, some groups develop practices that serve to emphasize their inner spiritual feelings. This manifests itself through trembling bodies or the visible build-up of energy through wobbling movements. There is much more, and it's even getting worse every year. It can be quite interesting to delve into the perceptual disturbances of some people. However, you do not need to concern yourself with it any further, as it is pointless. I had to do it as part of my research as a Grandmaster. I wanted to know how quickly the decay is progressing and whether anything can still be saved. The results were inconclusive. I never understood these dreadful distortions of the former "warrior art". My attempts to correct these bizarre excesses are over. Best of luck to all those who continue to try to halt the decay … I'm out!
Proper Chi Sao training is absolutely impossible without sight, but few people know that. I don't think I need to elaborate on the topics of 'sight' and 'judging distance,' etc., any further. I've covered all of that in detail in the book.
Let's get to Chi Sao. To properly understand and apply the principles, I drastically changed the foundation, the basic pattern of Chi Sao, for the second time about 20 years ago, in order to keep the aforementioned "feel-obsessed" types away from me, or rather, to filter them out. In short, here's what this is about. From this point on, it might be a little difficult for those unfamiliar with my style. But that can easily be remedied ;-).
I added a second, immediately following Ngoi Tsong Kuen to the Ngoi Tsong Kuen (outer punch) that was introduced around 2000 in Chi Sao –In my Chi Sao, the first Ngoi Tsong Kuen is executed immediately after the Fok Sau. This Fok Sao is initiated by the opponent pushing outwards, using the Tan Sao, this in turn allows his other arm to form a Tsong Kuen, via Wu Sao. Ideally, the first Ngoi Tsong Kuen is stopped by the opponent's Tan Sao that initiated it. This occurs without losing contact. The second Ngoi Tsong Kuen is initiated by a quick preparation (positioning slightly further outwards) with the same arm after the Fok Sau and the subsequent first Ngoi Tsong Kuen.
Now it gets interesting. To prepare for the following Ngoi Tsong Kuen, the aforementioned brief interruption of contact arises between the positions of the two opponents, as the 'second' Ngoi Tsong Kuen must start from a slightly more outward position in order to transfer sufficient power into the punch. The opponent's arm, which may be ready to block, is displaced on the way to the target. This punch is then defended with a Tan Sao. In principle, this seems straightforward and logical, but this is where the feel and centre freaks come into play. They learned that pushing an arm forward, culminating in contact with the opponent, constitutes a hit, and that punches that follow the centre line are generally regarded as superior to those emanating from the outside – this, a fatal error. After years of ignoring external attacks, they became dreamers who have little chance of survival in a real confrontation. Due to their training, they don't understand that an outside punch, executed correctly (hence Ngoi Tsong Kuen, the perfect physics), always achieves its goal and eliminates everything in its path, especially an attempt at an inside punch following the centre line. Even if the latter were prepared simultaneously, this outside punch could NEVER be stopped. Now, in my Chi Sao, one of the two practitioners is preparing the Ngoi Tsong Kuen, while the other is just realizing that his Tan Sao has lost contact with his opponent's arm. Anyone performing the (outer) Tan Sao must first be aware that they have not yet prepared an attack. Secondly, the arm is in a position (outer Tan Sao) from which, due to its proximity to the opponent’s body, not enough force can be generated for an effective strike (Touches with the fingertips are common in the dreamer scene and are considered a hit there). Thirdly, an attack executed from the outside will always displace any attack carried out from the inside (in front of the body). See in WingChun, The Way of the Warrior, in the chapter “The Principles of Combat”, Principle 5/8.
Due to logical and physical laws, the precise, technical execution of attacks from the outside (e.g. Ngoi Tsong Kuen) is consistently practised in WingChun, which is why knowledge and repetition of the appropriate defence (in this case the outer Tan Sao) are also essential. Attacks from the outside are so devastating that it is absurd to ignore them. Can you imagine blindfolding yourself in order to train ‘sensitivity’, how crazy! This illusion, which is celebrated by many, is evidence of inadequate training in Chi Sao and, above all, in the art of war.
The IAW's Chi Sao thus trains visual perception, perfects basic techniques, strengthens muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Additionally, the IAW's Chi Sao is an excellent knowledge test. Mistakes that are identified can be corrected immediately, which improves the students’ progress step by step.
I developed Chi Sao as the key to understanding clear fighting principles. This allowed me to eliminate any dreamers in my own ranks and created the perfect tool for doing so. Now, I can't guarantee that those who learned Chi Sao from me and trained for years truly understood everything. My students were learning something far superior than anyone learning a different Chi Sao. But could I be sure they knew what I was teaching them with this principle? No, I couldn't. Because if, during training with someone who doesn't understand, they were to stop the outside punch to spare the opponent, he might babble at them and infiltrate them with his dreamer logic. And so it occasionally happened. Instead of executing the attack and clearly defining what is and isn't possible, they allowed themselves to be drawn into theories and pointless discussions, and quite a few were transformed from good students into dreamers. They forgot what it was all about and how to apply what they had learned. Consideration for the beliefs and convictions of others is misplaced when it comes to the art of war. No one has ever parried a blow with words, and pity for the opponent's flawed self-assessment or lack of knowledge is superfluous and has no place in the art of war. In the end it is simply about victory or defeat.
Former Technician Grades should please not hold it against me that there was a time when I demanded more technical performance from some than they were able to deliver at the time. My aim was to mould each one of them into an outstanding warrior – and I did generally set expectations that were too high in too short a period. Today I am aware of that. My teaching style, especially in the years 2005 to 2015, was certainly a bit too intense. Anyone who survived that period with me as GM has my respect.
In conclusion, I'd like to address the topic of strength training for WingChun. The exercises I describe in the book are essential. Of course, I could now offer so many training methods that I could write a separate book exclusively on functional strength and muscular endurance training for WingChun. However, that's unnecessary, because anyone who regularly trains the fundamentals of WingChun is capable of analysing which exercises strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons required for the most important attack and defence techniques. I recommend always performing more sets and repetitions than in typical strength training. Transitioning to muscular endurance training leads to a considerable improvement in technical execution. Even though, as self-defence experts, our primary concern isn't appearance, and especially not the size of our muscles, I must mention that WingChun training can create and maintain an exceptionally athletic physique. Depending on genetics, with the same training, strength, and functional structure, one person will develop more or less outwardly visible, superficial musculature. Nevertheless, those who train WingChun regularly develop a remarkably robust and powerful physique.
Regular strength training can never be replaced by more traditional WingChun training, and the very best are where they are because they know how to combine technical training with specific strength training. My minimum recommendation, which I've given for years, remains unchanged. Those who don't want to dedicate too much time to it and practice WingChun only as a hobby should still plan for at least 150 minutes of strength training per week. This would be roughly 50 minutes of general strength training twice a week, as well as about 25 minutes of targeted strength training focused on technical execution, also twice a week. With 2.5 hours of strength training per week, in addition to about two WingChun or S.A.T training sessions, you won't be among the top athletes, but you'll certainly be among the 10% of the most dedicated WingChun students.
After one to two years, discipline will become habit, and you'll be unstoppable. Your body becomes a weapon, your mind is clear, your senses are finely tuned. You ARE WingChun, controlled by perfectly functioning and coordinated muscles. The acquired knowledge of distance and the precise execution, especially of the fundamental basic techniques, allow body and mind to merge into one. From this point on, nothing can stop you. You are no longer susceptible to the dreams of others or distractions and attempts, mostly from so-called friends, to break you, make you small and lead you down familiar wrong paths.
Welcome to the WingChun family.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
February 2026 (Deutsche Version des Artikels 'The Key to Understanding')
Der Schlüssel zum Verständnis
Selbst IAW (WingChun / S.A.T) Schüler sind gelegentlich verwirrt oder berauscht von medialem Unverständnis bezüglich des Kampfsportes und der Kampfkunst. Das liegt daran, dass nur äußerst wenige den Unterschied zwischen Spaß an kämpferischem, technischem Austausch (dem Sport) und Kampf als Werkzeug, um in ausweglosen Gefahrensituationen zu überleben (dem Krieg), verstehen. Wenn ich hier von wenigen spreche, so meine ich einen von tausend, und das ist schon höflich gerechnet. Die breite Öffentlichkeit hat keine Kenntnisse über Kampfkunst und wird diese auch niemals erlangen. Dies sollte uns in einem gewissen Sinne ernüchternd und zugleich beruhigend erscheinen.
Eine Kriegskunst, wie das WingChun oder das S.A.T, vermittelt spezielle Techniken, die zur schnellen Beendigung eines lebensbedrohlichen Konfliktes zwischen zwei Parteien führen. Als lebensbedrohlich bezeichne ich einen Konflikt, bei dem eine der beiden Parteien der anderen aus einer kritischen Distanz droht, einen Angriff vorbereitet oder bereits zum Angriff übergeht. Die meisten dieser genannten Konflikte starten zwischen zwei Parteien (Menschen). Alles, was vor der Beendigung eines Konfliktes abläuft, kann legitimerweise als Kampf bezeichnet werden. In der Kriegskunst geht es um die schnelle und unumstößliche Beendigung des Konfliktes, um Risiken und besonders die Ausweitung zu minimieren, die bei dessen Aufrechterhaltung auftreten kann. Alle anderen Optionen sind unlogisch und dumm.
Wenn es um Kampfsportarten geht, so ist der Kampf von primärem Interesse. Das erklärt einem jedoch niemand, wenn man mit Kampfsport startet, was zu folgenschwerem Unverständnis führt. Kampfsportarten sind allesamt interessant und können dem Trainierenden etliche Vorteile bringen, auf die ich hier nicht eingehen möchte. Den sportlichen Kampf in der Kriegskunst zu suchen, führt bei mir jedoch zu Unverständnis.
Heute möchte ich einfach etwas plaudern, über die Dinge, die mich lange Zeit beschäftigten, und es brauchte Jahre, bis sich die Ungereimtheiten aufklärten. Jahre vergingen, bis ich verstand, dass für das gleiche Ziel unzählige Wege angeboten werden und die meisten davon niemals dahin führen, wo sie hinführen sollten. Genau genommen setzen sich viele Menschen Ziele, die mit dem Weg, den sie wählten, nie erreicht werden können. Wege werden heute nicht mehr gewählt, weil sie die Richtigen sind. Menschen wählen Wege, weil sie angenehm und unkompliziert erscheinen, weil Freunde diese bereits gehen oder weil sie versprechen nicht viel Zeit in Anspruch zu nehmen. Gelegentlich ist es bereits anhand der Werbung zu erkennen, dass es sich beim Angebot kaum um eine Kriegskunst handeln kann. Es ist kaum zu glauben, aber es gibt sogar Idioten, welche die Kunst der Selbstverteidigung anpreisen, mit den Worten: „Selbstverteidigung macht Spaß.“
Die Kunst der Selbstverteidigung zu erlernen, ist für viele ein begehrenswertes Ziel. Die Kunst der Selbstverteidigung zu beherrschen, obliegt jedoch nur sehr wenigen. Natürlich ist es auch für relativ und gänzlich unbegabte Menschen von großem Nutzen, sich wenigstens die wichtigsten Aspekte der Selbstverteidigung anzueignen. Ein paar relevante Selbstverteidigungstechniken zu erlernen, ist durchaus für jeden möglich. Allerdings werden zum Erreichen dieses Zieles Wege angepriesen, die sich selbst für absolute Laien sehr schnell als die falschen herausstellen sollten. Und dann beginnt es: das stete Gehen eines Weges, der unmöglich zum gewünschten Ziel führen kann, und das gleichzeitige Verteidigen dessen. Je länger ein absurder Weg begangen wird, desto stärker wird er als der richtige beschönigt. Logisches Denken weicht der Zuversicht und vor allem der Hoffnung. Nach und nach gehorcht der Geführte den eigenen logischen Gedanken nicht mehr. Neue Gedanken und Glaubenssätze bilden sich aus Versprechen, Träumen und Erwartungen. Gelegentlich wird die Treue mit einer Urkunde und einem neuen Grad belohnt, damit man weiter dranbleibt. Je länger der Weg begangen wird, umso schwerer wird es, zu akzeptieren, dass man in die Irre geführt wurde. Es bedarf eiserner mentaler Stärke, einen solchen Weg zu verlassen und die vielen Errungenschaften in Form einer Graduierung aufzugeben. Obwohl es absolut logisch wäre, sofort einen als besser erkannten Weg einzuschlagen, zögern einige viele Jahre und Jahrzehnte und die meisten schaffen es nie. Ich selbst hatte Kontakt zu unzähligen höheren Graden anderer Stile, die mich alle zwei bis drei Jahre anschrieben und darum baten, ein paar Stunden bei mir buchen zu können, weil sie Fragen hatten, die ich theoretisch schwerlich beantworten konnte. Die wenigsten erschienen tatsächlich, und es waren jeweils die besten Stunden meines Lebens, diesen Menschen den Weg zu zeigen und in deren glückliche Gesichter zu blicken.
Es liegt nun fast 40 Jahre zurück, dass ich mit dem WingChun anfing. Tatsächlich kann ich mich noch gut an meine allerersten Stunden des Trainings erinnern. Auch erinnere ich mich an das Gefühl, das ich hatte, als ich einen Stand einnahm, den ich nicht kannte, einen Fauststoß machen sollte, der mir völlig fremd war, und dann noch eine Abwehrtechnik, die so anders war als alles, was ich bisher kannte und trainierte. Trotz jahrelanger Kampfsport-Erfahrung fühlte ich mich wie ein absoluter Anfänger. Aber es fühlte sich gut an und das Schönste war: Jede einzelne Bewegung machte Sinn. Mir war sofort bewusst, dass ich die Substanz des Kämpfens und nicht das Kämpfen an sich kennengelernt hatte. Mich an diese ersten Stunden zu erinnern, half mir später in den Jahrzehnten als Ausbilder, um jene, die zu mir kamen, zu verstehen. Ich verstand ihre erste Ablehnung, ich verstand ihre Zweifel, ich verstand ihre Gesten, ich verstand ihre Ängste. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt bestand meine Aufgabe darin, jene, die wie ich damals das Ende ihres bis dato begangenen Weg erblickten, zu vergewissern, dass sie angekommen waren und fortan ein zielführender Weg vor ihnen liegt. Damals konnte ich mir nicht vorstellen, dass viele gar nicht ankommen wollten und vielmehr einen Grund suchten, der ihnen bestätigte, auf dem richtigen Weg zu sein. Jegliche Logik wurde mit einem »Aber« davongejagt. Es durfte einfach nicht sein. Hier und da kam einer zur Einsicht und war von der Einfachheit der Dinge fasziniert. Das hielt ungefähr so lange, bis er auf seine Freunde traf, die ihn wieder in ihre kleine Welt des Kämpfens, Ringens und Raufens zurückholten. Das war nicht schwer, denn alles, was er hatte, war seine Begeisterung und ein erster Eindruck. Natürlich reichte das nicht, um die Freunde aus dem Kampfsport zu überzeugen. Wie denn auch? Mit einer oder zwei gerade erlernten, unzureichend geübten Techniken, die sicher nicht alle Spektren abdeckten, überzeugt man sicher niemanden.
Es dauerte über ein Jahrzehnt, bis ich begriff, dass die Kunst, die ich weiterentwickelt hatte, nicht das war, was der durchschnittliche Kampfsportler suchte. In meinem Buch schrieb ich über den guten Kämpfer, der nie, selten oder nur zufällig einen Kampf gewinnt. Vielleicht gerade, weil er so gerne kämpft und stets an den Kampf und an seine Techniken denkt oder an das, was der Gegner machen könnte, oder an sonstige Aspekte, die ihn immer weiter vom eigentlichen Ziel entfernen. Und dann gewinnt am Ende, wer gut einstecken kann oder wer die schönste technische Ausführung bietet oder wer die meisten Treffer landet.
Das Gewinnen eines Kampfes bedeutet jedoch das offene, unschöne Ende. In der Realität ist der Gegner der Feind und wer dies nicht so sieht, bei dem stimmt die kriegerische Grundeinstellung nicht. Da es am Ende eines sportlichen Kampfes keinen Kampf mehr gibt, wird der kampfsportliche Kampf gerne künstlich in die Länge gezogen.
Nie hatte ich ein Geheimnis daraus gemacht, dass Bücher wie „Fünf Ringe“ oder „Die Kunst des Krieges“ zu meinen Lieblingswerken gehören, welche ich immer und immer wieder lese. Der Narr zeigt (verrät) gerne bei einem Kampf all seine Techniken. Regeln, Sparring und andere Kampfspiele entfernen einen jeden so weit von der Kriegskunst, bis er gar nicht mehr versteht, was die Essenz des Kampfes sein könnte. Und weil es zu einem Spiel wurde, ging die ursprüngliche Idee vom Kampf verloren, auch wenn es das Publikum nicht sieht. Ein Kampf, der optimalerweise nach dem ersten Angriffsversuch eines der Kontrahenten bereits endet, gefällt den Spielenden überhaupt nicht. Es passiert nichts oder nichts Spektakuläres. Alles, was passiert ist, ist, dass der Kampf vorbei ist. Das wiederum ist den Spielenden, die den Kampf lieben, schlichtweg nicht genug.
Zu verstehen, dass vielleicht nur einer von tausend Neugierigen das suchte, was ich anzubieten hatte, machte mir zeitweise zu schaffen. Heute weiß ich, dass ich mit dem Kern der Gesetze des Kampfes nur bei wenigen wahrhaftig ankommen kann. Was mich noch vor Jahren belastete, ist mir heute so klar, wie es klarer nicht sein könnte. Heute muss ich keine Zeit mehr damit verbringen, mir zu überlegen, wie ich den einen oder anderen überzeugen kann. Mit der Erinnerung an meine ersten Stunden wurde mir bewusst, dass mich nie jemand überzeugen musste. Ich sah es, tat es und fühlte es bis in jede Zelle meines Körpers und wusste: Ich bin angekommen (auf dem Weg).
Allerdings gibt es noch eine zweite Abteilung. Das sind jene, die weder kämpfen noch sonst was wollen und selbst die Kriegskunst zu einem erbärmlichen Spiel verkommen ließen. In meinem Buch (Kapitel: Traumfabriken) gehe ich detailliert darauf ein. Sie glauben, mit abstrusen Gesetzmäßigkeiten die Wirklichkeit aushebeln zu können. Auch diese Seite hat mir noch vor 10 Jahren die Nächte geraubt. Ich erinnere mich, wie ich versuchte, mit Essays die Dinge richtig zu rücken. Besonders in der Zeit meiner Recherchen war ich vom ursprünglichen Verständnis bezüglich der Kunst und von dem, was ich herausfand, dermaßen berauscht, dass ich es nicht lassen konnte, alle mitnehmen zu wollen. Heute entlocken mir diese Träumer allenfalls noch ein Schmunzeln, denn heute weiß ich, sie sind genau da, wo sie hingehören.
Jene aus dem Kampfsport, die kämpfen und vielleicht sogar gerne gewinnen, wenngleich das Kämpfen für sie die zentrale Bedeutung hat, verlieren sich kurz oder lang in den Weiten des Sports. Das ist auch völlig in Ordnung, denn das sportliche Kämpfen ist, was sie lieben. Selbstverteidigung ist das nicht und kann es niemals werden und das ist auch gar nicht tragisch. Folgenschwer wäre es, dies nicht zu verstehen.
Ein Krieger sucht weder den Kampf noch kämpft er gerne. Ein Krieger ist perfekt ausgebildet, um einen Kampf zu vermeiden oder diesen so schnell wie möglich zu beenden, was letztendlich auf das Gleiche hinausläuft. Ist der schnelle Sieg tatsächlich Kämpfen, ohne zu kämpfen, und kann man das, was man tut, um einen Kampf sofort gewinnen zu wollen, als Kämpfen bezeichnen? Darauf ist wohl jede Antwort die richtige. Wer die Kunst des Krieges beherrscht, der stellt sie nicht zur Schau und braucht kein Publikum, sondern folgt seinen Tugenden und trainiert, um sich stetig zu verbessern beziehungsweise selbst zu prüfen. Die Fähigkeiten, die du lernst, um einen Kampf zu gewinnen, setzen nicht voraus, dich dazu hinreißen zu lassen, das Kämpfen zu lieben. Und genau hier liegt der Trugschluss und, ich würde behaupten, über 90 % aller steigen hier aus.
Aber was ist nun mit den beiden Kategorien von Menschen? Einerseits hatten wir die, welche unglaublich gerne kämpfen, also jene, bei denen man das Gewinnen als einen angenehmen, aber wohl eher sekundären Effekt bezeichnen kann. Dass wir uns nicht falsch verstehen: Sie gewinnen wohl sehr gerne, aber es muss davor etwas Spektakuläres passieren, denn das ist der primäre Spaß an der Sache. Andererseits hätten wir die, welche unglücklicherweise eine der Varianten unserer geliebten Kunst lernten, die man ins Absurde verfälschte. Man erzählte ihnen von Kraft borgen und Kraft umleiten, von Passivität und anderen solcher Mären, die man erschuf, um das träge, schwache und faule Volk zu ködern. Die Anhänger dieser Stile wollen von Härte und Kraft nichts wissen. Dafür waren sie entweder nicht tauglich oder zu ängstlich oder zu schwach oder was sonst so alles noch infrage käme. Sie träumen von Berührungen und dem Fühlen eines Angriffs, vom Nachgeben, von kürzesten Wegen aus der Mitte und anderen Absurditäten. Und so gingen, wie ich in meinem Buch beschreibe, die Jahre dahin, in denen ich auf den großen Knall wartete, der aber überraschenderweise ausblieb. Weshalb alles so gekommen ist, Menschen (besonders Männer) sich dermaßen haben beeinflussen und schwächen lassen, kann sich jeder selbst erklären. Ich muss sagen, da waren mir die Kampfsportler in meinen Klassen immer tausendmal lieber als diese verträumten Freaks, deren Verständnis zum Teil von der Realität so weit entfernt ist, dass sie beim härtesten klassischen Training, nämlich beim Chi Sao-Training, die Augen schließen oder zur Seite gucken, um besser fühlen zu können. Darüber hinaus entwickeln manche Gruppen Praktiken, die dazu dienen, ihre inneren spirituellen Gefühle zu betonen. Dies äußert sich in zitternden Körpern oder einem sichtbaren Energieaufbau durch schwankende Bewegungen. Es gibt noch viel mehr, und es wird sogar von Jahr zu Jahr schlimmer. Es kann durchaus interessant sein, die Wahrnehmungsstörungen mancher Menschen zu erforschen. Man muss sich jedoch nicht weiter damit befassen, denn es bringt nichts. Ich musste es im Rahmen meiner Forschungen als Großmeister tun. Ich wollte wissen, wie schnell der Verfall fortschreitet und ob noch etwas zu retten ist. Die Ergebnisse waren nicht eindeutig. Ich habe diese schrecklichen Abwandlungen der einstigen „Kriegskunst“ nie verstanden. Meine Versuche, diese abstrusen Auswüchse zu korrigieren, sind vorbei. Viel Glück allen, die weiterhin versuchen, den Zerfall aufzuhalten … Ich bin raus!
Richtiges Chi Sao Training ist ohne das Sehen absolut nicht möglich, aber auch das wissen nur wenige. Ich denke, auf die Themen ‚Sehen‘ und ‚Einschätzung von Distanz‘ etc. muss ich nicht mehr gesondert eingehen. Das habe ich alles im Buch bis ins Detail behandelt.
Kommen wir zum Chi Sao. Um die Prinzipien richtig zu verstehen und anzuwenden, veränderte ich vor etwa 20 Jahren die Basis, also das Grundmuster des Chi Sao, zum zweiten Mal vehement, um die oben erwähnten Fühl-Freaks von mir fernzuhalten beziehungsweise auszufiltern. Ganz kurz erklärt, um was es hier geht. Ab hier wird es für jene, die meinen Stil nicht kennen, etwas schwierig. Aber das lässt sich ja ändern ;-).
Ich ergänzte den bereits um 2000 beim Chi Sao eingeführten Ngoi Tsong Kuen (den äußeren Fauststoß) durch einen weiteren, direkt folgenden Ngoi Tsong Kuen. Nun ist es so, dass der erste Ngoi Tsong Kuen bei meinem Chi Sao unmittelbar nach dem Fok Sau erfolgt. Dieser Fok Sao wird wiederum eingeleitet durch den Druck des Kontrahenten nach außen, unter Verwendung des Tan Sao, um mit dem anderen Arm den Tsong Kuen, über die Wu Sao-Positionierung, in Stellung zu bringen. Der erste Ngoi Tsong Kuen wird optimaler Weise durch den Tan Sao des Gegners, der ihn eingeleitet hat, aufgehalten. Das geschieht noch ohne den Verlust des Kontaktes. Der zweite Ngoi Tsong Kuen wird durch einen kurzen Abriss (neue Positionierung, etwas weiter außerhalb) mit demselben Arm nach dem Fok Sau und dem darauffolgenden ersten Ngoi Tsong Kuen initiiert.
Jetzt wird es spannend. Zur Vorbereitung des folgenden Ngoi Tsong Kuen entsteht ein oben erwähnter kurzer Abriss zwischen den Positionen der beiden Kontrahenten, da der ‚zweite‘ Ngoi Tsong Kuen von einer etwas weiter außen liegenden Position starten muss, damit genügend Kraft in den Fauststoß übertragen wird. Der Arm des Gegners, der möglicherweise bereit ist, abzuwehren, wird auf dem Weg zum Ziel verdrängt. Mit einem Tan Sao wäre dieser Fauststoß aufzuhalten. Prinzipiell eine klare Sache, aber hier kommen die Fühl- und Mitte-Freaks ins Spiel. Sie lernten, dass das Vorwärtsschieben eines Armes, was mit der Berührung des Gegners endet, ein Treffer sei und dass Fauststöße aus der Mitte generell besser sind als jene von außen. Ein tödlicher Irrtum. Nach Jahren des Ignorierens äußerer Angriffe wurden sie zu Träumern, die bei einer echten Auseinandersetzung keine große Überlebenschance haben. Aufgrund ihrer Ausbildung verstehen sie nicht, dass ein Fauststoß von außen, selbstverständlich richtig ausgeführt (darum Ngoi Tsong Kuen, die perfekte Physik), immer zum Ziel führt und alles im Wege Befindliche verdrängt, ganz besonders den Versuch eines Fauststoßes von innen. Selbst wenn dieser zur selben Zeit vorbereitet wäre, könnte dieser äußere Fauststoß NIEMALS aufgehalten werden. Nun ist es so, dass in meinem Chi Sao einer der beiden Trainierenden den Ngoi Tsong Kuen vorbereitet, während der andere gerade realisiert, dass sein Tan Sao keinen Kontakt mehr zum Arm des Kontrahenten hat. Wer den (äußeren) Tan Sao ausführt, muss sich zunächst darüber im Klaren sein, dass er noch keinen Angriff vorbereitet hat. Zweitens befindet sich der Arm in einer Position (äußerer Tan Sao), aus der aufgrund der Nähe zum Körper des Gegners nicht genügend Kraft für einen effektiven Schlag aufgebracht werden kann (Berührungen mit den Fingerspitzen sind in der Träumer-Szene üblich und gelten dort als Treffer). Drittens verdrängt ein Angriff von außen immer jeden von innen (vor dem Körper) durchgeführten Angriff. Siehe in WingChun, The Way of the Warrior, im Kapitel „Die Prinzipien des Kampfes“, Prinzip 5/8.
Aufgrund logischer und physikalischer Gesetze wird die präzise, technische Ausführung von Angriffen von außen (z. B. Ngoi Tsong Kuen) im WingChun konsequent geübt, weshalb auch Kenntnisse und Wiederholung der passenden Abwehr (in diesem Fall der äußere Tan Sao) unerlässlich sind. Angriffe von außen sind so verheerend, dass es absurd ist, sie zu ignorieren. Können Sie sich vorstellen, sich die Augen zu verbinden, um so die Sensibilität zu trainieren? Wie verrückt! Diese Illusion, welche von etlichen gefeiert wird, zeugt von einer unzureichenden Ausbildung in Chi Sao und vor allem in der Kunst des Krieges.
Das Chi Sao der IAW trainiert somit die optische Wahrnehmung, es perfektioniert die Grundtechniken und stärkt Muskeln, Bänder und Sehnen. Zusätzlich bietet sich das Chi Sao der IAW hervorragend als Wissenstest an. Fehler, die man erkennt, können behoben werden.
Ich entwickelte das Chi Sao zum Schlüssel des Verständnisses klarer Kampfprinzipien. So konnte ich ausschließen, Träumer im eigenen Lager zu haben, und hatte das optimale Werkzeug dazu geschaffen. Nun gut, ich kann nicht garantieren, dass jene, die das Chi Sao bei mir lernten und jahrelang trainierten, auch wirklich alles verstanden. Sie taten etwas, mit dem sie jeden hätten schlagen können, der ein anderes Chi Sao lernte. Aber konnte ich sicher sein, dass sie wussten, was ich ihnen mit dieser Gesetzmäßigkeit an die Hand gab? Nein, das konnte ich nicht. Denn wenn sie beim Training mit einem derer, der es nicht versteht, den äußeren Fauststoß stoppten, um den Kontrahenten zu verschonen, konnte dieser sie belabern und mit seiner Träumer-Logik infiltrieren. Und so kam es auch gelegentlich. Anstatt den Schlag auszuführen und klar zu definieren, was geht und was nicht geht, ließen sie sich in Theorien und sinnlose Gespräche verwickeln und nicht wenige wurden vom guten Schüler zum Träumer umerzogen. Sie vergaßen, um was es geht und wie man das anwendet, was man gelernt hat. Rücksicht auf den Glauben und die Überzeugungen anderer ist fehl am Platz, wenn es um Kriegskunst geht. Mit Worten hat noch keiner einen Schlag abgewehrt und Mitleid für die fehlerhafte Selbsteinschätzung oder das mangelnde Wissen des Gegenübers ist überflüssig und hat in der Kriegskunst nichts verloren. Es geht lediglich um Sieg oder Niederlage.
Ehemalige Technikergrade sollten mir bitte nicht nachtragen, dass es eine Zeit gab, in der ich von einigen mehr technische Leistung forderte, als sie damals erbringen konnten. Mein Ziel war es, aus jedem einzelnen von ihnen einen herausragenden Krieger zu formen – und ich stellte generell zu hohe Anforderungen in zu kurzer Zeit. Heute bin ich mir dessen bewusst. Mein Unterrichtsstil war vor allem in den Jahren 2005 bis 2015 sicherlich etwas zu intensiv. Wer diese Zeit mit mir als GM überstanden hat, dem gebührt mein Respekt.
Zum Abschluss möchte ich noch auf das Thema Krafttraining für WingChun eingehen. Die Übungsmöglichkeiten, die ich im Buch beschreibe, sind essentiell. Selbstverständlich hätte ich mittlerweile so viele Trainingsmethoden anzubieten, dass ich ein gesondertes Buch ausschließlich über funktionelles Kraft- und Kraftausdauertraining für WingChun schreiben könnte. Das muss jedoch nicht sein, denn jeder, der regelmäßig die Basis des WingChun trainiert, ist in der Lage, zu analysieren, welche Übungen die für die wichtigsten Angriffs- und Abwehrtechniken benötigten Muskeln, Bänder und Sehnen stärken können. Ich empfehle, bei der Auswahl immer mehr Sätze und Wiederholungen als beim typischen Krafttraining auszuführen. Ein Übergang zum Kraftausdauertraining führt zu beachtlicher Verbesserung technischer Ausführungen. Auch wenn es uns als Kampfkünstler primär nicht um das Aussehen und ganz besonders nicht um die Größe unserer Muskeln geht, muss ich erwähnen, dass man sich durch WingChun-Training einen überaus sportlichen Körper erschaffen und erhalten kann. Je nach Genetik entwickelt bei gleichem Training, bei gleicher Kraft sowie funktioneller Struktur der eine mehr oder weniger äußerlich erkennbare Muskulatur. Dennoch: Wer WingChun regelmäßig trainiert, entwickelt einen auffallend robusten und leistungsfähigen Körper.
Regelmäßiges Krafttraining kann durch mehr klassisches WingChun Training niemals ersetzt werden und die Besten der Besten sind da, wo sie sind, weil sie wissen, wie sie technisches Training mit speziellem Krafttraining kombinieren. Bei meiner seit Jahren bekannten Mindestempfehlung hat sich nichts verändert. Wer nicht zu viel Zeit darauf verwenden möchte und WingChun nur als eines seiner Hobbys betreibt, sollte dennoch mindestens 150 Minuten Krafttraining pro Woche einplanen. Das wären in etwa 50 Minuten Krafttraining, zweimal pro Woche, sowie etwa 25 Minuten gezieltes, auf die technische Ausführung bezogenes Krafttraining, ebenfalls zweimal pro Woche. Mit 2,5 Stunden wöchentlichem Krafttraining, neben etwa zwei Trainingseinheiten WingChun, gehört man nicht zu den Top-Athleten, aber ganz sicher zu den 10 % der fleißigsten WingChun-Schüler.
Nach ein bis zwei Jahren wird aus Disziplin Gewohnheit und du bist nicht mehr aufzuhalten. Dein Körper wird zur Waffe, dein Geist ist klar, deine Sinne sind justiert. Du BIST WingChun, gesteuert durch eine perfekt funktionierende und abgestimmte Muskulatur. Das erlernte Wissen über Distanz und das akkurate Ausführen, besonders der elementaren Basistechniken, lassen Körper und Geist zur Einheit verschmelzen. Ab hier hält dich niemand mehr auf. Für die Träumereien anderer oder sonstige Ablenkungen und Versuche, die üblicherweise von sogenannten Freunden unternommen werden, um dich zu brechen, wieder klein zu machen und auf die bekannten Irrwege zu führen, bist du nicht mehr empfänglich.
Willkommen in der WingChun Familie.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
May 2025
The Great Transformation
In this article, I primarily wish to report on my former ideas regarding the development of the IAW. A plan that could not be implemented due to the global changes (transhumanism and the attempt to destroy freedom, realism, and subjectivism), respectively, the impressively staged intelligence tests for the corresponding implementation, in which most failed miserably.
When I began, after my extensive research at the end of the 90s, to implement the facts described in detail in my book 'WingChun – The Way of the Warrior' (available on Amazon) regarding the origin, development, and especially the essential characteristics of WingChun (spelling is insignificant), I initially encountered reluctance even within my own ranks. Giving up something that one has practiced with passion for years is not easy for anyone. One had to completely rethink and, in a way, do the opposite of what one had internalised over the years. Only through the physical implementation and the resulting unclouded perception of right and wrong could one get to the bottom of the truth and unmistakably recognise the widespread misinterpretations. All these flawed interpretations of style, which existed back then and still exist today and continue to be conveyed, are based on the same misconceptions. A labyrinth created by conjectures and illusions, which only a few are able to understand and leave.
However, even the possibility of losing some students did not prevent me at that time from following the path that I had already clearly recognised as the true one. This fascinating art, the true WingChun, I had to make known, come what may. After the issues were identified, I had no choice but to follow my path. Nevertheless, the expectation that others would see what I see, was almost impossible, and so I hoped for the trust of my students. Even then, I knew that I could not convince anyone who did not possess the willingness, the indispensable thirst for knowledge, and the deep yearning to walk the right path. But gradually, all my instructors actually sensed how powerful they could become with this 'new' art, and they stood by me like soldiers in the persistent development and shaping of the system.
The insight and intuition of having found a way that turns everything known upside down and offers everyone the opportunity to achieve the incomparable led to a unified and great approval. A ruthless and precise art, unlike anything offered before, was in its infancy, and thus the IAW was born in early 2000.
Initially, I demanded a lot from my instructors and was amazed at how ready and strong they all were. Every single student or instructor who achieved the Technician Grade with the requirements of that time was, in my eyes, already a future Master of WingChun. None of the candidates had it easy under my guidance, and it made me incredibly proud to witness the emergence of a new generation of WingChun or self-defence experts. Men and women who understood what self-defence was about, unaffected by the shifts already noticeable in the 90s towards a direction that I would now, after 25 years, call the beginnings of 'woke idiocy'. These ideologies that emerged back then did not even spare martial arts. Since then, it has been the case that the more tender, dreamy, and imaginative a martial art is presented, the greater the rush. Martial arts with real structures and principles are still avoided, ignored, and sabotaged to this day.
How I see the future is fully described in my book, and I stand by it. A change always occurs in cycles. The initiation into the next cycle (back into reality) will be extremely painful for many people, but if they endure it, it will be very helpful.
I began to establish the IAW during an "epochal" time when masculinity, femininity, self-assertion, and especially the vital recognition of good and evil, or safe and dangerous, as well as ultimately logical thinking, were brought to the point of absurdity. The weak among us were led like mindless beings into a surreal world of do-gooders. Over time, real and traditional values blurred. Even though the laws of nature will undoubtedly never bow to ignorance and daydreaming, the dreamers still dominate the terrain. Only the true warriors among us could escape the swamp of nonsense in which the masses bathed, drowning their intelligence and instincts, and becoming obedient, functioning puppets. Today, real, self-thinking people are hardly to be found and are clearly the minority. That, in turn, was one of the topics in my German-language book 'Feindbild Mensch' (available on Amazon), which I wrote last year in just a few weeks out of disappointment over the obvious regression of the human species which I would now like to revise, or rather, supplement and improve.
Very likely, due to chronic indoctrination, a large part of our fellow human beings are now hardly able to formulate the simplest hypotheses. Lack of exercise, monotony, and poor nutrition cause the hippocampi to shrink at high speed. Especially in recent years, when most of us obediently went along with all the fear games, the hippocampi of many have already shrunk to such an extent that it is impossible for those affected to think independently. This, in turn, leads to recognising the thoughts of others (mediated) without questioning them as one's own. The well-known diseases, whose causes can be found in poorly functioning or increasingly difficult memory formation, are widely recognised. These diseases have existed since people have been deliberately neglecting independent thinking. All of this, mind you, happens on the basis of a voluntary decision. Paradoxically, the longing for recognition and acceptance is the beginning of the misery. The acquisition of special skills is consciously avoided in order not to be excluded due to intellectual superiority. Belonging is everything. Whoever embarks on such a downward spiral only needs to let go and run with the herd; there's really nothing more to it. A perfidious vicious circle, but let's not stray too far from the main topic. The free will of a person allows for the downward spiral to be recognised as a path, at least until the thought of free will involuntarily feels like an absurd conspiracy theory.
As mentioned, I was very proud of my instructors and had many plans with them, which I, of course, did not reveal to them at the moment. As soon as I had prematurely revealed my actual goals, those who value titles and degrees more than knowledge and skill would have rushed forward, and I wanted to avoid that. The IAW grew continuously, and I realised that the set goals could only be achieved with a large community of righteous instructors. So, I initially began to increase the number of training centres in several countries. I vividly recall when the Technician Grades (1st-5th) reached a total of 100. Exactly on that day, I began planning for future Sifu, Master grades, and even Grandmaster. I am publishing this goal here for the first time.
For the year 2020, I planned to promote all existing instructors and assistants who hold the 3rd TG to appoint them as Sifu. 2020 was supposed to be the year of great change and joint planning, in which I wanted to involve all the instructors in my plans. Years earlier, I had already prepared around 20 Sifu certificates for this event, and new ones were regularly added. According to my planning, there would have been more than 30 Sifu appointments in the IAW throughout the year 2020. I could hardly wait, and it was a challenge to keep all of that in mind.
However, things that one could not have anticipated happened long before 2020. There were instructors who left the IAW two to five weeks before their appointment as Sifu. I kept their certificate for many years because it was difficult for me to process this fact, and I hoped to welcome them back one day. I mention this merely to make it clear to everyone what absurd situations one encounters in life that one has to come to terms with. Some very dedicated individuals worked exceptionally hard and diligently for years to be among the best of the best, and just before getting this confirmed and certified by their grandmaster, they give up. An inexplicable phenomenon that I wanted to mention here.
For each of the instructors (worldwide) whom I wanted to appoint as Sifu in 2020 (and, of course, those already appointed as Sifu), I planned to offer an annual ‘Master Week’ (with more than 40 participants) to train my direct representatives. As mentioned before, the achievement of the goals was only possible if many instructors worked together on it. By the year 2025, according to my plan, I should appoint at least 20 Masters and, after 2025, even the first Grandmasters, who should take on responsibility together with the Masters and elevate the IAW to the next level together. I had actually already had the first instructors in mind, whom I would have gladly guided to the Grandmaster level. These new leaders would then jointly implement what would have been necessary to bring this fascinating art to the masses.
Today I wrote this down because I am reminded of those plans from back then as I look at my old notes in the year 2025. A worldwide implementation of the peak of these aforementioned ideologies, initiated in early 2020, caused this endeavour to fail. But even before 2020, a change was already apparent. With the burdens caused by the governments, only very few of the instructors at that time managed to cope, and almost monthly, one after another, they gave up. Just in the year when everything was supposed to change and the first Masters and Grandmasters were to emerge, what an irony.
To buy some time, I initially continued down the path alone. I left Germany and increased my pace to escape the tide of obvious idiocy. Numerous attempts by the media or other individuals to lead me down the path of the weak and obedient bounced off me. The art I teach requires a high degree of logical reasoning and a quick analysis of given circumstances. During my military career, I was trained to recognise these malicious attempts to influence people via the means of mind control and to act according to circumstance. Success sometimes requires a healthy dose of flexibility, strength, and determination and also a temporary adjustment to unexpected circumstances.
With regret, I had to notice how almost all of my instructors were broken and suddenly transformed from experts into below-average followers and yea-sayers. They merged with the masses into insignificance.
It is worth mentioning that I maintain regular contact with very few of the former instructors who found a way to stay true to themselves. These few instructors resumed their paths after they were able to sort out the things around them. Nevertheless: The time of turmoil changed everything.
Why am I writing this? Well, I would like to appeal to each and every one of you to define your path and follow your North Star. The hope that others understand what you see is merely a belief, perhaps a wish, that truly has nothing to do with achieving your personal goals. Whoever stops you from following your path is not your friend. As soon as your (success) path is visible in your mind's eye, let nothing and no one stop you from walking that path. Always ask yourself whether the goal you are aiming for is just any goal or truly your individual goal that makes you happy just by thinking about it. Was the path suggested to you, or did you recognise and visualise it as your own with your heart? Congratulations to all who resisted control and mental enslavement and stayed on their path, especially in the past few years. For all WingChun enthusiasts, I am fortunately still able to accompany them on their journey with my book and the precise explanations and aspects on the topic of 'WingChun'.
Fight your way out immediately and don't wait for problems to clear up by themselves. Don't let anything stop you from living what you feel deep inside. Maybe one day there will actually be Masters and Grandmasters who will ultimately represent me nonetheless and continue the path. If that's the case, then I look forward to meeting you one day.
In my life, new doors have opened, redefining my path. The management of an organisation is no longer one of my obligations. For this task, a group of master students was planned from 2025 onwards, who can now be gladly replaced by others. This year, after five years, I specifically launched the 'Instructors Coalition' to set new, motivated instructors (and also former instructors) on their way. From now on, all instructors are equal and self-responsible. It would be a pleasure for me to witness how dedicated instructors continue and implement my original plan of spreading authentic WingChun in a timely manner along their own paths.
Will, courage, diligence, perseverance, and honour should be your companions.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
Mai 2025 (Deutsche Version des Artikels 'The Great Transformation')
Der große Wandel
In diesem Artikel möchte ich primär über meine einstigen Ideen der Entwicklung der IAW berichten. Eine Planung, die aufgrund des weltweiten Wandels (Transhumanismus und die erprobte Zerstörung von Freiheit, Realismus und Subjektivismus), respektive der zur entsprechenden Umsetzung eindrucksvoll inszenierten Intelligenztests, bei dem die meisten kläglich scheiterten, nicht umgesetzt werden konnte.
Als ich nach meinen ausführlichen Recherchen zum Ende der 90er Jahre begann, die in meinem Buch ‚WingChun – The Way of the Warrior‘ (verfügbar bei Amazon) ausführlich beschriebenen Tatsachen bezüglich der Entstehung, der Entwicklung und vor allem der essenziellen Charakteristik des WingChun (Schreibweise unwesentlich) umzusetzen, stieß ich selbst in eigenen Reihen vorerst auf Zurückhaltung. Etwas aufzugeben, was man selbst bereits seit Jahren mit Herzblut praktiziert hat, fällt niemandem leicht. Man musste komplett umdenken und gewissermaßen das Gegenteil dessen tun, was man über Jahre verinnerlicht hatte. Nur durch die physikalische Umsetzung und die dadurch ungetrübte Wahrnehmung von richtig und falsch konnte man der Wahrheit auf den Grund gehen und die weit verbreiteten Fehlinterpretationen unmissverständlich erkennen. Alle diese mangelhaften Interpretationen des Stils, die damals und natürlich auch noch heute existieren und weiterhin vermittelt werden, beruhen auf denselben Irrtümern. Ein durch Mutmaßungen und Illusionen entstandenes Labyrinth, das nur wenige in der Lage sind, als solches zu begreifen und zu verlassen.
Selbst die Möglichkeit, einige Schüler zu verlieren, hielt mich in dieser Zeit jedoch nicht davon ab, den Weg, den ich bereits mit aller Deutlichkeit als den wahren Weg erkannte, zu gehen. Diese faszinierende Kunst, das echte WingChun musste ich bekanntmachen, komme was wolle. Nachdem die Missstände identifiziert waren, hatte ich ohnehin keine Wahl. Dennoch, zu erwarten, dass andere sehen, was ich sehe, war schier unmöglich, und so hoffte ich auf das Vertrauen meiner Schüler. Schon damals wusste ich, dass ich niemanden überzeugen kann, der nicht die Bereitschaft und den unentbehrlichen Durst nach Wissen und die tiefe Sehnsucht, den richtigen Weg zu beschreiten, in sich trägt. Doch nach und nach erahnten tatsächlich alle meine Ausbilder, wie mächtig sie mit dieser ‚neuen‘ Kunst werden konnten, und standen mir bei der beharrlichen Entwicklung und der Formung des Systems wie Soldaten zur Seite.
Die Einsicht und das Gespür, einen Weg gefunden zu haben, der alles Bekannte auf den Kopf stellt und jedem die Möglichkeit bot, Unvergleichliches zu leisten, führten einheitlich zu einer großen Zustimmung. Eine gnadenlose und präzise Kunst, wie sie zuvor noch nie dargeboten worden war, stand in den Kinderschuhen, und so erwuchs Anfang 2000 die IAW.
Zunächst verlangte ich von meinen Ausbildern viel ab und war erstaunt, wie bereit und stark sie alle waren. Jeder einzelne Schüler oder Ausbilder, der den Technikergrad mit den damaligen Anforderungen erreichte, war in meinen Augen bereits ein zukünftiger Meister des WingChun. Keiner der Anwärter hatte es leicht unter meiner Führung, und es machte mich unglaublich stolz, mitzuerleben, wie eine neue Generation von WingChun- bzw. Selbstverteidigungs-Experten heranwuchs. Männer und Frauen, die verstanden, worum es in der Selbstverteidigung geht, unbeeinflusst von den bereits in den 90ern erkennbaren Umschwüngen in eine Richtung, die ich heute, nach 25 Jahren, als die Anfänge der ‚woken Idiotie‘ bezeichnen würde. Diese damals aufkommenden Ideologien machten selbst vor der Kampfkunst nicht halt. Seither gilt: Je zärtlicher, verträumter und fantasievoller eine Kampfkunst dargeboten wird, desto höher der Ansturm. Kampfkünste mit realen Strukturen und Prinzipien werden bis heute gemieden, ignoriert und sabotiert.
Wie ich die Zukunft sehe, beschreibe ich in meinem Buch und dazu stehe ich. Ein Wandel vollzieht sich immer in Zyklen. Die Einleitung in den nächsten Zyklus (zurück in die Wirklichkeit) wird für viele Menschen äußerst schmerzhaft, aber, falls sie es überstehen, sehr hilfreich sein.
Ich begann also in einer „epochalen“ Zeit die IAW ins Leben zu rufen, in der Männlichkeit, Weiblichkeit, Selbstbehauptung und besonders das lebenswichtige Erkennen von Gut und Böse bzw. ungefährlich und gefährlich sowie letztendlich logisches Denken ad absurdum geführt wurden. Die Schwachen unter uns ließen sich wie hohlköpfige Wesen in eine surreale Gutmenschen-Welt führen. Im Laufe der Zeit verschwammen reale und traditionelle Werte. Auch wenn sich die Naturgesetze zweifellos niemals vor Ignoranz und Träumerei beugen, beherrschen die Träumer noch immer das Terrain. Nur die echten Krieger unter uns konnten dem Sumpf des Schwachsinns entgehen, in welchem die Masse badete, ihre Intelligenz und Instinkte ertrank und zu gehorsamen, funktionierenden Marionetten wurde. Heute sind reale, selbst denkende Menschen kaum noch auffindbar und deutlich in der Unterzahl. Das wiederum war eines der Themen in meinem deutschsprachigen Buch ‚Feindbild Mensch‘ (verfügbar bei Amazon), welches ich im vergangenen Jahr in nur wenigen Wochen aus Enttäuschung über die offensichtliche Rückentwicklung der Spezies Mensch schrieb und heute gerne überarbeiten, beziehungsweise ergänzen und verbessern würde.
Sehr wahrscheinlich ist aufgrund der chronischen Indoktrination ein Großteil unserer Mitmenschen mittlerweile kaum mehr in der Lage, einfachste Hypothesen aufzustellen. Mangelnde Bewegung, Monotonie und schlechte Ernährung lassen die Hippocampi in Hochgeschwindigkeit schrumpfen. Gerade in den vergangenen Jahren, als die meisten unter uns gehorsam alle Angstspielchen mitmachten, sind die Hippocampi bei den meisten nachweislich bereits so weit geschrumpft, dass es für die Betroffenen unmöglich ist, eigenständig querzudenken. Das wiederum führt dazu, die Gedanken anderer (medial übermittelt) ohne Hinterfragung als deren eigene anzuerkennen. Die bekannten Krankheiten, deren Ursache in schlecht funktionierender oder immer schwerer werdender Gedächtnisbildung zu finden ist, sind allgemein bekannt. Diese Krankheitsbilder gibt es, seit den Menschen das eigenständige Denken gezielt abtrainiert wird. Das alles geschieht wohlgemerkt auf der Basis einer freiwilligen Entscheidung. Paradoxerweise ist die Sehnsucht nach Anerkennung und Akzeptanz der Anfang der Misere. Auf die Aneignung besonderer Fähigkeiten wird bewusst verzichtet, um nicht aufgrund einer intellektuellen Überlegenheit ausgegrenzt zu werden. Dazugehören ist alles. Wer sich auf eine solche Abwärtsspirale begibt, braucht nur loszulassen und das Nachplappern zu erlernen, mehr ist eigentlich nicht zu tun. Ein perfider Teufelskreis, aber lassen Sie uns nicht zu weit vom eigentlichen Thema abschweifen. Der freie Wille eines Menschen gestattet es, auch die Abwärtsspirale als Weg anzuerkennen, zumindest so lange, bis der Gedanke an einen freien Willen sich unwillkürlich wie eine absurde Verschwörungstheorie anfühlt.
Wie erwähnt war ich sehr stolz auf meine Ausbilder und hatte viel mit ihnen vor, was ich ihnen aber selbstverständlich derzeit nicht verriet. Sobald ich meine tatsächlichen Ziele zu früh in Aussicht gestellt hätte, wären jene nach vorne geprescht, die Titel und Prestige mehr schätzen als Wissen und Fertigkeit und das wollte ich vermeiden. Die IAW wuchs kontinuierlich und mir wurde bewusst, dass die gesetzten Ziele nur mit einer großen Gemeinschaft von rechtschaffenen Ausbildern erreicht werden können. So begann ich zunächst, die Anzahl der Ausbildungsstätten in etlichen Ländern zu erhöhen. Ich erinnere mich daran, als die Technikergrade (1.-5.) insgesamt die Zahl 100 erreichten. Genau an diesem Tag fing ich an, die Planung für zukünftige Sifu, Meistergrade und sogar Großmeister vorzunehmen. Diese Zielsetzung veröffentliche ich hier zum ersten Mal.
Für das Jahr 2020 plante ich, alle existierenden Ausbilder und Assistenten, die den 3. TG innehaben, zum Sifu zu ernennen. 2020 sollte das Jahr der großen Veränderung und gemeinsamen Planung werden, in dem ich alle Ausbilder in meine Pläne einweihen wollte. Bereits Jahre zuvor hatte ich ca. 20 Sifu-Urkunden für dieses Ereignis vorbereitet und es kamen regelmäßig welche hinzu. Vermutlich wären es mehr als 30 Sifu-Ernennungen in der IAW gewesen im Laufe des Jahres 2020. Ich konnte es kaum abwarten und es war eine Herausforderung, das alles für mich zu behalten.
Allerdings passierten bereits weit vor 2020 Dinge, mit denen man nicht rechnen kann. Es gab Ausbilder, welche zwei bis fünf Wochen vor ihrer Ernennung zum Sifu die IAW verließen. Deren Urkunde behielt ich noch für viele Jahre, da es mir schwerfiel, diese Tatsache zu verarbeiten und ich hoffte, sie eines Tages wieder begrüßen zu können. Das erwähne ich lediglich, um jedem klarzumachen, welch absurde Situationen einem im Leben begegnen, mit denen man sich abfinden muss. Da arbeiteten einige sehr engagierte Persönlichkeiten jahrelang außergewöhnlich hart und fleißig daran, zu den Besten der Besten zu gehören, und kurz davor, dies von ihrem Großmeister bestätigt und beurkundet zu bekommen, geben sie auf. Ein unerklärliches Phänomen, das ich hier erwähnen wollte.
Für jeden der Ausbilder (weltweit), die ich im Jahr 2020 zum Sifu ernennen wollte (und natürlich die bereits vorher zum Sifu ernannten), plante ich, eine jährliche Meisterwoche (mit mehr als 40 Teilnehmern) anzubieten, um meine direkten Vertreter auszubilden. Wie bereits erwähnt, war die Erfüllung der Ziele nur möglich, wenn viele Ausbilder zusammen daran arbeiteten. Bis zum Jahr 2025 sollte ich, nach meinem Plan, mindestens 20 Meistergrade ernennen und nach 2025 sogar die ersten Großmeister, welche zusammen mit den Meistern Verantwortung übernehmen und die IAW gemeinsam auf das nächste Level erheben sollten. Ich hatte tatsächlich bereits die ersten Ausbilder im Auge, die ich gerne auf die Stufe eines Großmeisters geführt hätte, um dann gemeinsam das umzusetzen, was notwendig gewesen wäre, diese faszinierende Kunst in die Welt hinauszutragen.
Heute schrieb ich das nieder, weil ich mich gerade im Jahr 2025 an diese damaligen Pläne erinnere, während ich auf meine einstigen Notizen blicke. Eine Anfang 2020 eingeleitete weltweite Umsetzung des Höhepunkts dieser zuvor erwähnten Ideologien ließ dieses Vorhaben scheitern. Aber auch schon vor 2020 zeichnete sich eine Veränderung ab. Mit den durch die Regierungen verursachten Belastungen kamen nur sehr wenige der damaligen Ausbilder klar und schier monatlich gab einer nach dem anderen auf. Gerade in dem Jahr, in dem alles anders werden sollte und sich die ersten Meister und Großmeister herauskristallisieren sollten, welch Ironie.
Um etwas Zeit zu gewinnen, ging ich meinen Weg zunächst alleine weiter. Ich verließ Deutschland und erhöhte das Tempo, um dem Strom der offensichtlichen Verblödung zu entfliehen. Etliche Versuche der Medien oder anderer Personen, mich auf den Weg der Schwachen und Gehorsamen zu führen, prallten an mir ab. Die Kunst, die ich unterrichte, erfordert ein Höchstmaß an logischem Menschenverstand und eine rasche Analyse gegebener Umstände. Während meiner militärischen Laufbahn wurde ich ausgebildet, diese gefährlichen Versuche der Beeinflussung und die Mittel der Gedankenkontrolle zu erkennen und entsprechend der Umstände zu handeln. Erfolg erfordert mitunter ein gesundes Maß an Flexibilität, Stärke und Entschlossenheit und zudem eine zeitweilige Anpassung an unerwartete Umstände.
Mit Bedauern musste ich feststellen, wie fast alle meiner Ausbilder gebrochen wurden und urplötzlich vom Experten zum unterdurchschnittlichen Mitläufer und Ja-Sager wurden. Sie verschmolzen mit der Masse in Bedeutungslosigkeit.
Es bleibt zu erwähnen, dass ich mit sehr wenigen der ehemaligen Ausbilder, die eine Möglichkeit fanden, sich selbst treu zu bleiben, bis heute regelmäßigen Kontakt pflege. Diese wenigen Ausbilder nahmen ihren Weg wieder auf, nachdem sie die Dinge um sie herum ordnen konnten. Dennoch: Die Zeit der Wirren veränderte alles.
Weshalb schreibe ich das? Nun, ich möchte hier an jeden Einzelnen appellieren, seinen Weg zu definieren und seinem Nordstern zu folgen. Die Hoffnung, dass andere verstehen, was du selbst siehst, ist lediglich ein Glaube, vielleicht ein Wunsch, der mit dem Erreichen deiner persönlichen Ziele wahrlich nichts zu tun hat. Wer dich davon abhält, deinen Weg zu gehen, ist nicht dein Freund. Sobald dein (Erfolgs)Weg in deinem inneren Auge sichtbar ist, lass‘ dich von nichts und niemandem abhalten, diesen Weg zu gehen. Frage dich immer, ob das Ziel, welches du anvisierst, irgendein Ziel oder tatsächlich dein individuelles Ziel ist und alleine der Gedanke daran dich glücklich macht. Wurde dir der Weg suggeriert oder hast du ihn mit deinem Herzen als den deinen erkannt und selbst visualisiert? Glückwunsch an alle, die der Kontrolle und der geistigen Versklavung standhielten und gerade in den vergangenen Jahren auf ihrem Weg blieben.
Für alle WingChun Enthusiasten bleibt mir glücklicherweise die Möglichkeit, diese mit meinem Buch und den präzisen Ausführungen und Aspekten zum Thema ‚WingChun‘ auf ihrem Weg zu begleiten.
Kämpfe dir deinen Weg sofort frei und warte nicht, bis er frei wird. Lass dich nicht davon abhalten, das zu leben, was du tief in dir fühlst. Vielleicht gibt es tatsächlich eines Tages Meister und Großmeister, die mich letztendlich dennoch vertreten bzw. den Weg weitergehen. Wenn dem so ist, dann freue ich mich, dich eines Tages kennenzulernen.
In meinem Leben haben sich neue Türen geöffnet, wodurch sich mein Weg neu definierte. Die Leitung einer Organisation gehört nicht mehr zu meinen Obliegenheiten. Für diese Aufgabe war ab 2025 eine Gruppe von Meisterschülern vorgesehen, an deren Stelle nun gerne andere treten können. In diesem Jahr, nach fünf Jahren, habe ich speziell dafür die ‚Instructors Coalition‘ ins Leben gerufen, um neue, motivierte Ausbilder (und auch ehemalige Ausbilder) auf den Weg zu bringen. Fortan sind alle Ausbilder gleichberechtigt und eigenverantwortlich. Es wäre mir eine Freude, mitzuerleben, wie engagierte Ausbilder meine damalige Planung, nämlich das echte WingChun zu verbreiten, auf ihrem Weg zeitlich versetzt fort- und umsetzen.
Wille, Mut, Fleiß, Beharrlichkeit und Ehre sollen deine Begleiter sein.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
January 2018
Courage and Conviction
Many of our students have chosen in recent years to start their vocational training, in order to either support their teacher as an assistant in their own training institution or one day lead their own group themselves. Not everyone is suited to be an instructor, and not everyone who would be suitable has the courage to try their hand at leading a group. This year, I want to rekindle that courage. It seems to me that for many, the actual goal has not yet been clearly identified. Courage and conviction can be developed and strengthened.
Our emblem of the IAW signifies the five virtues: will, courage, diligence, perseverance, and honour. Without courage, absolutely nothing works. Without courage, one neither stands up for their opinion, gives up their goals far too early, develops no pride, or fails before even truly attempting anything. A lack of courage does not allow for any attempts, and this prevents a person's development and learning process. I often ask myself how I would feel today had I given up back then, and then I wonder how former students who threw in the towel too soon and failed to realise their dreams must feel. Do they try to forget or suppress it? Can such a failure ever truly be erased from one's thoughts? I have had many hundreds of students who could have come very far. By now, we would have countless instructors with the title of Sifu in the IAW, if only the best of my students had persevered. Something was missing or not sufficiently developed, and they gave up. Today, I ask myself: “What was missing in these people, and could I have helped them?” Was it the lack of courage or insufficient conviction? It was definitely not down to their abilities. I used to think that if one of these qualities was missing, then one simply had to accept it. Today I think differently and firmly believe that one can develop courage and conviction by following the right people. The weak pull you down and the strong pull you up. The most important decision, therefore, is whom you listen to and follow.
If any of you are considering leading your own group one day, I would first recommend not giving up your job straight away and planning to run the WingChun training centre as a part-time activity. Teaching WingChun should primarily be seen as sharing a passion and not as a profession. Of course, there is hardly anything more wonderful than when this passion actually becomes a profession one day. However, this transition will hardly be noticed if you have the right attitude. Strengthen your body, cultivate your virtues and regularly check your conviction.
One thing must be clear. In order to become a Sifu one day, you do not have to teach WingChun as your main profession, but simply be involved with your heart. My only criterion for a future Sifu is participation within the 'IAW' and direct cooperation with me. Every instructor should be a support for me, someone who helps me to spread our great art, WingChun, and our philosophy.
If you wish to embark on this path as a trainer and head of your own training centre, then prepare yourselves for a vehement change in your lives. A vast collection of experiences lies ahead of you. You must be strong, for numerous failures will attempt to lead you astray, simply so that they do not remain at the bottom alone. You will meet all sorts of people and characters. You will discover the strengths and weaknesses of your students and give your best for each and every one of them. You must establish yourselves as leaders of a group and live up to that position. You must stand up for your opinions. Above all, however, you must be a role model and lead by knowledge and ability, setting an example.
Since 1994, I have been teaching the art of self-defence and I can say that I am grateful and happy for every single day. I am living my dream, my freedom, my passion, and I do so every single day. And every single day, I am aware of this.
Let us show people how good it feels to be courageous and strong, to be able to defend oneself. Even though there are still those who try to convince others that weakness is an advantage, every intelligent person secretly knows that this is not the case. Weakness is weakness, and with it one will never achieve one's goal. Perhaps, due to the fact that today there are an incredible number of such weak people (especially men), 'weakness' has been declared a privilege. That was, of course, a clever move to appeal to a softened mass who had long been led to believe that everything was fine and that there was no need to make any special effort. Softness, weakness and lack of strength were praised and cultivated. Virtues were scorned. The results are alarming. The word 'self-defence' has no substance anymore if we do not work as a strong team against the ongoing decay of our honoable art.
Do not allow all those who offer self-defence to be lumped together in the same category. No, we are not all the same. We, the instructors of the IAW, offer the highest possible quality. We can do this because we offer an incomparable art. WingChun is unique.
I appeal to many with my style, but certainly not the masses. I address those who are strong or want to become strong and do not shy away from the long, hard and sweat-inducing path to achieve their goals. I speak to the brave, who have the will, the courage and the determination to walk the path of the warrior.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
July 2016
The Decline of Illusions
Even in a time of great change, people, especially those from wealthy industrial nations, cling to the illusions they have built up and nurtured over decades. When our instructors, whom I have personally trained and tested for countless years, offer a trial session in the art of WingChun, they are sometimes tormented by interested parties with their illusions. The level of knowledge of these people is often equal to 0, but their level of illusion is 100%. What I mean by this is that some believe they are already well informed about self-defence because they have already taken part in a trial session somewhere with someone, trained in martial arts, attended a self-defence course (with someone who has also attended a self-defence course), or are the champion in various computer games.
Because it is no longer necessary to assert oneself, since Mum sorts everything out, many of our fellow human beings feel at an advantage over others with every little thing they have understood and learnt. Nowadays, these advantages are achieved with minimal leads to information. Information is quickly refreshed on Wikipedia or another portal or else adopted from others who claim to know what’s going on. This has become a serious matter. Everything one experiences is photographed and documented, no matter how trivial it may be. And just like that, one becomes the informed person and informs others, who then also count as the informed. This is how ignorance and inadequacy arise. People simply pretend. It doesn’t take much time and increases one’s reputation, even if only briefly. It is too rare that one encounters an expert and everything is exposed. It seems to me as if nothing is moving forward anymore. The half-knowledge once condemned would today already be a dreamlike state.
The fact that someone, in order to pursue their hobby, has been regularly training twice a week for two or three decades, deliberately attending seminars and even booking private lessons with their instructor to one day become a true master, is hardly conceivable nowadays. There are some prodigies who would like to discuss matters with a real professional on equal terms. It is therefore no wonder that martial artists (from the field of sporting martial arts) can now even offer self-defence courses and that these courses are actually attended. The fact that this is paradoxical hardly occurs to anyone anymore. No one questions where the martial artist has suddenly acquired his experience in self-defence. It is simply assumed that if someone can throw a punch, they must surely know what self-defence is and how this art is taught. It is simply assumed, end of story. “He said he was good” is the response if one dares to ask. Added to this is the fact that nowadays one can even save oneself the ‘agonising’ time of learning. Even in the field of the art of self-defence (the art of war), there are hobby masters who award grades. And the recipient takes it completely seriously. This, in turn, generates students who also take it seriously, and so on. No one notices anyway. How could they?
Now we are very fortunate that everything around us is changing a little. Finally. It will become harder to assert oneself. It will become harder to endure this over decades, because that requires real skills and a good deal of genuine self-confidence. Those who have to assert themselves every day focus on strengthening themselves, increasing their knowledge, and preparing themselves. One thing is certain: the tougher and more brutal the times, the stronger, more capable, and tougher the person. The higher the prosperity and abundance, the weaker, less capable, and more unstable the person. Hardly anyone stands up for themselves. Hardly anyone still trusts themselves to do anything. Today, existential fears prevail in countries where it is completely impossible ever to starve. The basic fears probably lie more in the fact that others have a little more than you do. All an illusion. There is no longer any definition of what one actually wants and needs. Satisfaction is also hardly to be found anymore. I myself have trained thousands of people, and when some of them, after years of hard work, finally became capable, they suddenly became angry with me because they wanted more and more and even more and, above all, faster; they wanted a new rank, more prestige, or something else. Suddenly, they were their own biggest fan, and all one heard was 'I and I', and off they went. Gone, dissatisfied, ungrateful, helpless. It always surprised me, but I never gave up. It is worth carrying on for the good people. Some are forgotten and others are given attention. That’s how it was and how it always goes on. In the end, those who can be content with something, who can feel gratitude, who are helpful, who are modest, and who continue on their path even when the next watering hole is not immediately in sight, are the ones who prevail.
One’s own ability is the only thing one truly possesses, and maintaining it requires a strong character. Everything else, from the wristwatch to the house, is merely property and does not improve real life. Possessions only make an unhappy life more bearable. Of course, we are pleased when we can buy ourselves a nice car and stylish clothing. If we can afford it, that’s perfectly fine. But ultimately, the most desirable things are acquiring knowledge, abilities, freedom, and inner peace. And this very fact is hardly known anymore. But one thing is certain. Those who do not rely on the good old values now and prepare themselves in time will soon no longer be able to keep up. The change will not happen gradually but quickly. At the very moment when we least expect it.
Terrible things happen in the world every day. People torment, injure, and kill other people out of hatred or envy, on a whim or due to other base instincts, every second. And each individual hope that they will not be affected. The value of this hope is zero. Get moving, do something, learn. Do not waste your valuable time, but also take a break now and then. Let yourselves be guided by people who can prove their experience. Keep away from the chatterboxes. Find your path and follow it. Do not let yourselves be discouraged, even if there are setbacks. None of us goes through life without suffering setbacks. That is part of life. Whoever falls must be able to get up and carry on. Setbacks and wrong decisions are the greatest teachers and turn you into genuine personalities. You will become strong; you will remain authentic.
The illusions will fade away as soon as the majority have found their path and learnt and grown. Whoever places themselves in our hands will continuously improve. We teach the art of self-defence (the art of war). We support everyone who accepts help to get through these times as a victor.
Semper paratus
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
January 2013
IAW - The Special Forces of WingChun
From the outset I wanted to establish the IAW as an elite Academy. Now, after 10 years, I have put all of my plans into action and my objectives are entirely realized.
To understand why I call the IAW the Special Forces of WingChun, we must take a little trip into my past. I joined the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1985 and became a professional (government contracted) soldier in 1990. I was then appointed as an Instructor at a Military Academy. That same year I successfully completed the requisite qualifications and passed the test for the Lone Fighter (Einzelkämpfer) and Commando Leader (Jagdkommando-Führer) Program of the German Army. I always strived for perfection and the more specialized the education was, the more I wanted to pursue it. So one course followed another.
Even before that time, while serving my term as a soldier in the late 80s, I started (after approximately 20 years of experience in the Martial Arts) with WingChun training and weapons fighting in order to master the Art of War in these disciplines as well. Even during my first few years as a Student Level it became clear to me that this was exactly my future and I would devote my life from then on to the Combat Arts and realistic Self-Defence. After 32 months of training I passed my first Technician Grade. From then on, everything progressed accordingly as one graduation proceeded to the next. I resigned my official status in the Army and started to work as a WingChun Instructor from scratch, so to speak, 20 years ago. That was in fact the most interesting and audacious change of my life.
However, by the end of the 90s I technically concluded my former Self-Defence system and had to make a subsequent change. The association to which I then belonged occupied itself year after year with the gratification of mass dreams and the style became increasingly absurd and correspondingly mainstream. Mass group exams were introduced in which the individual only had to be physically present but was not subjected to an actual test. At that point, I worked exclusively to preserve a knowledge, which was under the threat of extinction, and moved further and further beyond the masses with my own style.
In 2003 I founded the International Academy of WingChun to build an elite Academy for WingChun. In the year 1998, while the system I trained at that time was approaching its climax of absurdity, I began to develop a new training concept, new principles, new movement patterns, new Sections, new Forms, a new Chi Sao and eventually an entirely new system. So I could, upon founding the IAW, immediately present my system.
I have never forgotten the basis of my Special Forces training. An elite education requires a unique concept and regular testing of the aspirants. Testing results in teachers honestly confirming whether their students have reached the training goal and are ready for the ensuing step or not.
Whoever fails to test their students certainly never belonged to an elite. A well-trained teacher knows how important a test is for the development and progress of his students. Students who truly believe in themselves will actually want to put themselves forward for testing. The avoidance of genuine tests only satisfies one purpose; namely, that the instructor need not tell someone how bad he is. Lousy teachers avoid testing their students because every test is a test of themselves.
Specialists can only be trained with a tangible concept. Wanting to belong to an elite is an honourable aspiration. With will, diligence and perseverance (three of our Five IAW Virtues) anyone can do it. In the IAW, the examination of a Technician Grade occurs over two consecutive days and takes about 7-8 hours overall. I consider it a privilege to personally conduct these tests without exception, because this is the only way to check and ultimately verify the advanced standard of Technician Grades.
The fundamentals of an elite education must never be forsaken. The essential principles of education, namely demonstration, replication, practice, practice, practice, practice became in many diverse associations demonstration, self-interpretation and discussion. It should be clear to everyone that you cannot nurture an elite as such. I smile when I read in particular advertisements that "We have even trained Special Forces". Who of those claiming such a thing even knows what Special Forces means let alone how they operate? I know it right down to the smallest detail. 44 years of my life I devoted to the Martial Arts and the Combat Arts, during which I enjoyed more than 10 years of quality education in the Army and 15 years developing my WingChun system. As Leader of the International Academy of WingChun, my present position benefits from the insights of my past. Certain principles cannot be neglected for an elite education. So I designed the training concept of WingChun precisely to these specifications. Today I can assert that every teacher of the IAW who has attained the 2nd Technician Grade and the Instructor Degree II definitely belongs to the elite and was trained by me in part according to the conditions of Special Forces. Furthermore, each IAW 2nd Technician Grade is not only an expert of Self-Defence, but also a specialist in weapons fighting as well as close combat. Even the capability to handle striking, slicing and stabbing weapons is an important factor that must be dealt with in order to comply with the training duties of a Technician Grade in the International Academy of WingChun.
Naturally, not everyone reaches the requirements of an elite student in the same timeframe. On the other hand, each person may take however long he or she needs. There are no time constraints in the IAW which must be strictly observed in order to achieve this target.
Furthermore, this is a reason why I do not acknowledge graduations of other organizations and styles. The validation of certifications from other organizations is a clear sign that their Leaders merely care about the appeasement of desires and dreams rather than setting a specific standard. As soon as the Leader of an organization accepts graduations from another organization, this undeniably demonstrates that it has nothing exceptional (of its own) to offer.
Of course, we are concerned about quality, not quantity. And it is self-evident that those who dread real testing will stay away from the IAW. But the ones that earn a Technician Grade in the IAW can be proud of themselves. Only a select few do so.
People often tell me it is easier in other organizations to acquire a high degree or to lead a group. But of course it is. After all, we are the International Academy of WingChun.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
September 2012
Collision - The only Solution
Actually, as a WingChun Grandmaster, I use the word “collision” to characterize the encounter of an attack with a defence.
If there is no collision in a fight then there was never an attack.
After my article “Let’s Collide” I received countless emails, which I incidentally replied to without exception, questioning why I spoke about collision in our style and exactly what I meant by it. In many messages I was even asked about my opinion of sparring. I will address both of these topics here.
The fact is that I developed 15 years ago an entirely new system with the name WingChun.
Many organizations were established only to create new associations and new logos. However, technically everything invariably remained the same. These egoistic intentions can hardly be described as innovative. And that is precisely the cause of complications in the scene: new labels but identical, altogether pirated content. In my system no one finds a single known technique, especially if one has trained for ten or more years W-T or its innumerable derivatives. I recommend everyone to personally learn our WingChun. Our WingChun is unique and this is what all of us, Students and Instructors of the IAW, are proud of.
Our Team will help anybody who restarts in the International Academy of WingChun. Everyone is welcome!
Brief Elucidation of the Topic “Sparring”.
Practicing a combat art with sparring can only be seriously considered at the level of a small child. It is impossible to measure real Self-Defence skills via sparring, above all because protective gloves are worn. One strikes with gloves because the opponent is unable to ward off ones blows. Therefore, during WingChun classes, wearing training gloves is not allowed since they would radically impair our substantiality and efficacy. Training gloves serve to protect the opponent. However, the attacker is scarcely responsible for the protection of his opponent. In Self-Defence, the opposite is the case. Only your own protection is of interest. Nothing else. We defend ourselves using our hands and arms without protective gear and we attack without it as well. Protection lies in ability and not in some equipment. Anyone who wants to practice WingChun sparring definitely has a high-grade deficit, either in his competence or comprehension.
Sparring is trained in sports where no Self-Defence skills are taught. It is that simple. Sparring is a necessary exercise variant in many fighting sports. I have never heard of students from these fighting sports who train our Chi Sao to harden their arms or WingChun Forms to improve their body tension and coordination. Why should students of Self-Defence arts delight in training exercises from fighting sports? That makes no sense whatsoever but shows just how confused and uninformed many are.
The WingChun training of the IAW is significantly harder than any sparring. I suppose that many arts offer their students no assurance and thus rely on sparring to provide a “strong” feeling now and then. This suggests a sorry training program. Anyone who trains properly does not need sparring to feel strong. WingChun is bone-hard training. Whoever can sustain a training Class or a complete Seminar is anyhow strong. Our students are strong and not only that. They are capable, well-trained and ready.
And now back to the main topic of this article, Collision.
One with the intention to score a hit inevitably leads towards a collision. Either the punch meets its fist upon the target or its arm collides with a defence. There is de facto no other possibility.
Now a lot of “artist fighters” extraordinarily believe they can somehow neutralize the punch of an opponent. Some wish to steal the power of an opponent, while some speak about borrowing it and still others hope passivity will render an attack ineffective. They train their sensitivity by beginning with the touching of arms. That is absurd. The error lies in misconstruing the beginning of a fight.
A fight always starts before touching and the so-called touch or contact is only the end of an attack, namely a brutal collision.
Hence, there is no touching in the sense of a “gentle contact” but rather the merciless end of a movement. It seems likely that many use the words “fighting art” in reference to their style just to avoid demanding training with its indispensible effort. I have nothing against students calling WingChun a sport because it is indeed. Personally, I prefer the term combat art.
To believe the fight begins with a touch and the assumption that one can react correctly after the touch is schizophrenic.
This trained sensory disorder arises when one trains for an extended period within a homogenous community that starts where a real fight ends. Primus error veniam meretur. One makes it easy for oneself by training tactile constellations that never exist in a real fight. Thus one naturally spares oneself from hard and realistic training. However, there are no inconsequential touches. Those who start training by first contacting the arms of an opponent, strictly speaking, trains nothing. Every attack and each defence ends with a contact. A fight is interesting before and after the contact or collision. The collision mentioned earlier inevitably occurs during the coincidence of an attack and a defence. The resulting contact is entirely irrelevant. Only those who are well-trained and stable enough to withstand an attack can proceed to their own attack.
Sensitivity training is nonsense and has nothing to do with a combat art.
But this confusion has its origin. Since some time there are self-proclaimed school leaders who offer to learn their system within a few weeks and others who do not even produce a grading system. Whoever can show his system in a couple weeks is thereby merely saying: “Although I can do nothing, I’d like to share with you.” Such dismal offers are not worth further thought. It is precisely this mass trash that led to the present dilemma.
However, anyone who does not provide a grading system definitely has no structure nor places any worth in technical standards. This is a sort of hippie structure in the scene (Peace, we are all alike). Those who start learning from such so-called instructors lose valuable time and have nothing in the end. Or, he goes one step further down a blind alley and announces himself an instructor. And exactly thus, the perversion of different styles reached it present peak. What do you expect in training sites where a grading system is unavailable and hence no Grandmaster who provides and upholds a clear and logical structure?
No we are not all alike.
One learns faster, another slower, one trains more, another less. Everyone is responsible for his individual progress in the group. Trying to compare a new student with an advanced one after about two years of experience is unfair. After two years, a student reaches the 8th or 9th Student Level and thus belongs to the Upper Levels.
An organization that is unable to come up with highly graded students attempts to conceal in a clumsy way that there is no progress.
Development is never possible without a graduation system because there would be no beginning and, above all, no middle. One can only ever orient oneself to higher grades. The graduation is the indicator, the guideline and the pride of a system. Students with higher graduations occasionally serve as an orientation and a motivation and demonstrate how good one can become with structured training.
WingChun is a perfect sport.
We perpetually develop our personal power, technical understanding and consequently our swiftness of thought and action. A necessary degree of imperviousness to pain is already achieved through our high training standard after the first testing of the Basic Levels. Moreover, we strengthen our bones to be well prepared to withstand every conceivable attack. Because this is exactly what Self-Defence is for.
Only one who trains hard and feels strong enough is able to trust oneself.
We demand and develop our students to perfection. WingChun serves as both physical exercise and Self-Defence. There is no better combination of fitness training paired with the construction of a purposeful and functional coordination.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
November 2011
Let’s Collide
WingChun - The Way to Become Skilled
A functional self-defence art strengthens the ligaments, the bones and, of course, the musculature of the whole body. It is a fact that one has to strengthen and harden specific parts of the body to resist the initial collision of a real attack. There is no doubt that if you do not strengthen you arms adequately you will never be able to defend yourself. Because we use our arms for both attacking and defending, the forearm bones and surrounding musculature in particular should be conditioned. A few bruises in the beginning are entirely normal. It is no different if you are a man or a woman. Everyone has to go through it. Real ability is the reward.
For non-members I should, at this point explain that we do not teach Wing Chun, but WingChun. Our WingChun is the opposite of Wing Chun. I myself learnt the complete Wing Chun system as the second generation student of Yip Man from his Master student. After I learnt Wing Chun I could no longer teach it because it became clear that it is an illogical, non-functional and un-structured method with which no-one can defend themselves. I came to realise that it was all just a mixture of trash and fantasies. At that time there were no alternatives and only I had doubts about this method.
Today I am grateful that I began that way because only in doing so could I realise how senseless it was. The further I progressed the more grotesque that Wing Chun became. With every new technique came ever more discord. As a traditionalist, the developments of that time became unbearable for me. There was no other option for me but to immediately begin creating a system which worked with the fundamental concepts of the combat arts. I searched for the original intentions in the development of this martial art. For more than 10 years I worked tirelessly to complete my WingChun system. Today, I offer an alternative to those people who are looking for real self-defence with traditional values. Our style is called WingChun.
I have explained my standpoint regarding the degeneration of Wing Chun in previous articles. This degeneration has resulted in students becoming weak and compliant. For self defence these are fatal conditions. Weakness and compliance are the precursors to failure and mark the end of any possible development.
Back to WingChun. Most of our students need several months to strengthen themselves and acclimatise the forearm bones to collisions. Whoever perseveres with this and, perhaps after approximately one year, reaches the 4th Student Level, is already successful. With the beginning of Chi Sau training (5th Student Level), following the core self-defence training, the next step of conditioning begins.
Chi Sau Sections contain a vast array of strong collisions. The 1st Chi Sau Section, besides teaching you superior technical abilities, is for strengthening the whole body with the goal of using it as a base and a coordinated unit. The forearm bones have to sustain many powerful collisions. They become extremely stable and de-sensitised and as a result, after a strong defence you are capable of performing a decisive counter-attack.
With the completion of the 1st Section the student has reached the Upper Level. Their awareness of a collision is now completely different. Their body is stronger and the forearm bones can withstand collisions which could never have been imagined at the outset. At this level the students repeat strikes hundreds of times and become steadily stronger, harder and, ultimately, faster. It is at this stage that the students begin to miss this type of training if they do not attend regularly.
Strengthening and conditioning is enjoyable and changes the feeling of the whole body. Real self-defence ability is a very particular perception. Speed, power and advanced technical ability combine to give a sense of real freedom and confidence. The student begins to become one with every muscle in their body and feels capable and liberated. You can never fool your subconscious. A combat art has to be trained correctly. Only in that way you can develop the correct attitude and a natural feeling of security and confidence.
I and my Academy Leaders tire of hearing about sensitivity training, yielding and softness in connection with self defence training. This is simply absurd. If you do not want to train seriously, it would be better to look for a new hobby rather than ignore the logic and tradition of combat whilst pretending you are learning self-defence.
To my students an important piece of advice: Don’t let anyone who plays martial art games in certain clubs tell you how self-defence works because you are too well trained. After a few months of the above-described education it should not be a problem to distinguish between fantasies and reality. Remember the bruises on your arms in the early stages and remember the effort it took to acquire every single technique. Not everyone can achieve that. You can be proud.
Fighting is a conflict or war (not a sport) and it has nothing to do with yielding and softness. Even the effort to master adversity in life can be called fighting. Therefore fighting is part of living, of being human.
Living means fighting. Those who live, fight – those who fight, live.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
December 2010
Sapere Aude!
Dear Students of WingChun. For the last 13 years I have been offering a unique and newly designed WingChun system. In 2003 I established the IAW in order to offer this style internationally along with my first professional WingChun teachers.
To date no other style can remotely be compared with ours. We, the International Academy of WingChun, are the only ones that practice an extremely hard, strengthening and at the same time flexible style of WingChun. It is our wish to teach our WingChun students the ability to defend themselves. This is why the basic level programmes (1st – 4th student level) contain some of the most important techniques of the entire system. Of course old, traditional values should not be lost. The responsibility lies with every Grand Master to create a style which, as originally intended, is suitable for an emergency. Fantasies have no place in a martial art like WingChun. It is necessary to understand what a style was created for, so that it may grow and progress healthily.
At present it must be quite distressing for a professional teacher who has, for the last 20 years, had to bear the derailed world of “Wing Chun”. The direction of most styles has never left the dream world and since the 80s they have been bombarding us with unchanged poetic slogans like “Self-defence without power”, “Learn to fight without fighting” or even “Use your opponent's strength" and other mindless statements. I still remember very clearly that it was advertised that one could defend oneself “passively” (just try to imagine that). Even now, in the 21st Century, those slogans from the 80s still grow in an esoteric world in which slogans can make things look a lot better than they are. So it comes as no surprise that some self-defence styles have been established that have forgotten how an ordinary attack works and instead one spends time on how to touch and bend the other’s arms. In those clubs these flexible distortions are quite aptly called “sensitivity training” and they are occasionally demonstrated, to emphasise entire mental stultification regarding self-defence, with blindfolded eyes. Even a child understands that you cannot defend yourself if you are unable to see anything. Self-defence is already difficult enough with both eyes wide open. What kind of idiot would put his trust in his tactile sense as an attack escalates? Some styles foolishly call this sensitivity training ‘Chi Sao’, whereby the original Chi Sao had nothing to do with a feeling, but initially focussed on the assimilation of collisions (hits/real attacks).
The focus in Chi Sao is on reducing the reaction speed with the indispensible training of seeing or fast recognition. The Chi Sao of WingChun, an exercise to toughen bones and strengthen muscles and ligaments and therefore the entire body was, in many styles, degraded to a form of sensitivity training in which mostly adults meet each other to touch and bend arms. No more is involved, and this can be verified on the Internet at any time. Sadly, a little bit of shoving and patting is then supposed to indicate a dangerous counterattack. Check out “Chi Sao” on the Internet and have a look at the result of these mistakes. Have a friend or your parents interpret what they see there. This could get very interesting, as a participant may not be able to consider the whole thing objectively and only sees what he or she wants to see. The observer does not need to have any knowledge of martial arts. Most of those portrayed in these little video clips do not have a clue either. That this has absolutely nothing to do with self-defence is clear, even for an amateur without any basic information. The Internet is full of these funny video clips by sense experts. My favourites include one of an old man in a black bathrobe showing a very strange cuddle-defence or four students standing in a circle senselessly groping at each other. One can barely believe one’s eyes. Take a look. The bad thing is that the uninformed in search of self-defence training give credibility to someone calling themselves an expert. And you cannot blame anyone for this error.
I would love to have shown you some of the best examples of this mass suggestion. But you should find your own personal favourites. You will find indescribable “Wing Chun” where you first touch and then paw at each other, but this is as far away from self-defence as a hawk from the moon. I have no idea what the followers of this abnormal art once looked for. Was it really self-defence?
Try to recognise which movement is supposed to simulate the attack. In most cases you will see two people. One pretends to be the attacker, but does not really attack. The other attacks the ‘non-attacking’ attacker with a sort of speed-petting. As if there are no principles in a fight. It’s so funny that you should definitely take a look. The main points (facts) of self-defence, like collision, stability and powerful movements don’t seem to interest anyone anymore. On the contrary, everyone seems to be delighted although nobody seems to know what for. You need to have seen this. Not a single strong attack, adventurous self-defence games, fidgety movements and even though it’s complete nonsense there are content and applauding students in the background.
This might be unthinkable, but this mass suggestion resulted in these followers believing they could feel an attack. This insult to human intellect is currently making its rounds through many systems. In the 90s when this dreamy touch art reached its peak it was copied, but seldom questioned.
Of course it is a challenge to practice realistic self-defence without hurting the partner and to have fun while doing some serious training. Brutality on the other hand has no place in WingChun. After all, it’s all about the precise combination of technique, power and speed. However, dealing with a collision, namely the first contact, remains the most important aspect of self-defence. The counter attack can only begin when the defender is able to cope with the powerful impact of attack and defence. The ability to resist a strong attack is indispensable to build up self-confidence. This is why practicing a stable defence is the most important experience in the initial training days. Never lose sight of the essence. Without using eyes self-defence is not possible. Lastly it is necessary to commit earnestly to maintaining the realism of the art of fighting.
The 8 WingChun principles are there as your tutor on your path through the art of self-defence. They will quickly help you to recognise what is right and wrong.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
August 2009
WingChun - Self-Defence has a Name
The development of WingChun marked the creation of a unique self-defence art. Since 2003 we have offered this highly-developed system through the International Academy of WingChun. Self-defence is our primary concern. The origin of the WingChun was the result of extensive and complex research and began with my experience of one of the more inventive styles of Wing-Chun. Incidentally, when I write Wing-Chun, I mean those styles which have developed away from the original 17th century combat art. To this day there are indeed several styles which have developed and have affiliated themselves to the same root-words (Wing-Chun), with various spellings, but the similar-sounding name is actually the only connection between these martial arts. Choosing a different name actually denotes an autonomous and distinctive style. The grandmaster of each style is responsible for its character and development. In a book I will deal with the historical developments in much detail. Here I would like to offer an edited version, in order to bring a little clarity into the world of Wing-Chun.
After the fall of the Ming dynasty (1644) resistance fighters developed a new style with the ultimate purpose of winning back the beloved cultural and economic glory days of China. The time of the Ming is considered the Renaissance of China. The existing kung fu styles could not meet the demanding requirements of the resistance movement because they contained only partially combative aspects. Something new and functional had to develop. Therefore I regard the style, WingChun, not as a style of kung fu, because the primary idea is applicability which is not the main concern with kung fu. The name Wing-Chun meant at the time “eternal springtime” and referred to the period of cultural flourishing in China, which they tried to conquer back in vain.
At the beginning of the 80's a widespread interest in Wing-Chun developed in Germany. Suitably for that decade came an abstruse development of this style. Many of us were pulled for various reasons to this “new” martial art. You must know that in the 80’s many Asian martial arts films conquered the world of the cinema, which contributed to an extremely naive view of the Chinese combat arts. Film and reality merged into a fanciful perception. Many of us dreamed about the ultimate style with which one learns to fight without effort, just like the actors in the films, with yielding and soft movements.
And this cliché was pursued until the bitter end. An incompletely taught and, in my judgment, degenerate Wing-Chun was subjected to a destructive renovation. After they had changed the name (to just two consonants), a rather vague history of a combat nun (in China?) was invented. They called her simply Ng Mui, which translated means “five roots” and actually refers to the development of the style, i.e. the five masters who created it. For the purposes of advertising, even more interesting histories continued to develop around the whole subject. One absurd fairytale was that the style was developed by a woman. They gave her, quite simply, the name of the style, with the addition of the Chinese character “Yim” (for “word”) which served as a reference to the verbal way in which Wing-Chun was taught, person to person, with nothing written down. At the time nobody knew any better and therefore they could completely and freely create things. From this starting point they began to refer to it as a soft style. So the basis for a quite inventive concept was created. Now it rapidly progressed. As crazy as it sounds, they taught passivity in movement. Drawing back to prepare a strike and long, dynamic movements as well as the use of muscular force were smirked at and scorned. They invented a wedge principle contrary to any physical logic and thought that with this principle they could use their arms to displace attacks from the outside. The only straight line that they thought existed was in front of one's own body and only on this line were they allowed to move. Anything else simply could not be. They even believed that the force of the opponent could be used. A kind of martial arts version of the geocentric model (of the Middle Ages) of the world was created. In the end they produced a martial art with childish principles. The idea of waiting until physical contact before reacting with a tactile response was the crowning nonsense. The king of senses, vision, to a large extent they did without. This led to fundamentally late reactions, but nobody cared about all this at the time. Then even books with pseudoscientific explanations came on the market, in which they almost turned the art of self-defence on its head.
Yes, you read correctly. Exactly the opposite of that which functions in defense was taught and in addition a suitable history was invented. Naturally we suspected we could not defend ourselves with these principles but the dream was too beautiful. By the time we admitted this to ourselves years had passed. This dream version of a martial art continued up to the mid-90’s. Then a few of us gradually returned to reason. The way back was certainly not easy. After some years of the experiments and dreams, we needed even more years to finally give them up. Astonishingly, this self-governing style still exists to this very day. Meanwhile there are numerous derivatives, with their only act of creativity being a new name. In the end they offered the same fantasy with the same fairy tale of the woman and the nun. To this very day many thousands still try to defend themselves with softness, passivity, and relaxation. The statement, “you have become softer”, which would lead a genuine fighter into depression, in these circles is regarded as praise.
Today I can look back with a smile because I witnessed it myself, and therefore I know what I am talking about. Many times I have asked myself how I put up with it at that time, but on the other hand it's probable that today's WingChun could only have resulted from this journey. I have re-discovered the reality through the absurd; this reality which had to play the leading role with the emergence of the art, because there was only one goal at that time – effectiveness. So, I set myself this task and through painstaking and considerable work created a completely new system, making use of my detailed research and a 40-year experience in martial arts. I took WingChun on a journey through time to arrive once again in the 21st century and above all in reality.
Thus WingChun developed. The training of technical coordination is an important component of my system. Strengthening the musculature, the ligaments and even the bones are an indispensable result of the training concept. Powerful and strong defense and attack movements distinguish WingChun. To be successful in a self-defence situation one needs first and foremost a sophisticated technical ability put into action by functional force. In self-defence it is the same whether you are a woman or a man, large or small, heavy or light. There are neither differences nor pros and cons. Everyone learns and trains the same educational programs and achieves the same goal in the end.
I hope with my remarks I can bring some light into the world of the self-defence arts. As the leader of the International Academy Of WingChun, this clearing-up is my obligation, particularly regarding Wing-Chun. Again and again I receive e-mails with many questions concerning the styles of Wing-Chun. Unfortunately, marketing ploys are very often accepted as fact. Therefore my personal hint: Go and look at as much as you can, take time before you decide and above all – ask questions. Only you can decide which martial art and which teacher you place your confidence in.
If you are interested in the self-defence system WingChun, you can directly contact the Group and Academy Leaders (found in the Listings - Academies and Groups) in your area. Our WingChun instructor looks forward to meeting you and will take time to plan your goals with you. Whether you would like to learn or teach self-defense and regardless of whether or not you possess previous knowledge from other styles, you are welcome at any time.
WingChun – Learn to Defend Yourself.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
October 2008
The 8 Most Dangerous Mistakes of 詠春 Systems
1. The Arms (Man/Wu) too low
Every able and intelligent attacker would initiate a fight by attacking an opponent's upper body. He would use his arms to strike and never give up the flexibility provided by his stance for a kick. The skill and knowledge of an experienced fighter would indeed never permit such a vulnerable attack. One who uses his leg to attack hopes for a sporty defence and has thus long bid farewell to self-defence capability.
For the protection position, which is actually the preparation position, the wrists should start at the same height as the upper sternum bone. A reasonable defence from a lower position is just as impossible as an attack from such a height. Good positioning saves time. And time is truly one of the most significant factors in the art of war. Anyone who wants to achieve his objective should utilize, and not conceal, his arms (weapons) at the outset while using his legs for standing and stepping. I will not assert that one cannot also deploy his legs for fighting. However, to instigate a fight as such is a farce.
2. Stance (Zi Ng Ma)
The weight must never be shifted entirely to the back leg in a combat stance. When the body is not tensed and pushed anteriorly, there is no potential to advance quickly. One who stands completely on the rear leg pushes his body upwards physically and therefore cannot defend himself from the front because his own power, or that of his opponent, would throw him backwards. This tension and urge to go forward are fundamental not only for the physical, but even for the mental preparation. The stance is a preparation to step. One who knows which step leads to which stance and which stance follows which step has understood the function of his legs. One who comprehends what stance fits a suitable step in combination with a proper arm technique has understood the meaning of stances.
3. Waiting for contact
The greatest flaw in the evolution of the art of war is the heresy that one could respond appropriately after contact with the opponent's arms during an attack. Evolution does ensure that this absurd thesis will die. This error defies all logic and is typical of the myriad of dreamers of the scene. Anyone ensnared in that faith cannot possibly know what an attack or a defence situation looks like and especially not how it feels. It is imperative to survive the first collision. The start is the most violent moment of confrontation.
4. Too many punches (Tsong Kuen)
In a self-defence situation, you can only execute one powerful punch in one second. There can only be one effectiv punch per second. If your first punch hits you do not need a second. One who needs two punches in self-defence should practice until he masters the first and no longer needs a second. A functional punch is the basis and target of every martial art. One should ensure during training to execute a maximum of one single strike per second and never strike again within the same second (except when using the Lin Wan Kuen technique). The highest priority has to be given to this in self-defence instruction. One who trains exercises with two punches per second is interested in quantity and therefore guaranteed incompetence in self-defence. Anyone who trains many strikes per second is interested in quantity and is therefore guaranteed to be incompetent in self-defence. With many ineffective strikes, you cannot intimidate or stop anyone.
A self-defence instructor who teaches drills with more than one punch per second cannot be taken seriously. More is not necessarily better. One who trains more than two punches per second (like for example in Lin Wan Kuen) cannot possibly be interested in self-defence and would rather be an asset to any massage studio.
5. Hitting from the centre of the body
Since the esoteric cuddly-wave of the 80's, hitting from the middle of the body has been touted as a universal solution. And since that time there has been no sensible justification for it. Strikes from the centre of the body are the weakest of all and applicable only in a few situations. Of course, they must also be trained, even if their applications are extremely rare. It was simply forgotten or ignored that attacks from the outside are not only the strongest, but attacks from the centre of the body are simply very easy to fend off. Attacks from the outside cannot be avoided and require an extremely strong defence. Therefore, in self-defence, avoid strikes from the centre of the body as much as possible. One of the most important aspects of our system is learning to defend against straight attacks and those from the outside. That is why not a single section contains a strike from the centre of the body.
As far as I can remember, hitting from the middle of the body came from the same jesters who tried to defend themselves by training blindfolded. For this group it is okay. They can stay nice and soft so that nothing happens in order to maintain their comradely feel-good sessions ;-)
6. Maintaining contact
A worse mistake is to maintain contact with the opponent's arms after an attack or defence. This error is caused by incompetence in the implementation of techniques, but can be quickly corrected with even the simplest of exercises and some dedication. Our first 5 Programs of the Basic Levels already contain the most important applications of all the Forms, including the Wooden Dummy (Mok Yan Jang). We therefore like to call these Basic Level Programs "The Best Of". They are a cross-section of the most essential and connectable techniques in the system. One who masters understanding of the Basic Levels has committed to the path.
7. Yielding
An adept combatant never yields. Due to physical or technical weakness, the inexperienced tend to destroy their positions by yielding. Yielding results in the loss of control. In fact, many of these people advocate voluntary loss of control and have subsequently invented an effective exercise for a passive touch art. Of course, this saves one from the tough and realistic version of training. But in order to spare yourself you could also stay at home. The effect would be the same.
You should never confuse flexibility with yielding. One who yields definitely gives up his flexibility because he only allows for one option. Yielding is a synonym for resignation and capitulation and is the opposite of flexibility. Flexibility is the freedom to remain open to all possibilities.
8. Not using power
Not using your full power in a dangerous situation is not only reckless but also rather idiotic. Via the release of adrenaline in a stressful situation (in the first phase) heart rate and breathing are stimulated. Adrenaline, among other things, releases glucose from energy stores in the muscles. Even if one trains for years to not use this energy, the training will never work. Anyone who does not develop his muscles to exert their full power cannot defend themselves against strong opponents. One needs to strengthen oneself. Good self-defence training not only fortifies the muscles, ligaments and bones but also, ultimately, the technique and spirit. Anyone who feels strong, feels well and healthy.
To be weak, soft and passive is not the goal. That was in the beginning when we drank milk from a feeding bottle and our mother wiped our posteriors.
Conclusion
The mistakes described above might confuse a stranger to the scene. My essays serve as general elucidation and to help people avoid worthless training offers. In my time from instructor to master to Grandmaster, I met many teachers of other styles that began with these exact errors who finished in a dead-end of helplessness. Some of them commenced under my direction straight away, others unfortunately resigned after numerous years of training in the wrong direction. Actually, resignation – in other words, yielding – was exactly what they had learned. In our scene, almost everyone in his younger years failed because of the misconception that he could defend himself without power. In retrospect I'm not exactly sure why it happened, but we searched for softness, yielding and other nonsense that the world did not need.Today I can heartily laugh about those years. Nothing works without power. Power is the foundation of our existence. But these silly sins of one’s youth are forgiven. The healthy human mind sees very quickly if something is incorrect, but sometimes does not allow us to admit it. Especially when one has devoted oneself to a cause for many years, it is hard to throw one’s convictions overboard immediately even if the specified (specious) target is absolutely unattainable. Such a mistake costs us our most valuable years. However those who realize it do not lose these years.
If you want to learn to defend yourself, you should be prepared to delve deeply into the art of war. You should be ready to discern all facets of combat and study their consequent risks. In order to master others, you have to master yourself. You will need to acquire particular and even extraordinary skills, then learn to apply them in the right moment. To accomplish this requires a strong will. A qualified instructor leads you step by step on your path through the Programs of our system.
Will, attitude, technique, power and speed are the foundation of success in the art of self-defence. All you need to bring is "will". Will is the ability of self-determination, the responsibility for one's own actions and the conscious decision to want something. It is the engine that propels you.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
September 2002
Mottos
The mottos serve as a short digest that can be reviewed from time to time to maintain routines.
However, there is one thing I would like to mention at this point: I am aware that for the time being, my opinion and explanations regarding WingChun do not fully penetrate those who once learnt it differently, heard it differently or even have taught it differently. An opinion that has already been formed is not easy to change, and especially not when what has been acquired for years through constant repeti- tion has been accepted as the undisputed truth.
That is why I would like to state that your opinion is not reflective of your personality. If you change your opinion one day because of clear and irrefutable facts, you do not change your personality. What kind of personality would we have if we only believed in what we first heard, did or in what everyone says and considers the irrevocable truth? Martial arts live through flexibility and the recognition of unexpected circumstances. The skills of a martial artist grow through the acknowledgement and elimination of mistakes and the constant examination of one's own thinking.
A warrior never walks the path in blind obedience.
Mottos
1 If you think you are too weak, you are.
2 Learn to believe in yourself and strive to achieve your ideal.
3 Always improve your technical knowledge and consequently your physical and mental flexibility.
4 Work on the power of your technique, because only technical power is usable power, significant and decisive in combat.
5 Work on your speed without losing power. Technique, power, and speed are the cornerstones of martial arts.
6 Work on toughening your arms through steady and dynamic training.
7 Do not let yourself be influenced by your opponent's movements, and never yield.
8 The exchange between defence and attack, as well as the understanding of the two fighting distances, is the basis of self-defence.
9 To fight, you must have continuous tension. Relaxed muscles are useless in combat.
10 Combat is not harmony. Do not fight if you donot have to. If you have to defend yourself, harmony returns only after the quick and successful end of combat.
11 The purpose of self-defence is to protect yourself, so do not spare the attacker whilst defending.
12 Learn to defend yourself, to protect yourself from attacks that could endanger your health.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun
July 2001
The Principles of Combat
The principles of combat apply consistently throughout all situations. As a trained martial artist, you can check all your techniques against these principles.
A few years ago I developed the following eight principles. I created the first five principles first. The last three principles I added at the end of the 90s because of the misguided paths taken by various branches of the scene.
Principles
1. There are two types of attack; the attack to the opponent's body (primary objective) or to their arm position.
2. Defence is the attack against the attacking arms or legs of the opponent.
3. In combat, there is always an attacker and a defender. The person being attacked must first defend the attack.
4. In self-defence, attack without hesitation as soon as the main distance is reached. If you are attacked, you must first attack the attack (defence) and then the opponent’s body (attack).
5. Attack from the outside or at an angle if possible, and avoid straight attacks from the centre of your body, as these are too easy to defend.
6. Never maintain contact with your opponent's arms.
7. Always use all your available power to defend and to attack.
8. Never start a defence and an attack at the same time. The defence and the attack each require your full attention. When you are attacked, you must put your energy into the defence, and only when this succeeds can you launch the attack.
Sifu Klaus Brand
Grandmaster of WingChun