My Wing Chun Story

Learning Wing Chun in Hong Kong is amazing! I first started Wing Chun in 2008, back then I was working as barista at a coffee shop.

One day, Nima came up to me at Uncle Russ (the coffee shop I worked at) and said that he was opening a Wing Chun school close by and asked if I’d like to check it out.

I was always fascinated with Martial Arts since I was a kid (especially Chinese Kung Fu), watching Bruce Lee movies. This inspired and influenced me to learn Martial Arts; so I decided to give Wing Chun a go!

I first thought Martial Arts was only about self-defence and learning techniques and movements to subdue attackers, that would try to hurt you in a real life situation… But I soon learned that there is much more to it than that. Mindful Wing Chun for me is an art of movement, an art of putting your mind into your body… becoming more aware of yourself!

I am blessed to be training with a family of instructors and students who live Wing Chun as an art and as a discipline in life. Actually it really amazes me to think about my current life in Hong Kong with all these like-minded people. There was a period where I stopped Wing Chun because of going back to the Philippines for my studies. I could really tell the difference; I was more stressed, unfit, low in energy and just didn’t feel good. This helped me realize that Wing Chun had become apart of me that I could not live without.

Personally I’m not interested in fighting!  But for the purpose of defending myself I’ve had to use my Wing Chun. Two years ago I got involved in a fight, I was having my dinner break at work where a guy was disturbing me and started to push me. I used the three rules of defense, I talk to him and said I don’t want to fight, but he still pushed me, so I called the police… while I was talking to the police on my cellphone the guy gave me a hook punch on the left check but it did not knock me out. Immediately I was in my Wing Chun state where as he tries to strike me again I gave me a centerline punch to the nose where it ended the fight. I was not happy that I had to use what I had learnt to hurt someone but it’s a useful skill indeed.

Currently I’m Teaching at Mindful Wing Chun in Hong Kong and learning more and growing in the most awesome experience in my life…

– Lawrence Monsalud (instructor at Mindful Wing Chun Hong Kong)

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