Editorial

The broad spectrum of the EWTO

Dear Readers,
I am writing these lines to you from Bella Italia. Here, at this Italian seminar with my SiFu, GM Prof. Keith R. Kernspecht, on an old estate in the gentle hills of Tuscany amidst cypress trees, pines and wheat fields swaying in the breeze, you almost feel that you are back in ancient Roman times as in the film Gladiator, if it were not for the modern electricity pylons dotted around the area …

I am taking the opportunity to think back on the intensive impressions I gained during our 40 Years of the EWTO anniversary seminar in Hockenheim. I was immensely impressed by the number of participants, the positive atmosphere during the seminars, the amazing evening event, the great deal of subsequent positive feedback and many other highlights …

Once again, many thanks to all who contributed and participated in making this event an EWTO milestone. And of course to SiFu who founded and built up the EWTO,  and without whom there would never have been such an event.

When I was asked to come on-stage at the evening event together with my fellow general managers GM Giuseppe Schembri and DaiSifu Andreas Groß after the appearance by GM Prof. Keith R. Kernspecht and GM Bill Newman, the moderator André Karkalis asked a number of questions about the success of the EWTO and future projects. I want to take this opportunity to answer them again in detail.

For me the anniversary seminar was not only a 40-year celebration, but also a "performance show" by the EWTO and in some way a status report. The fact that we honoured EWTO members of over 25, 35 and even 40 years standing indicates the enduring nature of the association. Feeling the consistently positive mood, seeing all the familiar faces of longstanding fellow students and observing a wide range of specialists in action on topics such as iWT, traditional WT, Escrima, ChiKung etc., plus participants trying their hand at other styles such as Karate, all left a very strong impression.

It also indicates a future based on openness and shows the sheer breadth of the EWTO, which in my view are important components for continued success. Every school owner is able to make a choice from various EWTO disciplines, and decide on a local basis where the teaching emphasis is to lie: some will only offer WT, others will add Escrima or ChiKung etc.

This has always been the strength of the EWTO. SiFu has always reformed the association on a continuous basis. The innovations – for example the earlier LatSao programmes, BlitzDefence and the present iWT programmes for master grades – were important developments which also represented very real adaptations e.g. to the requirements of modern-day self-defence.

So what are the next innovations we can expect?

1. The EWTO student programmes will be streamlined for an even faster self-defence capability

  • Reaction and stress training right from the start
  • Topics such as "multiple opponents" and "threats from weapons" even for beginners
  • Exercises specifically aimed at increasing striking and kicking power
  • Groundfighting: the threat of being kicked when on the ground etc.

Naturally all this will be tailored to the current abilities of the beginner. These new aspects have already been gradually incorporated into the practical parts of our instructor seminars, and will in future be taught in special leadership seminars for instructors and school owners as well.

2. Self-defence when on the ground

In the student programmes, the content already included is to be distributed over the different programmes more systematically.
Additional programmes will show instructors and teachers what they should teach specifically. This also includes the strategy and biomechanics of self-defence on the ground using WingTsun.

Self-defence on the ground is not a mandatory part of the curriculum for WT students, but they are to have the opportunity to learn this aspect of self-defence systematically as well. Self-defence on the ground – which also includes avoidance of ending up on the ground – is only minor aspect of self-defence, but it is an aspect nonetheless, and we neither want to nor should deprive students of it.

At this point let me reiterate some important information which I have already covered in detail in other reports and editorials, though clearly not everyone has quite understood it yet: There are no plans that everyone must learn grappling.

Self-defence on the ground primarily consists of offensively preventing oneself from being taken to the ground, and if we should nonetheless end up there, of using kicks, elbows, knees and finger-jabs etc. to get up again quickly. This is self-defence.

I see grappling as an additional training method, ChiSao on the ground and in the throwing distance, so to speak. We want to give anyone who wishes to intensify this the opportunity to learn it professionally. But nobody will be compelled to, just as nobody in the EWTO is compelled to do e.g.  Escrima or ChiKung. They are available if wanted!

3. Department for sparring, grappling, intensive exercise etc.

For all those who want to do more in the areas of sparring, grappling, functional training etc., we intend to set up a separate discipline. Many EWTO schools already have dedicated classes which they call e.g. Fight Class, Fit4Fight or similar. We now want to cater for these initiatives and offer professional concepts for school owners in this area too.
This department will address a younger target group which wants to move more intensively, is looking for physically more intensive training, wants to break a sweat and seeks more demanding challenges. It will enable us to round of our EWTO programmes in a further direction.

Naturally our academic activities and cooperative arrangements also play a role in the further development of our programmes.
To cover all these aspects we have sought out the best experts to provide advice, but also to obtain know-how from the very best, e.g. the Budo legend Kaicho Jon Bluming and the grappling experts GM Gene LeBell and GM Gokor Chivichyan (with both of whom we are planning long-term cooperation). With their grappling know-how in combination with WingTsun, we will also be "state-of-the-art" when it comes to "Self-defence on the ground"!

Best wishes from the far south
Your GM Oliver König