Lars and I got to know each other in spring 2000. He had already tried all manner of martial arts by that time, finally discovering WingTsun.
Shortly afterwards I too started training with our Si-Hing in Ludwigsfelde/Potsdam. In addition to the efficiency and logical structure of the system, what fascinates me is the fact that "self-defence" and "combat" are viewed so comprehensively. By this I mean that I not only learned self-defence techniques as a student, but was also confronted with e.g. the subject of ritualised combat and aggression during classes. I believe that I can already give a student a concept after just a few lessons, not just a bundle of techniques. This is an enormous strength of the EWTO; it arouses curiosity and motivates people to continue.

We trained diligently, and at the end of 2002 our Sihing announced that he wanted to open a new school in Zossen and asked us to assist him during classes. We accepted the offer and found training facilities in a fitness studio, however our Sihing was already teaching on the days when this room was available, therefore we came to an agreement that Lars and I would take the classes in Zossen and manage the school together.

We started off with an open day which we advertised in the local papers, and at the beginning of January 2003 we started our classes with just six keen students. The number of members increased steadily over the next few months, and after a year we were confident enough to open a further school in Rangsdorf. Rangsdorf has a population of approx. 7000, is fed by a motorway exit and is one of the satellite towns around Berlin. Since the end of 2003 it has also had a fitness studio which is managed by a friend of mine. These studios always provide good opportunities for new schools, as they usually already have changing rooms and showers, and the cost of renting them is lower than leasing one’s own premises. So at the beginning of the following January we once again held our first class, and the number of students has grown steadily since. For advertising we rely on advertisements, flyers, our own homepage and posters. We also obtain many ideas from other instructors and try them out. (Many thanks at this point to Sifu Hage, who gives us both superb instruction and lots of ideas and suggestions). The best response of all is obtained from word-of-mouth publicity, however. We try to create fear-free and relaxed atmosphere in which everybody feels at ease, and make sure that we are also easily approachable by our students after training is over. In addition to Christmas get-togethers and a summer festival we continually look for new activities which will strengthen the link with our students.
The special thing about our schools is that the two of us are able to pursue our goals by building on the strengths of each individual. For the purposes of this article, I have asked my students to describe briefly how they find Wing Tsun for themselves and with us:

…a happy, friendly partnership.. (Dave) , …difficult not to break out into superlatives (Peter), …the classes are very varied and clearly presented (Susann) Naturally we are also open to criticism, and regularly obtain feedback from our students.

Our next objective is to achieve our 1st TG in Leung Ting WingTsun, and to find time for our own training when all the day-to-day responsibilities have been met. I also hope that we will continue to guide and motivate our students to achieve their own successes for a long time to come.
Finally we would like to thank our Sihing Wilson Gessner, without whom we would probably not have been able to take the path we are on today.
Many thanks to you, to our students who faithfully accompany us and to all those who likewise give us their support.

Best wishes to all from Lars & Steve

Contact: info@wt-rangsdorf.de