Given his fascination with Eastern fighting styles and the desire to develop himself therein, after training in various forms of martial arts, he eventually arrived at Ving Tsun Kung Fu, whose logic and intellectual methods attracted him. The high degree of effectiveness of the system was decisive in him choosing to further himself in Ving Tsun. Via various instructors he came in contact with Wong Shun Leung in 1992, a teacher who played a great role in the development, progression, and reputation of Ving Tsun Kung Fu. The introduction to the vision and knowledge of Wong Shun Leung was the turning point for Gert-Jan.
Wong Shun Leung travelled regularly from Hong Kong to Germany to give trainings. Gert-Jan was the first Dutch trainer to get to know Wong Shun Leung and receive lessons from him at these trainings in Germany. On Gert-Jan’s invitation, Wong Shun Leung gave his first training in The Netherlands. This training was the catalyst for a veritable revolution in existing Ving Tsun schools.
Wong Shun Leung introduced Gert-Jan to Philipp Bayer from Germany, one of his most talented students. This was followed by an intense period of training and co-operation with Philipp Bayer which lasted more than 10 years. Finally Gert-Jan established his own organization in 2005, the UVTKFS. Furthermore he maintains contact with various trainers worldwide of Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun, who openly and enthusiastically share information with each other. In this context Gert-Jan also travelled to Hong Kong and China. By means of research, feedback and tests of training methods, the development continues and the coaching of students persist to improve.
Physically and Mentally Fit
Author Gert-Jan Ketelaar
Ving Tsun Kung Fu is a Chinese fighting style with a sole purpose: to end a fight quickly and straightforwardly by employing logical and economic movements. Very effective when we find ourselves in danger, as in all fighting situations. But do we train our entire lives for the possibility of one single moment which hopefully never occurs, where we can defend ourselves? The same realistic components that you effectively prepare for use in a fight, develop qualities which prepare you for all facets of life.
The training provides you with a mirror which confronts you with yourself. The developed self-awareness is a valuable tool to help you grow by learning to make effective choices. Through an open and honest training method, a constant self-reflection exists. Ving Tsun is straight forward in every way, as a fighting system as well as in mental development.
Besides the goal of training and the interesting developments that we can achieve, the practitioner must also be successful in simply enjoying training. In my case, I experience the contact with students and other practitioners as a very social experience. The partner training is largely composed of “Chi Sau”, where you train with each other at very short distances. This exercise serves the development of balance, stance, reaction speed, and teaches the use of power and energy from yourself as well as from your partner. It is also a continuous exchange of skills, which are different every time, depending on with whom you train and how they react. It is a healthy comparison to others and challenges you to improve. This training can be simultaneously playful and effective.
Ving Tsun Kung Fu is my basis and keeps me physically as well as mentally fit. Through the exercises, which are not too extreme but offer a well thought out training. Through the intellectual methods which have been developed through the generations and are so pure.
