Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong Interview
Fighting Stars Magazine
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Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong engaged in I-Chuan push hands with Madame Min Ou-Yang, circa 1984.
Fighting Stars:
So in I Chuan you want to learn to absorb that energy and
bounce away from you opponent as part of your training?
Doc-Fai Wong:
Yes, I train the student to become like a Qi shield. To
project a shield outside and around the body so that they will receive that
energy and have a bouncing reaction rather than have the energy go into the
person. Or, I can focus the Qi so that it will pass through the person’s
body without hurting the person.
Fighting Stars:
That is very interesting. Now, grandmaster Wong your son
Jason has successfully followed in your footsteps and he has achieved
recognition as a highly skilled Kung Fu master. What were some of the
challenges that you faced in teaching your son?
Doc-Fai Wong:
The biggest challenge was when he was very young. As a father
we always expect a lot from the son. We expect them to do better than
everybody else. But, the son always thinks Oh, it is always there. Maybe I
can learn that next time. So eventually I had to have my staff and senior
instructors to teach and work with my son until he can build up his
foundation. Then I can teach him myself once he gets to a certain level.
Once he is mature enough that I can teach him and he will listen.
Fighting Stars:
So that may be good advice for other martial arts
instructors.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Yes, don’t treat your own children right away. Let them join
in and fun first until they really want to learn and gain the knowledge.
Just like with professor Yu. After I studied with him for a while and after
class if I wanted to learn more he was glad to help me and answer my
questions. So the knowledge was not so freely given. You had to work hard
and earn it. It was hard, but it had to be that way with my son also.
Fighting Stars:
Well, it is very inspiring to see a family doing martial
arts together for a lot of our martial arts families out there.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Yes, I am very happy that my son that he has enjoyed the Choy
Li Fut system and Tai Chi. Hopefully, my grandson will also be that way.
Fighting Stars:
Oh, you have a grandson also.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Well, no not yet. But I am hopeful.
Fighting Stars:
Grandmaster Wong this next fact I think is rather amazing I
understand you have 70 schools worldwide.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Well actually, I think it is more than that now. Today we have
more than 100 schools. We have expanded our school into Asia and the Middle
East. Now we have a student who started studying by video tape and we have a
student in Egypt and parts of the Middle East. So it started with one person
and then it spread out where now his students are now teaching in other
parts of the Middle East. Also, in the Philippines. After about ten years or
so these students now have their own students teaching in about a dozen more
locations.
Fighting Stars:
Now do these students come to your school and study from
time to time with you?
Doc-Fai Wong:
Yes, most of the people from Europe and Asia come and study
with me from time to time or else I travel over to there and teach seminars.
Also, I take the time to teach the students private lessons so they can
improve their level. But, there are some countries like Iran and Egypt and
other third world countries they can not come to America so easily so I give
them video tapes and then I go over to there to correct them later on.
Doc-Fai Wong performing the Chinese broadsword with exacting precision,
circa 1977.
Fighting Stars:
You travel to see them?
Doc-Fai Wong:
Oh yeah, in fact I am going to Egypt next February. This guy
has been studying from my tapes for over ten years and finally he said that
he would like me to go over there and even thought their income is very low
but, enough students put together enough money that they will pay my way to
go there.
Fighting Stars:
Well that is an incredible story and I would like to hear
more about your travels there and hopefully we can keep in touch and maybe
do a follow up story.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Sure that would be fine.
Fighting Stars:
The other thing I would like to discuss since you are
talking about traveling around the world and I know that during the cultural
revolution in China many of the Kung Fu masters were not allowed to teach
the true art under the communist regime. As a result much of the knowledge
of the martial arts was either lost or watered down. Have you been able to
travel to China and help some of the masters there renew their martial art
if they were not able to learn a complete system from their instructor as a
result of the government’s older more restrictive policy?
Doc-Fai Wong:
Yes, in fact over the past few years a lot of the martial arts
organizations in China have invited me to teach so for example the Choy Li
Fut association in Jiang Men they have helped me to go there and give
seminars. Because many of them had heard about Choy Li Fut, but they never
actually had the chance to see it. So I went there to give seminars.
Including other parts of Northern China and Beijing. The Wu Shu association
hired me to go there and give a lecture on the traditional Yang style Tai
Chi also.
Fighting Stars:
That’s fantastic. Well Grandmaster Wong I really appreciate
you taking the time to speak to us this evening and I look forward to
hearing about your future adventures.
Doc-Fai Wong:
Absolutely, you are welcome. Now you keep in touch as well.
Fighting Stars:
Thanks, and goodnight.