My first visit to Grandmaster's school in San Francisco, 2000, would have naturally created the most impact on our training. I practiced within the school's schedule and attended as many classes as I could. Training in Grandmaster's students' classes was a fantastic experience. Their level of skill and experience certainly taught me a lot, as did the other students within the classes.

The most memorable class on that trip had to have been on one Friday evening. We were amongst beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Dai Si-Hing (oldest or highest ranking student in the class) taught a Choy Li Fut Sparring class. It was great to train with a wide range of ranks; frequently changing partners enabled me to put what we had learned into practice. A Si-Hing (older classmate) demonstrated accuracy and ability which showed his level. Training with, and aspiring to the level of these students at Grandmaster's studio was certainly an experience!

Then, Grandmaster came into the room. Having observed our session in practice, Grandmaster asked Si-Hing to partner with him in order to demonstrate Choy Li Fut Sparring. No matter what Si-Hing did to Grandmaster, he was closed-off and every move was controlled. The only way to describe what we witnessed is to say Si-Hing became a "puppet'. All of Si-Hing's knowledge and experience which he had demonstrated so beautifully to us earlier was put into perspective. While I was proud to aspire to Grandmaster's students, I was in awe of Grandmaster's demonstration and his abilities. I'm certain that Si-Hing felt the same way!

It is as important to have a good teacher to admire as it is to have students that can follow the teacher's example and demonstrate true knowledge and ability for their level. If ultimately, I could be half as good as our teacher one day, then I would be very a happy practitioner indeed!

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