While the subtitle of this webpage is “school of Wing Chun,” it is not really a school, so to speak. More like a school of thought.

The title, “Centreclash,” comes from a violence tactic I once learned. Some study, which I will hopefully find again and cite here, showed that a person in a freeze state must complete two actions to break out of the freeze. The freeze state, is when a person is in a survival, flight-or-fight, state of mind, triggered by some violent, or otherwise disorienting stimulus. From my Wing Chun training, it seemed the most logical two actions should be to center my limbs and clash into the stimulus.

The force or method of the “clash” could depend on the situation. Once these two actions are complete, I can better assess the situation, and either continue in some kind of physical combat, back off, flee, talk, or whatever might be necessary. Of course, this idea is specifically regarding extremely rare violent encounters. Other events, such viewing as a horrific vehicle accident or being approached by a skilled street hustler, might send you into a hypnotic freeze state. It’s important to remember, that you never know what will cause it, and the only way to combat against it is preparation.

I grew up learning Wing Chun Kung Fu from my father in Seattle, WA. I was certified to teach in 2010, and have been training for approximately twenty years.

I taught Wing Chun for a little over a year while living in Chengdu, a city in South-west China. I have taught and facilitated at the North Seattle Wing Chun school for several years. I lived and studied Wing Chun in Guangdong Province, in South-east China, for approximately a year, and continue to seek out, practice and teach martial arts, mostly through private channels.

Besides Wing Chun, I have spent several years practising Tai Chi and push hands. I have also been learning Balintawak Escrima for several years. I have dabbled in other forms of Escrima, traditional Qin’na and Jiu Jitsu. When I have the space I practice throwing weapons, usually bo-shuriken and knives. I have also have practiced Hatha Yoga and Vipassana (Insight Meditation) many years, which I believe to be closely related to the practice of martial arts.

Occupying a great deal of my time, also, is the study of philosophy from every culture I can, but mostly Chinese, Greek and Latin traditions, all of which I believe to be relevant to the martial arts. Specifically as it relates to Wing Chun, I have studied a great deal of Chinese Daoist and Buddhist philosophy. In addition, I love literature of various languages, be it a philosophical treatise, an epic poem, or a novel. Due to these interests, this blog has, and will continue to drift off into the land of philosophy and parable, at times.

I have spent the majority of my professional life in violence mitigation professions. While in this capacity I have had a great deal of practice in conflict communication. Furthermore, I have studied conflict communication (sometimes called de-escalation), and it’s various facets, from the psychological to the social, and the practical.

Due to my interests in these professions, and the way in which I believe they are closely associated with the martial arts, this blog may focus at times on violence generally, and the various circumstances those who frequently confront violence might deal with.

I hope you find my blog entertaining, thoughtful, and informational. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments or anything else! While I will be doing most of the writing here, I hope for it to be more of a learning experience, both by sharing what I learn, as well as discussing with my readers. So please, send me a letter, or even a few words, if you can.

Following is a diagram of my primary Wing Chun lineage: