Time to spread the wings

March – After 10 years of training Steve and Dave had reached a high level of skill and were teaching classes.

However, even though they had spent many hours training with their instructors and senior students, there was some information missing.

Their love of Wing Chun was undeniable but the ‘missing’ element led them to investigate other lineages of Wing Chun and other styles.

During this time Steve attended an Eskrima seminar in Birmingham and learned that the eldest son of Wing Chun’s Grand Master Ip Man, Ip Chun, was visiting his most senior western student, Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe, for a seminar in Birmingham.

Steve & Dave attended the seminar and found the open and honest nature of Master Ip Chun and Sifu Rawcliffe to be refreshing and in parallel with their own philosophies.

Subsequently, Steve & Dave were accepted as students of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe and the Midlands Wing Chun Kuen (MWCK). They travelled every week to attend classes in Birmingham and once a month for private sessions. Knowledge was shared with their students and a core training group developed.

May – Sifu Rawcliffe holds the first of many seminars for the students of Steve and Dave in Cheltenham.

Combat ’95

May – Combat ’95, a Martial Arts show sponsored by Combat Magazine, was organised. Steve and Dave practised for months with Sifu Rawcliffe to present an iconic ‘tongue in cheek’ demonstration set to the theme tune of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, which was subsequently televised.

Another visit to the VTAA in Hong Kong

November – CWCK training trip to the VTAA in Hong Kong.

Induction to the Yip Man Martial Arts Association

June – Steve and Dave awarded instructor status by the Yip Man Martial Arts Association

July – Master Ip Chun conducts another seminar for CWCK

The First World Wing Chun Conference

November – CWCK accompanies Sifu Rawcliffe to the First World Wing Chun Conference in Hong Kong.

Steve & Dave perform on stage with Sifu Rawcliffe.

Master Ip Chun Seminar

August – Master Ip Chun conducts a seminar for CWCK in the UK.

Master Ip Chun & Duncan Leung visit the UK

June – CWCK host a weekend of seminars by Master Ip Chun and Duncan Leung. Attendees visit from UK and Europe.

November – CWCK training trip to the VTAA in Hong Kong.

Trip to Hong Kong

July – Steve visits Hong Kong to train at the VTAA in Hong Kong.

COVID-19

January – Public health and legal considerations requires a re-assessment of priorities in the face of a Global Pandemic.

August – A review of training practices and health concerns result in closure of the CWCK classes in Cheltenham.

September – CWCK class in Stroud closes

October – CWCK offers weekly online meetups to support students throughout the pandemic. These challenges result in some members falling away.

A New Beginning

Months of individual training, investigation, discussion and self-reflection led Steve and Dave to a decision to become independent from MWCK.

March – With full disclosure and discussion with Sifu Rawcliffe, Steve & Dave moved forward with their plans.

Steve & Dave recognise that training with Sifu Rawcliffe and the MWCK has been one of the most influential periods of their Wing Chun lives to date. A personal friendship and connection with Sifu Rawcliffe is maintained to this day.

April – CWCK officially renames as The Wing Chun Collective (TWCC) to become a self-managing organisation. The name reflects that we are now a collection of Wing Chun students, without association to any one lineage, willing to investigate and integrate ideas from other disciplines.

May – TWCC update their digital presence and register as instructors with the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association (BMABA).

October – TWCC starts offering student memberships backed by the BMABA for insurance and regulatory purposes.