Martial Edge is in conversation with 7th Dan kung fu master, Wayne Belonoha. The author of “Wing Chun Compendium” Lesley Jackson finds out what makes martial arts master tick.
Wayne Belonoha is a genuine martial arts master. This articulate and modest Canadian doesn’t show off his Dan grades with aplomb, there is no flashiness in his style and he certainly doesn’t market himself for gratuitous or financial gain. Instead, sifu Belonoha is a focused all-round achiever who has succeeded in both the competition arena and inspired many students to strive for their martial arts goals. Keen not to rely on kung fu for his living, and to avoid the “pressure sell” to his students, Wayne is a management consultant during the day where he uses his kung fu introspection and drive to save failing businesses. He is also a successful author, writing a comprehensive guide to Ving Tsun and he has even performed for the Queen! For such an unpretentious martial artist, Wayne Belonoha has certainly reached heights other martial artists are not even aware of.
Wayne Belonoha: Firstly, can you tell us how you became involved in the martial arts and why you chose Ving Tsun?
Before jumping right in to answering the questions I'd like to take a second to thank you for taking the time to interview me.
I became involved in martial arts during my early teens. Growing up I was heavily involved in extracurricular and sporting activities of all sorts; I played badminton, tinkered with computers and programming, was part of the distance running team, assisted with adult learning classes, and more. In retrospect it seems I was on a quest for knowledge and experience. It wasn't too long before martial arts found me.
There was a small karate club in my town; it was the only one. I quite enjoyed it and stayed there until I left for college. In college I took up some different styles of karate and dabbled with some other arts as well. Then I was introduced to wing chun. It was the most logical and reasonable thing I'd ever seen and immediately left my karate training behind in order to start a new chapter. This wing chun club taught a few other Chinese martial arts and I studied them as well, although wing chun was where my interest lay. When I finished school and moved again to another city for work, I started teaching a small group of friends the skills that I had learned. We collectively went to a demonstration of this specific style called "ving tsun". They talked about many things that up to that time I never knew mattered - like a strong stance. I was shown that having only fast hands was not enough.
It had so much depth that I realized quickly I had found the art that would take me the rest of my life to master. And sure enough I'm still at it today.
Wayne Belonoha: What was is about Ving Tsun that motivated you so much?
At first, it was the challenge of mastering a fighting style that was so efficient and effective it boggled my mind. Winning a fight with one punch yet still being able to deliver up to 10 a second? Wow. Using one hand to “pretzelize” an opponent so they cannot use their arms to attack or block while using my stance to disrupt their balance. This was very interesting to me. It was clearly a higher level of skill and I was up for the challenge.
As I started to get better I started to realize the depth of the system. Sure on the surface it was good. What started to appear was that one had to understand the duality inherent in the art. In order to become good I had to be patient and not want to fight or win. When I discovered the martial mindset I was in for a ride of a completely different type. Now my enemy was not on the street, my enemy was me. The next battle I had to win was against those inner demons; and there were a lot of them.
I believe that in order to grow and excel in an art like ving tsun, it is necessary to be aware of your core personality, faults and all. Without an awareness of your core personality, you are still performing mostly in the physical realm and have not really tapped into the power the mind can provide to your performance. Once you are aware, you can work on improving the personality traits that limit performance.
So I started the journey on self improvement, on taking an honest look inside myself to see what was holding me back from growing my ving tsun. It has been quite a journey and with each personal obstacle I overcome, my ving tsun improves. It becomes more relaxed and powerful; more precise and elegant.
Anger turned into compassion. Aggressiveness turned into effective subtlety. It was interesting to see how the art softened into something much more effective.
Wayne Belonoha: What are the key characteristics about Ving Tsun, how does it differ from other martial arts?
Most people would say that ving tsun is the most effective martial art. However there are many different ways of fighting, all of them effective in at least one context. So I think it's impossible to broadly give an answer like that.
I think the key characteristics of ving tsun exist, at least in part, in most martial arts. I believe ving tsun is different because it brings those key characteristics to the forefront so they are exposed to all students right from the beginning. For example, in some martial arts, decades of training are required before two handed techniques are taught or practised.
Another significant differentiator is that Ving Tsun seeks to find the balance between competing demands for power and motion. For example, some martial arts have a strong yet immovable stance while others have a very mobile, yet less strong stance. Ving tsun strives to have a stance that is both mobile and strong. Many martial arts have decided on this way or that way. Ving tsun has chosen the middle way and this makes it relatively unique.
Ving Tsun is a striking style. It endeavours to finish a confrontation quickly, with one punch if possible; this ties again into those competing demands. How does a person punch hard enough to win a fight, yet retain the ability to change the punch into another technique if required? It is quite a fine balance. If the punch is not committed enough it will not win the fight, if it is too committed it cannot change if blocked.
I believe it's this search for the most efficient or effective fighting method that makes a person examine both sides of the coin to find the overall best solution to any problem. This search eventually leads a person to build life skills, which in turn improve their ving tsun.
Wayne Belonoha: What are some of your key achievements in Ving Tsun in both competition and other areas?
I competed at the Pan American Kung Fu Championships and won 3 gold medals. That was fun. I have taught many students and helped them to better understand what real kung fu is. This has been very gratifying for me. I performed for Queen Elizabeth as part of a small demonstration team and have been on television and in commercials, as well as performing at the Grandmaster Ip Man hall grand opening. I wrote the bestselling book "The Wing Chun Compendium". These can all be considered key accomplishments, but I think the biggest has been getting the courage and tenacity to recognize and deal with my shortcomings. This has been the accomplishment that has had the greatest impact on my life and my kung fu. It has allowed me to be surrounded by high quality people who motivate, inspire and guide me. Despite the success to date I continue to search for ways to improve my kung fu, both on the inside and the outside.
Wayne Belonoha: You are a 7th Degree Master, how long does that take? What do you think are the qualities that make a martial arts master?
This is an interesting question. The rank and designation was offered in recognition of my understanding and abilities in the art of ving tsun, contributions to the community and the wide acceptance of the book.
However, I don't refer to myself as master. I believe in order to be considered a master in an art like ving tsun, one has to master themselves as well. So I have been designated a master but feel the journey is still underway.
To be considered a master, I believe real kung fu must be present. Not just movements, but the relaxed naturalness and confidence that comes from hard work. It should be obvious in every movement that there is power available, where the techniques do not look weak or floppy. The master will always be balanced, coordinated and fluid. He or she will have eyes that are alive and alert and they can apply force to a vulnerable place on an enemy without encountering any resistance, by leading the opponent into emptiness. These are a few of the physical attributes I strive for - believing that without these, mastery is impossible.
Mentally, there are a few clear attributes that a master will exhibit. I believe a master should have true confidence in their abilities so will not be affected by criticism or insult. He or she will have a positive attitude and outlook and be able to deal with adversity. The masters I've known can see through dishonest and impure motives because they are honest and gravitate towards fairness. They are motivated to improve and take responsibility for their actions. They have accepted themselves and others, so they treat everybody equitably. These are a few of the traits a master will exhibit. I am striving towards mastering these attributes as well.
From my perspective, these attributes are necessary for a person to be a master. Maybe I'm a master, maybe I'm not; it's not my call. The only thing I can do is continue to work and grow. For now, any title will do just fine.
Wayne Belonoha: Do you practice Ving Tsun professionally? If so, how did you enable that to happen and if not, what other career do you pursue?
I do practice professionally in that I have a school with students. However, teaching ving tsun is not my full time job. I feel that in order to make enough money at kung fu to pay all my bills I would have to make some decisions that conflict with my belief of what kung fu stands for. For example, I may have to "pressure-sell" to my students to improve sales. I do not believe kung fu should be used to pressure students into spending more money. My kung fu is more about the learning than the money.
For that reason I've taken on another job. I am a management consultant, specializing in the recovery of projects that are in trouble. It's a great job because I get to use my kung fu every day. No, I don't punch people on the job, although sometimes I have to fight the temptation! I have to organize and lead people who are often disgruntled and dissolve conflicts by finding the most valuable solution to a problem. I have to influence using only words. This takes practise and is similar to physical conflict in many ways. It requires that I stay calm headed when those around me are not. This is how I use my kung fu in my daily life.
Wayne Belonoha: Have you been to China to practise Ving Tsun, what was that like?
I have been to China and practised ving tsun with many great masters. It was actually quite a bit like Chinatown in Toronto. I felt completely at home. I had conjee and deep fried dough sticks. The kung fu was great too, but I have to admit that I've had the pleasure of meeting so many fantastic martial artists in my travels that the location didn't really have too big an impact. However travelling through China was an excellent experience. I highly recommend taking the trip if you get the chance. To visit China is to start to get more of a feel of the origins of kung fu.
Wayne Belonoha: Tell us about your instructor, Grandmaster Sunny Tang.
Grandmaster Tang is a quiet person. He sticks to the original ways of teaching and has, from my observation, teaches with a Chan (Zen) influence. He does not say much, but the depth of the few words he does say will often take a long time to comprehend. I was lucky to have been able to spend a significant amount of personal time with him. Often we would not talk about kung fu, and it seemed like I was not learning. However, to look back I realize that over the years he had transferred a vast amount of knowledge bit by bit. This was his way, and it was a great way for me.
Wayne Belonoha: Can you describe for the readers the type of training that you do?
My training - well, I like to focus on specific areas for a period of time instead of working on everything and nothing at the same time. For example, when I recognized my stance was not good I dedicated 2 years just to stance training. Sure I did chi sau and such, but it was with the intent of improving my stance. When my sidekick needed improvement, I worked on it every class for 4 months; nothing but kicking. At one time, I was using too much muscle so I spent a year focusing on angles and shifting. I found that focusing on one thing and improving it helped to improve the other techniques and skills as well. When learning the jeen chuen (long pole low stance punches), I worked exclusively on that technique until I could do the required 6 lines of 40 punches. If I rose from the low stance even once I would start over. I give credit to Grandmaster Pan Qing Fu who once said to me "If you want to get good you have to eat bitter." He was right. Currently I'm working on my punch; I use wall bags, heavy bags, and boards that break at known pressures. I figure that in 6 or 9 months I'll be in a position to decide if I need more work on it.
I also do the forms a lot! They are the keys to unlocking the system and to figuring out how to generate power. I would say I do siu nim tau at least 10 times each class, and I do a lot of the chum kiu turning. The speed and power continues to grow.
Wayne Belonoha: You have performed for the Queen! What was that like?
It was an honour to be invited to perform. There was a small group of us who all performed at that demonstration. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time and was invited to perform. It was very exciting to be in such noble company.
Wayne Belonoha: You have recently written a book, what is that about and what led you to start writing?
A ving tsun book of this depth had not yet been written. I thought, why not me? Through my full time job I had learned how to put together a plan with realistic milestones. I then just worked to meet those goals. Three and a half years later the Wing Chun Compendium (Volume 1) was published.
It covers in meticulous detail the first three forms, training methods, technical skills, philosophy, pressure points, and drills. It's currently Amazon.com's top selling ving tsun book. If interested in learning more, go check out the reviews from folks who have already bought a copy. Also check out more reviews at www.wingchuncompendium.com .
I am currently writing a second volume. It's more geared towards experienced martial artists, as it focuses on the mental aspects of the art and philosophy, but like the first book, has many details for the beginner as well. It contains the same structure as the Volume 1, teaching the technical skills, then philosophy, then drills and finally the wooden dummy, long pole, and sword forms.
But kung fu is a passion for me. I love to read, write, and teach. Writing a book felt like a natural extension for me.
In closing, I would like to thank Martial Edge for inviting me to share a bit about myself. It has been my pleasure to be a part of this feature.
And thank you Wayne from Martial Edge, your thoughts about kung fu have been insightful and fascinating.
Interviews 
interview me. 
Wayne Belonoha: What are some of your key achievements in Ving Tsun in both competition and other areas? 
learned how to put together a plan with realistic milestones. I then just worked to meet those goals. Three and a half years later the Wing Chun Compendium (Volume 1) was published. 
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