 Martial Edge interview sifu Marcus Santer of Shaolin Wahnam Engand. His Martial arts journey began when he was physically attacked whilst out with friends. In what is a very open inteview, Sifu Santer discusses the essence of Shaolin, his own martial art experiences and the world renowned Grandmaster Sifu Wong Kiew kit. Martial Edge: When and where did you first get involved with martial arts?
Sifu Marcus Santer: My first encounter with Martial arts was doing Judo at primary school aged about 9. I found it very frustrating, as the bigger kids were near impossible to throw. So I only did it for 6 months or so. My true beginning with Martial arts was in 1992. Some friends and I were beaten up in Town, whilst crossing the road. It was fast, brutal, over in seconds and all I remembered doing was standing still like a rabbit in the headlights waiting to receive a beating. I vowed I would never find myself hopeless in a situation like that ever again. So I joined the University’s Tae Kwon Do club and went from being beaten up once in 21 years to being beaten up twice a week!
Martial Edge: How did this lead you to Shaolin?
Sifu Marcus Santer: It was a long time before I was fortunate enough to find the Shaolin Wahnam Institute. I got tired of the unstructured kicking and punching, referred to as sparring in the other schools I attended. I finally came to the conclusion that I was just no good at fighting and nearly called it a day with the Martial Arts. I decided to explore Tai Chi Chuan but after a few years I had serious doubts as to its martial effectiveness and was so confused by the over use of esoteric terms (ying/yang, Tao, Wu Wei etc) that I never thought I would be able to do anything worthwhile with it.
It was at this time that I was lucky enough to begin training with Wutan UK in Nottingham. Their Kung Fu classes in particular would prove to be of great benefit to my future with Shaolin Wahnam. But once again I was frustrated as to how to actually use my Kung Fu forms for fighting. One day I found the Shaolin Wahnam website whilst at work and read the entire Q & A series, I knew I had to find out more and went to Spain (August 2000) to learn Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung from Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit and was able to observe his Kung Fu students practicing. I knew that at last I had found what I was looking for, a martial art that promoted health, vitality and that could be used for combat.
Martial Edge: Shaolin is probably one of the most famous styles of martial arts due to its continued presence in Cinema, yet a lot of people do not understand what it actually is. Could you describe the essence of the art?
Sifu Marcus Santer: In my opinion the essence of the Shaolin Arts as taught by the Shaolin Wahnam Institute is to make us better at everything we do in our daily lives. To have more energy to enjoy time with our families and friends. To be able to think clearly and act decisively whilst at work. Shaolin Arts complement our lives physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Martial Edge: How is one awarded the Title of Sifu, and what inspired you to take the route of teaching?
Sifu Marcus Santer: The title of Sifu is award by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit. To be honest I never wanted to take the route of teaching, as a husband and a father I find it hard enough to find time for my own practice, let alone teaching others! It is important to me to be a good student and when I realised that a good student does what their Sifu asks, I began to teach. To me this has been a clear example of how your Sifu knows what is best for your development. Through teaching and organising I have learnt lessons that I would never have encountered through my own practice.
Martial Edge: What are the values you try and instil to your students?
Sifu Marcus Santer: All Shaolin Wahnam students adhere to the 10 Shaolin laws (which interested readers can find by following this link: http://www.wongkk.com/general/laws.html). I also encourage students to work hard and to remember that a sparring partner is there for you to learn from not to dominate.
Martial Edge: Shaolin must require intensive training, how do you find the balance between your own learning and the instruction of your students?
Sifu Marcus Santer: Luckily for me I really enjoy teaching students. I find that it increases my understanding of the Shaolin Arts and helps me to appreciate just how important the basics/fundamentals are. Stance practice and moving in stances may not be exciting but they are the foundations upon which success in Shaolin Kung Fu is built.
Martial Edge: You have recently just returned from time in Malaysia with your sifu, Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit. Please can you share your experiences with us?
Sifu Marcus Santer: 8 hours a day of intense practice in temperatures of 30+ degrees C and humidity levels of 80%+ for 6 days is going to be a physical challenge for most people! But the chance to meet, practice and learn from my Shaolin Wahnam brothers and sisters (all senior students and instructors) was an opportunity not to be missed. As this was an invitation only course the material was of a level I had never encountered before. It has increased my understanding and appreciation of the wonders of the Shaolin Arts and I am honoured and privileged to have been asked to attend.
Martial Edge: what is qigong and what place does these teachings have compared to other alternative treatments such as Acupuncture and other forms of Chinese medicine?
Sifu Marcus Santer: Chi Kung is the Art of Energy. The great thing about Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung is that the student generates an internal energy (chi) flow using gentle external movements. This flow of energy can then be used to remove physical, emotional, mental and spiritual blockages. The best thing about this art is that a student does not have to "direct" the Chi or know where any problems are, Chi knows where it is needed most and goes to work where required. If a student is healthy then the same exercises that are used to overcome illness can be used to increase energy and vitality. Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung allows a student to take responsibility for their own health and well-being. To the best of my knowledge Chi Kung is the oldest of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) systems. I cannot honestly comment on Acupuncture and other forms of TCM, as I do not practice them.
Martial Edge: The achievements of the Shaolin Wahnam Institutes leader Sifu Wong Kiew Kit are well documented. Does the organisation still revolve around his teachings or would you say it has become more self sustaining?
Sifu Marcus Santer: Each instructor as an individual, brings different experiences and has their own unique teaching style. However students can rest assured that all instructors of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute teach the syllabus as created by Sifu.
Martial Edge: Some critics believe the martial arts world in the UK is becoming more sports orientated i.e. less focused on tradition. How is Shaolin responding to those changes and what is the future of Shaolin training in the UK?
Sifu Marcus Santer: The Shaolin Wahnam Institute is committed to the preservation and teaching of genuine, traditional Shaolin Arts. Sifu originally created the Shaolin Wahnam Institute in response to his fear that within the next generation authentic Shaolin Arts would be lost. My belief is that if students wish to get all of the benefits attributed to practicing the Shaolin Arts, then these arts must be practiced as the past Masters originally taught them.
Martial Edge: There are only a handful of qualified and experienced Shaolin Wahnam instructors in the UK. Does this represent the popularity or rather, the Wahnams intention to keep the quality of teaching high?
Sifu Marcus Santer: The Shaolin Wahnam Institute aims to keep quality of teaching high. The small number of instructors represents the fact that Shaolin Wahnam is still relatively new outside of Malaysia. As mentioned earlier, a senior student only becomes an instructor with Sifus authorisation. Sifu has only been actively teaching outside of Malaysia for around 5 years so I believe there are actually quite a few instructors.
Thank you Sifu Marcus Santer for your time.
Sifu Marcus Santer
E-mail: marcus.santer @ shaolinwahnam.co.uk
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