Master Chan is interviewed for Fighters Magazine July 1992 

The July 1992 issue of Fighters Magazine featured Kevin Chan on th front cover and centrefold, and published this article under their "Fighters Superstar" banner.

WITHIN THE MARTIAL ARTS styles and systems vary, not only from master to master, and instructor to instructor, but also from instructor to student. One of the most universal questions posed by beginners contemplating learning a martial art must surely be "what style, which system." How does a beginner ascertain with little or no knowledge of martial arts, which will be best suited for him. And then, once accepted into the framework of instruction is it inevitable that the student eventually turns out a carbon copy of his instructor? A lot, I suppose, depends upon the people concerned (both student and instructor). There are some instructors who recognise this fact. Whilst not exactly straying away from the classical guidelines and the basic foundations of the system, at the same time acknowledge that if students are to become individualistic, they (the student) must add a part of their own personality, thought patterns, and technique applications to their overall learning. In this way both the student and the style grow, rather than becoming stale and unexciting. This new force in the field, as it were, this next generation thinking allows a system, or style, to live and take on an identity for that particular time zone, whenever it may be. Ultimately the style grows and becomes great, rather than stagnating to eventually drift into obscurity and extinction. One wonders how many styles and systems from long ago have followed this path and are no longer with us? One instructor that has been quick to recognise this fact, and is doing something about it, is Wing Chun Sifu Kevin Chan.

Transmit knowledge
Kevin Chan, who is a professional instructor and has clubs in London and all around the South Coast, feels that it is a duty for an instructor to transmit his knowledge to each student. That knowledge should not only contain the classical framework or platform of the system, but also, once assimilated by the student, should then take knowledge a step further.
Kevin comments: "I respect the basic concepts of Wing Chun, such things like the 'centre line theory' and the 'economy of motion theory'. But after a while at, say, the advanced stages you have to use your initiative to develop your own particular style of Wing Chun. No one man is the same, so therefore no one Wing Chun person is the same. Everyone has their own differences like, for instance, Ip Ching (Yip Man's son and brother to Ip Chun) who looks very different the way he does his Wing Chun to the way that Ip Chun does it."
"Development in Wing Chun and for that matter, any martial discipline, has to come from within. The Yip Man Martial Arts Association steered a path for me, and has directed me, through the Wing Chun system, from my first sifu, Steven Mair, to my present sifu, Master Samuel Kwok. It was Steven who saw my potential and pushed me towards Master Kwok, who then consequently pushed me towards my training in Hong Kong with Grandmaster Ip Chun."
"All this was not only inspirational to me but also made me realise that if one is to grow then this is a stepping stone of excellence within tuition, ie from one instructor to another, each being a step up on the ladder, not only in technique but also in philosophical content, which leads ultimately to one's development on all levels, from personal growth to excellence of technique. Put succinctly, you become a better person and a better instructor. None of my instructors have ever tried to hog the limelight or claim to be the best. They each guided me along the path off my journey, letting go when the time came and handing me to the next capable guide to continue my studies."
"I can teach my students technique, but at the end of the day Wing Chun is about using the basic techniques and theories, and formulating your own ideas incorporating them within the framework of Wing Chun and within your own individualistic fighting principles. The purpose of the Yip Man Martial Arts Association is to help people (students) realise their potential, to educate them and help them through a cultural martial arts practise and discipline. Health and fitness are a first priority. Even though Wing Chun is more than 300 years old I see it as a martial discipline for the 21st century. This is because the style has a holistic approach to its training and practise."
"The new thinking in the last decade or so has led the martial arts masters, most notably Wing Chun, to hold nothing back. There are no lost secrets, or hidden techniques, it is quite simply down to if you are eager to learn, willing to work hard, and give part of yourself to the mental discipline, then it is all there for you! I believe that there are certain quantities you must have in order to progress not just in Wing Chun but in all the martial arts. These are courage, determination, and initiative. A natural fighter possesses all of these. We (instructors) can train and develop these characteristics in individuals through the training in classes."
"Please do not be mislead about talk of 'new methods' and short cuts to excellence, as anyone can (and will) tell you, anyone that has made it to the top that is. There is only one way, that is through a thorough grounding in traditional training to act as a platform or base. When you lay a good foundation the rest of what then comes is solid also. A weak foundation only builds a structure likened to a house of cards. One blow and it all comes tumbling down. Hard work comes next. You often hear people say about good fighters and great champions 'that they were lucky'. There is no such thing. There is an old saying about 'LUCK'. The harder you work the luckier you get!' I think that says it all."
Kevin continues: "Each student, through training, becomes an individual in his, or her, own right. They will develop a fighting system for themselves that works. Unlike many instructors I am not averse to looking outside my own system for techniques that are applicable. I think that if you are foolish enough to live behind closed doors you see a limited world and gain a limited viewpoint. Only people that fear close the door, and lock things out and themselves in! To view with negative eyes only lets you see a limited viewpoint and horizon. Be aware of what others are doing, but at the same time don't try and run around taking a bit from here and a bit from there, because that never works. If you are going to extract something, a point of view, a workable technique, a training ideal, then take it for a reason, learn how it works and why it works, and ask yourself can I use it?"
Inspiring
"Some years ago I went to Thailand and trained in Muay Thai. I found it not only hard but also inspiring. It is obviously very different from Wing Chun and I learnt much, thus in my own classes this knowledge is then passed on. Learning Thai Boxing gave me another viewpoint on martial arts and another area in which to train in. For instance, in Wing Chun we make much use of elbow techniques, so do the Thai boxers, albeit differently. Knowledge of both methods obviously makes you more aware and in a fight potentially more dangerous."
"I adopted some of these methods, and they work for me. My advanced students, once they are totally acquainted with the traditional system of Wing Chun, will then get the benefit as I pass these techniques on. Because of their good traditional grounding they will be adept and intelligent enough to work with the techniques and make them work for themselves. You see I stress individualism all the time. Until you know one system fully it is ridiculous to play around with techniques from other systems, because you won't be clever enough to see the flaws. If you are going to identify with other systems, first and foremost Know Your Own inside and out!"
"Some time ago grandmaster lp Chun recommended a book to me, `The Doctrine of the Mean' by Confucius (a great Confucian classic, Ed.). I have read the book many times and what I took from it I applied to my own life. For instance, what I took for the 'Mean' is the centre line of Wing Chun. The 'Mean' is always getting back to the centre line. If you move to much away from the centre line you create unwanted areas or gaps, potential targets for an enemy or opponent. From fighting you can then apply this 'Mean' to your daily life. So you always have to get back to your centre line. Take, for instance, if I was drifting, looking at other arts or something, I would always get back to my centre line which is, of course, Wing Chun."
"Wing Chun is the centre line, for me it is the 'Mean'. When dealing with others you have to be flexible, and whilst holding your own principles, understand the weaknesses of others. Never try and justify your own self worth by dropping your standards to any level. You should be confident in your own skills and the knowledge you possess. Everyone's values are developed through experience in life, as a result their interpretation of things are greatly different from that of the next man. So likewise people have different interpretations of Wing Chun, because they hold different values. There is a great opposite in my own life for instance." "I was born in the UK of Chinese parents and had my first kung fu lesson with an English Wing Chun sifu, then went on to train under the Grandmaster. So in effect I have travelled the opposite route. I think this has allowed me to see the broader spectrum of things, the two sides of the coin. I have been allowed to see the Eastern and Western approach to the subject."

"Because of this my approach to teaching is different. Because, unfortunately, we live in a 'fast food society', transmission of skills cannot be as it was in days gone by. It has to be reasonably quick for the modern day student. So a system like Wing Chun to me would seem ideal to learn. The teaching methods I use and the technique transmission has proved to be highly successful. I don't tell my students 'Do this technique, and that technique'. I show them moves and then they work it out for themselves. Many people mistake Wing Chun to be all punching, fast and hard. It's not! There is a lot more to it than that. It's all about learning to walk before you can run. Basic theory in Wing Chun is learning about movement and developing energy, feeling for your opponent's energy and using it against him. In one aspect Wing Chun is an enigma, because the techniques are not hard to learn, but the real secret (if there is one) behind Wing Chun is learning about the use of energy and developing that energy to work for you!"
Sifu Kevin Chan was born in Inverness, Scotland, of Chinese parents and lives (most of his life) in England. His uncle, in Hong Kong, teaches a little-known style of kung fu known as Kuen-Mo, which is his uncle's own developed style. The system has concepts of Wing Chun built into it and Kevin has a good working knowledge of the style.
Story and pictures by PETER LEWIS