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What inspired me to study Martial Arts is the determination to master the Art of Self-Defence. I began my Martial Arts training in the mid-1970's in Karate, Wushu and Lau Gar Kung Fu.
In early 1980, I discovered the most popular, practical and effective style of Martial Art, "Wing Chun", which has been specially developed to give women an advantage over an attacker who may be bigger and stronger, without necessitating a repertoire of high kicks and turns, so I enrolled myself in the Wing Chun Martial Arts Academy.
it does not rely on brute strength
for its effectiveness."
- Fujian White Crane
In 1983, I appeared on the BBC program"The Way of The Warrior", narrated by Dennis Waterman. The critics have described my contribution to the film as "outstanding". The program was shown again by the BBC in June 1989.
& repeated in June 1989
In March 1987, I participated in a demonstration organised by the People of China, held at Camden Lock, North London. The public viewed it as a "sensational performance".
at Camden Lock, North London in March 1987
In 1988, I was an Assistant Instructor, and started teaching Women's Self-Defence on Sundays and assisted the main classes during the week at the Academy.
In June 1988, "Fitness" magazine published my article on Women's Self-Defence, featuring the Wing Chun style of Martial Art. In the same year I was offered a proposal to produce a short series on the Art of non-aggressive self-defence based on Wing Chun, by Chameleon Television Ltd.
Through the "S.O.S" Campaign ( Spotlight On Safety ), run by the Royal College of Nursing, I demonstrated the Art of Wing Chun to nurses in London to combat violence in hospitals and nurses homes. It was featured in the News column in London's Evening Standard in 1988 and The Nursing Times in 1989.
organised by the Royal College of Nursing in 1989
In 1989, I was invited to participate in an exhibition, "Fighting Spirits", a profile of the female Martial Artist, organised by the Inner London Education Authority. I received another invitation by the International Martial Arts Organisation from Holland to teach women from all over the World.
organised by the Inner London Education Authority in 1989
In early 1992, I left The Wing Chun Martial Arts Academy to continue my journey for further research into the training of the Internal Arts, such as "Qigong".
In late 1994, I began my Qigong training at the Qigong Centre, whilst simultaneously keeping in touch with my Wing Chun training.
In 1997, I was an Assistant Instructor in Qigong, based in London.
In November 1999 , I conducted a Qigong workshop for nurses in the London Clinic for 3 months. Following that, the editor of the Nursing Standard approached me to participate in writing an article called "Making Time Campaign". This aimed to help nurses to achieve a healthy balance between life and work. To my surprise, I had won the award for writing the article and it was featured in the Nursing Standard magazine in November 1999.
In March 2000, I opened my first school in Chiswick, London, under The Qigong Centre, hoping to pass on my knowledge and skills in both Wing Chun and Qigong. Later that year in November, during a National Stress Awareness Day, I was invited back to conduct another workshop for nurses and office staff at the London Clinic. I felt very honoured that my name appeared again, this time in the new column of the Nursing Standard magazine.
so others can appreciate this martial arts style."
- Grandmaster Lay Wing Sung
Life is a journey filled with opportunities to learn and meet people. In 1982, I met two brothers, Garry and David McKenzie, and I am greatly inspired by their kind, patient and humble personalities. Garry runs The Wing Chun School in Hackney, London, and I have been fortunate to have been able to train with Garry at his school, which he opened in 1987.
April 2005, was a turning point for the Chiswick school as we left The Qigong Centre and amalgamated with The Wing Chun School.
In June 2008, I and members of The Wing Chun School participated in a demonstration in support for the "Sporting Futures" at the Lee Valley festival, North London. The event was a success.
In October 2008, I traveled to Hong Kong and China with a group of my students and other members of The Wing Chun School. The purpose of this trip was to meet reputable and respectable Wing Chun Masters and Grandmasters like Wan Kam Leung, Tsui Seung Tin, Ip Chun and Sigong Ip Ching and to visit Ip Man Tong (Museum) to see the Wing Chun heritage. Whilst we were out there, we also visited the "Chin Hoo School" where "Fist of Fury" was filmed, the "Wong Fei Hung" museum at the Ancestral Temple in Foshan, South China and all other interesting places. During our two weeks school trip, our daily activities started with early morning training in the Kowloon Park, once at the beach in Lantau Island and we would end the day in the evening visiting and training with other Sifus, students, Masters and Grandmasters in their schools.
In May 2011, I was invited to do a talk on BBC live radio about the practicality and effectiveness of Wing Chun, as Hong Kong Airlines is providing training in Wing Chun Kung Fu for it's cabin crew as a means of restraining unruly passengers.
My life-long challenge is to impart my knowledge and skills of the Wing Chun art form. Wing Chun has 400 years history, dating back to it's creators Ng Mui, Madame Yim Wing Chun to the late Great Grandmaster Ip Man.
Without skill, strength cannot be brought to bear
and without strength, knowledge may not be applied."
- Alexander The Great's Chief Physician
The Wing Chun School teaches the system based on Ip Man key principles "Economy of Motion" & "Conservation of Energy". It is a pragmatic form of self-defence suitable for men, women and children.
Both Wing Chun and Qigong are an excellent way of improving overall health and keeping fit.
Most importantly my role as a Sifu is to ensure that the tradition and the Chinese arts "Wing Chun" & "Qigong" are preserved for the next generation.
that which has been learned well by one generation
can be passed on to a hundred."
- Kano Jigoro, Founder of Judo
Sifu Bee Loh is a Certified Instructor by the VTAA (Ving Tsun Athletic Association) and is a Certificated Instructor by the UK Medical Qigong Centre, and also a lifetime member of the VTAA as well as being a Registered First Aider.
B H Loh explains how the invention of a Buddhist nun can help.
Women today are living in fear of unpredictable attacks like mugging, grievous bodily harm and rape. Faced with such circumstances different people act in different ways: for example, some would freeze with terror, others might break down and become hysterical. Trying to defend yourself by attacking vital parts of your assailant's body is not easy in a panic situation.
It is important for us to come to terms with the fact that we live in this kind of unpredictable society and women who learn some form of self-defence are being realistic. The first line of self-defence is natural awareness and this can be improved to the point of becoming second nature with training. Training also helps overcome fear, a stumbling block in effective self-defence.
Wing Chun is a form of the Chinese martial art, Kung Fu. It was begun by a Buddhist nun called Ng Mui some 400 years ago. She had observed a fight between a white crane and a snake and decided to use the movements of the two animals to devise a system of self-defence based on the importance of the shortest distance between two points. The techniques were further developed by her female pupil, Yim Wing Chun, who lent her name to the art. In Chinese the name 'Wing Chun' means 'perpetual springtime'. The system was passed down through generations to the last great Master, Yip Man, the teacher of the legendary Bruce Lee.
Wing Chun teaches the development of strength, posture, correct hand and arm movements, and how to shift the stances of advance and retreat. It also develops the sensitivity of the forearms to the movements of an opponent producing fast reaction in close combat.
A number of conditioning aids are used for increasing strength - the wooden dummy, for example. This is also a training aid for developing framework, power and co-ordination of hand and footwork, and fluidity of movements. In practice sessions the trainee gradually begins to fight with the dummy as though it were a live opponent - hence its label as the 'silent teacher'.
The sandbag is also used in training to develop the power of the punch and the chop and of elbow strikes, which are very effective at close range: the hardness of the elbow means that little further conditioning is necessary. The two types of elbow strikes are those which travel horizontally and those which travel vertically.
Kicking techniques in Wing Chun are divided into three basic 'below the waist line' types, all performed on the sandbag or suspended bag, the front thrusting kick, the side thrusting kick and the slanting thrusting kick. The kicking techniques have two functions - (a) to increase the power in the legs ( which is several times greater than that of the punch ) and (b) to improve the stability of the stance.
Double arm chi-sau ( sticking hands) is an unending process of changing hand techniques. It helps to develop faster reflex actions in the use of the hands and strengthens the power of the elbows.
Wing Chun is just as much a form of defence as it is of attack; the two are not mutually exclusive. Clothing will not restrict the use of its techniques because in many cases minimum movements can produce maximum effect. These easy-to-learn movements suit the female physique as they are graceful yet tremendously fast and powerful - they are based on using the opponent's strength to counter-attack rather than to dominate. Another advantage over other martial arts is that the stature and suppleness of the learner does not play an important part in mastering Wing Chun, which is already one of the most popular styles in Hong Kong today and is gradually becoming so in the UK.
The techniques of Wing Chun have been specially developed to give women an advantage over attackers who are bigger and stronger without necessitating a repertoire of high kicks and turns. The movements are performed in a swift and continuous flow.
Wing Chun contributes towards improving self-awareness and self-confidence in women. Like many other sports it is a social activity and an excellent way to keep fit and lose weight. ( Students are put on a set training program and given tips on general health and diet. ) The period of time taken to master the art depends on the determination of the individual but, learned with the right attitude and in the right spirit, it will effectively transform your personality in a positive way.
Picture of B H Loh in action taken by Maggie Murray for Foundation of Women Martial Artists.
"I do Wing Chun because I enjoy it and I love the art. I started Wing Chun when I was six years old as I was getting bullied and wanted to learn self-defence. Since training under Sifu Bee I've been able to stick up for myself, and have been able to teach a few bullies not to mess with me even when they were bigger and older than me. My Mum and Dad also like me training as it has given me discipline and they say I'm less lazy. Also since I've been doing Wing Chun my asthma has improved a lot."
"I have been doing Wing Chun for 4 years now and I have loved every single minute! Getting the highest score when I took my test for the yellow belt is something I am very proud and happy of achieving. I hope to show my warrior spirit and get the highest score when I take my test for the green belt."
"The Way Of The Warrior Is A Way Of Life
And Can Never Be Considered As A Hobby
Unless You Are Seeking Only To Impress
Others With Your Techniques"
- Miyamoto Musashi
"I started my Martial Arts journey when I was previously attacked and beaten up, that was when I decided to take up self-defence. During my quest, I heard of a style called "Wing Chun". An ancient Chinese fighting art created by a Buddhist nun, who passed the skill to her female student named Yim Wing Chun. Therefore the style was named after her. This style is practical, effective and does not rely on brute strength to overcome an opponent who is bigger and stronger.
In 2009, I decided to pay a visit to The Wing Chun School, Chiswick run by Bee Loh Sifu. After watching, I knew that it was just what I was looking for and got myself enrolled. In June 2011, I had the opportunity to participate in the video clips for the school web site. It is also a privilege to be able at times to help Sifu start the class.
In November 2011, I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong with groups of Sifus, Sihings and students. The highlights of my trip were visiting Sigong Ip Ching at his home, daily training in Kowloon Park and visiting other Masters/Grandmasters at their schools.
In December 2011, after two and half years of training, I passed my 1st grading with the highest marks. My aspiration is to train harder with discipline, dedication and passion. This will enable me to achieve my final goal to become a Sifu!!"
"Perseverance And All Year-Round Training, In The Dog Days Of Summer
And The Coldest Days Of Winter, Is The Way To Learn Real Kung Fu"
- Saying From The Shaolin Temple
25 years Dedication & Commitment to the Wing Chun Art in October 2007
the 21st anniversary of The Wing Chun School on the 25th September 2011
Sifu Bee Loh
Sifu Bee Loh
"Always a student.
Sometimes a teacher"
- International Kapap Federation
last day at the Wing Chun Athletic Association
John Robinson hand positions, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong
Student Natali Deftereos
Student Mark Bauer
Student Chin Mo Li
"It was an inspiration to meet Grandmaster Tsui Seung Tin who has a warm, friendly and genial personality. He gave us a warm reception when we visited his school. His approach to Wing Chun is different but he was willing to show and teach us. He is such a genuine and true Master of the art. He has plenty more to share with all Wing Chun practitioners who are willing to empty their cups to learn from him.
"Nothing is impossible to a willing mind" - from the Books of Han Dynasty".
"Grandmaster Wan Kam Leung was another inspiration person to meet, who has a pleasant and generous personality. His approach to Wing Chun is different too but he was willing to share with us. It was interesting to know how each Wing Chun Masters has their own attributes to the system. This certainly will help us to broaden our awareness towards the art."
Sifu Garry McKenzie and students, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong
by applying Dar Sau Jik Siu Sau
"Bruce Lee's Story"), Kowloon Park, Hong Kong
"During lunch with Grandmaster Wan Kam Leung, he demonstrated briefly one of his hard qigong skills, placing a chop stick on his throat and it snapped into three pieces. It was an amazing and breath-taking experience for us. What a performance and skillful Master of the art."
"I am deeply and passionately devoted to this style of Martial Art - "Wing Chun". It is the most fascinating fighting art system I have ever come across. The movements are so graceful and yet it is fast, effective and powerful, especially the deadly accurate straight line attacks without the use of unnecessary force to defeat an opponent, contribute to the uniqueness and supremacy of the Wing Chun system."
Sifu Bee Loh
"The less effort, the faster
and more powerful you will be."
- Bruce Lee
"The trip to Hong Kong was an inspiring experience. Meeting Sigong Ip Ching, spending a week end in Fatshan and training on a beach are just some of many unforgettable highlights for me, and I am grateful for having been given the opportunity by The Wing Chun School to go on this journey."
Student Mark Bauer
"The trip to Hong Kong was a great opportunity to immerse yourself in Wing Chun. It was interesting to see other interpretations of the art with different Masters and their explanations. The morning sessions in Kowloon Park ( although hot and sweaty ) were also a great way to train with other members of The Wing Chun School who we do not always get to meet regularly. We also got to see the history and culture of Wing Chun in our trip to Fatshan, also seeing the "Chin Hoo School" and it's coverage of other Chinese Martial Arts."
Student Chin Mo Li
and Bruce Lee's friend), Kowloon Park, Hong Kong.
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