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Is Kung-Fu Difficult? Sifu Garry McKenzie - Fighters Magazine - November 2001 Garry McKenzie with Top Wing Chun master Leun Gai in Faat Saan. Victor J.T Appiah interviews Sifu Garry McKenzie Is Kung-Fu Difficult? - This is a question which I put to Wing Chun Kung Fu sifu Garry McKenzie, who besides teaching Kung-Fu, speaks fluent Chinese ( Cantonese ), and is able to read and write in Chinese too. He visits Faat Saan ( Buddha Mountain ) in Southern China, the home of Wing Chun Kung-Fu, yearly where he trains and discusses martial arts issues with many famous Wing Chun masters. I tracked Sifu McKenzie down to his club in Central London West End, and this is what he had to say, - learning Kung-Fu is not so difficult. "It's just like going to school. It can be divided into three stages, each stage requiring three years or more of training. The first stage is basic works; the second stage is to consolidate it; the third is more advanced instruction and then refining it to perfection." "The satisfactory completion of the first stage is said to be a minor attainment, the second a moderate, and the third a major attainment. As there is no clear distinction between the first and second stage, it is more commonly referred to as 'three year a minor attainment; ten years a major attainment.'" "A minor attainment implies the establishing of a solid base, which is equivalent to junior high school. To have achieved a major attainment is like having gone through university and doing more advanced and specialised study and research. How much one achieves in their mastering of Kung-Fu depends on how much effort one puts in. Similarly, how one performs in school depends on how much time they spend on their homework. Having a good teacher or competent instructor is important, but personal effort is of paramount importance to the final result." "Foundation-building in Kung-Fu is important as it is to a building project. A building's size and height is governed by it's foundation. We certainly could not attempt to erect a high-rise building on a foundation that was meant to support a small house. To relate this, in Kung-Fu if one only prepares for a minor attainment that is where they will stay. If major or better attainment is desired, one must fortify their foundation. In other words, the foundation must befit the project. With a solid foundation, one can plan and build to their own desire." "Kung-Fu practitioners should from the beginning build a foundation that is meant for a major attainment, or at least moderate attainment. It was on this belief that Kung-Fu practitioners of the past paid undivided attention to foundation building. It was not unusual to see beginners being told to do so for up to three - five years before the first punch was thrown." Is Kung Fu Difficult? - Part 2

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