Grandmaster Sergio Iadarola's Wing Chun Kung Fu Seminar (IWKA)

With Sifu Sergio

IWKA (International Wing Tjun Kung Fu Association) recently had a Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu Seminar by Grandmaster Sergio Iadarola, a renowned Kung Fu Grandmaster. This Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu Seminar happened last May 14, 2011; Saturday 1-6PM, THE PENINSULA, PLANTATION BAY RESORT AND SPA.

Briefing and introductions in the beginning

It was my 1st time participating and doing Kung Fu and Wing Chun, specifically. Tracing my family martial arts background; my great-grandfather in my father's side was chinese and he had ridiculous pain thresholds (As per the stories told to me) and that he did some Tai-Chi with other Kung Fu techniques. Then my Grandfather was a basketball player (pro), street fighter/brawler, grappler and Jeet-Kun-Do follower (Street Fighting was a norm in the Philippines during the time of Martial Law, as they say). Then my dad was a Gymnast who studied Karate, and some Judo. While me, barely studied karate against my will and now a Pacifist :P.

Hand and Footwork forms

What intrigued me with this seminar was of course Kung Fu but what attracted me to it is the drive to connect with my Chinese Heritage. One of the world’s top kung fu grandmasters, Sifu Sergio Iadarola, came to Cebu, Philippines, to conduct an amazing seminar that benefits Mind, Body and Spirit.

Self defense applications

The Seminar Coverage was: Focus on Mind, Spirit and Body; Learn Kung Fu History; Understand Martial Arts Theory, Wing Chun Footwork, Punching, Structure and Chisao. We did some minor stretching and exercise in the beginning then off to the basics of Wing Chun; we immediately moved our body but surprisingly, we had a short lecture-Q&A while we were resting.

The draw back of joining and covering an event at the same time, this is as far as I can have of a self portrait - Footwork!

About Wing Chun:

Wing Chun is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.

The young or physically weak are always the first targets of aggressors. However, ANY person without major physical disabilities can gain self confidence and a level of fitness which will increase their self defense ability. The Wing Chun system is self defense in its most efficient and consistent form. Your own physical strength or prior abilities need not be the decisive factor in a threatening situation.

Kung Fu by the Beach!!!

Wing Chun training will teach you to direct the force of an attack against the attacker, i.e. to “borrow” the energy of the attacker, “charging up” one’s own body and then effortlessly redirecting the energy back against its source. The Wing Chun system is one of the very few self defense systems that prepare you for every phase of a fight, using feet, fists, elbows and knees. Instead of retreating, a Wing Chun student will advance and glue themselves to their assailant, rendering them unable to continue their attack. This proximity, combined with well-defined movements, will force the attacker into a helpless position.

Rest time was utilized for a history lecture on chinese and wing chun with Q & A

About Sifu Sergio Iadarola:

The GM of the IWKA Sifu Sergio Pascal Iadarola started his martial arts career at the age of six with the Japanese art of Judo in the Dutch capital Amsterdam (Holland). At the age of twelve he studied Pencak Silat (Pamur style) and Wado Kai Karate. During this time he was a big Bruce Lee fan and read everything that had something to do with him. Even writing letters with some of Bruce’s early students like James de Mile and Jesse Glover. During these times Sifu Sergio visited as much martial art schools as possible in Amsterdam together with a group of his friends to see the classes or take lessons in the diverse arts the city had to offer.

In 1987 he also started training in the Wing Chun system under Sifu R. Vogel and Grandmaster Wang Kiu, After about two months of training, he read the book Wing Tsun Kuen by Grandmaster Leung Ting (closed door disciple of the late Grandmaster Yip Man). After reading the book he discontinued his training at Sifu Vogel’s school after around 4 months of training and started looking for a Leung Ting system affiliated school.

Participants trying out Chisao - sensitivity training

During a trip to Asia in that year his dream came true when he met his Sigung Grandmaster Leung Ting in Hong Kong privately before having seen him only during his European seminars. After being adopted as a private student by his Sigung Leung Ting, he first went to Zagreb to finish the unarmed system under Sifu Slavko Truntic, so that his Sigung Leung Ting only had to correct him. He took more than 100 hours of private lessons from the Grandmaster in the period of January 1998 till October 2001 in Hong Kong, Sun Tak and even going on vacation with his Sigung in USA Miami to study. During the periods in Hong Kong often several months at the time he had the good fortune to be able to sleep across the school from GM Leung Ting at the house of his friend’s aunt and eventually finishing and receiving the corrections of the whole unarmed system of Leung Ting WT under his Sigung in the year 2000.

Read the full biography at www.SifuSergio.com

Sifus, Students, and participants!

The seminar is awesome and gave me some body-ache for about 3-days, but it was well worth it! For source and more information visit Kung Fu Cebu!