60 years

today Grandmaster Leung Ting celebrates his 60th birthday. since many people have heard or read things about him and formed opinions without actually meeting or knowing him, i would like to say a few words here about him.

Grandmaster Leung Ting has worked tirelessly for over 40 years to develop, teach, and promote WingTsun. one of the things about him that struck me (insert joke on getting hit by his fist, etc.) was how much he loves WingTsun. i consider myself to love WingTsun, but when i saw how much effort and enthusiasm GMLT put into teaching a brand new beginner, after over three decades of teaching, it made me realize why he has been so successful. he loves WingTsun, and his passion and goal has been to promote, develop, and grow WingTsun. he does not tell you how great he is or why he is the best; he tells you how great WingTsun is and why it works well and makes logical sense. the problem of overbearing egos exists across all martial arts, and pretty much all areas of life. i will even draw criticism to individuals within the IWTA, who also make the self-centered choice of trying to promote themselves instead of promoting WingTsun.

in the long run, nearly all of us will no longer matter in the history of 詠春拳. but Grandmaster Leung Ting's impact and influence has already been written into history. so hopefully, on this day that marks 60 years since his birth, he understands that, despite all the doubters and haters, there are those of us who respect and appreciate all he has done for the art of 詠春拳.