1. Technician WTAA - Wing Tsun Art Association - 07/19
Why did I start WT ... ??? July 92
The addition “and continued in 2015” should complete the circle. There are now more than 27 years in between. In the following I would like to deduce why I started in Burladingen WT (EWTO) back then. Likewise, my upbringing and my environment explained a maturation process in the years that followed, which has continued to this day and which has run like a red thread through my life. That is why I would like to address the aforementioned group in the introduction. A circle of life that has sent me on personal development and will continue to intensify.
In the elaboration of this essay, a second, important storyline emerged, which I will then go into in more detail in the course of the exposition
Chapter 1 - The Trigger 1992
Chapter 2 - the beginning and gain experience until 1999
Chapter 3 - Distraction and Second Attempt 2004
Chapter 4 - Arrival and third attempt in 2015
Chapter 5 - Conclusion and Outlook
Chapter 1 - the trigger
In 1992 I was 17 years old and so far I had had a great childhood. We, I have two younger brothers, were missing nothing. Due to a niche in the market that my father built up in the textile sector in the 1970s, the 1980s were characterized by luxury and no financial worries. It was as if I had lived embedded in a Konkon, the school went along with it and my interests were sports and friends. Through my mother, I noticed the courtesy and empathic, and sometimes also sensitive, traits. I go into my personality and essential character traits because this reflects my basis for Asian art not only in the spirit and in the heart and these have shaped me since then. This also includes, for example, the ability to avoid arguments and to resolve them with too much emotion through conversations. Unfortunately, a cornerstone was laid with this aspect, which has pacifist characteristics. This should show up again later in the course of the applications. In addition, through my upbringing, I was able to get to know Far Eastern philosophies such as yoga but also autogenic training.
In the youth, as already mentioned, the world was still in order. Then at seventeen my first girlfriend, disco, driving test. It was approaching high school. Then, sometime in the months in between, I went to a disco in Ebingen with friends. I can still remember the moment very clearly. Up to this point there have been no physical arguments in my life, no public argument scenes that could not be resolved verbally. There just weren't any opportunities to do so. And I also deliberately avoided this aggressive dispute.
It all happened very quickly. On the dance floor I had my eyes closed and I must have touched someone. After that, all I could remember was lying on the floor with a bloody nose. My friends were there immediately, but the other one, whom I hadn't even seen, had already run away with his friends. The next day I looked at my bloody shirt and swore to myself that something like this shouldn't happen again and if so, then I should at least be able to defend myself accordingly or to strike a suitable blow.
The decision was clear, I had to learn self-defense back in 1992.
I haven't forgotten the moment when I got to know my - until today - Sihing. By pure coincidence (are there actually coincidences ??) I first came across Sulaiman in Burladingen on the main street above the video library in the fitness center at the reception. At first I thought it was the trainer who trains WT in this glass case. It quickly turned out that this was not the case. It was a great moment, Sihing Ataman greeted me with a smile that was sure of victory. A firm handshake as to whether I would like to take part? And so I was officially a student of the European Wing Tsung umbrella organization with my Sihing from June 1st, 1992. To this day I see this encounter, back then at the counter in the fitness center, as fateful!
Chapter 2 - The Beginning & Gaining Experience
I have very good memories of student grades 1-4, as I was able to continue to practice what I had learned together with my brother at home. The training was tough, there was a strict atmosphere, with the aim of maintaining and living respect for the martial arts training but also for higher-ranking people at all times. I had no problem with that at all.
We students were allowed to warm up in the attic during training in winter. In the meantime, my Sihing's school had moved up one floor. We practiced ground fighting on the wooden slats and sometimes, at the end of a training session, free fighting was rehearsed, sometimes with protectors and protection, sometimes without, it was tough but always trained to prepare realistically for an emergency. I remember keeping a practice racket broken in half and broken on my back as a relic at home.
At Sifu Tassos I got the 5th student grade. In the course he demonstrated an exercise to all of his students. The student lost his tooth. Tassos was also upset about it and gave him another one to ask whether he is still a student at Tassos?
During this time, I went on further courses in Winterlingen or in Mengen with Sifu Boztepe and Ataseven, both of which I have fond memories.
Another highlight was the course in Livorno, Italy:
It was hot and I learned a lot in the courses that were spread out over the whole week. In the evening I was even allowed to train on the beach with Sifu Avci. Of course, my Sihing was there too. He introduced me to everyone, I was even allowed to shake hands with Grandmaster Dai-Sifu Kernspecht and Sigung Leung Ting. For the first time I saw something of a form of health that Leung Ting exemplified.
In the years up to then, I had built up a good, friendly relationship with my Sihing, which was based on respect and honesty and rested on a deep foundation of trust.
By 1998 I had reached the 8th grade. Interestingly, in all the years I haven't experienced a single stressful situation outside of training. I knew deep down that I wanted to stay away from such a situation. I just had the feeling that I wasn't ready yet.
This feeling of not having arrived yet and of not entering into a fight so steadily and confidently inside, I would like to go into more detail about this later.
Furthermore, I would like to address an event that has shamed me to this day. During this time there were many festivals and celebrations and it happened that I met my Sihing after a few beers on the way home. I can still remember that we used ChiSao with no success. I am still ashamed of this event to this day because I am sure that my Shing, being a very good expert on people, noticed this immediately.
Chapter 3 - Distraction and Second Attempt 2004
In the meantime, the first private bankruptcy and the sale of the house was completed. Business plans were drawn up which provided for the transfer of debts to the children. During this time I started my studies in Reutlingen (textile management). I joined a student union, together with my father I was more on business trips, including a lot in Turkey, than when I was studying.
Even when I was studying abroad in South Korea, I consciously thought and lived WT. However, in these years I hardly got any more training or it became less, with my studies also with my father's business it was simply more in the foreground to continue learning the Asian martial art.
The school and the headquarters of my Sihing were meanwhile in Hechingen:
At that time I wasn't really aware of the difference between EWTO and WTAA, it was always important to me to follow my Sihing, because I had great confidence in him. At that time, all EWTO documents were rewritten.
In 2005 I was again on the 12 student grade, this time with the techniques that my Sihing brought with me from the WTAA (Wing Tsun Art Association) and we have just started with the sections on first technician, so I had to move to Singapore for several years Business out. I didn't come back until 2010, the family was in the foreground, then with three boys again too little time to really grapple with my goal of becoming a technician.
During this time I ran a lot, but always had the WTAA and my Sihing in the background, an unfulfilled dream to intensify and expand my knowledge here.
Chapter 4 - Arrival and third attempt in 2015
My father became terminally ill with cancer. I asked myself what is really important in life.
The time was right to go to my Sihing one more time and ask him if I could do general schooling with him.
My goal: to reach the 1st technician.
And now it really started!
My Sihing explained all the important fighting principles to me again:
If the way is clear, push forward
If you run into resistance, stick with it
If the resistance is too strong, give in
If the opponent withdraws, follow
Free yourself from your own strength
Free yourself from the power of the enemy
Use your opponent's power against him
Add your own power
Chapter 5 - Conclusion and Outlook
My whole family is now training, my wife is even allowed to take private lessons with my Sihing.
Why did I start WT in 1992 and didn't make my goal tangible until 2019?
I think that the needs but also the personality can be adjusted through certain events. My Sihing notices everything, he has the special gift of precisely recognizing people with their characteristics but also with their strengths and weaknesses.
Just like in my case.
It was a stroke of luck, back in 1992, to meet my only Sihing.
And here comes the second storyline (which I wanted to build up between the lines): to have the knowledge, in addition to the great techniques that I was allowed to learn, to get to know a person, a friend who supports and builds my personality.
I wish my children and my wife this experience.
And to this day I am very grateful for having met my Sihing,
and to be trained by him.
WTAA is the martial art that is brought to life and meaning solely by Dai-Sifu Ataman.
At the same time with the realization that you can approach the great philosophy behind it
to get to know and at the same time to learn this through him.
The way is the goal and I consider it fateful
to walk this path together with my Sihing ... and have done so for over 27 years.
Thank you, dear Sihing, in deep awe, with pride, humility and with great respect, your ToDai
