Tag Archives: UC Berkeley

Groups We’ve Worked With

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We are proud to have worked with the following groups that include schools, centers, dorms, students, staff, residents and employees. Let us know if you would like to invite us to conduct a WingChun Self-Defense workshop or demonstration for your personal or professional, community or corporate group.

It would be our pleasure to share valuable information in a dynamic, interesting and professional way. Just tell us your ideas and we’ll be happy to help plan a successful event for you. You may contact us via email at HQ@IAW-US.com or phone at 510-214-2987.

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Unit 3 Outreach

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Our most recent outreach event was at Spens-Black Hall in the Unit 3 Dorm. On November 12, we headed over to tell and show members of this UC Berkeley student residence a bit about the WingChun system.

It’s always a pleasure to offer perspectives that our audience never considered. As a human, a primeval concern is being alive. Self-Defense emerges from this undeniable premise. For most, life is generally safe and fine, but unexpected emergencies can and do happen anytime and anywhere to anyone. We examine and answer this question. How to survive and thrive in a life or death context?

Each time we go out into the community, it is a unique interaction. Although we present similar material, the approach varies. Depending on how the evening unfolds, we either spend more time to clarify crucial concepts or emphasize key movements. Because each listener hears and every observer sees in an individual way, our explanations, analogies, illustrations, and demonstrations are customized. The goal is effective communication. On this point, it seems we have been very successful with our experiences this semester. No one leaves without learning something, knowing better, feeling safer. On our feedback forms, the comments are positive. Sentiments like “Inspiring and useful ideas”, “An unexpectedly fun event”, and “Would love to learn more” are commonly represented.

We look forward to sharing with other groups that will invite us. Once again, Sihing Brandon Solano was my main assistant. We were happily joined by another helpful HQ member, Tyler Gouvea. Our friendly contact and able coordinator was Christina Gee, Unit 3 Health Worker. Thanks to all for your meaningful support.

Stern Hall Outreach

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SternHallOutreach

We had the pleasure of being invited to conduct a WingChun Self-Defense presentation at Stern Hall in Berkeley. The ongoing purpose of these community outreach programs is to spread the specific benefits of WingChun as a strategic Self-Defense system. No participant ever leaves without feeling smarter and safer regarding the ability to avoid and resolve emergency situations. That is our goal in addition to conveying the peripheral, if not essential, results of training WingChun, such as better coordination, faster reflexes, and stronger concentration. Thanks to Naomi Cheng, Stern Hall Resident Assistant, for planning this event, the enthusiatic attendees for being a great audience, and Norm Waleedej, Brandon Solano, and Michael Murphy, newly graduated Assistant and Instructor Degrees, for capably and amicably representing the IAW-US.

Sorority Workshop

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Group photo with some of the Theta girls.

Group photo with some of the happy Theta girls at their house.

Our latest community outreach was another great experience. It is always a pleasure to share the practical relevance of WingChun Self-Defense to new faces, fresh minds. On October 14, the oldest extant sorority and one of the largest at Cal, Kappa Alpha Theta, invited us over to their house to present the protective strategies of our unique system. Despite the pressure of mid-terms, almost 20 girls decided to participate in this introductory training workshop.

They were a focused and engaged audience who gave us their full attention and posed many thoughtful questions. As university students, their concerns mainly related to campus safety and residence security. In as clear terms as possible, our goal was to address these contexts through logical explanations and specific demonstrations. After everyone heard the simple theory and saw the smart power of WingChun, they were ready to feel the direct action.

We anaylzed several common scenarios in order to illustrate a flexible and effective plan to nullify intent attackers. This centered on not waiting or being reactive, but rather making assertive counters. Astute learners, the Thetas immediately grasped the relevance of this proactive approach when confronting dangerous threats. Considering the limited time we had, all did great. It was satisfying to see each girl walk away with greater knowledge and confidence.

Hopefully, we’ll have further opportunities to build upon this beginning. Even though key Self-Defense points were communicated, in order to become fully assured that such skills will be successfully applied in real emergencies, additional practice is necessary. And that’s what we consistently offer through our defined curriculum. Special thanks to Anita Lim who skillfully coordinated and promoted the workshop and also to IAW-US Headquarters students Norm Waleedej, Brandon Solano, and Megan Hemmerle, whose friendly support was extremely helpful.