David Peterson
Interview
(Page 3)
[Martial Direct] You mentioned that some of your students have competed in MMA events. Can you give us some specifics on how they faired? And have you personally ever competed in these types of events?
[David Peterson] Over the years both myself and some of my guys have competed in a variety of MMA events, some non-contact, some semi-contact, and several full-contact in nature, with very good results. In fact one of my students, Nick Mason, won his preliminary fight into the finals for the 'Australian Kung-fu Federation Full-contact Championships' (Victorian Finals, Middle-weight Title Division) in under 25 seconds by knockout, and the State Title a week later in three rounds!
[MD] Can you tell us briefly the differences in the Wong Shun Leung method and other schools of Wing Chun?
[DP] Well, without trying to cause a flame-war or provoke my peers from other lineages, let me say that the "WSL Way" differs by virtue of not beating around the bush, but of ALWAYS attacking the opponent as our response to ALL situations, utilizing the most SIMPLE, DIRECT & EFFICIENT method available to us. All training drills reflect this approach, thus we never allow ourselves to "chase the hands" of our adversary, even in 'Chi Sau' practice, and we inject as much realism as possible in our training, employing as much psychological and emotional preparation as we do physical fighting skills, allowing the students to become comfortable and confident under the kind of pressures that they will face on the street.
[MD] I read on your website that you are fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese dialects. Where did you learn the languages and what were your reasons for doing so?
[DP] I initially began informal Mandarin lessons in exchange for English tuition with some Taiwanese classmates when my interest in Chinese culture was sparked by a history teacher that I had in my Year 10 class in high school. Eventually I ended up studying Chinese as my major study in a humanities degree at the University of Melbourne. Many of my friends were Chinese, a lot of them Cantonese speakers, plus I had a great love for Hong Kong cinema and the Chinese martial arts, so through those influences, and of course while training in Hong Kong with Sifu, I eventually picked up Cantonese as well.
[MD] You have done how many seminar tours in the USA? 2? When will you be doing another one?
[DP] I have done 2 seminar tours of the USA, one in 1998 when I taught in Los Angeles and Seattle, and again in 2000 when I taught in Dayton, New York, and Orlando. I was about to travel to Florida again in 2001, but the events of September 11 put an end to those plans. Hopefully, I may have a chance to travel to the States again this year, and tentative discussions have already taken place regarding the possibility.
[MD] What do you want to leave as your most outstanding legacy?
[DP] I hope that I will be able to leave behind an extensive record of Sifu's wisdom and accomplishments, in the form of articles and perhaps more books and even videos, which people will consider an accessible and reliable source of information worthy of merit and consideration. I would also hope that through my humble efforts as a teacher, that I might pass on that same wisdom to my own students, thus preserving Sifu's legacy for the next generation.
© Copyright 2002
In my own days in the ring, I was ranked No. 3 in the Super Light-weight Division nationally, and fought for the Victorian Title only to lose by 1 or 2 points on the card of just one judge against a 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Karate. Every photo taken during the fight shows me over the top of my opponent and in control, ...unfortunately the scorecard said otherwise.
In one contest our Club entered, which involved Kung-fu, Karate, and hybrid/eclectic systems, we took out every trophy, ...and were never invited back!
My teacher, as you well know, learned and refined his "craft" through the challenge fights that he had in Hong Kong, and as a result of those experiences, had a great deal of knowledge of what one had to expect and utilize in order to emerge the victor. He passed that wisdom and approach on to us, and we try as best we can to pass it on to the next generation.
In the "WSL Method", we reject superfluous motions, constantly test and refine our "tools" and teach Wing Chun as a set of CONCEPTS to be applied, NOT an inflexible RULE that must be followed to the letter like a robot. This is largely achieved through the practice of "open drills" in which virtually anything can, and does, take place. We strive to adapt ourselves and our system to the situation, rather than try to make the situation fit the system through rote drills and combinations that don't work under real pressure. For us, "modify" is NOT a dirty word, so if we need to "bend the rules" or employ methods that are not strictly Wing Chun per se, so be it. That was Sifu's main message to us, to make the system work for you, and not to be a SLAVE to the system.
I would consider that Mandarin is still my more fluent dialect, but I can certainly get by very well indeed with Cantonese despite never having a formal lesson in it. I have been employed as a Chinese teacher now for 22 years, currently teaching at Camberwell Grammar School since 1990.
I don't do this because I consider myself as some great authority, but because Sifu was very generous in sharing his knowledge and experiences with me over a 15 year period, and as a trained teacher and observer, I believe that I have a clearer understanding than most of what he had to say and teach. I also believe, quite sincerely, that I owe it to him, as a means of repaying the kindness, the time, and the faith that he invested in me, to do all that I can to see that what he achieved is not lost to the martial arts world. If I can do that, I will be more than happy.
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