Ving Tsun Coach Steve Purcell (formerly Maidens)
Ving Tsun Coach Steve Purcell
with Sifu David Peterson
(Malaysian Combat Science WSL VT)
"At first, my way with men was to hear their words and give them credit for their conduct, Now my way is to hear their words and look at their conduct." (Confucius)
with Sifu David Peterson
(Malaysian Combat Science WSL VT)
"At first, my way with men was to hear their words and give them credit for their conduct, Now my way is to hear their words and look at their conduct." (Confucius)
steve.purcell@live.co.uk 07593104888
At a glance
Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun training to date 1992 - 2017 (twenty five years)
After being initially trained and fully certified in the (Ip Ching/ Ip Chun/ Ip Man) system, Samuel Kwok lineage.
Steve now trains within the Combat Science family (Head Coach David Peterson, Malaysia) and his most senior UK Coach, Ged Kennerk (Stockport and Manchester, WSL Combat Science UK / ABMVT UK).
After being initially trained and fully certified in the (Ip Ching/ Ip Chun/ Ip Man) system, Samuel Kwok lineage.
Steve now trains within the Combat Science family (Head Coach David Peterson, Malaysia) and his most senior UK Coach, Ged Kennerk (Stockport and Manchester, WSL Combat Science UK / ABMVT UK).
Ged Kennerk (WSL VT Combat Science UK, abmvt) and VT Coach Steve Purcell
"In my opinion (and that of some of the worlds best international instructors/coaches/sifus) Ged is one of the most skilled Ving Tsun coaches I have ever had the pleasure to meet and train with. Geds approach to his Ving Tsun is truly inspirational. Being personally coached by Ged on my Ving Tsun journey is an honour and a privilege: it really doesn't get any better than this."
My profile in detail
The early Seventies was a golden time for martial arts due to it hitting the mainstream via the medium of TV. I grew up like every other little boy in my neighbourhood with half my attention on Star Wars and the other half on Kung Fu.
I tried Judo with a friend of mine at the age of ten. He was attending a regular class, I was his training partner after school. I tried Karate with another friend a couple of years later but that wasn't for me.
Eventually I got into Tai Chi, Chi Gung, Qui Gong, Sei Kem, Reiki, Shiatsu, Shamanism, Sacriel Craniel and a whole host of other alternative practices, I love them and still to this day keep my mind well and truly open to the wonders of the human body, mind and spirit. I felt that my life needed grounding and that I needed a more earthy martial aspect. I studied these alternative practices for a number of years (indeed still do as the learning never stops) One day in 1992 a Ving Tsun class (kwoon) opened up in my home town of Shepton Mallet, on the edge of the Mendip Hills in the beautiful county of Somerset. I rushed to join. I didn't know what Wing Chun was, I just knew it to be Kung Fu and maybe it would be something like the heroes of my childhood. Needless to say, I loved it and settled into some hard training. The school (kwoon) eventually disbanded and myself and a handful of the other guys from the school went to train at another local school in Glastonbury.
We didn't have anywhere to train at first so I asked my brother if we could use his unusually large flat that overlooked Glastonbury High Street to train. He agreed and we met every Sunday morning 10am sharp, rolled up the rug and trained for 2 or 3 hours. Being Glastonbury there was always the distant sound of drumming and incense wafting through the open windows. My brother's flat was situated above a well known eating house and during the hot summer we would train outside in the courtyard at the back of this restaurant.
After travelling around for a number of years and training with many great people, I eventually opened the doors to my first Kwoon back in the sleepy town of Shepton Mallet, were it had all started for me back in the early Nineties. Mendip Wing Chun Kuen/Applied Ving Tsun Somerset, was formed in 2008 and because of the progressive (always seeking, never standing still and stagnating), way that we train and the high level of skill that our members achieve very quickly, we have quickly become the cutting edge, premier Wing Chun school in Somerset. We are the only school outside of Bristol in the county of Somerset that trains within the wider "WSL VT and ABMVT"family and we are immensely proud of our unique lineage.
I believe that in order to grow as individuals we must seek out knowledge, as it is my belief that no one lineage or teaching style has all the answers, although some do indeed have more than others.
My passion, drive and thirst for knowledge has led me to the system's interpretation by the late Grandmaster Wong Shun Leung. His logical and scientific approach to Wing Chun is immediately accessible.
I am immensely proud to have Sifu David Peterson as our international head coach, Malaysian Combat Science WSL VT.
We the members of the WSL VT South West Collective, train with the Sifu David Peterson's most senior student in the UK, Ged Kennerk (Stockport Academy).
I and my class, Somerset Applied Ving Tsun take a non-political view to our training. The most important skill that I can give my students, is without a doubt, a bulls**t detector, because "bs" is "bs" however it is dressed up. For us its about the journey, learning with our training partners, our friends and families, the what ifs and the what nots. It's all about great times, having a laugh, cleaning out the cobwebs, learning skills and great Gung Fu, in a place of safety and fun. We laugh and cry together, help each other, share our skills and knowledge with each other.
Far more importantly, is the skill to take the gun (our skills, our Gung Fu) apart and see how it works, maybe improve the mechanism, evolve and grow. We have indeed learned to love the life that we live. I try to pass on this viewpoint to all my friends, family, students and extended Wing Chun/Ving Tsun family, here in the South West,
Steve Purcell
I tried Judo with a friend of mine at the age of ten. He was attending a regular class, I was his training partner after school. I tried Karate with another friend a couple of years later but that wasn't for me.
Eventually I got into Tai Chi, Chi Gung, Qui Gong, Sei Kem, Reiki, Shiatsu, Shamanism, Sacriel Craniel and a whole host of other alternative practices, I love them and still to this day keep my mind well and truly open to the wonders of the human body, mind and spirit. I felt that my life needed grounding and that I needed a more earthy martial aspect. I studied these alternative practices for a number of years (indeed still do as the learning never stops) One day in 1992 a Ving Tsun class (kwoon) opened up in my home town of Shepton Mallet, on the edge of the Mendip Hills in the beautiful county of Somerset. I rushed to join. I didn't know what Wing Chun was, I just knew it to be Kung Fu and maybe it would be something like the heroes of my childhood. Needless to say, I loved it and settled into some hard training. The school (kwoon) eventually disbanded and myself and a handful of the other guys from the school went to train at another local school in Glastonbury.
We didn't have anywhere to train at first so I asked my brother if we could use his unusually large flat that overlooked Glastonbury High Street to train. He agreed and we met every Sunday morning 10am sharp, rolled up the rug and trained for 2 or 3 hours. Being Glastonbury there was always the distant sound of drumming and incense wafting through the open windows. My brother's flat was situated above a well known eating house and during the hot summer we would train outside in the courtyard at the back of this restaurant.
After travelling around for a number of years and training with many great people, I eventually opened the doors to my first Kwoon back in the sleepy town of Shepton Mallet, were it had all started for me back in the early Nineties. Mendip Wing Chun Kuen/Applied Ving Tsun Somerset, was formed in 2008 and because of the progressive (always seeking, never standing still and stagnating), way that we train and the high level of skill that our members achieve very quickly, we have quickly become the cutting edge, premier Wing Chun school in Somerset. We are the only school outside of Bristol in the county of Somerset that trains within the wider "WSL VT and ABMVT"family and we are immensely proud of our unique lineage.
I believe that in order to grow as individuals we must seek out knowledge, as it is my belief that no one lineage or teaching style has all the answers, although some do indeed have more than others.
My passion, drive and thirst for knowledge has led me to the system's interpretation by the late Grandmaster Wong Shun Leung. His logical and scientific approach to Wing Chun is immediately accessible.
I am immensely proud to have Sifu David Peterson as our international head coach, Malaysian Combat Science WSL VT.
We the members of the WSL VT South West Collective, train with the Sifu David Peterson's most senior student in the UK, Ged Kennerk (Stockport Academy).
I and my class, Somerset Applied Ving Tsun take a non-political view to our training. The most important skill that I can give my students, is without a doubt, a bulls**t detector, because "bs" is "bs" however it is dressed up. For us its about the journey, learning with our training partners, our friends and families, the what ifs and the what nots. It's all about great times, having a laugh, cleaning out the cobwebs, learning skills and great Gung Fu, in a place of safety and fun. We laugh and cry together, help each other, share our skills and knowledge with each other.
Far more importantly, is the skill to take the gun (our skills, our Gung Fu) apart and see how it works, maybe improve the mechanism, evolve and grow. We have indeed learned to love the life that we live. I try to pass on this viewpoint to all my friends, family, students and extended Wing Chun/Ving Tsun family, here in the South West,
Steve Purcell
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