Rubin Campbell - South London
From my experience, this class does not revolve around sports, competition or looking flashy, although at times looking flashy is unavoidable. It is purely about survival, efficiency, and knowledge. The knowledge acquired is both exterior and self knowledge which is why not only the martial arts aspect but the mental aspect can be applied in everyday life, as Raymond teaches Wing Chun as part of The frame work he refers to as "The Unified Theory".
As a teacher Raymond is focused on the class as a whole as well as the individual, and is able to tell the areas where one may be lacking both mentally and technique wise. The class is quite small with no more than 15 students at most, each individual determined to improve and develop.
I first came to the class on recommendation by my older brother, who had been attending for many years. At first it seemed overwhelming, as compared to other martial arts classes I had seen, this one was predominantly Adults and I was only 16 at the time, however this did not separate me from the class. Each individual is seen as an equal, it doesn’t matter if you’re big, small, man or woman, the only thing separating us of course is experience, understanding and technique.
After recently returning from approximately 7 months of leave, I feel the class has grown on me even more, especially after an experience being robbed within those 7 months. It is as if, everyone has there own reason for attending the class, and I am beginning to complete my own. This is another thing that separates us, and is what will vary our technique, how we learn and our experiences. Also I have discovered that moving forward is a necessity, as after returning to the class, I feel as if the derailed train I was on is back on track. This Wing Chun class stretches beyond the martial art itself and has improved my lifestyle for the better, and continues to do so.
The first month or so may seem to be one of the hardest mental wise, as within this month you may realise you’re not as strong as you thought you were. You will have to accept who you are, and that you are here to learn, you may even have conflict with yourself between who you are and who you thought you were. If you survive that inner struggle, you will forge your own reason for coming, start to discover the inner you and see what the class is really about.
Rubin's Story