EO IMAMURA LIVING THE GUNG FU LIFE by WAYNE BELONOHA TRANSLATORS LEONARDO MORDENTE & PAUL LIU PHOTOS ANDERSON MAIA & FERNANDO TRANCOSO r Asa full-time professional Sifu, he is dedicated to providing "Gung Fu Life” to his local and International Wing Chun descendants who come from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United States, as well as h other countries. 1m 1992, Imamura was the first university professor of martial arts recognised by the Education and Culture Ministry of Brazil and has been involved in a number of projects concerning the martial arts, particularly Wing (Chun, for leading universities in his country. Tell abit about yourself and your training history. Where did you first get introduced to the term "Gung Fu Lite"? Asa Brazilian-bom Japanese, I began my journey tough the study of Japanese martial arts in 1971. Eight years later, [became interested in Wing Chun, Master Lee Hon Kay was my first Sifu. Thanks to him, Iwas able to go to Hong Kong to deepen my studies. It was during that tuip that I met Grandmaster Moy Yat in New York. In 1987, with Master Lee's support, I was accepted into the Moy Yat Family. Grandmaster Moy Yat's first words made the way he taught the system very clear: “In this family, you will learn Gung Fu and not Gung Fu techniques. nce the beginning, I was progressively introduced to “Gung Fw Life” by Grandmaster Moy Yat Curiously, he used to advise me to train less— this was really a shock for me! Instead, he asked me to do small things, from making tea to playing the lottery. For that reason, “Gung Fu Life™ was LEO IMAMURA (MOY YAT SANG) IS A DISCIPLE OF GRANDMASTER ery frustrating to me in the beginning MOY YAT. THE “GUNG FU LIFE” PROCESS PROVIDED BY HIS SIFU MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR IMAMURA TO ACT IN DIFFERENT What is “Gung Fu Life”? How is it commonly PROFESSIONAL AREAS, RANGING FROM PREPARING THE misinterpreted! IIs important to emphasise that the term “Gung MILITARY FOR THE UN PEACEKEEPERS TO CONSULTING IN HUMAN Life" was coined by Grandmaster Moy Yat only RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FOR COMPANIES OF ALL SIZES. to describe a traditional transmission process that 12 Ie2ag a the received frem Patriarch Ip Man. One day Grandmaster Moy Yat about the corresponding term for “Gung Fu Life” in Chinese. He wrote Sam Faat is atra Confucian tradition, wher Ie intuitively through the experience of everyday In this process. itis important to have convivial relationship with a person that sees life through what can be called a °Gung Fu Perspective”, On the other hand, many people think they are experiencing "Gung Fu Life” only because they have a convivial relationship with a Gung Fv master by carrying his things and picking up their checks. Those are mere procedures, Sometimes, itis good to treat one’s Sifu to lunch, Dut other times it isnot. Evaluating the situation the here and now and knowing Now to respond Lo it appropriately shows the eapacity of a good Gung Fu practitioner asked e answer on a naplein for me: Sam Feat paces from the activi Why did Grane “Gung Fu Life” to represent Sam Fat? ‘When Grandmaster Moy Yat arvived in the USA Jn 1973, he saw that people learned martial arts in a vory differont way than the ane he learned fiom Patriarch Tp Man. What he nd Thanks to the diligence of my Sifu, with his Siu was a Gung Fu for lite. That is why he chose t rn Ging Fu Lie" MySiuwsed T have been able to live my life more to say that “Gung Fic Life” isa life that has Gung Fu inserted in it. To experience a life ke that , smitati you must spead time withsomeone who isiving intelligently and, to face the limitations within what some scholars eall “Gung Fu Dimension” for enough time so that your lifemay Of an average disciple like myself.” be lived inthis dimension, For him, Patriarch Ip ‘Man was the greatest example ef this type o person. Everything that he did was seen through Moy Yat. Tallow you to enter my life exactly the "Gung Fu Perspective” way iis” Thanksto the diligence of my Sifu, 1 have been able tolive ny life more intelligently How did “Gung Fu Lite” contribute to your ‘and, to face the imitations of an average aiseiple development? Uke mysett ‘During the 14 years had a convivial relationship With Grandmaster Moy Yat, Tha the unique If yeu could. go back and talk with your younger experience of iving physically with him 2477. There self, what advice would you give? ‘were also moments when Thad to go to Brazil Pay more attention to the subtle aspects of a and live from recollections of my experiences _ tendency. Some call it “Significant Evidence". To with my Gung Fu family in the USA. Every time do this, its important to remain relaxed, Many T would return to the USA, Sifu would say, times, 6 ndmastor Moy Vat would stress a sonse ‘Welcome home" To him, my home was ther. of urgency fora task and T would forgpt to evaluate ‘Once, he said to me, "Do vou know why you must what the best way to handle it would he. T wanted respect me as your Sifu? Because when you to doit immediately in order to comply with him, come back here from Brazil, [don't change my but T didn’t even know what was important for routine to receive you. A regular Sifu, maybe that situation. On the other hand, being too they would take time off to receive you, Dut not concerned with what my Sifu was thinking of wwwawingchunilustrated.com 1314 “The greatest challenge of the martial artist is to defeat himself.” ‘tu Leo nama, kz vit the west: wanenyeorg ame and what judgments wore being made. For this ro Jon, my suggestion to younger be “relax more” and “enjoy more" your “Gung Fr: 1ife" Don't trouble yourself with how athers will Jndg you—only focus your attention on the way that they are and how you can adjust to each person around you. How dose having goed "Gung Fu Life" transate into developing good Wing Chun skill? ‘What people call ‘Skll"is the visible part of Gung Fu, but it can only be expressed thuough an invisible process, which depends on beth, perception and feeling, This invisibie dimension 0€ Gung Pus connected to Sam Feat. The geates ‘nallenge of the martial artists to dereat himselL Through human relationstups, we can develop ‘oar own perceptions trough the exterior world Grandmaster Moy Yat used to compare a person ‘that only learned Wing Chun techniques and another that had a convivial relationship with his/her Sifu and learned the Wing Chun ayatem through "Gung Fu Life’. To him, the person that only came ta learn tockniques would novor fulfil ishhorintent because, helshe would not naw how to best use them shen needed, On the other and, for a person that would spend time and Tearn the system through ‘Gung Fw Lite", Gung Fu would come trom within, ready 10 be used should it be requized. ee ‘Gung Fu Life” these days Moder life dynamics requires what we call nediled Mors fn ta have fun, However ‘Moment, Js, the Sifu waits for the moment where the diseiple is prepared to lear. I's So natural that one might not notice this learning taking place. Currently It is rare to finda master that isa full-time” professional and is available forthe disciples learning. In contrast, i's uncommon to have disciples that have available time for this kind of learning. This is Why we can say that it's ever mare seldom for us to develop relationships that privilege “Gung Fu Life” 1, We havea tine for ov hing, ‘Gung Fo Life" values the “Approptia inosher wo In Mareh of 2000, Grandmaster Moy Yat called us fora meeting During the meeting, our Sige warned 1s about the Importance of Sam Frat ane also said hat it would not be fair fr the next generation 0 receive our legacy without this process of Afterall, he had dedicated ao nauch ‘Cung Fu Life” to us and also stated commitment should characterise his jan aftr the athor: Today, it identified asthe "May Yat Wing Chun Designation’ lineage How has your understanding af “Gung Fu Life” changed ever the years? My understanding of the changes in “Gung Fu Life” through the years has a relationship with my last private conversation J had with Grandmaster Moy Yat process was already changing. For him, i was important to create a set of tools that would make the “Gung FULife" commitment to his descendants visble He believed it was important to develop a device hat could fi the new challenges. “Without the Creation of this set of tools, 1's possible tha Wing Chun wilt not survive the next century, ‘sald hat day, Siace Grandmaster Moy Yat pas away, his main disciples have been dedicated to who noticed that th ed maintaining his legacy dike to name a few of my well-known Sihings such as & ‘Tang (Canada), Micky Chan (Hong Kon Moy, Lee Moy Shan, Pote Pall, and Miguel Hemnaindex (USX) who are reorganising the International Moy Yat Wing Chun Federation dor Helen May and their son ‘William Moy. with the purpose of supporting every descendant of Grandmaster Moy Yat 12 levalve his Iegacy—to provide “Gung Fu Life” as ng Chun system. a way to access the UE 24