We took the help from Benjamin Edh, wing chun practitioner and student of Nino Bernardo for many

years and one of those who is behind his visit to Västerås next weekend.

- Nino Bernardo is today's most respected and controversial wing chun instructor with students
across much of Europe and some even outside. He has a solid background and an almost 50-year
career behind him once he started as a student at Wong Shun Leung in the early 1970s Hong Kong,
says Benjamin Edh.

He later worked in London and ran his legendary wing chun school "The Basement" from the late
1970s until 2000 when he moved to Ibiza where he lives today.

-In addition to the school he runs in Ibiza, he regularly travels around and gives seminars all over the
world to share his vision, his discoveries and his vision of wing chun.

In Västerås, Nino Bernardo has been around a dozen occasions since the early 90s. His students in
town have had close contact over the years and regularly visit him at Ibiza. His background is
impressive.

- Nino's own teacher Wong Shun Leung was one of Ip Mans students. Today it is well received even
outside the martial arts-interested circuit and few have missed the films about Ip Man with Donnie
Yen starring.

- Nino Bernardo has always strived for high quality and understanding of what he does. He has
turned in and out and questioned and challenged preconceived notions about the kung fu culture in
general and the myth of wing chun in particular, Edh says.

Wing chun is a special and completely unique form of what is commonly referred to as kung-fu in the
western world.

- A probable theory is that wing chun was a system that for generations was developed by monks and
nuns in the shaolin temple which to some extent also provided for training the military power of the
time and others who were in need of these skills.

As a phenomenon in itself, one could describe it as a physical chess game with the difference that
you may do the draw at any time. The system contains a toolbox with ideas and movements. The
ideas have clear parallels with Sun Tzu's classic work "The art of war".

That wing chun today is a world phenomenon with a variety of interpretations has much to do with
the popularity and success that Bruce Lee's films rendered in the early 80s.
"When Bruce Lee himself came from the Ip Mans kung-fu family, his films sowed the seed to the
interest that then flourished around the wing chun throughout the world," explains Benjamin Edh.

If you are curious to hear Nino Bernardo himself tell about his experiences, it is possible to listen to
him in the Stadsbibliotek's auditorium on Friday 12 July at 17.00. The event is free and open to
anyone interested.

A seminar is also held during Saturday-Sunday.