Ted Wong Returns to New York

As Ted Wong came out of the vehicle Sifu Richard Torres was driving, I approached him with a smile and said "Good morning, Sifu Wong". We both shook hands and then greeted Sifu Torres and the other passengers that were in the vehicle as well. We all entered the basketball gym of the ALL SPORT facility where the seminar was going to take place. It was 11 something AM and we had until 12PM to get everything prepared. Sifu Torres was setting up items that were being sold for the seminar and the passengers that were in the vehicle or should I say, the guests that traveled all the way from Holland, started to warm up. For what I thought was going to be just a typical stretching and jumping in place, we started to play...basketball?

I guess it was because on the other side of the basketball gym, there were individuals having a basketball game. The guests from Holland, two of them James ter Beek and George Sirag, had a great warm up of just throwing the basketballs into the hoop. Almost everyone started to throw basketballs into the hoops. I couldn't resist so I got into it and threw a couple of baskets myself. As i threw a horrible "brick" to the basketball board, the basketball rolled over to Ted Wong. I was going to ask Ted Wong to throw the ball back to me but Ted Wong picked up the ball and threw it towards the hoop. I was amazed and I should be wacked over the head for thinking that Ted Wong was only limited to JKD. Shame on me.

Students of Sifu Torres and the guests started to arrive. After our basketball "warm up", we all started to do our stretches. The crowd got larger and larger and I was actually getting excited of the fact that everyone was here for one thing...or one person actually...Ted Wong. This seminar would be my first one with Ted Wong and I had a feeling I was going to learn a lot and have fun in the process. From what I've heard from reliable a source that Ted Wong demonstrates Jeet Kune Do with actual simplicity and directness. The only time that I actually saw Ted Wong in action was in the Fighting Method DVD that he did with Richard Bustillo. Never in my lifetime that I would get a chance to PHYSICALLY see Ted Wong do what he does best

After the lecture, we all started out on footwork. We did the basics of going forward, backwards, sideways, replacement steps, and push offs. Ted Wong explained that in JKD, everything starts from footwork. "How do you think dancers got better at what they do?" as Ted Wong opposed the questions to the participants. "...by their footwork". He was right, you can't be in a stand still and fight, you got to move your feet...in my opinion anyways. Ted Wong can move. I mean, he can really move. Smooth and quick. I was so amazed that I made a mental note to myself to practice because I was a snail compared to his speed. Not realizing what time it was, we all broke for lunch. As I started to walk to my car, the blisters that formed under my feet started to throb. Hey, nothing is easy, right?

We all came back and started to use footwork with evasive movement with the head and body. Even though you can move your feet, you have to learn how to move your head and body as well. Slipping was the name of the game and we did alot of it. Parries were next and then the combination of movement, parries, and slipping were being practiced towards the end. I was drenched in sweat, I'll tell you that much.

Day one of the seminar came to a close and we all went home to rest up for the dinner we were going to have with Ted Wong. Although I lived in New Jersey, I was not going to risk driving an hour and half going home tired and sweaty. I already booked a hotel room for one night and when I got into my hotel room, I was tired and my blisters on the bottom of my feet were throbbing harder. eeeek. The dinner was fun. I was glad to be a part of a school were I felt like i've known my classmates for years (note that I've only been Sifu Torres' school for a year and two months). We had a great time...laughing. I looked over to where Ted Wong was sitting and it looked like he was having a great time as well. Always a pleasure to be around great people.

The next morning, I arrived early at the ALL SPORT facility. Waited for a couple of minutes and saw the vehicle that Sifu Torres was driving approach to the side of the curb. Ted Wong came out of the passenger seat and the guest from Holland got out of the vehicle all in unison. We walked into the basketball gym and started our warm up...shooting basket balls into the basket ball hoops!

As the crowd started coming in, we started the seminar by warming up with footwork. All of us started to move our legs, forwards, backwards, side step, pivot step...etc. Then we incorporated the slipping and the parries, movements of the body...just to get the blood flowing you know? Ted Wong demonstrated punches while using footwork, kicks while using footwork, parries and hitting, kicking and punching...it was quite the work out and enlightening at the same time. He showed examples of how a person hits without moving and a person that hits while moving. "Basic laws of physics" were the words that came out of Ted Wong's voice. Sifu Torres assisted Ted Wong by holding the pads up while Ted Wong demonstrated what he wanted to teach. It was great to see Sifu Torres and Ted Wong together helping each other out in order for the participants to understand what was going on.

While doing drills, Ted Wong came over to watched how I was performing. He held out the pads for me and coached me on what he wanted to see. I was nervous and didn't want to mess up in front of the man but as luck would have it, I started to fumble but did my best to what he wanted me to do. You would not believe how much sweat was pouring down my face. Goes to show that I need to relax and let everything out naturally. Ted Wong's best advice he gave me was to move and not stand there. Footwork is the key.

We broke for lunch to Panera Bread House. I found myself sitting and eating next to Ted Wong and Sifu Richard Torres. One of the two best teachers that I know and it was a moment that I would remember for the rest of my life. Just talking with them both at the same time made me realize how much road I have to walk to be on Sifu Torres and Ted Wong's level of Jeet Kune Do.

Lunch was over and we came back to the ALL SPORT basketball gym and started where we left off. Drill after drill, we were punching and kicking and parrying and slipping and moving...it was endless and before you know it, the seminar was over. The basic "take a picture with Ted Wong" commenced and the "sign my book, Sifu Wong" also was in the mix before we all packed up and went home. We took a class picture with Sifu Torres and Ted Wong and thanked Ted Wong for coming to the seminar and teaching us what Bruce Lee taught him. We also acknowledged Sifu Torres for being a great host and congratulated him on a successful event. In a way, I wanted at least a DAY THREE of the seminar but I remember one of the things that Ted Wong said to me when we had a great conversation before the seminar started was that things change. Just like the color of the leaves when the seasons come and go. Nothing can stay the same, you just got to keep on moving.

So what did I learn? I learn that simplicity and directness is the only way to carry yourself appropriately in a fight. Footwork, movement of body will help you understand unarmed combat. No, I'm not saying that I already know what JKD is but it's one of the things that I should know. Even though there are alot of "interpretations" of what JKD is to one person, one must also to remember that it's better to keep it short and simple than to keep it long winded and complicated. I'm sure that Bruce Lee made that clear in his notes. Even though his notes were incomplete, it pointed into a direction where simplicity, directness, and non-classical exist. Ted Wong does that, points you into the right direction. All you have to do is to find your way. In every class I attend, Sifu Richard Torres helps me find my way but only to a certain point. Everything cannot be served to you on a silver platter. You would have to work hard for it. Sacrifice and train hard. I see Jeet Kune Do as an never ending process. I'm sure that Ted Wong and Sifu Richad Torres are still finding answers they seek within this thing we call scientific street fighting. We will all find the answer we seek, eventually. It's all a matter of time.