Mauro Gibin - A Holistic View Of Wing Chun

SIFU MAURO BEGAN practising Wing Chun at the age of 19. Addicted to its efficiency in self-defense, he followed many famous masters of various lineages throughout Europe and Hong Kong. However, he always felt something was missing. What he studied didnt fit into his holistic idea of Kung Fu. It wasnt until 2009, when he met his master and mentor Sifu Sergio Pascal Iadarola, that he answered the questions that had troubled him for so long, which helped him find a clear, logical approach to the art. Finally, the gates of Internal Wing Chun had opened.

- Kleber Battaglia

Does the IWKA Wing Chun have a clear lineage? Many people like to speculate about our approach as we have no single lineage, but instead, we source from many ancient and different Wing Chun lineages following my Sifu’s research. So, to me, we are a more authentic lineage. However, I would like to explain myself better about the previous statement, considering that words “Authentic”, “Traditional” and “Original” are laughable at best when it comes to Wing Chun and Kung Fu in general.

If we believe in following a lineage in a very servile and dogmatic way, then for sure the IWKA (Internal Wisdom and Knowledge Association) has no clear lineage. However, if we instead approach it as studying the art as a whole, with all the different interpretations that were born during the past history, and the obvious evolution to adapt it through passing time, to keep it effective, then I would consider the IWKA to be the most complete Internal Wing Chun system. Especially considering the clear and logical system of teaching that has been developed during these past years.

To sum up, I’m not implying that the IWKA is a better school when compared to others, but the research done by Sifu Sergio has filled those gaps and misunderstandings that are still very alive in many traditional approaches nowadays.

The IWKA seems to incorporate quite a bit of Tang Yick’s Weng Chun. Could you elaborate on its methods for us?