Many moons ago, a man worried about carrying a snake across the water. He worried the snake would bite him and he would die. The snake tried to assure the man — if he bit the man, the snake would drown, and they would both die. The man, fooled, picked the snake up and proceeded to swim. The snake bit the man, and the man began to die, but not before asking the snake why — why kill them both. The snake reminded the man that he was a snake, and that the man knew that when he picked the snake up.

Many moons ago, a man I will refer to as ***** appeared at my door and asked me to teach him. The man had a history of questionable conduct but I thought, perhaps, I could help make a difference, and so I opened my teachings to him.

Shortly thereafter, at a seminar I did not attend, ***** got up and introduced himself as a “Gulao Wing Chun student under Robert Chu”. I was on the Wing Chun Mailing List (WCML) at the time, and several other WCML members who were at the seminar contacted me an let me know about *****’s claims. And while I hadn’t accepted ***** as a formal or direct student (which, culturally, has more requirements than simply a lesson), he had flown out to train with me, I had tried to help him improve his Wing Chun, and he did express a great interest in continuing to train with me, so I responded simply, “if he wants to call himself my student, that’s fine.”

And continue with me he did. Since he had trained a long time but, unfortunately, didn’t have a lot of direct access to a teacher (he travelled to train), I felt it best to concentrate on his basics and especially his structure. For me, all Wing Chun Kuen “styles” are merely different teacher’s expressions of the art, and if you have a solid core structure, you can easily use (for who would want merely to collect?) any “style” and, eventually, come too appreciate them for the many perspectives and insights they allow.

This self-claimed student, *****, was a little resistant–he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of “eating bitter” (emptying his cup and investing in loss), but was making progress and seemed happy enough:

Date: 12/3/98 10:25:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: *********@aol.com
Reply-to: wcml

Robert Chu-

I ran into ***** at the ****** when I came back from Tennesse after thanksgiving. We were talking about different WC styles and looking at your book. I said I was interested in Gu Lao (hope I spelled this right) and ***** said he was studying this with you. ***** said your WC was “very skillful.” Short of flying to California to train with you, how can I learn about this system??

Brad *****

Indeed, ***** expressed much the same himself on the short-lived Gulao Mailing List (GLML):

Subject: Re: Discussion
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 10:22:46 EST
From: *********@********.***

After reading the notes and spending the first week on the first point, jee ng choi, I’ve had the oppurtunity to organize my thoughts, and I would like to share my ideas. In response to the group discussion, I would like to contribute some thoughts of my own. Relating to question #1: I think Ving Tsun is based on concepts, which means it is a priciple oriented martial art, not only based on groups of techniques. I think the concepts are consistent throughout all branches of Ving Tsun. For example the use of body unity, centerline etc… In realms of techniques, once the concepts are understood, they could be used in many applications. With the little time I’ve spent on point 1, I’ve already began to feel the benefits.

Thank you for your help Sifu. Especially the usage of the 5 points; low, middle, high dan tien, and the 2 shoulders.

[snip][/snip]

Also, would you please look over the outlined format of Siu Nim Tao and Chum Kiu that I sent you. I look forward to your advice.

Xie xie

***** ****

I was even (without my knowledge or consent) added to his “official” website biography:

In 1998, he began formal training in the Gu Lao Wing Chun under Robert Chu, himself an accomplished student of several different systems of Wing Chun.

And the examples go on and on.

Then, one day, *****, for whatever reasons of his own, no longer wished to be my student (or rather to claim without formal acceptance to be my student). But, again, rather than handling things in the proper way, rather than simply parting ways, this self-proclaimed student decided to re-proclaim that he wasn’t my student, and had never been my student! He called me a liar, and told others I was a liar.

In short, he bit me, and as I lay there, embarrassed but not hardly dying (for this little snake lacked any true potency), I remembered that I knew what he was when I picked him up.