Op108wc
04-29-2006, 01:22 AM
Originally posted by Andrew Draheim (KFO)
Sifu Victor Parlatti: Open Letter From Sifu Andrew Draheim
Dear Victor:
I have come across several of your postings in this forum regarding the incident on October 21, 1996 in New York. I have stayed out of any public discussions involving this matter for over nine years. I cannot believe that this unfortunate episode is still subject for discussion. If anything, the dialogue should be around what we have learned from it rather than speculating what has happened or what the motivations were. But be it as it may, I would like to volunteer some comments now.
Before I begin, though, I would like you to know that I am awfully sorry for the escalation of the conflict in the way it did as well as for the aftermath and consequences for both of us. They seem out of proportion for such an insignificant event. Back then we should have used the differences in our interpretation of wing chun as opportunities to learn and expand our understanding of the art. I do realize my part in this, and with hindsight I regret some of my past words and actions. Well, I am older now, and see things in a different light.
Having said that, I would like to comment on some of the published perceptions of what happened.
1. I certainly did not place a spy in your school. I understand that such a move would have made you upset, but I really have nothing to do with whatever led to this perception.
2. I had no information on or knowledge of your upcoming hernia surgery until you told me yourself.
3. I moved to Musical Theatre Works on advice of John Burke of ESPY TV after I gave up my space at Lama Kung Fu to find a place that could offer me more favorable time slots. Only after I had moved in did I learn that you also rented space there. A total coincidence.
4. After the two consecutive fights on October 21 (first Keith, then Mike) I went for drinks with my students, not to the emergency room. That was two days later on advice of the district attorney in case I wanted to press criminal charges against you later (which was not in my interest, but I followed his advice anyway).
5. I went to the DA, because you called my wife the day after the two fights. All I wanted was for you to leave my family alone, and so I asked for a restraining order. From your postings I now realize that you were not fully aware of the various communications I had with representatives of Sifu William Cheung’s, all of which had my cell phone number and my office number. So, when you called my home when I thought you knew I was in the office, I interpreted that as your going after my family.
6. It was not my initial intent to file a civil case against you, but I felt I needed to protect my family. I now understand that it was not your intent to harm them, and I am now sorry that I perceived it that way. I was not interested in the trials, which – with the exception of the first hearing – I never went to for exactly that reason.
7. I did not just disappear. In part because of the article about the event that appeared in the New York Observer, I lost my job, and four months later found employment in Germany. Hence, I needed to relocate.
8. I certainly did not fear to face you personally. In fact, initially there was nothing I wanted to do more. In fact, there actually was a plan to drop by your school with a senior wing chun practitioner video-taping that fight. I pulled the plug on this for one main reason: I asked my then Sifu, Keith Kernspecht, for financial support in case of legal action/consequences by you against me. This request was denied. Kernspecht wanted me to fight you and be solely responsible for my action. Subsequently, I eventually left Keith Kernspecht’s organization (EWTO).
At the time I was furious. For one, I felt that your organization betrayed me by braking their own rules and conditions for an already negotiated challenge fight, which were in particular that such a fight would have to take place a.) on neutral ground, b.) at a time we mutually agree on, and c.) for all the world to see. Today I believe to understand that you were not aware of these conditions set forth by your organization, and may have innocently gone against them. On the other hand, I felt my own organization failed me, too, by motivating me to fight their wars but not supporting me in any way. Subsequently, I took a hiatus from wing chun when I moved back to Germany.
I am not interested in a rebuttal. I am just sharing with you my observations and my views, trying and hoping not to offend you by doing so. I have returned to wing chun about five years ago after I relocated back to the US. Since then, I have met and worked out with qualified representatives of other interpretations of the art. By agreeing that differences are not standing in contradiction to each other but rather help us to better understand the whole system, I have considerably broadened my knowledge about it. I still believe that Sifu Leung Ting’s teachings are the most profound I have ever come across, and I will be forever grateful for his achievements, his restless efforts to research the foundations of wing chun , for never stopping to develop his art further, and for teaching me what I now know. However, the conflict between TWC and WT is – in the end – a personal conflict between Sifu William Cheung and Sifu Leung Ting, and it has been fueled to a large extent by Sifu Keith Kernspecht (I am not even sure if Sifu Leung Ting is fully aware of that). It is unfortunate that I allowed Sifu Keith Kernspecht to draw me into this. For that, I sincerely apologize to Sifu William Cheung as well.
I was wrong to post derogative comments about Sifu William Cheung on the internet. I have never met him in person or communicated directly with him. I had no right to form an opinion whatsoever, let alone to publish it publicly. To the contrary, as far as I can tell, it was always he, who reached out. He, through a student, invited me to a friendly get-together AFTER I started to post those comments, which in many cases I was instructed to post. Sifu William Cheung later also tried to initiate peace talks between TWC and WT, which actually almost took place (Dave Cater from Inside Kung Fu was asked to facilitate such a meeting in NYC). However, it was Sifu Keith Kernspecht, who sabotaged these efforts. He told me personally that peace between the two organizations was not in his interest because it would open his home turf, Germany, to Sifu William Cheung. He believed that as long as there is conflict, Sifu William Chung would be too scared to do business in Germany or even Europe (given the experience in Cologne).
It may have been my youth, my loyalty, or my ambitions that led me to buy into such thinking. I regret and apologize from the bottom of my heart that I did. I do not wish, however, to be involved in any further wing chun politics. For the sake of the art, the reputation of many formidable teachers and practitioners, as well as in honor of Great Grandmaster Yip Man, I only desire to see more collaboration within the wing chun community and a free flow of knowledge exchange between dedicated and sincere experts. I trust we can do that.
Thanks for reading,
Sifu Andrew Draheim
Sifu Victor Parlatti: Open Letter From Sifu Andrew Draheim
Dear Victor:
I have come across several of your postings in this forum regarding the incident on October 21, 1996 in New York. I have stayed out of any public discussions involving this matter for over nine years. I cannot believe that this unfortunate episode is still subject for discussion. If anything, the dialogue should be around what we have learned from it rather than speculating what has happened or what the motivations were. But be it as it may, I would like to volunteer some comments now.
Before I begin, though, I would like you to know that I am awfully sorry for the escalation of the conflict in the way it did as well as for the aftermath and consequences for both of us. They seem out of proportion for such an insignificant event. Back then we should have used the differences in our interpretation of wing chun as opportunities to learn and expand our understanding of the art. I do realize my part in this, and with hindsight I regret some of my past words and actions. Well, I am older now, and see things in a different light.
Having said that, I would like to comment on some of the published perceptions of what happened.
1. I certainly did not place a spy in your school. I understand that such a move would have made you upset, but I really have nothing to do with whatever led to this perception.
2. I had no information on or knowledge of your upcoming hernia surgery until you told me yourself.
3. I moved to Musical Theatre Works on advice of John Burke of ESPY TV after I gave up my space at Lama Kung Fu to find a place that could offer me more favorable time slots. Only after I had moved in did I learn that you also rented space there. A total coincidence.
4. After the two consecutive fights on October 21 (first Keith, then Mike) I went for drinks with my students, not to the emergency room. That was two days later on advice of the district attorney in case I wanted to press criminal charges against you later (which was not in my interest, but I followed his advice anyway).
5. I went to the DA, because you called my wife the day after the two fights. All I wanted was for you to leave my family alone, and so I asked for a restraining order. From your postings I now realize that you were not fully aware of the various communications I had with representatives of Sifu William Cheung’s, all of which had my cell phone number and my office number. So, when you called my home when I thought you knew I was in the office, I interpreted that as your going after my family.
6. It was not my initial intent to file a civil case against you, but I felt I needed to protect my family. I now understand that it was not your intent to harm them, and I am now sorry that I perceived it that way. I was not interested in the trials, which – with the exception of the first hearing – I never went to for exactly that reason.
7. I did not just disappear. In part because of the article about the event that appeared in the New York Observer, I lost my job, and four months later found employment in Germany. Hence, I needed to relocate.
8. I certainly did not fear to face you personally. In fact, initially there was nothing I wanted to do more. In fact, there actually was a plan to drop by your school with a senior wing chun practitioner video-taping that fight. I pulled the plug on this for one main reason: I asked my then Sifu, Keith Kernspecht, for financial support in case of legal action/consequences by you against me. This request was denied. Kernspecht wanted me to fight you and be solely responsible for my action. Subsequently, I eventually left Keith Kernspecht’s organization (EWTO).
At the time I was furious. For one, I felt that your organization betrayed me by braking their own rules and conditions for an already negotiated challenge fight, which were in particular that such a fight would have to take place a.) on neutral ground, b.) at a time we mutually agree on, and c.) for all the world to see. Today I believe to understand that you were not aware of these conditions set forth by your organization, and may have innocently gone against them. On the other hand, I felt my own organization failed me, too, by motivating me to fight their wars but not supporting me in any way. Subsequently, I took a hiatus from wing chun when I moved back to Germany.
I am not interested in a rebuttal. I am just sharing with you my observations and my views, trying and hoping not to offend you by doing so. I have returned to wing chun about five years ago after I relocated back to the US. Since then, I have met and worked out with qualified representatives of other interpretations of the art. By agreeing that differences are not standing in contradiction to each other but rather help us to better understand the whole system, I have considerably broadened my knowledge about it. I still believe that Sifu Leung Ting’s teachings are the most profound I have ever come across, and I will be forever grateful for his achievements, his restless efforts to research the foundations of wing chun , for never stopping to develop his art further, and for teaching me what I now know. However, the conflict between TWC and WT is – in the end – a personal conflict between Sifu William Cheung and Sifu Leung Ting, and it has been fueled to a large extent by Sifu Keith Kernspecht (I am not even sure if Sifu Leung Ting is fully aware of that). It is unfortunate that I allowed Sifu Keith Kernspecht to draw me into this. For that, I sincerely apologize to Sifu William Cheung as well.
I was wrong to post derogative comments about Sifu William Cheung on the internet. I have never met him in person or communicated directly with him. I had no right to form an opinion whatsoever, let alone to publish it publicly. To the contrary, as far as I can tell, it was always he, who reached out. He, through a student, invited me to a friendly get-together AFTER I started to post those comments, which in many cases I was instructed to post. Sifu William Cheung later also tried to initiate peace talks between TWC and WT, which actually almost took place (Dave Cater from Inside Kung Fu was asked to facilitate such a meeting in NYC). However, it was Sifu Keith Kernspecht, who sabotaged these efforts. He told me personally that peace between the two organizations was not in his interest because it would open his home turf, Germany, to Sifu William Cheung. He believed that as long as there is conflict, Sifu William Chung would be too scared to do business in Germany or even Europe (given the experience in Cologne).
It may have been my youth, my loyalty, or my ambitions that led me to buy into such thinking. I regret and apologize from the bottom of my heart that I did. I do not wish, however, to be involved in any further wing chun politics. For the sake of the art, the reputation of many formidable teachers and practitioners, as well as in honor of Great Grandmaster Yip Man, I only desire to see more collaboration within the wing chun community and a free flow of knowledge exchange between dedicated and sincere experts. I trust we can do that.
Thanks for reading,
Sifu Andrew Draheim