Sandro Scali

Born in Genoa in 1964, I began my martial arts career around the age of five with Jiu Jiutsu, practicing it until adolescence. Later I began practicing Traditional Kung Fu in a famous school in my city, where I learned the technical bases of Ving Tsun, Hung Gar, Tang Lang, Tai Chi, Shaolin, as well as the study of weapons. After about nine years of constant practice, it became my desire to specialize in the Ving Tsun style and having informed my Sifu at the time, I left the school and began a new path on my own. For a short period I trained a very well-known Wing Tsun and then moved on to another European Wing Chun organization. To progress in my learning I often traveled to Northern Europe: with them I took my first study trip to Hong Kong. I studied constantly in this lineage for about eight years, becoming an Instructor and training a large group of students. Despite all this, my desire was to be able to learn the system from a Chinese Master who was a direct student of the Great Yip Man. That was why I left the organization and returned to Hong Kong to continue my research… I visited several schools and met some Sifus, but none of them had particularly impressed me, in Hong Kong there are many masters who wait for “white men” to sell them Ving Tsun… When I returned to Europe I was really disappointed, perhaps what I was looking for was not there and existed only in my dreams as a Kung Fu enthusiast. What else could I do? Sifu Victor Kan came to mind, in the past I had heard many rumors about him, it was said that he was a gruff man and very hard in teaching. At that point with my wealth of experience gained over the years and the doubts that tormented me I asked myself: what if it had only been a commercial propaganda of the Wing Chun of those times? Perhaps Victor Kan could be the right man, many times what you hear is not the truth. I contacted him, I arranged a meeting. Promising me: “if I fail this time I will abandon the world of Ving Tsun forever”. He didn’t ask me much about my previous experiences or from whom I had learned. He immediately put me to the test with dry and direct questions: you have many years of practice, do you want me to correct your forms or do you want to work on your chi sao? Tell me what you want since you looked for me.... I would like to learn the Ving Tsun Kung Fu system from the beginning I replied. A slight smile lit up his face, which until that moment had remained serious and almost expressionless as if it were made of stone, well then let's start he said. So I began my first lesson with Sifu Kan it was the year 2002. In the beginning it was not very simple, having years of experience behind me. In order to learn the Classical system correctly I had to reconsider a lot of what I had learned. Many years have passed since then, the relationship with my Sifu has changed a lot, that mutual trust that only time can give has been born, as has changed my knowledge and my idea of learning and practicing Ving Tsun. Although his character is not the best and he is very demanding and hard in teaching, I can certainly say that his techniques and positions are strong, precise and powerful. When I work in Chi Sao and Kuo Sao with my Sifu I have the feeling that his arms are soft and light like cotton and at the same time adherent like a magnet to metal. But the moment I start to attack they transform: their inside becomes steel. Thus begins a continuous alternation of "steel and cotton" combined with stability of the body in movements and speed and power in techniques. Exceptional !!! I am very satisfied and lucky to have met him, perhaps it was destiny . . . . but of one thing I am sure Sifu Victor Kan is a true Master of Classical Ving Tsun of the 9th Generation. Perhaps the last . . . .

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