DRAYTON – A Wellington North resident is hopeful his international victory at a Chinese martial arts competition will help generate more local interest in lesser-known types of Kung Fu.
Khen Hopmans recently represented Canada at the first-ever World Southern Shaolin Wing Chun Competition in Fuqing, China – the birthplace of Wing Chun, a form of Southern Chinese Kung Fu used for close-quarter combat and popularized by Bruce Lee.
Registering for all five events; Hopmans won gold in Chi Sao or sticking hands, a Wing Chun technique where arm movements are used while blindfolded to develop timing and contact reflexes and bronze in Baat Jaam Do or butterfly knives, which involves two twin short blades anywhere between a foot to a foot and a half in length.
The experience was a "pinch me moment" for the 42-year-old lifelong martial arts aficionado, who teaches Wing Chun and Northern Shaolin at All Masters Martial Arts in Drayton and has been practicing Kung Fu since he was 14 and martial arts since he was six.
"It was very exciting to be there," said Hopmans in a phone interview. "It was a dream come true to go see a Shaolin Temple and be a part of this competition in the birthplace of Wing Chun and certain styles of Kung Fu."
This isn't Hopmans' first foray into the martial arts competition world. He previously competed at The United States Kuo Shu Federation in 2018 where he brought home three silver medals and a gold for team Canada.
"Not a competition-driven person," Hopmans said he participated in both competitions for the art form and the self-growth that comes along with training Kung Fu.
He also said practicing Kung Fu and being able to share what he loves with his students at All Masters Martial Arts has been "a dream come true" and he's hopeful sharing his experience will make his students and the general public more "aware" and "curious" about Wing Chun.
"There's not a lot of martial arts practitioners out there who take it seriously and have been training past their teen years, right? So to meet people who are as dedicated as I, hardworking as I and passionate about it, it's really made me feel less alone in the world," said Hopmans. "I'm hopeful that I'm spreading that myself now through having my own school."
Practicing Wing Chun for 15 years, Hopmans said he enjoys the practice because it's accessible to people of all ages and is a great way to strengthen oneself mentally, physically and spiritually.
"Wing Chun is perfect for people who are a little bit more advanced in years. We require no low stances. Although we do train and we do practice flexibility, it is not a requirement," said Hopmans. "So literally, I've seen people in their sixties sign up, start Wing Chun, train for years and get really good at it."
Another aspect he finds interesting about Wing Chun is it's "almost considered an internal practice rather than external" because it uses three techniques: reaction, time and sensitivity to "sense what's coming at you and react in the proper way based on what you feel, not based on what you see."
"It's like the old saying, it's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war," said Hopmans. "The idea is that you're learning skills to protect yourself, to protect others, which gives you a sense of peace of mind."
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program
