1982
Steve Woodward and David Akroyd-Jones start learning Wing Tsun/Wing Chun in 1982 and 1983 respectively.
The club they started with, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was new and loosely associated with a Wing Tsun school in Paderborn, Germany. The senior instructor had received training from Ulli Portsteffen and his senior students.
1993
March – After 10 years of training Steve and Dave had reached a high level of skill and were teaching classes.
However, even though they had spent many hours training with their instructors and senior students, there was some information missing.
Their love of Wing Chun was undeniable but the ‘missing’ element led them to investigate other lineages of Wing Chun and other styles.
During this time Steve attended an Eskrima seminar in Birmingham and learned that the eldest son of Wing Chun’s Grand Master Ip Man, Ip Chun, was visiting his most senior western student, Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe, for a seminar in Birmingham.
Steve & Dave attended the seminar and found the open and honest nature of Master Ip Chun and Sifu Rawcliffe to be refreshing and in parallel with their own philosophies.
Subsequently, Steve & Dave were accepted as students of Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe and the Midlands Wing Chun Kuen (MWCK). They travelled every week to attend classes in Birmingham and once a month for private sessions. Knowledge was shared with their students and a core training group developed.
May – Sifu Rawcliffe holds the first of many seminars for the students of Steve and Dave in Cheltenham.
1994
January – Steve & Dave officially create CWCK as Gloucestershire’s regional headquarters of MWCK.
March – CWCK host a seminar to introduce Master Ip Chun to its students and other specially invited guests.
1995
May – Combat ’95, a Martial Arts show sponsored by Combat Magazine, was organised. Steve and Dave practised for months with Sifu Rawcliffe to present an iconic ‘tongue in cheek’ demonstration set to the theme tune of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, which was subsequently televised.
1996
January – Master Ip Chun visits the UK and conducts another seminar for CWCK.
April – Steve and Dave accompany Sifu Rawcliffe and Master Ip Chun to visit to Italia Wing Chun Kuen in Italy.
September – Master Ip Chun conducts seminar for CWCK.
November – Steve and Dave travel to Hong Kong with Sifu Rawcliffe to visit the Ving Tsun Athletic Association (VTAA) and train with Master Ip Chun.
Steve and Dave bestowed the honour of instructor status by the VTAA and Master Ip Chun himself.
1997
November – CWCK training trip to the VTAA in Hong Kong.
1998
May – Master Ip Chun conducts a seminar for CWCK.
1999
June – Steve and Dave awarded instructor status by the Yip Man Martial Arts Association
July – Master Ip Chun conducts another seminar for CWCK
1999
November – CWCK accompanies Sifu Rawcliffe to the First World Wing Chun Conference in Hong Kong.
Steve & Dave perform on stage with Sifu Rawcliffe.
2000
Steve & Dave become lifetime members of the Wing Chun Ip Chun Academy
October – Master Ip Chun conducts a seminar for CWCK in the UK.
2001
August – Master Ip Chun conducts a seminar for CWCK in the UK.
2005
June – Steve & Dave recognised and awarded the Wing Chun Ip Chun Academy Instructor certificate
2008
June – CWCK host a weekend of seminars by Master Ip Chun and Duncan Leung. Attendees visit from UK and Europe.
November – CWCK training trip to the VTAA in Hong Kong.
2010
October – Steve & Dave visit Hong Kong and train at the VTAA.
2016
July – Steve visits Hong Kong to train at the VTAA in Hong Kong.
2018
July – Steve visits Hong Kong to train at the VTAA.
2020
January – Public health and legal considerations requires a re-assessment of priorities in the face of a Global Pandemic.
August – A review of training practices and health concerns result in closure of the CWCK classes in Cheltenham.
September – CWCK class in Stroud closes
October – CWCK offers weekly online meetups to support students throughout the pandemic. These challenges result in some members falling away.
2021
July – CWCK fully re-opens
Throughout the Pandemic period Steve and Dave remained committed to their Wing Chun and their friendship.
Despite the physical distance between them, they kept in close contact and navigated their way through the challenges.
However, the Pandemic and its restrictions had challenged ongoing contact with Sifu Rawcliffe and MWCK.
2023
Months of individual training, investigation, discussion and self-reflection led Steve and Dave to a decision to become independent from MWCK.
March – With full disclosure and discussion with Sifu Rawcliffe, Steve & Dave moved forward with their plans.
Steve & Dave recognise that training with Sifu Rawcliffe and the MWCK has been one of the most influential periods of their Wing Chun lives to date. A personal friendship and connection with Sifu Rawcliffe is maintained to this day.
April – CWCK officially renames as The Wing Chun Collective (TWCC) to become a self-managing organisation. The name reflects that we are now a collection of Wing Chun students, without association to any one lineage, willing to investigate and integrate ideas from other disciplines.
May – TWCC update their digital presence and register as instructors with the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association (BMABA).
October – TWCC starts offering student memberships backed by the BMABA for insurance and regulatory purposes.
2024
TWCC commit to provide traditional, authentic WIng Chun Kung Fu in safe and engaging sessions.
A full complement of updated policies and procedures is published to the TWCC website, fulfilling the regulatory requirements of a modern, responsible provider of Martial Arts tuition.
The TWCC story continues…
