Comments & Feedback
If you wish to comment on our website, wing chun, kali, or a workshop you have attended then please contact us.
Did the website provide the information you were looking for? What did you take away from a workshop? Let us know!
Hola Lucas.
Espero que tu vida,tu familia y tu Kung Fu te vallan muy bien (seguro que si). Bueno he estado visitando tu pagina y he visto tus nuevos articulos,especialmente el de los años del Basement, me parecio muy interesante, puesto que las genereciones de nuevos practicantes deven conocer de donde venimos como fue nuestra formación y el comienzo. Tambien he visto que colocaste una foto en la cual estamos los dos con un palo de billar simulando un Kwan. Ahora recuerdo que la hicimos en la piscina del hotel.Nuevamente devo darte las gracias puesto que fuiste el unico que se preocupo de poderme buscarme un alojamiento ese fin de semana. Bien solo me queda decirte que sigas en tu camino como practicante y profesor y desearte los mejores logros en tu vida.
Recive un fuerte abrazo de tu Si-Hing, Santi Pascual
Dear Mr Castrounis,
It was good to finally meet you and the other members from the Reading Kwoon. I enjoyed myself thoroughly yesterday and learned a lot in a short space of time. I commend you on your achievement and am honoured to be accepted as part of this family. It is so rare to find like minded people and teachers and I felt very welcome because everyone there had good intent and a dedicated attitude to your system.
I would also like to mention that I am also very much enjoying the lessons with Dave, and think that he is a knowledgeable and conscientious teachers and great asset to your team.
I look forward to continuing my journey with you and hope to see you again very soon. All the best.
Hello mon ami Lucas,
I love the new website design. I am proud to say that you have kept with your own tradition, and by this I mean:
- History of the school, system, and family tree.
- Technologically it is also impressive and I like how the photos appear in the middle of the page ;-)
- The workshop history is looking very good...it feels like (as the reader) I was literally standing next to you as you were doing the seminars, and since I had the great pleasure of taking part in the 2005 one, I can confirm that it is 105% consistent with the way things went.
- I also respect you efforts in promoting you senior colleagues and teacher's school...just this inspires respect from you (;-) something to tell your young and talented students when they open their own branch of the Wing Chun system.
So overall: VERY WELL DONE mon ami. I hope that all on your side is good, and in the mean time please send my warmest regards to your family, to Luna, and to my Wing Chun brothers.
Hello Lucas,
I just visited your new Website, and... WOW !!! It looks and is just Fantastic !
Great presentation, particuarly, the picture of the Chinese and Greek temple on a nice golden sunset. The information is very well organised and easily accessible.
Bravo !
Just went through the website in detail and I must say that it is absolutely fantastic. The design is great, and the detail and explanations - concise, easy-to-understand and certainly very interesting. I am actually really glad that I sat down and read through all the pages; there is so much information presented - I will definitely be referring back to the site on a regular basis.
Hello Lucas,
With regards to your website, I think that it is just like you: IT KICKS ASS !
I like that fact that in your home page banner you make clear to the viewer of the origins of your school: both Greek and Chinese. Also there is enough information right there for people who are really interested, and not too many pictures. So they get the facts that they need to know. For the rest, they know who to ask.
new site looks great and much easier to use. well done to all involved.
Hola Lucas.
En principio desearte lo mejor,y felicitarte por tu nueva web, la cual considero muy profesional y de muy buen gusto "Felicidades".
Espero que tu Escuela de Wing Chun te valla muy bien y estes disfrutando mucho. yo sigo tambien mi camino poco a poco y tambien pasandolo bien con mi familia de Wing Chun.
Siempre te he considerado uno de los hermanos de Wing Chun mas cordiales y con un buen talento,por eso te deseo de corazón lo mejor en tu camino.
Espero que en alguna ocasión que visites España vengas a mi casa y asi podremos compartir nuestra amistad y por supuiesto nuestro Wing Chun.
Un fuerte abrazo de tu Si Hing Santi
Hello Lucas,
First of all I want to wish you all the best and congratulate you on your new website which I find most professional and very elegant. "Congratulations"
I hope that your Wing Chun School is going well and that you are enjoying yourself there very much. As for me I am following my own path and also enjoying my own Wing Chun family.
I have always thought of you as one of the most amicable one of our Wing Chun brotherhood and one with great talent and this is why I sincerely wish you the best in this way you have chosen.
I do hope that when you next visit Spain that you come to my house as we will be able to share more friendship and of course some wing chun too.
A warm and friendly hug from your Si Hing Santi
Very Nice
Great work! Looking really cool, nice ... Sil Lum Temple meet the Parthenon Temple. The Greek connection.
I will start to read it and give you more feedback and thanks for putting the Wing Chun Wiki web link on the site.
Take care Ormond
I've been a member of the Reading Academy Kwoon for almost seven months now, and would just like to say how much I've enjoyed my time there. The 'concepts' and 'ideas' of wing chun that Lucas teaches can be applied to any martial art. I've trained in karate now for nearly 16 years, and from my short time in wing chun, I already feel that my karate is improving by applying the concepts of wing chun. I strongly believe that in the long run my karate will be better for having trained in wing chun than if I concentrated all of my time on one art alone.
Now I've started the system, I intend to see it through to the end.
Thanks Lucas
Hello Lucas,
Its great to discover another greek that loves teaching wing chun here in the u.k. If you would like to exchange links I would be happy to do so. Andreas Chrysostomou www.wingchunboxingcollective.com
kind regards andy!
I will give you some feedback about the chi sao last night. My first thoughts about this chi sao after it was over were pretty clear - you really see, with honesty, whether your body can stay relaxed, keep structure, recover, be aware of the other hand and provide an intelligent counter in an environment where you have fear and the possibility of getting hurt. It is one thing to do these things when you "know" your parter isn't going to take a shot or isn't going to step in, but can your body react this way when in the opposite situation? It is more stressful, but it is more honest and rewarding...as you said before, there is no point getting sentimental.
There are many things that I was made more aware of - distance, space, other hand, economical motion - but they are all the result of this way of training and the answers you get from it. It is exciting because it feels like going back to the very beginning, the basics (in the true sense of being the "foundation") with a fresh pair of eyes and a way to get better answers from your training partner and yourself!
Many thanks Lucas for checking my Wing Chun. I really enjoyed your teaching both during our private lesson and during the workshop. I already knew the Reading Academy was a special place train while I was there, but now with the quality of the hands and the spirit of the people training at the Kwoon, it has become even a better place...and I am talking not only about the old boys but also about the emerging new generation.
As for myself, what I retain from that week-end is:
- About the Siu Lim Tao form, thanks for correcting my hands, the wrist rotation, my Gan Sao and my horse stance.I won't anymore try to keep my horse stance by all means during chi sao, as it is allow to lose it provided I recover it straight away.
- I will also monitor the connection between my Tan Sao or Fock Sao and the hip.
- I really appreciated the choima-choima (steps) and the rolling hand (from the wrist!) reminder...
- I thought I knew what straight punches were before the week-end, well...I'm glad we had that training session on Monday morning before I left: that was especially instructive
- I will try put into my Chi Sao that "what are you going to do about this" concept, but I can't guarrantee the result the next time we meet...
Well, if I can improve on these few issues for the next time, I think it would be great...
Cheers Lucas and See you in May.
Many thanks for your time yesterday, it was a great help and opened my eyes about many things.
Was good to go into more depth about how the system is put together. From what I could gather the basic principles of the first form, mainly the centre line and the concept of countering, are of course the most important but we need the principles from the second form in order to make the system "work" together. The dummy then builds upon the first two forms making you react more efficiently, especially if you are found in awkward situations which you would not be in, in the "perfect scenario". Even when you know all the forms and principles, the first form is still there to let you reprogram yourself.
As you mentioned, this is nothing new, we have been over this many times over the years but was good for a refreshment.
What I got most from was talking about chi sao (and of course playing chi sao), if you have a good partner then things are easy because they will let you know of the shots you are open to and encourage you to react and counter. However if your partner is for some reason not able to do this you must be able to find the shots yourself and perhaps now and again let your partner put you in awkward situations to see how you can recover.
It does not matter so much in chi sao if you lose your shapes, what does matter is if you can recover efficiently and offer a threat back, I think it is also important to be a few steps ahead so the game doesn't stop.
You do not necessarily have to beat up your partner up in chi sao but you are misleading yourself if you hold back every punch, only through this can you build up the confidence needed to be comfortable in such situations.
More things keep coming back to me as I write this but I will stop now otherwise I'll be here all day haha. I hope I didn't go on too much.
I had good training last night and slowly started to transfer some ideas over to my guys to remember for me.
See you soon at the kwoon
First of all...a very, VERY interesting website, very informative!!
One way or another I'm planning on taking up Wing Chun (with my wife) in the very near future, it's just a question of finding the perfect school.
I have only just moved to Bracknell (from Portsmouth), and unfortunately at the moment I'm still looking for work....so my main question to you would be; how much would each individual lesson cost?
I'd be extremely grateful if you can take the time to answer my question, and I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Thankyou
I just wanted to send you an e-mail to say how much I enjoyed the chinese boxing session. I just cant seem to get enough of the system and your students are a credit to you. I hope to spend the considerable future learning wing chun, and have already noticed the changes in my life. Thanks and nuff respect to you Lucas, regards Christian
amazing seminar
Hi Wing Chun & Kali Academy, I've been looking for a Martial Arts class near to me, but I have no experience. Your website is very informative and your academy seems to offer the most professional approach and experienced teachers. But it doesn't seem to mention whether beginners are welcome? Please could you let me know what level you start at.
Thanks
Hi Lucas, hope you're well. I got the DVD today and have just finished watching it. It's fantastic - it brought back lots of good memories because it's just like being back in class! Was good to see some familiar faces and some new ones too-looks like the schools doing well. I hope to be back in the country in Summer and will try and get down to see you all.All the best
Donal
Dear Sifu Lucas
I trust this mail finds you well.
Have for the last six years been training in the WSL method of Ving Tsun initially with Clive Potter and am now closely affiliated with David Peterson from Australia. As far as I am able I wish to perpetuate the WSL legacy and to this end wish to create mutual links to our sites, mine is www.wingchun.org.uk, I get many enquiries via my site. If you would like to put up mutual links please let me know via my email alan@wingchun.org.uk
Sincerely
Alan Gibson
hello Lucas
i really enjoyed my time there on wednesday and was a pleasure meeting you and Dan and I am pleased to tell you that I will be able to join as soon as I can. Thanks
mat
Hi,
Nice website and a very clean design, lot of good content... Just surfing came across your site. Have a great time. Thanks.
Rolland G.
Hallo you! Great web site. I found exactly the information I was looking for. I will recommend your page to all my friends!
Cool website, good work!!
Very nice site !!!
Nice site.
Best regards for students & masters Wing Chun
Yong Chun She - WCS Poland
Maybe you need some more pictures. Good job. Will return in the near future.
I could find the information easily that I needed. I just surfed by but I really like your site! Keep it going, thanks.
Recpect WEB-master! Good site!
Cool website, good work! Thank You! I'll be back very soon to see any update.
I was looking for something else and ran across this site. I really like the layout and colors you chose.
Cool website, good work! Thank You!
Beautiful and interesting site! I enjoy reading your site...keep it up guys!
Very interesting site!
Great site!
California Wing Chun Association (CWCA)
Pretty site !!! Very interesting site, thank you!
The only Martial art I practice is Fencing (traditional English style). After hours of looking on the net for another art I find your page on Wing Chun the best written, most sensible and informative I have found. As a Medic it makes sense. Well done. However it does smack of the writings of Frank Herbert of DUNE fame. Is this intentional?
Hello! Thaks from me to you job this is site! Sorry for my poor english:(
Hi Lucas, I hope you are well and that life's treating you alright. The site is looking fantastic, wealth of information on here. Only suggestion I could make would be to stick a couple more videos up. I really enjoyed the time I spent training at the Academy with you and all the other students, it was fantastic fun, and taught me much more than just about fighting.
This is a great website. I had a look round for Martial Arts sites in the Reading area and this site is by far the most informative.
Its a shame I work shifts otherwise I would be very keen in becoming a student. I have heard of Wing Chun but never given it a go, in the past I have done Shotokan and Teakwondo, but never really felt really comfortable with those styles. Anyway, as said great website.
Regards
Hi Lucas,
I have just been reading through your website with much interest - great site by the way - and I'm eager to learn more about the Wing Chun system with a view - hopefully - to beginning training. If possible I'd like to visit and perhaps to meet one or two people from the Reading Academy. Is it possible to pop along at a certain time, perhaps before or after the class, to say hello ?
Best wishes
I attended the seminar on "How not to loose" at the weekend. I thought it was worth a special mention. Personally I learnt a massive amount as always but this seminar was different. From the first Chi Sao at the very beginning to last of the day, the difference in my Wing Chun amazed me. The way in which Lucas delivered the seminar was fantastic. The playful attitude Lucas promoted seemed to rub off on everyone and by the end of the day, the amount of difference in my body, structure and overall Chi Sao was staggering.
Amazing what can be achieved when you are having a laugh and being playful.
Bravo Lucas!
Hi Lucas,
Just taken a glance over it and it looks excellent. Looks like you definitely chose the right person for the job! Alex had an excellent point tonight. The place does have a different buzz to it. Training on Monday and tonight have been an absolute pleasure. Im getting more than my monies worth every month for sure! Just thought I would mention that as everyone is quick to complain these day’s, but seldom do people pass on positive comments. Anyways, if I can actually walk in the morning then I'll see you tomorrow night.
Cheers
Congratulations on the re-organisation of your website Lucas - It really looks fantastic and contains many items of interest.
Please give my regards to everyone at the Reading Academy Kwoon, they are very lucky to have the chance to study under you on a daily basis and I hope that they make the most of the opportunity. I wish you continued success, good health and happiness for the future
Just keep doing what you do best.
Kind regards
I've seen your excellent web site today, and would like to know what the costs of regular Wing Chun training as a student would be pls? Thanks
Hi Lucas,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the seminar on Sunday 8th Feb.2004, I am amazed at how much information I have absorbed from just five hours! Once again many thanks to you and your current students for devoting time to help a complete novice.
Kind regards
Hello Lucas
The seminar yesterday was excellent. I learnt so much in the 5 hours, and I am still thinking about it all now!!! Particular credit as well must go to your senior students who are approachable and helpful. I was particularly interested in your views on how Wing Chun can help with focus and direction and would like to learn more from you and your team.
Thank you again
Hi Lucas!
How are you doing? I am doing quite well eventhough I miss my wing chun training with the group. It's been one of the best experiences I have ever had. I also had a glimpse at your website - it looks extremely AWESOME!!! Take good care & see you soon
Bonjour Lucas, I hope you feel good ..The seminar wase wonderfull thank you for all. J'espere que l'on aura plus de temps pour se voir une prochaine fois. Thank's again & see you soon.
Donnes le bonjour a tes eleves ainsi qu'a ta famille
nice to see you on my computer!
have good times
Thank you for such an informative site. It is also well designed. I especially liked the philosophical explanations behind the forms.
Hello!
You have a good and informative site and your Wing Chun looks good even from Montreal,Canada!...;-)
Hi Lucas,
your homepage looks very professional. Keep up the good work! Hope to see you soon for training. ;)
The sites looking good Lucas! Keep up the good work!
Very Nice site and excellent pics!
Best Wishes, Stuart
Instructor - Samuel Kwok Martial Art Assoc, Swansea
Hi, I've been to Ibiza this weekend and I want to thank everybody for the great effort done to come to Spain. I've enjoyed it a lot and I hope to see you next year. Thank you very much
Asociacion de Wing Chun Wong Shun Leung
Mollet del Valles (Barelona-Spain)
Si-fu Santiago Pacual
Si-fu Joaquin Arias
Dear Lucas & Members,
It is wonderful to witness how we and our beloved Wing Chun is growing. The interest and hard work like always pays off and this is reflected in our everyday lifes.
Wake up people you're missing out!
All the Best, Carlo.
You have a nice site that gives a lot of information on Wing Chun.
Thanks, Charles.
moi qui est pratiquent de kali-escrima je trouve votre site genial aller continu.
amitie, ludo
Hellow, you got an awesome website, keep up the great work. I have been a Follower of Sifu Wong, for a long time. Sincerly a Brother in the Art of Wing Chun.
Joe Musse.
Dear Sir
I like your site a lot.
Regards,
Wai-Po Tang
Founder of Martial Art Institute
Hi Lucas,
Looks like a superb club in Reading.
Cheers,
Mark English.
Dear Mr Castrounis,
I have read the Reading Academy website thoroughly - it is an excellent site.
Best wishes,
Crispian Farrow.
Dear Lucas,
I got my copy of seminar 2000 today and I´m just writing to say thank you, it is as good as you said.
Andrew
i was busy searching in internet and i was glad to see your page and information about your developments in u.k. i hope that all this kind of encounters will happen more often. i thing it is very important for all of as to know the ways of training in other countries and to meet our big family of wing chun.
best regards.
will keep in touch.
Hello Mr. Castrounis. My name is Dimitris Zachos i'm 27 years old and I'm intresting to learn the WINGCHUN & KALI art. I'm from Athens but I'm studing in Huddersfield University.
I've learn about you and Sifu Nino Bernardo from the combat magazine, I read all the interview and your words guide since then .. and i believe wing chun is the key to bring back my health and fitness.
With all of my respect.
Hi Lucas,
Great to hear from you and congratulations on the new school - on to bigger and better things! I've read the article in Combat magazine and it's very good. I especially liked the way that forms, drills and techniques etc. were not mentioned at all and the focus was on the personal benefits of wing chun - very refreshing.
I'd just like to say the website looks great, very professional and its also very easy and pleasurable to use.
All the best.
the web site looks EXCELLENT!!!
Lucca This site is excellent. Very well done and congratulations, looks like the boys are doing well.
See you soon.
I just surfed by your site. I really like it. It's one of the best wing chun site I've seen. The articles are really great. The same things my Sifu says too. I always thought "Yes, this is why I like the wing chun system." :-)
The site is looking good lucas. Keep up the hard work!
Surfing the Internet for the first time, landed straight on our website, looking good, see you next session.
Wing Chun has been an inspiration and I am now striving for greater things in all areas of life! Cheers Lucas
Impressed... I hope to begin training soon.......
I think your web site is brill and my friend Adam Carroll thinks it's great too.
Hi everyone. The site's fantastic! Best wishes to you all & well done Lucas. See you soon
Do Wing Chun and don't think about 'self defence'. Self defence doesn't work.
- Lucas Castrounis
Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.
- Bruce Lee
4 The Net
KiK Sports
Hi Lucas,
I thought the Kali / Wing Chun workshop was brilliant.
I really like the focus on "not thinking" about what you are doing, and just get on and do it. If one can accomplish this 'empty mind' then one can just start trying to do what you have shown us. If you spend time thinking about it, you will never get anything done. If we don't at least try, then we won't make mistakes. Without making mistakes, we have nothing. You cannot correct 'nothing'. At least trying it with an empty mind, you have something from which to build on.
I didn't realise how well you delivered the seminar until the Monday when we carried on what you had taught, in that evenings Kali class. As I played with the guys/girls that evening, more and more of the concepts began to pop into my head. All the details came out of the woodwork and by the end of the night I felt I had really gained from the seminar and also had a much better understanding. Everything looked different, I began to see a lot more danger in front of me.
I also really liked your approach to training Wing Chun. Standing there doing drills is one thing, but you put some real spice into the whole concept of drills and made them both fun and far more efficient. Mixing them up and showing me how we can really train much more efficiently with a partner, as apposed to standing there drilling until the cows come home, and not really achieving anything more than becoming a good driller.
Many thanks for a great day!
Dave Tilly | 08.10.2007