Wing Chun Kung Fu & Kali Eskrima
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Franco Regalzi

Lucas Castrounis writes about Franco Regalzi

I met Franco back in the 1990's at 'The Basement' in London while we were practicing Wing Chun kung fu under Sifu Nino Bernardo, a lineage of the Wong Shun Leung wing chun family. Since then we have developed a good strong honest friendship.

Over the years I have visited Franco and his school in Tortona, Milan many times and have always had a good time and great Wing Chun training at his school.

Franco is a well known teacher of Wing Chun kung fu in Italy. He is currently acting in two DVD movies - L'ultimo colpo and Il Professore. The films have been produced in Italy and directed by Andrea Di Bartolo.

Both films have received critical acclaim from the national media in regards to the director, fighting scenes and Franco Regalzi. To read more about Franco Regalzi's current films please see the original Italian articles on the right of this page.

You are invited to see the report, comments, and photographs from the Reading Academy's visit to Franco's school in Tortona, Italy for a 3-day Wing Chun kung fu seminar.

Franco Regalzi Biography (written and translated by Andrea Di Bartolo)

Si Fu Franco Regalzi was born in Italy in 1960. At 12 years old he learned the fundamentals of Artistic Gymnastics. The following year Franco was trained in martial arts. For many years he practiced Judo, Karate, some Kung Fu styles, Filipino Arnis and other fighting sports like western boxing and full contact.

In 1987 Franco came across Wing Chun by means of a live-in student of Nino Bernardo. Franco's first introduction to martial arts was through Si Fu Nino Bernardo and that instilled in Franco the martial art spirit that he carries to this day. After some years of training and teaching in Italy, Nino Bernardo moved back to London allowing Franco to create the Wing Chun Italian School. The Wing Chun school was established in the town of Tortona (in the province of Alessandria) and has many students that follow Franco like a master and brother.

When Franco trained himself at the Basement in London, the training was very hard, despite the playful and joyful atmosphere. Nino's older students were astonished by Franco's persistence. During the breaks in training he would continue to train himself in the forms and in the fundamentals of Wing Chun.

Franco also trained in Wing Chun under Hong Kong Wing Chun master, Wong Shun Leung. Franco was introduced to Wong Shun Leung by a letter from Nino Bernardo that recommended his "martial art pupil".

Wong noticed the seriousness and commitment of Franco so much so that he accepted the proposal to come to Italy for seminars and to know the School of Teacher Regalzi, where he was hosted several times prior to his death in 1997.

Franco Regalzi Biography (in Italian, written by Andrea Di Bartolo)

Franco Regalzi nasce nel 1960, si avvicina alla ginnastica artistica a 12 anni per poi, l'anno successivo, intraprendere lo studio delle Arti Marziali. Per molti anni pratica Judo, Karate, alcuni stili di Kung fu, l'Arnis filippino e gli sport da combattimento come la boxe occidentale ed il full contact.

Nel 1987 conosce il Wing Chun per caso, tramite un allievo di Nino Bernardo. Franco inizia così a studiare con Sifu Bernardo il quale, dopo qualche anno di insegnamento in Italia, torna a Londra lasciando a Franco lo sviluppo della Scuola italiana di Wing Chun, oggi punto di riferimento il Italia ed in Europa per questa disciplina. Quando Franco si allenava al "Basement" di Londra gli allenamenti erano intensi e anche se l'atmosfera era rilassata e giocosa, era molto duro per tutti arrivare in fondo alla lezione. Gli allievi anziani di Nino rimasero impressionati dalla costanza e dalla resistenza di Franco (il quale nelle pause continuava ad impegnarsi nelle forme e nei fondamentali). Egli ricorda infatti che dopo i lunghi allenamenti a Londra, quando gli atleti si ritrovavano al ristorante cinese per mangiare, non riusciva a reggere le bacchette da quanto gli tremavano le mani per lo sforzo sostenuto.

Franco si allennò anche con il Maestro Wong Shun Leung alla scuola di Hong Kong, grazie ad una lettera di presentazione di Nino che raccomandava il suo "pupillo". Wong si accorse subito della serietà e dell'impegno di Franco nel Wing Chun, tanto che accettò la proposta di venire in Italia per dei seminari e per conoscere la Scuola del Maestro Regalzi, dove fu ospitato più volte fino a poco prima di morire nel 1997.