Private Lessons in Wing Chun and Kali

Private lessons with Lucas Castrounis are available on request.

If you are based in Europe and would like intensive one-on-one training at the Reading School
(Kwoon), please contact Lucas Castrounis.

Feedback from Private Training

Many people across the EU have come to the Reading Academy for private lessons with Lucas Castrounis. Below are some comments that students have left following their private training.

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.

Alain Nguyen | 12.03.2007

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.

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.

I had good training last night and slowly started to transfer some ideas over to my guys to remember for me.

Dave Munro | 20.03.2007