EARLE'S VING CHUN KUEN - THE ART OF INVINCIBILITY
FROM THE INSTRUCTORS COFFEE HOUSE
MASTER BEAU
Beau Bouzaid is a 3rd generation Master of
Ip Man lineage Wing Chun Kung Fu
IP MAN
Choy Siu Kwong
Kevin Earle
Beau Bouzaid
The Path to Mastery is Paved with
Loyalty & Commitment
"Master Beau is my most senior student having commenced his Wing Chun training with me in Invercargill, New Zealand, circa 1973, and
he remains a loyal close friend to this day.
In 1977 he emigrated to Sydney, Australia,
from where he wrote: "I cannot locate
Sifu Greg Tsoi (Choy Siu Kwong) or a
comparable Wing Chun school nearby".
Fortunately Master Jim Fung opened his Sydney headquarters
and Beau attended the open-day.
"At last I have found a school that teaches practical Wing Chun according to the principles that you taught me", he wrote.
In a letter penned to me in March of 1990 Sifu Jim Fung wrote;
"I must congratulate you on bringing up students like Beau.
He is a rare find among all the martial art students.
He is loyal, respectful, dedicated, and trains very hard.
He is a real credit to the attitude of your teaching."
Jim Fung to Kevin Earle.
SIFU BEAU, PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR MANA WING CHUN, SYDNEY
Technical Advisor, Australasian Ving Chun Kuen Instructors Association
Actively involved in running workshops in Australia & New Zealand
Five Decades of Wing Chun
Beau Bouzaid has been involved in his practise of Wing Chun Kuen for near fifty years.
He began his Wing Chun in Invercargill circa 1973 under the guidance of Kevin Earle at the Hsiao Loong Kung Fu school (which later became 'Earle's Academy Ving Chun Kuen').
With Kevin's guideance Beau became the Senior Instructor in Invercagill and he (Beau) had soon opened and established a branch in Gore. Beau organised and participated in numerous Wing Chun workshops and demonstrations throughout the '70's.
Beau emigrated to Australia in 1977, eventually developing & managing 17 branches of Master Jim Fung's Wing Chun Academy in Sydney, training six days a week, (sometimes seven), all while running his own business and helping his wife Pam raise their family.
In 1989 he led a party of 23 students to Hong Kong for daily training sessions with Chu Shong Tin, who is most highly regarded as "The King of Sil Nim Tao". Though (some) students had travelled to Hong Kong prior to this time it is believed that this was the first large contingent; the first of many.
As the NSW Training Manager with Master Jim Fungs academy Beau trained a number of the academy Instructors for the branches he opened, & worked with Karen Armstrong developing their Government Accredited Training Program, (the first Government accredited martial art training program in Australasia).
Beau featured as Sifu Jim Fungs main adversary in 'Wing Chun Sil Lum Tao Form And Applications', the 5-star rated Wing Chun video that was written, produced, directed, and commentated by Karen Armstrong.
Practical Experience
Crowd Control employment, 7 years, for Social & Dance Functions in Dunedin & Invercargill.
Other Martial Training
Competitive Amatuer Boxer for 2 years
Wrestling, 7 years - attained NZ's South Island Featherweight title
Black Belt, Arnis Corral system (Sinawalli, Double Baston, Disarming, Daga)
Black Belt, Escrima - Eskrido, Cacoy Canetes Doce Pares system
Other Martial Adventures
As well as having conducted Wing Chun workshops and open days in Australia and New Zealand for various martial art schools including Master Jim Fung's International Wing Chun Academy, Earle's Academy, and the Geoff Booth/Hapkido Australia Group, Beau has also supported visiting martial artists by participating in their workshops.
These include the 1984 workshops by Dan Inosanto; workshop seminar & training with Nino Pilla of the Australian Filipino Kali Academy, 1993; Doce Pares Escrima & Pangamot workshop & seminar, 1995.
Beau earned his 2nd class Brown Belt rankings in Doces Pares Eskrima and Pangamont, being graded on the 14th of March 1995, before earning his Black Belt on the 16th December of the following year. Although he no longer officially trains in Doce Pares, he still practises on a regular basis.
Acknowledgements
"Harry Young (Dunedin) who started me at the YMCA wrestling in my teenage years. I was heading in the wrong direction. Trouble. Harry got me away from all that street fighting stuff."
"Graham Kuerschner, Wing Chun, for his detailed refinements, clear understanding and precise explanations."
"Karen Armstrong, Wing Chun, for her professional guidance and presentation."
"Nigel Brenton, Wing Chun, in learning to understand others especially from a teaching point of view."
"Master Jim Fung for the opportunities he provided."
"Sigung Chu Shong Tin for the most valuable insights into Wing Chun, and for the guidance I received from him during the daily training sessions in Hong Kong in 1989."
"There are so many people to thank and try to remember along the way that have helped me to understand and be more efficient in applying this challenging art of Wing Chun; who have helped me to keep the doors of my mind open. Thanks to all, but thanks most of all to the most important person Master Kevin Earle (my Sifu) who started me on my journey."
- Beau.
