The Moy Yat Lineage Returns to Rio’s Elite Police Squad (BOPE)

  

On 8 November, at the invitation of Senior Master Fabio Gomes and with the consent of Grandmaster Leo Imamura, I took part in the support work provided to the 44th Tactical Actions Course (CAT II/2025), held at the Special Operations Battalion (BOPE), one of the world’s most respected centres of excellence, based in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Our team also included the Commando Marcelo Alves, a veteran of the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Brazilian Army. We were received with exceptional professionalism, respect, and warmth by both the officers and the course participants.

One could simply state that participating in a training conducted within a unit that symbolises excellence, discipline, and courage was an experience that fills me with pride in my professional journey. However, I would like to share a few further reflections on this experience.

As Grandmaster Leo Imamura has previously emphasised, in classical Chinese culture there exists the principle that “1 = 3”. What does this mean?
It signifies, for instance, that an activity such as this — applying the Ving Tsun System of the Moy Yat lineage in such a unique context — requires profound preparation. Thus, this “unique moment” unfolds into a “pre-event”.

With this understanding, I met several days in advance with Senior Master Fabio Gomes and my student, Daniel Eustáquio, to plan in detail the work to be developed during the four-hour session with the CAT II/2025 participants at BOPE.

All of the work was founded on the notion of “Noi Lik” (內力). Although many interpret this concept as “internal energy”, our approach was to present it as the capacity to internalise an external force and to use it intelligently and advantageously — in other words, to employ the energy provided by the opponent for one’s own benefit.

“What does the word ‘art’ signify in ‘martial art’? It is to capture and to employ, through gesture and the arrangement of things, every possible form of efficacy.”

Accordingly, our intention in conducting this study on “Noi Lik” (內力) was to encourage an appropriate attitude in the face of the unprecedented — an element that is ever-present in high-risk operations.

Hence, the reflection remains: how may this principle be transformed into concrete practice?

Before commenting on how we carried out this work, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Grandmaster Leo Imamura, who, through his determination, brought the Ving Tsun System of the Moy Yat lineage to Brazil in 1988. This visionary initiative has made it possible for professionals such as Senior Master Fabio Gomes — and myself — to experience opportunities as meaningful as this one.

During the pre-event lunch that preceded the activity itself, we concluded that we would use the Ving Tsun Experience Programme as the methodological foundation for our work.

The Ving Tsun Experience is a programme inspired by the vision of Patriarch Moy Yat, designed to enable individuals from diverse backgrounds to experience the high level of a Kung Fu system. The proposal is based on the defining characteristics of the Ving Tsun System, taking into account its phases, modalities, and types of mastery. In this way, it offers a gradual, accessible experience that remains faithful to the martial tradition.

Accordingly, we proposed to the participants that they adopt a Strategic Foundational Configuration. In other words, all the activities carried out that day would begin from an initial strategic configuration, practised in pairs, allowing each participant to calculate in advance — and with precision — all the factors involved, and to conduct the situation so that these factors became fully favourable to them.

Thus, victory would not be an end in itself, but rather the natural and predictable consequence of the opponent’s imbalance, provoked through conscious strategic action.

After the first rounds, a significant indication arose that we were on the right path. At a certain point, one of the participants managed to free his arm during one of the proposed exercises, demonstrating attentiveness not only to the strategic stages but also — as Senior Master Fabio Gomes emphasised that evening — to awareness of the other.

Surprised, the participant exclaimed:

“It’s easy!”

This spontaneous reaction — transforming what is difficult into something easy — is already foreseen in the classical Chinese treatises on strategy, which state that the true strategist achieves only easy victories.

It must be understood that “easy” does not mean devoid of challenge, but rather that, by the time success is achieved, it no longer requires tactical feats or great human effort. It is like the leader who, even upon attaining success, receives no applause, for genuine strategic qualities often go unnoticed.

In that simple moment, by verbalising his perception, the participant experienced the concept through his own body. It was something profoundly moving for me — impossible not to smile at the clarity revealed by that gesture.

 

That evening, I experienced not only a milestone in my journey as a martial arts professional, but also a transformative moment as a person. I felt profound gratitude, for since beginning my practice at the age of fifteen up to that moment — having just turned forty-two — I had travelled a long and meaningful path.

All the work carried out with the participants was not founded upon the individual qualities of our team, nor upon our combat ability, but rather upon something I understand as what Grandmaster Leo Imamura defines as “profound coherence.”

We dedicated ourselves intensely to the design of each activity and the construction of each strategic stage, ensuring that any solution adopted at one point, if it disregarded the opponent, would prove ineffective in the next — allowing the participant to realise this for themselves, without the need for correction. This dynamic, too, was carefully anticipated.

Our intention was that the participants, through movement, could act as strategists — capable of using the potential inherent in the situation to achieve maximum effect with minimal expenditure of energy.

Through these movements, we sought to convey that the determining factor is not individual goodwill, but rather the objective propensity that naturally arises from the way in which a situation is structured. Thus, by reinterpreting the use of their arms, legs, and body within the logic of the Ving Tsun System, the participants could experience this emerging potential from the initial strategic arrangement — the so-called Strategic Foundational Configuration.

This principle may be likened to setting rounded stones rolling from a mountain peak: once the movement has begun, the natural course of action leads inevitably to the outcome.
It was for this reason that the participant, upon realising it spontaneously, exclaimed:

“It’s easy!”

That simple phrase profoundly encapsulated the lived experience of the concept we sought to convey.

It is important to highlight the perseverance of Senior Master Fabio Gomes (pictured above), who for nearly three decades has been promoting the Ving Tsun System in environments of high performance and exclusivity. His work has directly contributed to enhancing the prestige of the Ving Tsun System within contexts of technical and strategic excellence — the result of his fidelity to his own vision and of a path defined by dedication and long-term perspective.

Throughout the four-hour session, Master Fabio demonstrated remarkable leadership, guiding our team with great mastery. Yet, twenty-five years ago, the results that are now visible still seemed distant. This journey reminds us that, in the art of strategy, means and ends are not always clearly defined; rather, it is the notions of disposition and efficacy that assume a central role in the development of any high-level process. As Master Fabio himself says: “Trust in the regulation of things.”

As important as his determination was Master Fabio’s respect for each strategic stage in pursuit of his objectives. To follow these stages with discipline is a necessary condition for success, but the true distinction also lies in the personal value that manifests in every decision and every action.

As Professor François Jullien exemplifies:

“However dense the clouds may be, a worm could not find support in them to fly — unlike the dragon.”

Thus, we understand Senior Master Fabio Gomes as truly called to this kind of work — someone whose journey both inspires and authentically represents the strategic spirit and essence of the Ving Tsun System of the Moy Yat lineage.

I am Thiago Pereira, and I humbly record my experience before, during, and after this singular moment, including the post-event held with Master Fabio Gomes and Mr Marcelo Alves.

Retorno da Linhagem Moy Yat ao BOPE do Rio de Janeiro

 

No dia 8 de novembro, a convite do Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes e com a anuência do Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura, participei do trabalho de apoio prestado ao 44º Curso de Ações Táticas (CAT II/2025), realizado no Batalhão de Operações Especiais (BOPE), uma das instituições de excelência mais respeitadas do mundo, sediada na cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Nosso time também foi composto pelo Comandos Marcelo Alves, veterano do 1º Batalhão de Forças Especiais do Exército Brasileiro. Fomos recebidos de forma extremamente profissional, respeitosa e calorosa pelos oficiais e pelos alunos do curso.

Poderia simplesmente afirmar que participar de uma formação conduzida em uma unidade símbolo de excelência, disciplina e coragem foi uma vivência que me enche de orgulho em minha trajetória profissional. No entanto, gostaria de compartilhar algumas reflexões adicionais sobre essa experiência.

Como já ressaltou o Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura, na cultura clássica chinesa existe o princípio de que “1 = 3”. O que isso significa?
Significa, por exemplo, que uma atividade como esta — trabalhar com o Sistema Ving Tsun da Linhagem Moy Yat em um contexto tão singular — exige preparação profunda. Assim, esse “momento único” se desdobra em um “pré-evento”.

Com esse entendimento, me reuni dias antes com o Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes e com meu aluno Daniel Eustáquio para planejarmos detalhadamente o trabalho a ser desenvolvido durante as quatro horas de atividade junto aos alunos do CAT II/2025 no BOPE.

Todo o trabalho foi fundamentado na noção de “Noi Lik” (內力). Embora muitos interpretem esse conceito como “energia interna”, nossa proposta foi apresentá-lo como a capacidade de internalizar uma força externa, utilizando-a de forma inteligente e favorável — em outras palavras, empregar a energia disponibilizada pelo adversário em benefício próprio.

“O que significa a palavra ‘arte’ em ‘arte marcial’? Captar e usar, por intermédio do gesto e da ordenação das coisas, toda a eficácia possível.”

Dessa forma, nossa intenção ao conduzir esse estudo sobre o “Noi Lik” (內力) foi estimular uma conduta apropriada diante do inédito, elemento presente a cada instante em operações de alto risco.

Fica, portanto, a reflexão: como transformar esse princípio em prática concreta?

Antes de comentar sobre como realizamos esse trabalho, gostaria de expressar meu sincero agradecimento ao Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura, que, com sua determinação, trouxe para o Brasil, em 1988, o Sistema Ving Tsun da Linhagem Moy Yat. Essa iniciativa visionária possibilitou que profissionais como o Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes — e eu próprio — pudéssemos vivenciar oportunidades tão significativas quanto esta.

 Durante o almoço de pré-evento que antecedeu o evento em si, chegamos à conclusão de que utilizaríamos o Programa Ving Tsun Experience como base metodológica para o trabalho.

O Ving Tsun Experience é um programa inspirado na visão do Patriarca Moy Yat, que tem como propósito possibilitar que diferentes pessoas vivenciem o alto nível de um sistema de Kung Fu.

A proposta se baseia nas características do Sistema Ving Tsun, considerando suas fases, modalidades e naturezas de domínio, permitindo assim uma experiência gradual, acessível e fiel à tradição marcial.

Assim, propusemos aos alunos que assumissem uma “Configuração Fundacional Estratégica” . Em outras palavras, todas as atividades realizadas naquele dia se iniciariam a partir de uma configuração estratégica inicial em duplas, permitindo que cada participante pudesse calcular previamente e com precisão todos os fatores envolvidos, conduzindo a situação de modo que esses fatores lhes fossem plenamente favoráveis.
Dessa forma, a vitória não seria um objetivo em si, mas sim a consequência natural e previsível do desequilíbrio do adversário, provocado por meio de uma ação estratégica consciente.

Após as primeiras rodadas, surgiu um indício significativo de que estávamos no caminho certo. Em determinado momento, um dos alunos conseguiu desvencilhar seu braço em um dos exercícios propostos, demonstrando atenção não apenas às etapas estratégicas, mas também — como enfatizou o Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes naquela noite — à atenção ao outro.

Surpreso, o aluno exclamou:

“É fácil!”

Essa reação espontânea — transformar o difícil em fácil — já é prevista nos tratados clássicos de estratégia chinesa, segundo os quais o verdadeiro estrategista alcança apenas vitórias fáceis.
Compreenda-se: “fáceis” não por falta de desafio, mas porque, no momento em que se concretizam, já não exigem mais proezas táticas nem grande esforço humano. É como o líder que, mesmo ao alcançar o êxito, não é aplaudido, pois as verdadeiras qualidades estratégicas muitas vezes passam despercebidas.

No singelo momento, ao verbalizar sua percepção, aquele aluno vivenciou o conceito através do corpo. Foi algo profundamente marcante para mim — impossível não esboçar um sorriso diante da clareza que aquele gesto revelou.

 

Naquela noite, eu vivenciava não apenas um marco em minha trajetória como profissional de artes marciais, mas também um momento transformador como pessoa. Sentia uma profunda gratidão, pois, desde que iniciei minha prática aos 15 anos de idade, até aquele momento, aos recém-completados 42 anos, havia percorrido uma longa e significativa caminhada.

Todo o trabalho desenvolvido com os alunos, não se apoiava em qualidades individuais de nossa equipe, tampouco em nossa habilidade de combate, mas em algo que compreendo como o que o Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura define como “coerência profunda”.

Nos dedicamos intensamente à elaboração de cada atividade e à construção de cada etapa estratégica, de modo que as soluções adotadas em um momento, caso desconsiderassem o adversário, se mostrassem ineficazes na etapa seguinte — permitindo que o próprio aluno percebesse isso, sem que fosse necessário apontar o erro. Essa dinâmica também foi cuidadosamente antecipada.

Nosso propósito era que os alunos pudessem através dos movimentos agir como estrategistas, capazes de utilizar o potencial da situação para alcançar o máximo efeito com o mínimo dispêndio de energia.

Por meio dos movimentos, buscamos transmitir que o fator determinante não é a boa vontade individual, mas sim a propensão objetiva que decorre naturalmente da forma como a situação está estruturada. Assim, ao ressignificarem o uso dos braços, das pernas e do corpo dentro da lógica do Sistema Ving Tsun, os participantes poderiam experimentar esse potencial nascente da disposição estratégica inicial — a chamada Configuração Fundacional Estratégica.

Esse princípio é comparável a fazer pedras redondas rolarem do pico mais elevado: uma vez iniciado o movimento, o curso natural da ação conduz ao resultado.
Foi por isso que o aluno, ao constatar espontaneamente, disse:

“É fácil!”

Essa frase simples sintetizou, de maneira profunda, a vivência prática do conceito que buscávamos transmitir.

É importante destacar a perseverança do Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes(foto acima), que há quase três décadas vem promovendo o Sistema Ving Tsun em ambientes de alta performance e alto nível de exclusividade. Sua atuação tem contribuído diretamente para elevar o prestígio do Sistema Ving Tsun em contextos de excelência técnica e estratégica — resultado de sua fidelidade ao próprio sonho e de uma trajetória pautada pela dedicação e pela visão de longo prazo.

Ao longo das quatro horas de aula, o Mestre Fabio demonstrou notável capacidade de liderança, conduzindo nossa equipe com maestria. Contudo, há 25 anos, os resultados hoje visíveis ainda pareciam distantes. Essa trajetória nos lembra que, na arte da estratégia, o meio e o fim nem sempre estão claramente definidos; são, antes, as noções de dispositivo e eficácia que assumem papel central no desenvolvimento de qualquer processo de alto nível. Como o próprio Mestre Fabio diz: “Confie na regulação das coisas.”

Tão importante quanto a determinação, foi o respeito do Mestre Fabio a cada etapa estratégica em busca de seus objetivos. Seguir essas etapas com disciplina é condição necessária para o êxito, mas o verdadeiro diferencial está também no valor pessoal que se manifesta em cada decisão, em cada ação.

Como exemplifica o professor François Jullien:

“Por mais densas que sejam as nuvens, uma minhoca não poderia encontrar apoio nelas para voar — ao contrário do dragão.”

Assim, compreendemos o Mestre Sênior Fabio Gomes como um verdadeiro vocacionado para este tipo de trabalho, cuja trajetória inspira e representa, de forma autêntica, o espírito estratégico e a essência do Sistema Ving Tsun da Linhagem Moy Yat.

Sou Thiago Pereira e registro, modestamente, minha vivência antes, durante e após este momento singular, incluindo o pós-evento realizado com o Mestre Fabio Gomes e o Sr. Marcelo Alves.

Living alongside Sensei Ricardo Leite and Grandmaster Leo Imamura

 

(With the kind Sensei Ricardo Leite at the beloved restaurant we often go to)

Although Grandmaster Leo Imamura had invited me to reflect on a series of topics related to the need for greater attentiveness and more appropriate conduct at the end of a recently concluded practice, his words seemed not to have had the desired effect at that moment.

We were on our way to one of the german restaurant branches, with him driving and Sensei Ricardo Leite (seventh dan in Aikido and a disciple of Sensei Yamada) sitting beside him. However, my thoughts were drifting towards the bus I needed to catch in time to attend a meeting the following day. I had a work commitment scheduled, though, in the worst-case scenario, I could reschedule it. Still, that meeting was an opportunity I had been waiting for all year...

At a certain point, Sensei Ricardo addressed me and made a few positive remarks about my performance — I believe more out of kindness than anything else. I know how much I still need to improve. On the other hand, he also spoke about the value of having someone to guide us, and on that, everyone in the car agreed.

We sat down to have dinner. I don’t recall seeing any other people in the restaurant — perhaps I simply wasn’t paying attention. When I returned from the bathroom, Grandmaster Leo Imamura had already placed the order, and shortly afterwards, the food arrived. We had been together since early that morning, starting with breakfast, when Master Cristina had also joined us.

 

Being with Sensei Ricardo Leite, in my view, is always an opportunity to witness special conversations — from someone genuinely concerned about the direction his art, Aikido, has been taking and about practitioners’ understanding of how techniques are executed. For him, techniques should not be seen as mere choreography, but as the expression of a deep understanding of how to allow movement to occur naturally, arising from the propensity generated by the interaction between the two practitioners.

Sensei Ricardo Leite, who frequently refers to his master, Yamada Sensei, shared something that touched me deeply:

“Yamada Sensei came to Brazil for the first time in 1991, and even had Kawai Sensei as a guest. Kawai Sensei had invited me for the 4th Dan, but I declined the invitation. I was well regarded in Brazil, but I felt that the regard people had for me did not correspond to my real understanding. When Yamada Sensei came, that feeling was confirmed.”

These words had a profound impact on me, as they resonate with something I have always felt in my own journey. Even after receiving the title of Master from the former Moy Yat Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence in 2015 and, two years later, from the International Moy Yat Ving Tsun Federation in 2017, I carried within me a sense that my ability fell short of the titles I bore. Part of this came from a lack of deeper understanding of what those titles truly represent — and of the many reasons that may lead someone to receive them.

Even so, considering the idea of a Master as someone who has mastered a system, I never felt fully satisfied. Over the years, and especially through the experience of teaching my first students, this feeling became increasingly evident. It is easy to deceive oneself and adopt a position that avoids exposure at all costs — even the simple act of asking a question in public. But there is another path: the path of allowing oneself to pursue excellence.

As Bernardinho, the multi-championship-winning coach of the Brazilian national volleyball team, once said, “Excellence is a moving target.” Each time you approach it, you realise that what you did before may no longer be enough now.

Sensei Ricardo Leite continued with his reflections:

“...But it is wonderful, because he (Yamada Sensei) proved that to me — showing how to access what really matters in order to grow. When he came, with all his structure, training, and experience — after all, he had been a disciple of the very founder, from the roots — he presented a framework of incredible depth. Basic movements that, for me, had been developed in an intuitive way, then found solid foundations for development. It was both shocking and marvellous. Because the spirit I had developed at that time (before that encounter) was precisely the energy I needed in order to, with the tools he presented, transcend the level at which I found myself...”

Those words reminded me of a day when, after leaving a professional appointment in another field in which I work, I decided to call Grandmaster Leo Imamura and ask whether he thought it would be worthwhile for me to acquire the Wooden Dummy Course that he and his partners had just made available through the Kung Fu Life channel. I wanted to improve, and I asked sincerely. The Grandmaster reportedly replied that he considered it essential for every professional to acquire the course.

When I began to watch it, it truly was something very impactful. Grandmaster Leo Imamura proposed an exploration of the wooden dummy that went far beyond what I had imagined. That realisation made me see how little I still knew about exploring the System.

A year later, while revising the Mui Fa Jong Domain with him at the Moy Yat Institute, I demonstrated the Da Jong, and he commented:
“It’s better than I thought... it just depends on whether you’ll be content with this draft.”

I couldn’t help a slight laugh as I looked at the dummy. At that moment, it had already been 21 years since I had first been introduced to the Da Jong. I was never the most intelligent, the strongest, or the most skilful — but I always did my part. And, even so, it was still only a draft. And I knew that it was true.

Sensei Ricardo Leite is awaiting the autograph

 in the book authored by GM William Moy)

“...The point is not where you place your foot or your hand, but what you do — how the foot gets here, how the hand gets there, where it goes and why it is there. Placing the foot and the hand — nowadays, any video on YouTube shows that.
He (Yamada Sensei) did not simply teach where the foot and the hand should be — not in an absolute and definitive way, but in a structured and well-founded manner. In other words, he was not teaching what was right or wrong; he was teaching structure, providing tools so that I could overcome the level at which I found myself.
It was exactly what I needed at that time. It was something radical. Many people went through a sort of ‘Aikido depression’, because the shock was so great. But many continued and became happy with the encounter of these new instruments.
Each person had their own purpose. Mine was to surpass the level at which I had been until then.”

— concludes Sensei Ricardo Leite, regarding the beginning of his journey with Sensei Yamada.

Master Quintela has already said that the Ving Tsun Experience Programme contains a series of valuable guidelines about the Ving Tsun System, and today I am entirely certain of how much the study of this Programme helps me as a practitioner — and also helps my Family — to develop a clearer and deeper approach to the System, without a doubt.

I remember being about to enter the building of Grandmaster Leo Imamura’s parents with him in his car. On such occasions, he usually relaxes his left elbow near the window, lightly holding the steering wheel. With his right hand, he holds the gate remote control and rests his relaxed arm on his right thigh. His whole posture becomes calmer than when he is driving.

At that moment of the day, certain things usually happen: either he finishes something he was saying, or he begins a new line of reasoning — or, what enchants me the most, he ties a thought together, connecting everything we have done in terms of Kung Fu practice and life since the very first day of that particular journey. It is as if he were showing, with clarity, that he had been attentive to everything and helping me to perceive how the same conduct manifests itself in different aspects of our day and how we can work on it.

On that particular day, I could not recall whether he was concluding or starting a new reasoning while we waited for the gate — which stubbornly refuses to open. But, from what I understood of the story he was telling, someone had asked him how he had managed to go so deep starting from the Siu Nim Do, and he had replied by explaining that everything came from the demand he had.

That seemingly simple reason moved me deeply. I sat looking ahead, lost in thought. Because it was also the demand from my students that had brought me there, in that car.
And it is this same demand for the safeguarding of a legacy that seems to drive Sensei Ricardo. Perhaps that is why his well-chosen words brought back to me all these fragments of memory that I now share here.

Convivendo com o Sensei Ricardo Leite e com o Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura

(Com o gentil Sensei Ricardo Leite no querido restaurante que frequentamos)

Apesar de o Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura ter me convidado a refletir sobre uma série de tópicos relacionados à necessidade de maior atenção e de uma conduta mais apropriada ao final de uma prática que havia se encerrado, suas palavras pareciam não ter surtido o efeito desejado naquele momento.

Estávamos a caminho de uma das unidades do restaurante Jucalemão, com ele dirigindo e o Sensei Ricardo Leite (sétimo dan de Aikido e discípulo do Sensei Yamada) ao seu lado. No entanto, meus pensamentos escapavam para o ônibus que eu precisava pegar a tempo de estar em uma reunião no dia seguinte. Havia um compromisso de trabalho agendado, mas, em último caso, eu poderia reagendá-lo. Ainda assim, aquela reunião era uma oportunidade pela qual eu vinha aguardando o ano todo...

Em determinado momento, o Sensei Ricardo dirigiu-se a mim e fez alguns comentários positivos sobre a minha performance — creio que mais por sua boa vontade comigo. Eu sei o quanto ainda preciso melhorar. Por outro lado, ele também comentou sobre o valor de termos alguém que nos oriente, e nisso todos no carro concordamos.

Sentamos para jantar. Não me lembro de outras pessoas no restaurante — talvez eu não estivesse atento. Quando voltei do banheiro, o pedido já havia sido feito pelo GM Leo Imamura e, pouco tempo depois, a comida chegou. Estávamos juntos desde cedo, desde o café da manhã, quando também se juntou a nós a Mestra Cristina.

 

Estar com o Sensei Ricardo Leite, na minha visão, é sempre uma oportunidade de presenciar conversas especiais — de alguém genuinamente preocupado com os rumos que sua arte, o Aikido, vem tomando e com a compreensão dos praticantes sobre a execução das técnicas. Para ele, as técnicas não devem ser vistas como uma simples coreografia, mas como a expressão de uma compreensão profunda de como permitir que o movimento aconteça naturalmente, a partir da propensão gerada pela interação entre os dois praticantes.

Sensei Ricardo Leite, que frequentemente faz referência ao seu mestre, Yamada Sensei, compartilhou algo que me tocou profundamente:

“Yamada Sensei veio pela primeira vez ao Brasil em 1991, e inclusive teve o Kawai Sensei como convidado. O Kawai Sensei havia me convidado para o 4º Dan, mas eu declinei do convite. Eu era bem conceituado no Brasil, mas sentia que a conceituação que me atribuíam não correspondia à minha real compreensão. Quando Yamada Sensei veio, essa sensação se confirmou.”

Essas palavras me impactaram muito, pois ressoam com algo que sempre senti em minha própria trajetória. Mesmo tendo recebido o título de Mestre pela antiga Moy Yat Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence em 2015 e, dois anos depois, pela International Moy Yat Ving Tsun Federation, em 2017, eu mantinha dentro de mim uma sensação de que minha capacidade estava aquém dos títulos que ostentava.

Parte disso vinha da falta de uma compreensão mais profunda sobre o que esses títulos realmente representam — e sobre as diversas razões que podem levar alguém a recebê-los. Ainda assim, mesmo considerando a ideia de Mestre como aquele que domina um sistema, eu não me sentia plenamente satisfeito. Com o passar dos anos, e principalmente com a experiência de transmissão com meus primeiros alunos, esse sentimento foi se tornando cada vez mais evidente.

É fácil se enganar e se colocar numa posição em que se evita a exposição a qualquer custo — até mesmo o simples ato de tirar uma dúvida em público. Mas existe outro caminho: o de se permitir buscar a excelência. Como disse Bernardinho, o técnico multicampeão da seleção brasileira de vôlei, “a excelência é um alvo móvel”. Cada vez que você se aproxima dela, percebe que aquilo que fazia antes talvez já não seja mais suficiente agora.

O Sensei Ricardo Leite continuou com suas considerações:

“...Mas é maravilhoso, porque ele (Yamada Sensei) me provou isso — mostrando como acessar aquilo que realmente interessa para crescer. Quando ele veio, com toda a sua estrutura, formação e experiência — afinal, ele foi discípulo do próprio fundador, desde a raiz  —, apresentou uma estrutura de uma profundidade incrível. Movimentos básicos que, para mim, eram desenvolvidos de forma intuitiva, encontraram então bases sólidas de desenvolvimento. Foi chocante e maravilhoso. Porque o espírito que eu havia desenvolvido naquela época (antes desse encontro) era justamente a energia de que eu precisava para, com os instrumentos que ele apresentava, transpor o nível em que eu me encontrava...”

Essas palavras me fizeram lembrar de um dia em que, ao sair de um compromisso profissional em outro ramo no qual atuo, resolvi ligar para o Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura e perguntar se ele achava interessante que eu adquirisse o Curso do Boneco de Madeira, que ele e seus parceiros haviam acabado de disponibilizar pelo canal Kung Fu Life. Eu queria melhorar, e perguntei com sinceridade.

O Grão-Mestre teria respondido que considerava fundamental que todo profissional adquirisse o curso. Quando comecei a assistir, realmente foi algo muito impactante. O Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura propunha uma exploração do boneco de madeira que ia muito além do que eu imaginava. Essa constatação me fez perceber o quanto ainda não sabia explorar o Sistema.

Um ano depois, ao revisar o Domínio Mui Fa Jong com ele no Instituto Moy Yat, demonstrei o Da Jong, e ele comentou:

“Está melhor do que eu pensava... basta saber se você vai se contentar com esse rascunho.”

Não consegui conter uma leve risada enquanto olhava para o boneco. Naquele momento, já fazia 21 anos desde que eu havia sido apresentado ao Da Jong. Eu nunca fui o mais inteligente, o mais forte ou o mais habilidoso — mas sempre fiz a minha parte. E, mesmo assim, ainda era apenas um rascunho. E eu sabia que era verdade..

(Sensei Ricardo Leite aguarda o autografo no livro de autoria de GM William Moy)

O Sensei Ricardo Leite completa seu raciocínio:

“...O ponto não é onde você coloca o pé ou a mão, mas o que você faz — como o pé chega aqui, como a mão chega lá, para onde vai e por que está lá. Colocar o pé e a mão, hoje em dia, qualquer vídeo no YouTube mostra.
Ele (Yamada Sensei) não apenas ensinava onde o pé e a mão deveriam ficar — não de forma absoluta e verdadeira, mas de modo estruturado e fundamentado. Ou seja, não estava ensinando o certo e o errado; estava ensinando estrutura, oferecendo instrumentos para que eu pudesse superar o nível em que me encontrava.
Era exatamente o que eu precisava naquela época. Foi algo radical. Muita gente entrou em uma espécie de ‘depressão no Aikido’, porque o choque foi grande. Mas muitos continuaram e ficaram felizes com o encontro desses novos instrumentos.
Cada um tinha seu propósito. O meu era superar o nível em que eu estava até então.”

— conclui o Sensei Ricardo Leite, sobre o início de sua jornada com o Sensei Yamada.

O Mestre Quintela já disse que o Programa Ving Tsun Experience contém uma série de orientações valiosas sobre o Sistema Ving Tsun, e hoje tenho plena certeza de quanto o estudo desse Programa me ajuda como praticante — e também ajuda minha Família — a desenvolver uma abordagem mais clara e profunda do Sistema, sem dúvidas.

Lembro-me de estar prestes a entrar no prédio dos pais do Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura com ele em seu carro. Nessas ocasiões, ele costuma relaxar o cotovelo esquerdo próximo à janela, segurando levemente o volante. Com a mão direita, segura o controle do portão e apoia o braço relaxado sobre a coxa direita. Toda a sua postura se torna mais tranquila do que quando está dirigindo.

Nesse momento do dia, algumas coisas costumam acontecer: ou ele conclui algo que estava dizendo, ou inicia um novo raciocínio — ou, o que mais me encanta, ele amarra um raciocínio, conectando tudo o que fizemos em termos de prática e Vida Kung Fu desde o primeiro dia daquela viagem em questão. É como se mostrasse, com clareza, que estava atento a tudo e me ajudasse a perceber como uma mesma conduta se manifesta em diferentes aspectos do nosso dia e como podemos trabalhá-la.

Naquele dia em particular, não me lembrava se ele estava concluindo ou iniciando um novo raciocínio enquanto esperávamos o portão — que teima em nunca abrir. Mas, pelo que entendi da história que contava, alguém lhe havia perguntado como ele conseguira ir tão fundo a partir do Siu Nim Do, e ele teria respondido explicando que tudo vinha da demanda que ele tinha.

Esse motivo aparentemente simples me emocionou profundamente. Fiquei olhando para frente, perdido em pensamentos. Porque foi também a demanda com meus alunos que me levou até ali naquele carro.
E é essa mesma demanda pela salvaguarda de um legado que parece mover o Sensei Ricardo. Talvez por isso, suas palavras tão bem colocadas me remeteram a todos esses fragmentos de memória que agora compartilho aqui.

The Quest for a Qualified Transmission by Nathan de Assis

 

Text by Nathan de Assis

(To Dai of Master Pereira and member of the Basic Level of the Safeguard Programme)

About a year ago, I was to accompany my Si Fu to an interview with someone interested in practising the Ving Tsun System at our Access Hub located in the Méier neighbourhood. At that time, I was still a participant in the Ving Tsun Experience Programme and had not yet joined the Kung Fu Family.

We arranged to meet at Si Fu’s (Thiago Pereira’s) favourite café in the centre of Rio, where the interview would take place. However, it never actually happened, as the interested person was unable to attend.

While we were still waiting, Si Fu took the opportunity to talk to me about my journey. At one point, the subject turned to Tutoring within the Ving Tsun Experience Programme. I remember having mentioned on previous occasions my desire to become a tutor one day — greatly inspired by the example of my Si Hing, the qualified tutor Daniel Eustáquio, who at that time (and up to the moment I write this article) is the youngest tutor in Latin America.

The high standard with which Si Hing Daniel carries out his tutoring work has always deeply inspired me to follow the same path. However, my understanding of what tutoring truly was remained quite limited, and I wanted to gain a clearer insight into this role. Si Fu, with his characteristic patience, shared with me, in the best way he could, what “tutoring” means within this Programme and how I could begin to walk that path.

(Master Pereira draws my attention to details in the support material.)

That day, I still had no idea what awaited me — yet a new stage in my life as a practitioner was beginning right there.

Over the course of the year, several tutoring seminars were held, corresponding to each level of the Ving Tsun Experience Programme. All were organised by my Si Fu and uniquely conducted by Grandmaster Leo Imamura. Between online and in-person meetings, each seminar proved to be extremely enriching — not only because of the contributions from the panellists, but also through the exchanges with participants from different levels of the Programme, as well as those already working within the Safeguard Programme, the Traditional System.

At the end of each ongoing event, I would leave with the feeling that I was still far from what I believed was necessary to achieve the qualification of tutor. On the other hand, that very feeling also revealed that many things were becoming clearer: my understanding of the intentionality behind the associated components had matured, and the natures began to manifest more distinctly in the way I approached each task in which I took part.

(Early Saturday evening with my Si Fu at the Rio de Janeiro Access Centre)

A few months passed, and I was able to take part in immersion classes with other practitioners of the Ving Tsun Experience Programme at our Centre in the Méier neighbourhood — sometimes to consolidate what I had learnt in the seminars, and at other times to identify gaps that had previously gone unnoticed. It seemed almost magical how certain pieces began to fit together, how my body gained awareness, or how I could so quickly realise that I was still capable of doing better, even though I already possessed the necessary resources. My journey was, indeed, beginning to take shape.

At the beginning of this October, close to his birthday, Si Fu decided to hold a few regulation classes with members of the Family. In my case, the goal was to review Levels 1 to 3 of the Ving Tsun Experience Programme. I believe Si Fu had noticed that I still needed to polish certain aspects in order to consolidate all the preparation from the past months and, in this way, become ready for tutoring.

On a Saturday, after the morning activities — in which I always try to take part —, we had lunch and coffee, which served as a kind of pre-event to the reviews. I was focused on doing a good job, but I also knew that this was the moment to bring everything I had to the surface: my resources, my doubts, and my limitations, so that I could refine whatever was necessary.

We then headed to the Mo Gun, where I had already prepared the material provided by Si Fu. We began with some reflections on how he approached immersion classes — with practical examples of how he presented and carried out the proposed tasks, always in a personalised way. I noticed that paying attention to the student was one of the most important points: providing a martial experience coherent with the nature of the level being worked on. I focused as much as I could on listening to each word and observing every gesture, aware that I was witnessing a unique opportunity — to watch my Si Fu conduct an immersion at an extremely high level.

Following the most recent reference framework for each level, we worked carefully through every associated component. At that moment, there was no time, no other commitments — only the work itself. I was completely immersed. There were moments when my performance was far from ideal, but that couldn’t stop me. I simply started over — again and again — trying each time to do better than before. I wanted it to be in my blood, for my understanding to follow a coherent path.

When I think back on that day, I realise: “Si Fu was incredibly patient with me — even when I no longer was.” At one point, during an exercise in which I took on the role of tutor and Si Fu acted as the student, I failed to execute a strategic procedure properly. As I restarted, without even noticing, I said a loud “let’s go again” to Si Fu, as if he were anyone else. At the time, I didn’t realise it, but Si Fu made a deliberate pause and invited me to reflect on what I had just done. He pointed out that, although my words carried no ill intent, they were not appropriate. In that instant, I understood that I had completely opened my centre line — I had stopped being present before the person in front of me and had merely wanted to start over mechanically.

It was then that I understood something essential: being a tutor is not about me, nor about what I want. It is about not interfering with the transmission of the content. I quickly absorbed that lesson and returned my focus to the true purpose of that moment — preparing myself to become a genuine tutor.

When night came, the lessons ended naturally, and I felt that we had done everything possible that day. Still immersed in everything that had happened, I found myself admiring even more the work that my Si Hing Daniel carries out today.

I was living an experience that I will carry with me forever — even if it lasted only one day and I may not yet fully grasp its impact. Perhaps, in time, I will come to understand.

A busca pela Transmissão Qualificada por Nathan de Assis

 

Texto por Nathan de Assis
(To Dai do Mestre Pereira e membro do 

Nível Básico do Programa de Salvaguarda)

 Há cerca de um ano, acompanharia meu Si Fu em uma entrevista com uma pessoa interessada em 
praticar o Sistema Ving Tsun em nosso Polo de Acesso situado no bairro do Méier. Naquela época, eu ainda era praticante do  Programa Ving Tsun Experience e não havia ingressado na Família Kung Fu. Nos reunimos na cafeteria favorita do Si Fu (Thiago Pereira) no centro do Rio, onde aconteceria a entrevista. Porém, ela nunca chegou a ocorrer, pois a pessoa interessada não conseguiu comparecer.

 Enquanto ainda aguardávamos, Si Fu aproveitou para conversar comigo sobre minha jornada. Em determinado momento, o assunto foi a Tutorização dentro do Programa Ving Tsun Experience. Lembro de já ter  mencionado, em ocasiões anteriores, minha vontade de me tornar tutor um dia — muito pelo exemplo do meu Si Hing, o tutor qualificado Daniel Eustáquio, que, na época (e até o momento em que escrevo este artigo), é o tutor mais jovem da América Latina. 

O alto nível com que o Si Hing Daniel conduz seu trabalho de tutorização sempre me inspirou profundamente a seguir o mesmo caminho. No entanto, meu entendimento sobre o que era realmente a tutorização ainda era muito limitado, e eu queria compreender melhor esse papel. Si Fu, com toda paciência, compartilhou comigo da melhor maneira que podia, sobre "tutorização" neste Programa, e como eu poderia começar a trilhar esse caminho. 

(Mestre Pereira chama a minha atenção para detalhes no material de apoio).

Naquele dia, eu ainda não fazia ideia do que me esperava — mas ali começava uma nova etapa da minha vida como praticante. 
Ao longo do ano, foram realizados diversos seminários de tutorização correspondentes a cada nível 
do Programa Ving Tsun Experience, todos organizados pelo meu Si Fu e conduzidos de forma ímpar pelo Grão-Mestre Leo Imamura. Entre encontros online e presenciais, cada seminário foi extremamente 
rico — tanto pelas contribuições dos painelistas quanto pelas trocas com os participantes, vindos de 
diferentes níveis deste Programa ou aqueles que já trabalham dentro do Programa de Salvaguarda, o Sistema Tradicional.

 Ao final de cada transevento, eu saía com a sensação de ainda estar distante do que acreditava ser 
necessário para alcançar a qualificação de tutor. Por outro lado, esse sentimento também revelava 
que muitas coisas estavam se tornando mais claras: minha compreensão sobre a intencionalidade 
dos componentes associados havia amadurecido, e as naturezas começaram a se manifestar mais 
nitidamente na forma como eu abordava cada trabalho em que participava.

(Início de noite de Sábado com meu 

Si Fu no Pólo de Acesso Rio de Janeiro)

Alguns meses se passaram, e pude participar de aulas de imersão de outros praticantes do 

Programa Ving Tsun Experience, em nosso Pólo no bairro do Méier — ora para consolidar o aprendizado dos seminários, ora para identificar lacunas que antes me passavam despercebidas. Parecia quase mágica a forma como certas peças se encaixavam, como meu corpo ganhava consciência ou como eu rapidamente percebia que ainda podia fazer melhor, mesmo já possuindo os recursos necessários. Minha jornada começava, de fato, a tomar forma.

 No início deste mês de outubro, próximo ao seu aniversário, Si Fu decidiu realizar algumas aulas 
de regulação com membros da Família. No meu caso, o objetivo era revisar os níveis 1 a 3 do 
Programa Ving Tsun Experience. Acredito que Si Fu tenha percebido que eu ainda precisava lapidar certos aspectos para consolidar todo o preparo dos últimos meses e, assim, me tornar apto à tutorização.

 Em um sábado, após as atividades da manhã — das quais procuro sempre participar —, tivemos um 
almoço e um café que serviram como pré-evento das revisões. Eu estava focado em realizar um 
bom trabalho, mas sabia que aquele era o momento de expor tudo o que eu tinha: meus recursos, 
minhas dúvidas e minhas limitações, para poder aprimorar o que fosse necessário.

 Seguimos então para o Mo Gun, onde deixei preparado o material disponibilizado por Si Fu. 
Começamos com alguns compartilhamentos sobre como ele abordava as aulas de imersão — com 
exemplos práticos de como apresentava e executava os trabalhos propostos, sempre de maneira 
personalizada. Percebi que prestar atenção no tutorado era um dos pontos mais importantes: trazer 
uma experiência marcial coerente com a natureza do nível trabalhado. Eu me concentrava ao 
máximo em ouvir cada palavra e observar cada gesto, entendendo que estava diante de uma 
oportunidade única — assistir a meu Si Fu conduzindo uma imersão em um nível elevadíssimo.

 Acompanhando a programação de referência mais recente de cada nível, trabalhamos atentamente 
cada componente associado. Naquele momento, não existia horário, nem compromissos — só o 
trabalho. Eu estava completamente imerso. Havia momentos em que meu desempenho não era o 
melhor, mas isso não podia me deter. Eu apenas recomeçava — de novo e de novo —, tentando a 
cada rodada fazer melhor que na anterior. Queria que aquilo estivesse no sangue, que meu 
entendimento seguisse um caminho coerente.

 Quando penso naquele dia, percebo: "Si Fu teve muita paciência comigo, até quando eu mesmo já 
não tinha." Em certo momento, durante um exercício em que eu assumia o papel de tutor e Si Fu o 
de tutorado, não consegui executar adequadamente um procedimento estratégico. Ao recomeçar, 
sem perceber, soltei um sonoro “vamos lá de novo” para Si Fu, como se ele fosse qualquer pessoa.
 Na hora, nem notei, mas Si Fu fez uma pausa estratégica e me convidou a refletir sobre o que eu 
havia percebido. Ele aproveitou para pontuar que, embora minha fala não tivesse má intenção, não 
era adequada. Naquele instante, percebi que havia aberto completamente minha linha central — 
deixei de estar presente diante de quem estava à minha frente e apenas quis recomeçar 
mecanicamente.

 Foi ali que compreendi algo essencial: ser tutor não é sobre mim, nem sobre o que eu quero. Trata
se de não atrapalhar a transmissão do conteúdo. Absorvi rapidamente essa lição e voltei a me 
concentrar no propósito do momento — preparar-me para ser um verdadeiro tutor.
 Quando a noite chegou, as aulas se encerram naturalmente, e senti que havíamos feito tudo o que 
era possível naquele dia. Ainda imerso em tudo o que havia acontecido, passei a admirar ainda mais 
o trabalho que meu Si Hing Daniel realiza hoje.
 Eu estava ali tendo uma experiência que eu levaria pra sempre, mesmo sendo só um dia e talvez 
nem tenha ainda noção do impacto. Talvez mais pra frente eu consiga entender

Revisiting the Ving Tsun System alongside my disciples

 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been able to do something that brought me a great deal of joy: work directly with each disciple, or To Dai, who expressed interest in revisiting a particular Domain of the Ving Tsun System with me. With my birthday approaching, I realised it could serve as a milestone to work with each of these individuals on certain key aspects of the Programme which, for some reason, had either not been well introduced—or had never even been presented—during their initial opportunity with me.

So there I was, with each of these individuals, in a moment where both the disciple and I gave ourselves a new chance to do better this time around.

There’s a little-known term called Fong Faat (方法). It refers to the methodology found in the process of transmission and learning, based on the notion of fan chuen (分傳). And what is fan chuen? We might say it is “individualised transmission”. After having experienced this process of personalisation intensely with Grandmaster Leo Imamura on my own journey, I came to admire his patience and dedication even more (as I always like to emphasise here). Because adapting to each practitioner—with their difficulties, strengths, potential, and self-sabotage—is something extremely delicate.

You know, some years ago, while sitting in a café, someone said to me: “…I think you’re hitting the reset button on the System unnecessarily...”
Regardless of who said that, I had no doubt about the importance of what I was doing: to become a better professional, to become a better Si Fu, but also... for myself.

I have a Kung Fu brother who has been inactive for quite a while. Every now and then, he toys with the idea of coming back, and in one of those conversations I said something like:
“Mate, there’s this boy you left behind somewhere, at a crossroads between two roads that seem to lead nowhere. You owe it to that boy to go back and get him.”
I said that to him, but it was as if I needed to hear myself say it, too.

Grandmaster Leo Imamura guides us towards an awakening to the System—and you smile. Not because of his charisma or something clever he said. These moments are usually silent, and he is usually quite serious. It’s a strange moment, when the System seems to speak to you, and you feel that teenager returning. The one who was 15 when he started practising Ving Tsun…

We were starting at 7 in the morning and going until 11 at night, without pause... It was incredible. It was the same spirit from São Paulo reaching Méier.
It had nothing to do with eccentricity or simply wanting to go on late into the night. It’s that, through constant evaluation and re-evaluation of the work and the individual, you feel the need to go 5 more minutes, 10 more… or 5 more hours. And the most amazing part is how the disciple seems to share in this silent commitment to exhaust everything that needs to be worked on that day.

It’s not about ticking off boxes on a checklist of milestones in a Domain. It’s a sense that the component being worked on could still be improved. It hasn’t yet been fully grasped. Or perhaps… there’s something there, right in front of you… you can feel it, but you still can’t quite see it. And now, you don’t want to stop until you do.

Then you see people practising for hours, without tiring, without asking to stop. And that’s when you understand the power of coherence. Because coherent work... doesn’t tire you out.
That’s what I experience in São Paulo — and what I was trying to breathe life into so that the same could be possible with my disciples.

Grandmaster Leo Imamura comments:
“…The notion of bei chuen 秘傳 can be related to the expression Bat Chuen Ji Bei 不傳之秘. When one speaks of bei chuen 秘傳, it is not about something that must be hidden, but something that is unreachable by those who have not yet learned how to perceive what is hidden…”

So, as we were revisiting milestones of the Ving Tsun System that had already been introduced to these individuals — regardless of the quality of that initial presentation — I was able to interact more directly with these disciples and, in other cases, remind them of their seniority, of their time in the Kung Fu Family, so that they might respond more promptly to a stimulus.

However, there was one sentiment that everyone, on different days, seemed to share:

“It feels like I had never seen this before…”

The photo above is from 2013, in what was then known as the “House of Disciples”. In the foreground, we can see Grandmaster Leo Imamura; beside him, Master Paul Liu; next to him, Master Cristina Azevedo; and standing, practising Cham Kiu, Si Suk Paulo Camiz Sr.

I had been with Si Gung the entire morning, and something curious happened — something I’ve shared here before: when he asked me to join the practice, I simply couldn’t move. It felt like I had never done Toei Ma in my life. Even with the characteristic patience and kindness of Master Paul Liu, it felt like a different martial art from the one I practised.

In the article I wrote at the time, my interpretation of the episode was:
“…It’s always so enriching to be able to observe how Si Gung lets the session unfold. The level of mobilisation he demands is also quite high, and humbly, it felt as if I were learning from scratch…”
Back then, in 2013, I didn’t even know what I was talking about.

That very morning, Si Gung generously gave two hours of his time to go through the entire list of Cham Kiu with me. Professor Vanise Almeida, my Si Taai, would perhaps have called that opportunity a “blessing” — but I was too immature to grasp the meaning of that moment. Even so, my instinct led me to share all that material, at the first opportunity, with some practitioners from the then “Méier School”, among them Rodrigo Caputo and Lucas Eustáquio.
As if it were a newly discovered secret…

I think the main feeling I’ve been experiencing — very intensely — is one of gratitude. Even though it’s a word that has become clichéd in recent years, the feeling of gratitude has always been present.

Of course, my ability to transmit is still far from what is possible to achieve. But for those people, in those hours we spent practising together, in my heart I knew that it hardly mattered that it was me who was there with them. Because throughout the day, in some mysterious way, it was the Ving Tsun System trying to manifest itself through mutual dedication — not just of the two people there practising, but also of Grandmaster Leo Imamura’s work, absorbed through shopping mall strolls, in cafés, restaurants, or in conversations during car rides through São Paulo — and which, somehow, made its way into that moment.

It was then that, reflecting on it all, a saying came to mind:
“The man who plants a tree knowing he will never sit in its shade has begun to understand the meaning of things.”

Perhaps, in the end, that is Grandmaster Leo’s true work.

I never gave up.