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| Keith
R. Kernspecht was born in 1945, took his high-school examinations in evening |
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| classes
and went on to study modern and classical languages, philosophy, theology |
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| and
jurisprudence. He first worked as an interpreter, then became a police
officer. |
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| Some
time later he spent eight years teaching in a commercial college. He gained |
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| additional
teaching experience by working at a penal institution and for NATO. For |
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| several
years he was a lecturer of English at the university of Kiel. |
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| At
the end of the fifties he began to study various Western and Eastern martial
arts, |
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| including
freestyle wrestling, catching, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Kempo, Shaolin Kung Fu, |
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| Shotokan
and Wado Ryu-Karate, Kobudo (weapons), Tae-Kwon-Do, Aikido, Escrima |
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| (Philippine
sword, stick and knife-fighting). For a short time he worked as a |
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| professional
wrestler. He was awarded the 3rd instructor grade in Escrima and the |
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| second
in Kempo. His friend S. Supasturpong introduced him to the Thai martial
arts. |
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| In
1967 Kernspecht established the Budo-Zirkel e.V. in Kiel, Germany, which
in |
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| addition
to Kempo, Shotokan-Karate and Ko-Budo was probably the first German |
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| martial
arts club to teach authentic Chinese Kung Fu. In the Chinese quarters of |
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| different
European cities (in England, among others) he came into contact with |
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| various
Wing Chun styles. In 1975 Kernspecht invited the highest Chinese |
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| WingTsun
(WT) master, Leung Ting, to Germany. Since that time, Kernspecht has |
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| received
private instruction from Leung Ting for several months a year, and is now |
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| the
head and chief instructor of the Chinese WT association's German and |
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| European
section. As a holder of the 9th master grade, Kernspecht is one of the
two |
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| highest
graduated WingTsun (WT) masters in the world. International martial arts |
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| publications
have called Kernspecht the "father of WingTsun in Europe" and the |
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| "Kaiser
of Kung Fu" (Black Belt, USA) in recognition of his success. In order to
round |
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| off
his knowledge, Kernspecht studied the teachings of Bruce Lee (later called
Jeet |
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| Kun
Do) in Germany and the USA from 1979 to 1981, training with Bruce Lee's
two |
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| first
and most skilled students. As WT chief instructor for Europe, and at the |
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| instigation
of his teacher, Grand Master Leung Ting, K. Kernspecht and his |
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| instructors
have established national WT organizations in all European countries. In |
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| Germany
alone there are now about 1,500 WT training schools. Their members are |
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| supported
by regular training courses, newsletters and the organizations own |
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| journal,
WingTsun World. Although Kernspecht himself still gives instruction for
four |
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| to
six hours a day, six days a week, he nevertheless finds the time to lecture
at |
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| foreign
universities as a visiting Professor, and to further the cause of both |
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| WingTsun
and the martial arts in general on an international level. |
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| He
is a member of the following, renowned organizations: |
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| In
Hong Kong and the Republic of China: |
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| International
WingTsun Martial Art Association (Honorary Chairman) |
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| Yip
Man Martial Art Association (Director and representative for Germany) |
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| Ving
Tsun Athletic Association (Director for life) |
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| Int.
Chinese Martial Art Federation (Honorary Chairman) |
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| Chung
Wah Martial Arts Athletic Association (Member) |
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| In
the USA and Europe: |
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| Philippine
Martial Arts Society (German representative and head) |
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| World
Martial Arts and Physical Education Assn. (Member) |
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| World
Martial Arts Instructors Council (Member) |
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| Budo
Zirkel e.V. (Hon. President for life) |
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| For
twenty-six years Keith Kernspecht has been together with his wife Sigrun,
a |
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| sculptor,
who also learned the WT system from Grand Master Leung Ting, and who |
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| accompanies
her husband on his constant travels. Both spend more time behind the |
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| wheel
of a car than at home. When they are not on the road together, they share
a |
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| rusty
hobby, namely restoring and driving classic sports cars and motorcycles.
The |
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| time
available for working and driving the gems becomes shorter as each year
goes |
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| by,
however, as the number of WT schools throughout Europe that need visiting
on |
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| a
regular basis continues to increase. |
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|
